Tag Archives: shower

04.02.13

A bathroom update....

Posted by Tim // 9 Replies

We have been as busy as we can be between blizzards and BBQ’s, but we have managed to squeeze in some bathroom time as well. The renovation kind not the we-are-going-to-need-an-air-freshner-kind. We have made quite a few changes to the existing layout after taking a few years to figure out what is not working. Here are the major changes.

The shower always felt cramped which was especially bad with all the grime. You can see the kickout and the low ceiling pretty well in this photo.

So we ripped out the ceiling and after careful deliberation a closet as well.

That took a lot of convincing on my part since Christina was convinced our four vacuums (yes four) would never find a home. It added over two feet to the shower and we are now brainstorming tiled benches and jellyfish tanks. Ok I am brainstorming about shower fish tanks and Christina is brainstorming about redecorating the foyer.

We also decided to add more lighting. No compromise needed on that one. With no windows for natural light we wanted to make sure we had plenty of light by adding three can lights and a fan-light combo.

We also replaced all of the plumbing and most of the wiring, thanks to a ton of help from my parents. Christina is so excited to not be standing in a puddle in her shower since we also took this opportunity to snake out her drain.

Thanks to the suggestion of some of you all on our Facebook page we are also putting our outlets in the medicine cabinet so thanks guys.

We are getting drywall up this week so the room can actually start to feel like a room again, although we are loving the ability to walk in our front door and straight to the bedroom.

Thanks to my lady for making all the graphics for this post, where would I be without her. And she was so excited to announce the winner of the giveaway, so she made a graphic….of course.

03.21.13

Bathroom inspiration...

Posted by Christina // 4 Replies

You already know that we tore apart our bathroom after a casual trip to Lowes.

And that we are struggling with finishing decisions….to trend or not to trend.

Today, I want to share a whole lot of inspiration with you….just in case you are having second thoughts about that bathroom of yours.

Can we first talk about the “inspiration” you can find on the internet though. Please raise your hand if you have a bathroom the size of my basement because according to the interweb this is totally normal. You should have two showers, and a ten foot vanity, and a sofa…and can I get a hot tub. Somehow we got jipped with just one sink, and no room for a Lazyboy. Lame.

I think a lot of these inspiration photos can be scaled down, and elements can be used in smaller spaces. If we are being honest, I am dreaming that the lottery ticket I bought yesterday is a winner so that I can hand the photos below to a builder and say, “I’ll take one of each”.

Come on lucky numbers….

I love so much about this first bathroom. From the arches creating a “built-in” shower to the mirror that wraps into recessed shelving. That vanity is right up our alley as well. Did you notice the sink faucet is on the wall, now that is fancy.

Eclectic Bathroom by Columbus Design-build J.S. Brown & Co.

Tim and I are throwing the “horizontal built-in shower shelf” around a lot these days. We pin them and email them and dream of gorgeous accent tiles in the back of them. I love the oversized shower head and T is feeling the “hidden” storage above the toilet.

Contemporary Bathroom by Toronto Interior Design Group | Yanic Simard

Am I the only one that hasn’t seen a towel bar on the side of a vanity? I think it is genius, Tim says that’s old news. Either way how fun are the insides of that vanity? Put that on the to-do list.

Modern Bathroom by San Francisco Architect De Meza + Architecture

This next bathroom is not really the look we are going for, and I generally am not a fan of mosaic tile but can you imagine showering in a pearl. Seriously, that’s what it would be like…a shimmery oyster shower without the fish smell. We really love the frameless shower doors, keeping our fingers crossed that they are in the budget.

Modern Bathroom by Boston Interior Designer Rachel Reider Interiors

Still in love with herringbone….enough said.

Traditional Bathroom by Chicago Interior Designer Michael Abrams Limited

We love all the different tile going on in this bathroom, and how cohesively they mix. This makes me want a window so badly, I long to hear the bird chirping while I condition my hair. Maybe one day.

Contemporary Bathroom by San Francisco Design-build Nerland Building & Restoration, Inc.

Another image that solidifies my love for subway tile. Swoonity swoon swoon.

Contemporary Spaces by Kihei Kitchen And Bath BY DESIGN Builders

I don’t think I can talk Tim into this but I’m obsessed with those hanging light fixtures. We looked at tile similar to this but worried that with no natural light the room would feel dark and gloomy. We are suckers for contrast.

