Timber & Textiles » Bathroom

The Zest Of A Zebra Rug

Maya Tan — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:10:09 +0000

Your bedroom has been feeling a little drab. Your patio feels empty and lifeless. The cat has ruined your living room area rug. For all these problems, I can offer you one tremendous and exciting solution: a zebra rug.

Zebra rugs have personality, funk, character, life, and beauty. No matter where you put them, guests will comment on the flair. Day in and day out, you’ll appreciate the zest. It’s almost hard not to walk and talk without some spunk in your step around a zebra print rug. So if your room has fairly simple décor, a scheme of primary colors, or hardly any distinct color at all, you can definitely flaunt some a zebra area rug. The other option, of course, is to fully redecorate. Make your zebra skin rug the focal point. Build from there for a enlivened, modern look you can’t regret.

You will have to decide how much you can spend on one of these beauties, of course. Real zebra hide rugs can be quite an expense. Especially for a large space. Smaller skins will be slightly more affordable, but still not within everyone’s budget. The real thing also requires extra care and maintenance.

The best way to go for cheap zebra rugs are the faux zebra rugs. They are a fraction of the price, and a fraction of the maintenance. You can easily find a great looking faux zebra rug in nearly any shape and size, even in some hot colors. On eBay, you’ll find great prices on a pink zebra rug. A local discount vendor will offer you some mind-blowing deal on a brown zebra rug. When you realize this, all it takes is a little research in order to make both the sophisticated great aunt and the wild teenager happy on their upcoming birthdays.

If you go with the faux, even your bathroom and patio can enjoy zebra print rugs without you having to worry about rain, sun, or bathtub overspill. Buy a machine washable or zebra outdoor rug, and throw those worries out the window. This fun style should be a thrill, from beginning to end. The one thing I do have to say, however, is that you shouldn’t take all the advice I’ve given. Using zebra area rugs in your living room, bedroom, bathroom, and patio might be a little overwhelming for some guests. Limit your zebra décor to one or two areas. That way, you’ll achieve real style.

Switch To A Padded Toilet Seat For Comfort

Phil Riklis — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:18:56 +0000

Change comes hard, as hard as the toilet seat it seems. Why do you tolerate sitting on an oval shaped ice cube in the morning? Do you need it to open your eyes wider? To wake you from a groggy, foggy slumber? I suppose it might serve as well as caffeine. But why not make yourself a little more comfortable and depend on a good cup of coffee to help you see straight? How about a nice padded toilet seat? Who says toilet seats have to be hard and uncomfortable?

It’s worth a try! The modern padded toilet seats are tougher than in years past, using advanced materials to add durability. The earlier ones didn’t last very long either, and they eventually became an eyesore. An added value in the new padded seats is anti bacterial agents inserted into the seat. They are also much more simple to clean now than they used to be. And they can add to the decor of a room instead of becoming the embarrassing, unsightly and unsanitary thing in your bathroom.

If you’ve had bad experiences with padded seats before, take a second look at the new ones.

Bemis makes a great padded toilet seat that is extremely comfortable. It’s made with a durable vinyl that is also color-fast. No faded, cheap looking and dented toilet seat results from this brand. It’s designed for easy sanitizing. An added features is that it is stain resistant. Always ask about that when shopping for padded toilet seats!

Installation is a cinch too. Simply remove the old one and snap the new one on. It’s a tool-less job now. I guess the manufacturers want customers who don’t know how to use hand tools. Don’t be insulted by this. Enjoy the simplicity! You have better things to do than spend extra time on the toilet. Try less than 15 minutes for a superb toilet installation job–better than a pro!

There’s no end to the variety of colors, styles and even patterns. Be bold and try a red padded toilet seat. Bathroom decor has now entered the toilet domain. Now the toilet can match the shower curtains. There are sizes other than standard too, to fit the need. Some available prints and themes include fishing, sailing, southwest themes, different animals themes, stripes, monograms. Try leopard or zebra prints for your padded toilet seat.

Comfort is waiting for you. Why not give it a try and add some zing to your bathroom at the same time?

