More Easy Ways To Update Your Bathrooms

There must be a voice somewhere whispering “refresh and update your bathrooms” as this is the second guest post in a week I am sharing on this topic.  don’t worry, it is not a repeat of the prior post, so take a read and perhaps get inspired to do some bathroom updating yourself this weekend!

Bathroom Updates

Megan Gates is an active blogger who provides written work to the blogosphere pertaining to Suffolk Rentals, NY Rentals, home improvement and the latest architecture, design and fashion.  Follow her on twitter @MEGatesDesign.

If you’re looking for an easy home makeover project to do this weekend, look no farther than your bathroom. With these easy tips, your bathroom will be looking fresh and chic in no time.

Bring in some bold or neutral splashes of color (depending on the wall colors) in a simple way by buying a new shower curtain and new towels. Your towels do not have to always be out of sight and can be folded over a bar, washcloths can be folded on the vanity, or you can have an extra towel or two on the back of the toilet. Don’t forget your bathmats and window curtains if you have them.  Toothbrush holders, soap dispensers or dishes, and bathroom cups will also add a nice accent of color if you match them with the towels and bathmats.

S Interior Design would say that your accessories don’t need to strictly match, but rather coordinate well with one another. 

Make your vanity look modern with some new hardware. By changing the handles and knobs, you can modify the look of your cupboards and drawers in minutes. Add a new, modern mirror and update the sink faucet. Change your old lighting fixture to a stylish modification. If you do not want to change the sink or faucet, bringing in a large mirror that covers most of the wall over the sink, and adding bright new light bulbs is a quick and easy update.  How many times have you gone into a bathroom and found the lighting is just awful for sprucing up and getting ready for the day.  Lighting makes a huge different when it comes to a bathroom. ]

We could not agree more with the lighting commentary!!

If you want to change up the entire color of your bathroom, bringing a new color to your walls is a simple afternoon project that can result in a major room transformation for little money. Your bathroom is a small room in comparison to the rest of your house so deciding to paint it is not as much of a time and money commitment as it may be in another room. Since the room is small, experiment with a bold color. If you don’t like it, it’s easy enough to change it to something else. If you decide to change the color of your bathroom, choose a neutral color for all of the accessories mentioned above.  If you decide on a neutral warm tone, spice it up and definitely add those bold accents.  Remember though, that since it is a small room, staying away from dark colors is a good idea to keep your bathroom feeling open and fresh.

S Interior Design  varies from this opinion on staying away from dark colors…..we say go bold, go dark if that is what your design scheme needs.  Small will not feel any smaller.

 

With these simple steps, you’ll be surprised at the dramatic changes your bathroom can go through in a weekend. Share any other smart and chic ways to update a bathroom here!

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Fun Furniture in Austin

Unseasonably cold temperatures in Austin, Texas on Friday closed the schools, covered the roads in ice and snow and had many retail establishments opening late or not at all.    This Scottsdale, Arizona interior designer was none too pleased with the situation.  Luckily, I found LOFT.

Needless to say, it was not crowded as many had simply stayed at home on this frigid day.  A lovely young designer by the name of Mary was at the store waiting for a truck load of new furniture to arrive.  She had the schematic space plan all sketched out in anticipation.

My sister and I browsed the offerings at LOFT at a leisurely pace and I began snapping pictures with my phone camera.

Here are some of the great items I wanted to share _

 

 

 

2 great examples of the current revival of BRASS finishes.

Look up!  A sinuous pendant ceiling fixture that would be great over a dining table, a kitchen island or even in a bedroom.  It reminds me of a tailored woman’s suit in design.  Clean lines yet with curve.

This table lamp almost came home with me.  It reminded me of the sand art projects I did as a child.
A great conversation piece in a casual family room setting !

And perhaps my favorite find of all……..this amazing chest made from reclaimed wood with an unexpected design element of what else?  BRASS hardware.

So, if you are ever in Austin, Texas, make time to visit LOFT at the Domaine shopping area.  If you can’t get to Austin, you can check out they web site at http://www.lofthome.com

7 EZ Decor Changes To Make Before The Holidays

The holiday season is fast approaching.

It is not too late to make some decor changes to your home before the holiday guests arrive.

Interior Design A-Z: ‘L’ is for Living Rooms… and more

Well here we are at the letter ‘L’.  I asked my creative Facebook friends for their suggestions and was flooded with good ideas!  As a result, I will use many of them in this post representing the letter ‘L’; to be exact, seven of the suggestions will find themselves discussed in this post.

Starting with the word LIVING ROOM.  What design elements comprise a living room?  In our fictional living room, we will have great lamps, accent chairs with fabulous legs upholstered in leopard chenille.  There is a sofa with a linen slip cover and an entertainment center with louvered doors and fabulous decorative latches.

In our living room sits our sofa, flanked by two chairs upholstered in leopard chenille.   Definitely need some great throw pillows for the sofa to pull the rich colors of the fabric and leg stain over. Perhaps introduce some red as an accent color…..  A faux mink throw for the back of the sofa would look good.

Formal living rooms are not too common now a days.  Our living room is quite casual in tone and is home to the second TV in the house so the parents can watch their favorite shows while their teenaged son plays X-Box on the TV in the family room.

A large scale entertainment unit with louvered doors, stained a darker tone to complement the legs on the accent chairs works great.   To one side of the linen sofa, an interesting chest with great latches is used as a table.  The height is balanced by a floor lamp on the other side of  the sofa.

Our room is not quite finished.  The walls will be painted in a soft gray blue tone.  An 8′ x 10′ sisal area rug with a leopard print border anchors the seating arrangement.  Artwork will grace the walls, window treatments, live plants and other accessories will find their home in our fictional living room.

WHAT WOULD YOU ADD TO OUR ROOM??

Picture sources include: Pottery Barn (sofa), One-Way Furniture (Leopard Chairs), Lamps Plus (floor lamp)

S Interior Design offers virtual design services and would love to help you either long distance via the internet, or in person in the Phoenix AZ metro area (or beyond if you would like for us to travel to you!)

Interior Design A-Z: H is for Hardware

Many of you may have heard this before, but here it is again – Hardware is like the jewelry for your cabinets, without it, your room is not fully dressed.  Another design adage holds true here too, ‘Design is in the details’.  So true!!!

Whether you are doing a new build, a remodel, or just want to freshen up the look of your rooms, changing or adding decorative hardware to the cabinets and doors to your furnishings can go a long way in defining the design of your rooms.  Don’t forget the door and cabinet hinges!

One of my favorite spots for different/ funky hardware is Anthropologie.

It can get quite frustrating to shop for cabinet hardware, need 10 of a certain style and then the store only has 6 in-stock.  So, if you are needing a large quantity of a certain style of knob or pull,  S Interior Design recommends using on-line resources such as House of Knobs.