From the Floors Up

Revamping Your Bathroom’s Lighting

By Leave a Comment

These days the single lighting fixture hanging from your bathroom ceiling just is not cutting it. In fact, most modern bathrooms embrace a spa-like ambiance through their lighting scheme. Often this look is achieved through clever light placement. So if you have not done so already, it is time to switch up the lighting in your bathroom.

Know Your Design Theme

The type of lighting that you use depends on the style of your bathroom and the overall theme of your home. If your home is modern and minimalistic in design, you will want to steer towards lighting fixtures that have straight lines. Use LED bulbs for the lighting quality to bring subtle emphasis. On the other hand, if your decorating is shabby chic, you can add some luxury by installing chandeliers.

Emphasize the Vanity

Vanity lighting is also essential. The lighting scheme in the vanity area should be void of dark shadows and welcome bright lights. Consider installing triple lighting sconces. Lighting sconces come in a variety of colors and designs. In fact, you can purchase glass or stainless steel sconces. If you are going for a classic look, try small chandeliers on each side of the vanity to provide generous lighting as well as style.

Add Lighting in Unexpected Areas

Hidden light fixtures are a great way to add a romantic style to your bathroom. In fact, track lighting has also made its way into the modern bathroom. Track lighting takes on all kinds of shapes and designs in today’s market.

Understand Your Space

When planning out a lighting scheme, you should keep in mind how much lighting your bathroom requires. This factor can vary depending on the size of your bathroom. Make sure that the lighting fixtures you select are able to handle the necessary amount of wattage to light the space.

If you are renovating your bathroom or simply making small changes, you should revamp the lighting scheme for increased efficiency and an improved appearance. We believe that lighting can completely transform the look of space if done correctly. Be sure to use these four simple tricks when updating your bathroom’s lighting.

Creative Design Hacks for Your Apartment’s Bathroom

By Leave a Comment

Apartment bathrooms can come with their own series of problems. They can be smaller than some home bathrooms while also lacking the freedom to remodel. While you cannot install the tile of your choice or paint the walls the color you want in most leases, there are still several ways to make your bathroom personalized to your taste. Take your apartment bathroom’s aesthetics to the next level with these easy tricks.

Two Shower Curtains

If your apartment needs to have a shower curtain, this is an opportunity to get creative. Traditionally, you would purchase one shower rod, your rings, and the shower curtain. However, there is a creative, functional, and more aesthetically pleasing look to consider. Purchase two matching shower curtains. Allow them to part in the middle like curtains do on windows. You can also improve the look even more by investing in curtain hooks or a curved rod!

Add Another Mirror

Another common amenity your bathroom probably offers is a mirror. While the single mirror serves its own purpose, adding another mirror will double the benefits. You can find a framed mirror in any shape to add to your bathroom. This second mirror will move light even more around your bathroom and help eliminate visual barriers, making your bathroom look and feel bigger.

Floating Shelves

With limited space available in many apartments, functionality and aesthetics should be attempted to be used together. Add some floating shelves to your bathroom to allow you to add some personalized and stylish décor. Use these as extra spaces to help display your taste will providing more storage.

Upgrade Your Showerhead

While aesthetically, this feature will not make a significant difference, you will love this upgrade. Changing your showerhead to a more efficient and personalized one will make your shower time much more enjoyable. This feature is an easy fix that you can switch back after your lease ends.

Do not let a lease limit you from making your home feel like home. Add some personal, stylish, and creative additions to your bathroom with these tricks. What design tricks do you use in your own bathroom? Let us know in the comment section.

What Are Curbless Shower Systems?

By Leave a Comment

Curbless shower systems are the hottest renovation trend for bathroom remodels. Not only are they incredibly aesthetically-pleasing, but they are also functional. No more stepping over a curb or bathtub ledge to get into your shower. This innovation offers a safe and more efficient way to shower. In fact, these tiled masterpieces have some clever engineering behind them. You cannot just tile a room and call it a day. Curbless shower systems effectively drain water and keep the water from damaging your house. This is how they work:

Shower Floor and Drain

Water will follow gravity and slope to your drain. There are several systems you can choose from when creating your waterproof floor and drain. Wedi and Kerdi are both excellent choices. You can also mud a shower and slope it to create drainage. Remember, water will penetrate through anything that is not 100% waterproof. This part is vital to protect the integrity of your home.