Contemporary Powder Room by Boca Raton Design-build Insignia Design Group

I know this isn’t technically a bathroom….but I wanted to give you a peek at the kindle that started our “glass tile and stainless” fire.

Modern Kitchen by Hanford Tile Stone And Countertop Subway Tile Outlet

For more of our bathroom inspiration, check out our Houzz ideabooks.

Have you stumbled on any great bathroom ideas?

I got some great ideas from our Facebook fans (thanks guys)!

02.05.13

Make his Valentines Day rock....

Posted by Christina // 13 Replies

A couple weeks ago Lydia emailed me…hi Lydia!

I have an anniversary coming up with my guy, along with Valentine’s Day of course and I wanted some fun and romantic ideas for them. I have been scouring Pinterest for ideas and surprisingly, nothing is coming up that really catches my eye. -Thanks, Lydia

Oh Lydia, I am real excited for this question.
Because I love Love…and I love celebrating love.

I am with you on the fact that everything you find online seems to be either “too mushy” or just not quite what you are looking for.

Here is hoping I don’t let you down. Boys are never that easy. Ever.

The key is knowing your guy, knowing his boundaries and what he will like. If he is a fairly private guy I would not go and decorate his car at work with balloons and shoe polish. But if he is into that sort of thing let me know where he works and I got you. Yes, I do make house calls.

I have found that when I go looking online for ideas they try to label guys.
Techy, trendy, outdoorsy, and so on. But what if he is just your average guy.

I have learned one constant in all of my man-sperience.
They like food.

When I am feeling grateful for my man I will send him a pizza to his work.
It’s the equivalent of sending flowers and you will get lots of kisses.
But sweets work wonders too. Say what you will, but I have yet to meet a person that doesn’t “Awwwww” over homemade cookies. They are imperfect, funny & let the person know you took the time to show them you love them without being uber-cheesy.

Want bonus points?
Make their lunch, throw a funny note in and some homemade puppy chow. Some of the best dates Tim and I have are in our kitchen. Pour a glass of wine and make some chocolate covered strawberries together. Then giggle at how awful they turn out. There is a rule to this…no phones or tvs.

Here is where you may draw the line, but I think this is fun.
Give your guy a little pampering.

I wouldn’t run him a bubble bath or anything but maybe you could This is easy. Grab some balloons & streamers (and tape) & make a quick sign.
Mine said, “Get ready to be” on the shower curtain and then when he opened the shower he saw all the festivities and a sign that said, “showered with love”.

It’s not so mushy but kind of a fun surprise.
Unless he is late for work and needs a shower!

One day I really surprised him with some candles in the sink action.
This backfired, he thought it was for me. Maybe guys aren’t totally ready for the candles everywhere thing. But once he realized I was just trying to be sweet he gave me the biggest bear hug.
So it was worth it.

The other way into most guys hearts is through laughter. I do this by torturing my pup and dressing her up, but a night full of their favorite comedy shows and movies would work too. Again, I think the most important thing is to know your guy.
Leave him lots of sweets notes.

“You’re the best”
“Thanks for keeping my plants alive”
“Can’t wait to come home to you”
“Wanna make out”

When I asked Tim about this question and what I do that he likes or doesn’t like his answer was fantastic.

“I like that you get so excited and try to make everything so special without putting pressure on me, I think most girls mess that up and end up putting a lot of pressure on the guy to make the anniversary or holiday amazing for her instead of making it awesome for him. When you get excited and he knows that you are trying to make it special for him, he will inevitably want to make it really special for you. In summary, you being excited makes me excited instead of hearing ‘you better make it good’. And keep those cookies coming”

I thought that was really insightful of him, and very comforting that I am not scaring him with my excitedness.

I am absolutely positive that he will appreciate anything you do for him.
Especially a scavenger hunt, awww yea.

If you are more of a “I would rather just give him a card” type….then check back tomorrow. I will also be sharing my favorite V-Day fonts.

One last piece of advice, I would steer clear of stuffed animals in general. Unless they are a collector, they usually end up in a closet.

Those big guys were from my mom and pop….they sure love me!

I am in no way an expert of love, relationships, or making holidays perfect….but I really liked Lydia’s gusto in making their anniversary and Valentines special and I like to think that I make holidays fun for Tim. I hope….which reminds me…I can not wait to share with you guys what I got him for Valentines Day!