Two months ago, I set out with a mission to makeover my former condo’s bathroom with a barely there budget of under a thousand dollars. 1k may seem like a lot, but it’s amazing how quickly paint, flooring and plumbing can eat away at that stash of cash. A charming concept image inspired the classic meets mod-industrial aesthetic I was envisioning for my drab and dated bathroom. Here’s a look at the before:
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{ Posts Tagged ‘Bathroom’ }
In just over a year, I’ve overhauled every room in my historic condo – every room except for the bathroom, that is. I’ve been putting off the looming “reno” for as long as possible. Though it’s often the smallest room in the house, the bathroom can take a mighty bite into one’s design and decor budget. Having already tackled a kitchen reno this year, I’m not quite ready to eat the costs of another major home project.
Welcome to day one of my bathroom renovation! The demolition began yesterday and I returned home to find everything … GONE! Here’s what my bathroom looks like today:
Yikes!
The wall-to-wall mirror is gone, as are the sink and vanity. Can’t say I’m sad to see ‘em go.
Adios, bathtub!
I found this drawing behind the tile on the shower wall. I’ve heard tons of stories about the things people have found behind walls and underneath floors when doing a renovation. Have you ever found anything interesting? A friend of mine found well preserved newspapers from the 1920s when she renovated her house.
I have to hand it to the installation crew from Home Depot. I’m so pleased with the way they’ve been treating my home. They put up plastic coverings in all the right places and have kept the mess contained to the bathroom. We’ve all heard horror stories about renovations gone wrong, so it was nice to start things off on the right foot. Thanks, guys! I really appreciate it.
Today’s one of those days when I’m just looking for inspiration. Next on my home to-do list is my bathroom. The question is: Total overhaul or cheap and cheerful makeover? I’m leaning towards the less expensive option, because it will save me money and of course, the headache of a major renovation. That said, my bathroom could use some work. What to do?
I’m still weighing the pros and cons but in the meantime, I’m looking for inspiration. My online travels led me to find these images below and I’ve realized that I’m really digging these black and white bathrooms.
I love this dramatic wallpaper from Graham & Brown and of course the white clawfoot tub. Problem: I don’t have the space for a standalone tub and I’m not entirely sold on the idea of wallpaper in the bathroom. But regardless, this look is totally gorgeous.
These Egyptian cotton bath towels and bath mat from Horchow will add a touch of hotel chic to any bathroom.
These high-gloss, white lacquered bathroom accessories from West Elm are simple and understated. They’ve got a minimalist appeal that I love.
What do you think? Are black and white bathrooms classic or too trendy?
What better way to end off the week than with a great giveaway? I love Body Shop products not just because they smell good enough to eat, but because they look great on display on the bathroom countertop, too. Clustered together, they make great decorative displays. So today, I’m offering you the chance to win a gift basket featuring six amazing summer products from the Body Shop’s Cooling Peppermint Foot range and the Coconut Bath & Body range. Get your skin and feet summer-ready!
Giveaway: Two gift baskets, each one including Cooling Peppermint Foot Spray, Cooling Peppermint Foot Lotion, Peppermint Purifying Foot Mask, Coconut Body Butter, Coconut Body Scrub and Coconut Shimmer Body Lotion. (Approximate retail value: $110 each)
Leave a comment below and share your best bathroom organizing tip. I`ll choose the two winning responses.
Contest closes June 28, 2010 at 12pm EST. Open to all residents of Canada, except those in Quebec. Not open to any Transcontinental Media employees, their families, or any other persons with whom they reside.
A perennial summer fave, the pairing of blue and white always feels fresh and relevant. But while a crisp navy is bold and energetic, the juxtaposition of white with a soft, pale blue spells serenity and calm.
Sico Paints has selected the appropriately-titled Serene Blue 6007-31 as one of its hottest hues of the season.
A sneak peek at Eileen Fisher’s dreamy new bedding for Garnet Hill – part of her Fall 2010 collection. I love how the various blues come to life in this rustic white envelope.
…And one of my all-time fave bathrooms Style at Home, in which homeowners Sean Ward and Stephen Fillmore carried their delicious English eccentricity into the ensuite via crisp blue Tartan wallpaper. Check out the full interior here.
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In a recent interview with Toronto-based designer Laura M. Stein, I asked her what suggestions she had to help people choose the right paint colours for kitchens and bathrooms? And where does she suggest finding inspiration?
Here’s what she had to say:
Anything you love can be inspiration for colour … a piece of artwork, a flower, a picture. If you want to feel a certain way in a room, think of other things that make you feel that way, and then think about what they look like in your mind. A luxury hotel? A spa? A hip restaurant? The beach?
Next, look around the room. Is there a colour you can pull from your backsplash tile or counter top? Are there accessories in the room that you love? I have a shower curtain that I hunted for all over New York City and has traveled with me through four different homes from Boston to Toronto. In each home, I used the shower curtain as inspiration and pulled a different colour for the walls each time.
Finally, look to the adjacent rooms. The colours in each room should flow together and work nicely side-by-side.
If you’re still stuck, flip through magazines or look at pictures online. There are lots of amazing photos of kitchens and bathrooms out there to inspire you.
Tip: Do not choose your paint colour in the store. Because the lighting in the store is different than the lighting in your home colours will look different in each location. Bring the swatches home and hold them up vertically against the wall to get the truest sense of what the colour will look like. Better yet, buy a small sample and paint some test swatches.
Check out our Kitchen and Bath section for more inspired ideas!
My colleague Kimberley Seldon always says the only thing that she refuses to buy on behalf of her client is the bathtub. “That’s something they need to actually come to the showroom to test-drive,” she says.
On the other hand, if Kimberley were to deliver this to my doorstep, sans test-drive, I would be totally cool with that…
We’ve seen so many other features of the bathroom — vanities in particular — get the “furniture-look” treatment, it was only a matter of time before the tub itself got a mod makeover. The AQHayon Bathtub, designed by Jaime Hayon combines a standard acrylic tub with an MDF surround-structure that gives it the profile of a luxe & leggy cocktail table. I love how in this all-white bathroom, the white acrylic tub disappears, and you’re left with the graceful silhouette of the MDF… Absolutely stunning.
Price: $7,639 USD
Available at: Generate Design
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One of the most vivid booths at this year’s Interior Design Show belonged to Decotec, a Paris-based dealer of eye-poppingly brilliant bathroom fittings. With Decotec now available in Canada through a Quebec location, I just had to share my fave find from their colourful collection.
This piece, the Malles des Indes, is what Decotec is calling their “Bohemian bathroom”. So cute and compact – everything just folds into an attractive cabinet when not in use! The ultimate design solution for the teensy weensy bath? Euro-faboosh!
Decotec Paris Inc., 450-455-2559; decotec.ca.
Gotta love this showstopping ceramic tile. Sleek, sexy and… Hygienic? Savoia — downtown Toronto’s stunning tile showroom — announces the Canadian debut of Active Antibacterial Tiles. Through a process called photocatalysis (say that five times fast), the tiles actually clean the air of polluting organic substances when hit by sunlight. Crazy cool!
Avoria Segesto ceramic tile from the Active Antibacterial Collection
If you’ve yet to browse Savoia, now’s the perfect time, as Style Sleuth readers have been invited to the showroom’s upcoming open house where you’ll have the chance to have the kitchen or bathroom of your dreams tiled FOR FREE! That’s $7,500 worth of tile, btw. If you win, you have to promise to invite me over to see the finished product! Here are the deets on the open house event…
Saturday February 6th and Sunday February 7th, 9:00AM to 6:00PM; 145 King St. E. (just west of Jarvis), Toronto
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