The Definitive Guide to Bathroom Window Curtains

Phil Riklis — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:07:00 +0000

Windows are another great way to add décor to your home. They can be draped with all sorts of colors and styles. You will notice a great improvement to a room once you install window curtains, but only if your window curtains complement the room. The bathroom is no exception. Bathroom window curtains should reflect your sense of style, be functional, and match the color scheme of your home

Style is the most important part of your bathroom’s curtains. In fact, don’t think of them as simply window curtains for the bathroom. Think of them as a way to put your sense of fashion up on your walls. Think of it as a way of putting a little piece of yourself around your windows. There are many different styles to choose from and these come in a variety of fabrics and sizes. If you have trouble finding the right style of curtain, try finding one that’s close enough and consider modifying its design or color to fit your taste. But don’t stop at the curtain. That curtain needs to hang from a rod. Make sure your rod matches the style of your chosen curtain.

Functionality plays an important role in your bathroom window curtain choices, just as with any home purchase, from kitchen sinks and taps to area rugs. For example, size is important. You don’t want to buy one that is too small for your window. So before shopping around be sure to take exact measurements of your window’s frame so that you know what size curtain to shop for. Also, consider the type of curtain rod that you want and make sure you know what size rod you need.

Whether you choose fabric or vinyl bathroom window curtains, the color should match the color theme of your bathroom. There is nothing worse than walking into a room and seeing the curtains don’t quite match the décor, and the bathroom is no exception. So be sure to buy bathroom curtains and window treatments that stays within the realm of your color scheme. If you can’t find the right colors, consider looking into complementing colors or patterns.

As you can see style, function, and color are all important parts when looking for your bathroom window curtains. Style breaths life into them, functionality makes them fit well around the window, and color helps them blend seamlessly in with the rest of your bathroom, leaving you with a fresh feeling as you walk out into the rest of your home.

Ideas For Remodeling Small Bathroom Areas

Phil Riklis — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:11:58 +0000

Designing a completely new bathroom can be quite enjoyable if you take a look at all of the slick magazines featuring amazing bathroom concepts. However, you need to be careful and not get caught up by the choice offered. You could have forever desired a big walk in steam shower, but when you possess a tiny bathroom without scope for expansion, you might have to make some changes to what you would ideally prefer. Yet when you have to adjust your designs slightly, a newly fitted bathroom can nevertheless look outstanding with new decorations along with accessories. Remodeling small bathroom areas can truly be rewarding.

The whole of the design of your new bathroom could revolve around whether you are opting for a bathtub, a standalone shower or both. A traditional bathroom with a roll-top cast iron bathtub on legs looks magnificent coordinated with vintage design decoration and accents, but won’t partner as nicely with an ultra-modern steam shower. On the other hand if you prefer a high-tech, chrome and glass, shower cubicle, you can put together with an equally current vessel sink, and minimal bathroom fittings and accents .

A vital accent for every bathroom is a mirror. A complete wall of mirrored tiles currently appears obsolete and wrong; still there is a wide selection from which to choose. On one side of the range are very ornamental mirrors in the Venetian or Rococo style and the total opposite to these are totally bare mirrors, in rectangular, square or round shapes. A more elaborate mirror might look spectacular in a very stylish minimal contemporary bathroom.

Distinct variations of bathroom lighting could totally alter how your bathroom looks and feels. You might want to have effective recessed lights over a mirror to give a good view for shaving or applying cosmetics. Or maybe you might prefer to create a more calming and romantic light effect in your bathroom, for lengthy soaks in perfumed baths, having muted lighting using sconces or even a chandelier. For sure you might simply use candles arranged about the bathtub if you want a long soak with tropical bath essences.

A key point to keep in mind if redesigning your bathroom will be the demands of all of the family members who will be using it. If it is to generally be your main bathroom and you’ve got children, then your layout must be suitable for them. For instance, there is no reason for installing an enormous corner bath if the majority of the household prefers a walk-in shower. When you live alone or perhaps the bathroom you are planning is the master bedroom en-suite then you can definitely please yourself on the layout, bathroom furniture and accessories.

