mamapatty's ideas
Textured glass enclosure. If you want privacy without the frosted look, try a glass with texture. The beautiful textures are enhanced with water running down the glass and create a spa-like feel. Textured glass also allows for a see-through effect while masking specific details, making the bathroom seem larger.
Framed enclosure. Framed enclosures are a popular option because they are a low-cost solution to the age-old problem of how to keep water in the shower. But just because the shower is framed doesn't mean it can't be stylish. Instead of polished brass, try a chrome finish for a look that can be classic or modern. Adjustable panels at the top allow for venting in this fully enclosed shower as well as give it a little flair. Want something affordable and traditional? Go with an oil-rubbed-bronze frame — and don't forget to add a drain cover to match.
Aluminum and glass shower enclosure. Need a little something more to spruce up your shower? Don’t be afraid to be unique and try a shower surround that has flair. Created with glass panels set into an aluminum frame, this shower enclosure mimics the look of the tile in the back of the shower. The dark metal mixed with the clear glass gives the enclosure an eclectic feel.
1. Add built-in shelving. Shallow built-in shelving can help you gain storage and maintain floor space. Stick to shelving that's no more than 12 inches deep. The units here act as bedside tables, eliminating the need for extra furniture. Recessing the bed in the middle of the shelving prevents it from encroaching on much-needed floor space. If you go with built-ins in your small bedroom, try taking them all the way to the ceiling to make the ceiling look higher. And paint the back wall a contrasting color to create layering and depth.
A gallery wall sets off a curated collection of mementos and travel treasures in the foyer. "My personal style seems to be dictated by what I like at the moment, and I feel that the things in your home should tell you and your family's story," Camille says. "Almost everything that is on display has some sort of significance behind it, whether it be from our travels, a family heirloom or simply something that one of us has made. That is at the root of my design philosophy."
Hand crafted tiles. Hand-crafted elements were an important part of Craftsman style, particularly in tile work. Tile vignettes often included multiple solid-colored tiles of the same color, tiles illustrating scenes from nature, or a mixture of solid and decorative tiles with a nature-inspired relief. Get this look: Craftsman tiles once sold for just 90 cents each, but today these authentic tiles can go for more than $150 each. Reproduction tiles tend to be the best bet for the budget conscious. Alternatively, try to find a local craftsman to replicate the look you're going for.
Add to ideabook by Jancy Ervin Interiors For reading, the light source should be located beside the person. A three-way bulb that tops out at 150 watts is ideal. If that’s not possible, look for a fixture that will accommodate a 100-watt bulb or two 60-watt bulbs. The bottom of the shade should be at eye level to prevent glare.
The point is to have a go-to place where you can look out at the world but the world can't see you. When you're designing seating for this area, make sure it backs up against a wall, screen or hedge. Having something impermeable behind us helps us feel more secure. What's the point of having a fort if it isn't secure?
Forget the old adage that small rooms need to be painted a light color. When you paint a small room a really dark color, the corners seem to disappear, so you can't see the boundaries of the space anymore. Plus, dark rooms can be really cozy. And at the end of the day, is it more important that a space feel big or feel inviting?
Get your guest room ready in minutes. First of all, keep the bed made so you don't have to worry about that. Next, devote a shelf in your linen closet to storing guest room essentials, so you can just grab the whole stack and go. Consider including: a fresh set of towels, slippers, a robe and a small basket of spare toiletries.
Watson-Smyth liked the idea of a compact, restaurant-style kitchen that had everything within easy reach. The room is large, but the cooking and cleaning space is comparatively small. "I can unload the dishwasher and put everything away without moving my feet," she says. "Well, apart from the pans, which are one step away." Ikea
he living room leads into this lounge room on the main level. The space reflects Connie and Nick's combined personal styles. "We each brought in full sets of furniture and had to figure out what would work together. The slipcovers are perfect for kids," says Connie. "We can upgrade when Wyatt is older."
0. Contrasting neutrals in Ohio. Despite the neutral palette, this bathroom has several unique design features that Houzz readers wanted to keep on file. The dark trim around the ceiling, the tiled ceiling and a contrasting tile floor keep this bathroom visually interesting.
Embrace your inner maximalist. A quick peek into this crafts room might scare any minimalist back into a bare-walled home. But take a closer look at button designer Hiroyo Suzuki's Tokyo home and you'll see perfect balance and order in her teeming wall display. Suzuki let her instincts guide how she decorated her walls, yet there is a perfect form and a grid-like structure to her arrangement of containers, jars, boxes, rolls and fabric. Tip: Zone in on the details, even when you're dealing with loads of little pieces. Suzuki's display works precisely because she considered the distance between objects and the sizes, colors and tonal qualities of her collections.
Great family room/living room combo
The master bedroom's three walls of large windows flood the space with soft light. Enid covered the ceiling above the bed with a variety of white paper lanterns. "I love the way they look swaying above us as we lie in bed."
Enid's great-uncle made the fireplace fender bench, which is perfect for enjoying the warmth of the fire on chilly Santa Cruz afternoons.
What an amazing use of space! A large stair landing or an underutilized nook in your home can transform into the ideal homework area with a diner booth setup. The built-in bookcase is a perfect place for stashing a dictionary, a thesaurus and a good atlas.
The breakfast table or dining table is a great place to designate as your official homework area. You can prepare dinner and keep your eyes on your little workers at the same time.
The basics: Engineered quartz is a man-made product formed from roughly 90 to 95 percent ground quartz and 5 to 10 percent resins and pigments. Commonly found brands include Caesarstone, Silestone, Zodiaq, Cambria, Technistone, HanStone and Q. Several manufacturers have upward of 40 options, like colors from bright red to earthy linen and patterns from crocodile to concrete.
