Organization for a Half Bathroom

Our half bathroom, on the main floor gets a lot of use. It is one of the central hub of our home. The family, the kids’ friends, service people, even casual visitors wind up using it. Because of this, it has to be stocked with various items. from extra rolls of toilet paper and several hand towels, to band-aids and antiseptic, to tissues, combs and lotion. Not wanting to go all the way up or down the stairs, certain dirty clothing items, such as stray socks, hand towels and jackets wound up accumulating in the corner of the bathroom since … Continue reading →

ABS Tubs and Showers

I grew up with porcelain and enamel tubs. They’re kind of the norm, and I never really thought about owning anything different until I moved into my current house, which has tubs and shower surrounds made of ABS. Now that I’ve experienced both and had the chance to form an opinion, it’s this: I much prefer the ABS. First of all, just what is ABS? It’s a heavy-duty plastic that’s lightweight, yet durable. Because it’s so light, it’s really easy to install, and it can last for years on end, if treated properly. Now, why do I prefer it to … Continue reading →

Sprucing Up a Small Bathroom

You can have a spa feel in a small bathroom. All it takes is a little careful planning for great success. Little Bits of Luxury Small doesn’t have to mean sparse. Invest in some luxuriously thick towels that will add a touch of luxury in your small space. Store your extras in a hall or bedroom closet, to keep bathroom space from seeming cluttered. Consider mounting a towel warmer. Newer models come with space saving features. Turn the small space into a positive thing. With smaller square footage, you’ll be able to afford higher end materials, such as great floor … Continue reading →

Time to Clean Out the Medicine Cabinet

It seems as though most of the people I know are dropping like flies to the flu or other respiratory illness right now. Whether it is the dreaded swine flu or the usual seasonal flu, the fact that everyone around us seems to be affected right now makes the whole thing hit home. I know, despite trying to deny it to myself, that at some point my own family may be affected. As much as I would like to sometimes place them in a bubble, there are those things called school and work, not to mention social activities. With this … Continue reading →

Search for a New Bathroom at Lowe’s

Yesterday, Sunday, my family and I spent hours in our local Lowe’s home improvement store searching for a new bathroom vanity for our downstairs powder room. In fact, we have to redo the whole bathroom. Right now, it contains a cheap blue carpet (ew carpet in the bathroom) that the previous owners used to hide the water damage to the sub floor beneath. The current sink itself is not bad, with the exception of years of hard water stains that bleach and a pumice stone have not completely eliminated. However, the sink is just attached to the wall, and the … Continue reading →

Towel Tips

Is your linen closet overflowing with mismatched towels? Or can you never find a clean towel when you need one? Fluffy warm towels can be a luxury that doesn’t cost a fortune. And, a well-organized linen closet can make it a pleasure to take your shower or bath, make it easier to have guests over and just set a nice tone for the rest of your closets. Here are some tips about towels. Let’s start with how many towels you actually need. I would suggest two to four towels per person living in your home. Most people go through a … Continue reading →

How to Modernize Your Bathroom for Less Than $200

Just because you are watching your budget, doesn’t mean that you have to live with an old and outdated bathroom. There are some great improvements that you can make that will cost less than $200 and in some cases even less than $100. So what are you waiting for? On the lowest end, and we are talking free, use a dremel tool to polish tarnished, dirty and even pitted doorknobs, facets and other hardware. The dremel rotates a brush at a high speed that will literally scrape off years of dingy build up. Replace your old outdated medicine cabinet with … Continue reading →

Three Global Designs for Baths

International design is becoming domestic style with the clean simple lines, the classic features and the new to us innovations that have been around in other countries for quite some time. Let’s take some bathroom ideas from three well-proven styles and adapt them to our modern sensibility for beautiful, functional and innovative bathrooms. Middle Eastern Flair A bathroom that adapts the flair of the middle east is full of interesting texture and design, from exotic tile patterns that echo the ancient past to bright and vibrant oranges, blues and reds that spice up a space. A focus on seating areas … Continue reading →

Bathroom Luxuries

Want to feel as though your bathroom is in a spa? Consider adding these products that will make you feel like a King or Queen in the bathroom. Your home will be the envy of your friends. Prices rang from the inexpensive ($40) to the investment ($2,000+). Automatic Soap Dispensing Hands free soap dispensing comes home with a sleek and modern pump from Simplehuman. The Spout Sensor Soap Pump lets you program one of four preset dosages of liquid soap. This allows you to customize the right amount of soap to your needs and the thickness of the soap. The … Continue reading →

Easy Bathroom Updates

Try a few of these simple techniques that will have your bathroom looking fresh and new. These ideas can be used to help stage a home for sale or just to give it a nice new look. You won’t spend a lot of money, but you will get a lot of impact. If your bathroom is looking tired, consider using some color to make it come alive. A series of contrasting stripes on the wall will have that bathroom grabbing attention. Choose three shades (two color and one neutral, such as white). Horizontal stripes will make the bathroom appear larger, … Continue reading →