Deck The House With Zebra Print Rugs

Linda Harris — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:04:33 +0000

Perhaps you’ve always loved the look, but never thought you could afford it. But don’t think that just because you don’t have a couple of thousand dollars to invest in a real hide zebra rug means that you have to forgo the chic and modern look these rugs offer. There are cheap zebra print rugs available in stores and online for every budget, taste, and room. Let’s take a look at some of the less expensive options that you can take advantage of to bring the thrill of the wild into your home.

First of all, lets start small. If you really have a tight budget the best venue for you might be to look at some zebra print bathroom rugs. These are generally synthetic and with much smaller dimensions than the type of large zebra area rug you’d probably want to get for your living room.

But you can also have the most fun with these. A bathroom makeover is easy, especially if you start off with a set of zebra print bath rugs, hand towels, and toilet lid cover. Aside from this, a light switch cover and an inexpensive wallpaper border are basically all you need. Give the walls a fresh coat of white paint if they’re another color, so that the room doesn’t get overwhelming, and you’re all set. You can even take a black wastebasket and add some of the extra wallpaper border to the top to complete the look. And you’ve got a complete bathroom makeover at minimal cost!

Lets move onto the bedroom. This time, you can step away from the classic black and white that most people associate with zebra rugs. Instead, if you have wood tones or other soft colors in your room, look for brown zebra print rugs for sale. These brown and beige area rugs can fit into a room’s current decor much more easily, since they have a softer and less outspoken look. If your bedroom is more simple in terms of decorations, adding a mosquito net bed canopies can give the room the feel of the jungle without going overboard.

You can really use zebra print area rugs in just about any room in your home. In the kid’s room, it’s a fun and playful addition. In the kitchen, a small, stripped, fabric or even rubber floor mat can liven things up a lot. Be creative, and don’t limit yourself to placing a zebra print rug in the living room or dining room, although it can certainly work beautifully there.

So don’t think that your only option is to splurge on an authentic zebra skin rug. If you love those zany stripes but can’t afford the real thing, chose one of the more inexpensive options, and enjoy.

Custom Walk In Showers Versus Prefab Options

GuestPoster — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:59:03 +0000

Walk in showers add class and value to homes. They provide great convenience and safety, particularly if your household includes someone who has trouble stepping up and over a tub edge. You need to do some comparative shopping of the different brands, which can take a lot of time and effort. Here is some good news–the comparative shopping has been done for you. Here are the results. The basic Kohler Memoirs walk-in shower, the neo angle design that includes glass doors, has the standard dimensions 72 x 27 and 3/4 inches, runs $700. That does not include the bottom tray, walls and fixtures if you want new ones. Compare to a Dreamline Corner View walk-in shower that will cost you $650 without the bottom tray plus panels for the sides. The total price for the complete shower is actually more than $1,000.

If you buy the individual parts to make up a shower, including bottom trays, doors and side panels it will still cost between $1,000 and $1,500. You have not yet even added in the cost of the new fixtures to fit the new shower.

Next compare these to the Oceana Jetted Shower Cabin. It has all the latest technology and comes as a complete ready-to-use-unit. The cabin sits on a reinforced, fiberglass floor tray that has leveling legs so the unit will not budge. The unit includes six body jets, thermostatic valve control, hand shower, a small place to sit, a mirror and convenient storage for bathing needs. The doors are tempered glass and the back wall is acrylic. The cabin is one unit that you simply hook up and use immediately for a price of $1,900–depending on the retailer and any available sales prices. You don’t have to shop for accessories or pay extra for extra features–it all comes in one easy to install system.

You have seen that it costs between $1,500 and $2,000 for a fiberglass modular walk-in shower unit, that is reinforced and complete, or you can buy the pieces separately to make one for the same price.

Consider next the expense for custom walk-in showers. Doors can range from $200 to $700. Add in the price of the floors and the walls. You must then decide if your shower should be stone, tile or modular panels. You need one or two panels, a shower head, spigots, and other shower fixtures. When you do the math, the bottom line is that a modular unit and a custom unit cost pretty much the same. You are not going to get the cost below $1,000 and unless you can do your own plumbing, the value of a professional plumber to ensure drainage and fixtures work properly and safely, and other accents or tile work you add can take the price even higher.