Waterproofing Your Walls

Likewise, curbless showers will need to have waterproof walls. Some manufacturers recommend going to a certain height to protect your walls behind the shower system. It is essential to recognize that water can be very destructive if it gets through your walls; therefore, waterproofing every seam, corner, and wall will help protect your curbless shower system from allowing water to get elsewhere in your home.

Getting Creative

When renovating your bathroom, you can start to get creative. Curbless showers are great ways to showcase your design and add some aesthetic flair. Simply decide how you want your shower designed. You can add a tiled seat, a concaved soap holder, or ledges to hold your shower’s belongings. Perhaps, you want to add some flair by adding a tile mosaic to accent the wall. All these decisions are at your disposal when creating a curbless shower.

Take your bathroom to the next level by adding a stylish curbless shower. From functionality to beauty, these shower systems are the focal point of any bathroom. With thousands of tiles and designs to choose from, you can build your dream bathroom and tailor it to your taste. For more tips and tricks on home renovations and improvements, make sure to subscribe!

How To Prepare For Guests and Be the Ultimate Hostess Part 2

By

Part 2 – Kitchen, Guest Bathroom, Pets

Moving right along let’s continue with more guidelines as to how to be the best possible hostess when guests come to stay in your home. The goal is ensure that they feel appreciated, relaxed, and a little bit at home.

Kitchen

  • Set out everything your guest might need for morning coffee or tea. You’ll get extra points if you arrange it prettily. Fold a napkin, place a spoon on it, and set an empty mug next to it. In the morning set out the cream, sugar, and tea bags.
  • Ensure that your guest is comfortable and well taken care of by also preparing your refrigerator ahead of time. Before their arrival ask what they like to eat. Not just for a formal meal. Ask what they like to snack on. It will be much easier to keep them satisfied and save yourself excessive food prep time if tasty, easy-access food is in the house. Such as fruit, nuts, sandwich ingredients, etc. Plus, nothing says guest of honor like a spread of food that was clearly purchased with your guest in mind. 

Guest Bathroom

  • Prepare the guest bathroom by overstocking it with clean towels. Even if your guest only uses a few of the towels, there is something about extra towels that make a bathroom feel luxurious. Make sure to stock all the necessities of bathing. Even if your guest brings their own, they won’t have to ask for anything they forgot and they’ll realize how thoughtful you are. Things to include are shower gel/soap, razors, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, extra toothbrush, q-tips, cotton balls, and lotion.

Pets

  • If you are allowing pets into your home everyone will have a much better experience if you plan ahead. First, remove or block off anything in the home that absolutely cannot support the presence of an animal. Next, create a space on the floor for the animal’s food and water. By deciding ahead you can avoid the inconvenience of randomly placed pet dishes under foot. Give your guest an extra house key if they will need to leave for a short while to walk the dog when you’re not home. Provide doggy waste bags to ensure your guest doesn’t upset your neighbors. Last, ask you guest to bring along a pet carrier or crate if you aren’t comfortable with the animal running loose in your home when everyone is out for the day or night.

Organizing and Cleaning Your Shower

By 1 Comment

14420915_SYou just completed a beautiful remodel of your bathroom. You have heated floors, subway tile, plate glass shower doors, toothbrush holders, towel storage and lots of cabinet space. But your shower floor is littered with shampoo bottles, shaving supplies and body wash. It’s time for a bit of shower organization. And just for good measure we’ll also talk about how to keep your plate glass looking clean and sparkling.

If you were really thinking ahead you would have had shower shelves or niches built into your shower walls. If you’ve already completed your remodel or you have inherited a shower without such features, fear not.

You can use caddies to store everything from shampoo and conditioner bottles to shaving supplies to toothbrushes and bath toys. Look for deep pockets and baskets to keep knickknacks from slipping out of the caddies and getting underfoot. A wire mesh or large drainage holes are required for proper drainage. A number of racks will hold bottles upside-down like ketchup so you can easily get that last squirt of shampoo or conditioner.

There is even a shaving pedestal that can be mounted two feet off the floor of the shower to help women shave their legs. Other products combine mirrors with storage racks for razors and shaving cream. Mounted soft soap and shampoo dispensers put those products at your fingertips, and covered bar soap dishes can keep the bars from melting. Brilliant!

To keep those glass shower doors sparkling clean plan on mixing one cup of white vinegar and one cup of dishwasher soap together. Use a scrubby and wipe down the glass. Rinse with water. This should do the trick but if there are a few stubborn spots use a good glass cleaner.

Now not only do you have a beautifully organized and functional shower but a clean one as well!

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

Recent Comments

Subscribe

Enter your email address to receive new post notifications via email.