A home office system, which was custom designed by Shaw, runs along the length of the bedroom wall. Extra storage was integrated below the desk. Since there's no second bedroom, Jonassen chose to have a workspace in her bedroom rather than in the main living area. Desk: custom; built-in shelving: custom by R. Frost Design Build
A mix of old and new items creates a comfortable and warm feel in the living room. An antique dining room table and a mishmash of chairs are the result of years of collecting. "The living room has the most amazing glow and so many 'Dora' things around to look at and enjoy," says Shaw. "This room reflects her personality in a wonderful way."
A professional-grade kitchen was one of Jonassen's must-haves, so a custom Viking Range (in a beautiful sage green) and a Sub-Zero refrigerator (clad in bamboo panels for cohesiveness) were installed. Inexpensive lighting and fixtures helped balance out the budget. Backsplash: Glacier Tile, Stone Source; countertops: limestone, Artistic Tile; pendant lights: Ikea; faucet: Luna, KWC; dishwasher: Bosch
This inspiration kitchen demonstrates a great color tip: if you want to use a neutral hue, such as gray or tan, consider using different shades of it. It will give the space more depth and interest without injecting over-the-top color, if that's just not your thing.
Example palette: Red stimulates our appetites, so it's a fantastic choice for the kitchen. Paired with a muted dark green, it has a modern rustic feel. Clockwise from top: Poppy 1315 and Turtle Green 2142-20 (both from Benjamin Moore) with reclaimed wood.
Like the color combination -- gray, black and brick orange.
This white porcelain tile is one of my favorite choices for a steam shower. Using a simple and practical tile such as this can stretch your budget and allow you to afford nicer shower fixtures or another feature. Tip: It's very easy to find great deals on small lots of tile — use a white tile as a base, and you can splurge on accent tile somewhere else in the steamer or the bathroom.
A small glass tile in a solid color like this is a smart-looking option. Avoid clear glass tiles that might look fogged up if water gets trapped behind them. It is up to the manufacturer of any glass tile to recommend the proper setting materials for installation. This is an industry guideline and promoted by the TCNA. Tip: When working on a shower floor or steam shower project, avoid tile with a mesh backer on it. Most are not rated for submerged use and can be a risky option.
LeClair built and installed the sliding barn door to separate the bathroom from the bedroom. He also created this charming headboard using an old architectural peak and a pair of columns. Mitchell dressed the bed with an assortment of French-style linens.
A cozy reading nook in the corner of the bedroom displays Mennonite children's clothing and signs with the names of cows from Mitchell's childhood farm. The antique pine armoire was built into a wall in their former 1867 heritage home.
A gas fireplace at the foot of the bed has space on both sides for narrow built-in storage. The decorative piece above the mantel is an antique wooden apple dryer.
The French doors open onto a romantic balcony with bistro chairs overlooking the garden
An interior window — which was originally on an outside wall — brings light and a cross breeze into this upper landing. Mitchell displays a stacked collection of vintage suitcases and old pilasters here.
The island was constructed from old house doors. LeClair added a glossy pine top and a stainless sink. A pair of industrial-style stools from Pine Sampler complete the picture. To the left of the kitchen area, Mitchell created a vignette using a rustic settee decorated with pillows in vintage fabrics. Old architectural pieces and wooden signs hang as wall art, and a new lampshade was softened with Rit dye. (Click photo to see full view.)
Once they removed the plaster, the couple decided to retain the lath on this wall because they liked the color and texture. Mitchell's brother found the old blanket box, now used as a coffee table, in a Toronto ravine. "It's my favorite piece, and it got me hooked on antiques," she says. A wing chair with ticking and linen cushions sits comfortably in front of the old cupboard, painted by Mitchell. Both of the homeowners have mastered effective techniques for applying soft, distressed finishes to wooden pieces.
Beadboard partitions are used to separate the bathroom into zones for a tub, a shower, a commode and a sink. Here, an antique hanger creatively holds the hand towel.
Moving into the bath, a clear glass shower enclosure keeps the open feeling, making the bathroom look larger than it really is. The shower is a steam shower by ThermaSol. The glass at the top tilts down to keep the steam inside the stall.
In the wet bar area, custom open shelving instead of clunky upper cabinets leaves things more open and makes the space appear larger.
How much storage do you need? A lot of this depends on your kitchen layout. If you have space for a lot of cabinetry in the kitchen, island storage may not be a priority. If this is to be your main prep area, the sink and other appliances may have to come first, but try to make room for prep utensils and cutting boards near the sink. "Typically, two 24-inch base cabinets back to back will accommodate most under-island functions," says Justrich. "But make sure that your island isn't too big, with extra space in the middle." Ahmann suggests making your island 3 feet wide, as that tends to look best — although sometimes a width of 2 feet is the best fit. The length can be as few as 4 feet, but he suggests planning for at least 7 feet if you need to accommodate a sink, a dishwasher and a cooktop.
This double-height tansu serves as a freestanding cabinet in this kitchen — an example of a tansu in a modern, pared-down aesthetic.
This is a classic step tansu that would fit with any style. I love to float these pieces with the tall end against a wall, as they make great room dividers. The graduated steps allow for display opportunities.
The simple design and low height of this tansu make it the perfect size for an end table to this sofa. The iron handles provide a great detail in this grand room that's full of sunlight and warm fir ceilings.
All together now. A well-trimmed room is something special. Its baseboard, casings and crown all relate to each other in their style, proportions, sizing and finish. In this example, the baseboard appears to follow the 7 percent guideline: The casings are about half the size of the baseboard, and the crown looks to be just slightly smaller than the baseboard. There's no doubt that the trim for this room was conceived as part of the overall design.
diagonal dividers
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