Tricks to Make Your Small Bathroom Remodeling a Success

GuestPoster — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:50:04 +0000

Achieving a practical and stylish bathroom when you have a family, is not the impossible dream you might think. With a good look at the options, some serious study of other bathroom design successes and a bit of clever thinking, your bathroom can be a design triumph. In fact with the range of products available your bathroom furniture can be every bit as personal and unique as your bedroom furniture.

Storage

The first thing to consider is how much space you have and how much storage you will need. These are often the perennial problems for bathroom remodelling specialists, especially as living space is getting ever smaller. The good news is that there are lots of products designed especially to create seamless storage and a sense of space in your bathroom.

Low level cabinets that fit under your bathroom sinks are a very practical way of using what would otherwise be dead space. Also a casing for your cistern can carry a concealed cupboard above. This is also a great use of dead space that can give a spacious feel to the bathroom.

A Sense of Space

Good bathroom lightning and subtle wall treatments are the keys to a sense of space in the bathroom. Keep tiles light in color and large to avoid the busy effect of a lot of grouting which should be light as well. Paint cupboards and storage the same color as the walls to camouflage them.

Use halogen spotlights for a natural light effect that uplifts. If your bathroom window is small, keep it simple, just frosted glass or a plain roller blind to ensure privacy and maximum daylight. If your bathroom is in a loft space, a skylight is a wonderful way to maximize the daylight.

Features

A dramatic mirror or shower head will provide a stylish focal point for the bathroom without making it fussy. Taps plumbed into the wall, work well over a bath and allow you to use both ends. Over bathroom sinks, they allow more space around the basin and look very chic at the same time. If you want a really spacious feel, placing them over a wall fitted basin gives a great effect.

Use these simple tricks and your bathroom will be a practical well organized place for your family plus a haven of style and uncluttered simplicity where you can relax and enjoy your design success.

Tips For Effective Bathroom Plumbing

GuestPoster — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:23:04 +0000

Having a little knowledge about bathroom plumbing is something that will come in handy for everybody at one time or another. You will likely have had nothing to do with the installation of the plumbing in your home, it is still well worth you having some basic knowledge of how it works in case problems arise in the future or you feel the urge to improve your bathroom at all. Calling out a plumber to fix a problem that only takes a matter of minutes is a complete waste of money.

Having a basic knowledge of how your bathroom plumbing operates will allow you to not only fix problems yourself and save time in calling out a plumber, but it will save you some money. If you get your water from the municipal water supply, it will enter your home though pipes, pass a meter and enter your home. You have two intakes, one will run to your water heater and provide you with hot water while the other is a cold water line and provides just cold water to your taps.

You will also have drainage waste valves as well as the two lines already mentioned. These lines comprise the important aspects of your plumbing. Your drainage valve will be connected to a septic or drainage system. These are the places all your water waste ends up. Knowing this is important for times when you decorate or customize your bathroom in order to avoid interrupting any of these lines.

You can improve your bathroom in a number of ways, from changing the faucets to putting up mirrors or cabinets, you could even install a stylish radiator or walk in shower. You can purchase any of these things from most good home stores, or even just grab some off the internet. You may want to look at bathroom specialty stores to get an idea of what kind of style and improvements you want to go for. You can make your bathroom look completely different with very little cash if you look in the right places, faucets for example can be picked up for less than $100. Basic plumbing doesn’t look very attractive, so a simple touch like putting up a mirror and changing the faucets can completely change the feel of your bathroom. When you decide what it is you wish to buy always shop around, you will likely be able to find the exact same product, or a very similar one, for a lot cheaper depending where you look.

Look at a few bathroom remodeling sites and you can get a good idea of how much things will cost you and what is available to you.

Everybody needs to have good bathroom plumbing. Having a basic knowledge of your bathroom and how the plumbing works will allow you to not only maintain it but improve it if you wish, we all spend a lot of time in the bathroom so you may as well make it a pleasurable one.

Bathroom Mirror on the Wall

GuestPoster — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:50:03 +0000

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?’ That is the famous question asked to a ‘magic mirror’ in the popular fairytale ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ that you have gained interest in when you were a child. Unfortunately, human as you are, you really cannot claim that to magic mirrors, simply because there is no such thing as a magic mirror. Perhaps sometimes, you just wish that you had that magical mirror.

There are people that love their mirrors for the most part their bathroom mirrors. So before buying that bathroom mirror, you need to take in consideration some things. Remember this, the first thing you usually do when you wake up is look at yourself in the bathroom mirror. This truth of life only highlights why it’s so essential to have a bathroom mirror that makes you look good and feel good.

When it comes to choosing the bathroom mirror, the lighting can be an important key. You must keep in mind that the lighting in your bathroom can make or break your reflection. There is no point of buying an expensive artsy mirror that is placed in a bathroom with poor lighting.

Basically speaking, you will need an ample amount of life so as your mirror will not just merely be decorative furniture. Your mirror should have a purpose. Thus, it is significant to make sure that your bathroom is equipped with a lot of light. This will make your reflection look as good as it is supposed to be. If you can, try to come up with an attempt to strike a pleasant balance between the natural and artificial lighting in your bathroom. It is essential to consider the lighting in your bathroom when choosing a mirror for the same.

Your mirror should definitely be cleaned. It is something that needs to be done to get to a clean and uninterrupted pretty reflection. On the other hand, if you happen to be a person with so a large amount of things to do, cleaning your bathroom on a regular basis may not be a leeway. Then perhaps you might want to opt for a simple bathroom mirror with no frames. This will most importantly serve the purpose of a mirror and will also be trouble-free to clean. If you have a lot of time on your hands, you can always go for classy mirrors with amazing frames. Cleaning these classy and decorative mirrors may be challenging, but at the end of it all, a clean artsy mirror on your lavatory wall will make your hard work worthwhile.

Benefits of Slate Countertops

GuestPoster — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 08:28:02 +0000

Slate is a fine-grained natural stone which was formed over thousands of years ago from volcanic ash and clay which had become dense sheets of crystalline mica. The natural process of intense heat and change in pressure caused the original clay to be transformed into slate. This material is used in a wide variety of functions in the home from slate tiles for roofing and flooring, to slate countertops in the kitchen and bathroom.

Many kitchen and bath designers choose slate over other materials such as marble and granite because slate has a better natural stone surface and low porosity. Having low porosity means that it does not require sealing except for certain colors which may require some sealing. Using slate is a good choice for countertops, not just because of its many advantages, but also because it will provide stylish and elegant designs for your bathroom, kitchen, utility room, or any other room in your home.

Slate countertops have many benefits. They are stain-free, scratch and heat resistant, as well as being durable and easy to maintain. Over time, you may experience some mild scratches but you can usually get those out with a sponge. If you do happen to get deeper scratches, you can get them out with wet steel wool.

Due to its low absorption rate, slate is considered to be anti-bacterial which makes it great for countertops. You can cut up your vegetables and prepare your meals without worrying about bacteria buildup or scratching up your counter. Cleaning your slate countertops is such a simple task. Just use a sponge or cloth with mild soap or your favorite household cleaner such as Fantastic and wipe them down. You can also use mineral oil to help maintain your countertops.

Slate comes in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. If you want a rough cut edge, similar to granite, then slate is perfect for it. You can get your countertops made in various colors of slate such as different shades of green, gray, black, purple, turquoise, red, etc. If you choose black or gray, though, you may need a sealer.

You can choose to have your slate kitchen countertops with a honed finish which is a smooth matte finish or you can choose to go with the glossier look by oiling your countertops. Slate can also be used for desk tops, bar tops, wall panels, vanity tops, window sills, and more.

Using slate for your countertops may cost a bit more but you can’t beat the quality. Because of its durability, you won’t have to replace your countertops for years.