The Finishing Touch

Tricky Design Problem: Blinds and Shades for a Home Gym

This is a week of Q&A, it seems like! Your questions have been pouring in, and I'm going to answer as many of them as possible. Many of you asked about home gyms, so on to the problem solving!

Q: We have an exercise room with a shower and sauna and a large window.  We want a shade for privacy but want natural light to come through.  What type of shade do you recommend?

-Melissa

How to Make Small Spaces and Rooms Look Bigger

Most people have a least one room in their homes that could stand to be a little larger. In fact, the majority of people believe that some of those rooms are too tiny for stylish décor, so they opt not to decorate at all. If you are trying to decorate a smaller area, don’t cram in multiple elements. Instead, try to make a few work for you. They won’t overpower the space or cause the eye to focus on too many facets at once.

Subtle lighting will make a big impact immediately. If you have fluorescent lighting, get rid of it. Opt for softer, less abrasive light. Affix lighting high on the wall instead of the ceiling. Choose lighting fixtures that are thin and sleek and steer clear of bulky piece. You’ll like the look they create.

Avoid “Attack of the Tsotchkes.” The more small boxes, picture frames, and candles you use, the more filled up a space looks. Place a few well-chosen items on a narrow shelving unit for maximum impact in minimum space.

 Your furniture should not overpower the area. Choose shelving that leans against or mounts to the wall, or something that fits snuggly into the corner. You will save a lot of space that way.

 

 The art you choose can easily open up the room. A lot of Starbucks coffee shops have done a stellar job of making their smaller locations look large by hanging black and white photographs surrounded by large white mattes in matte-colored frames. By hanging these in multiples against a darkly painted wall, you’ll create the illusion that the room stretches farther back. White and off white are great colors for creating space, so if you don’t want to paint the room white, go for white-matted sketches, photos, or simple designs instead.

 

 

DIY: Bathroom Cubbies

Remember back to kindergarten when everyone had there own individual cubby to store their lunch box, coat and personal items?  Cubbies are a great way to give everyone in the family a separate space in a shared bathroom or just to keep different types of toiletries organized.  Choose the DIY cubby project below that fits your skill level and personal style and in an afternoon you will have a more stylish and organized bathroom.

 

A simple, divided plywood box covered in newsprint adds creative inspiration and storage to a petite bathroom. Vintage style apothecary jars and boxes make the most of otherwise limited storage areas.

Easy Storage for Small Bathrooms

Have you run out of (bath)room but not out of stuff?  Read on and discover three ways to add major storage without a remodel.

Linear Storage
Problem: You don't have the floor space to add storage units.

Solution: Without using much wall space, this modern shelf offers significant storage. Oversize baskets maximize storage. For a symmetrical look, top each shelf with identical storage boxes or baskets.

Concealed Cabinet
Problem: Want to put a pedestal sink in the plans
for your new bathroom, but you're afraid
to give up the storage space?

Solution:  Add a Concealed Cabinet or two in your design and get the bathroom of your dreams.  Even if your bathroom is tiny, it can still be well organized.  You don’t have to toss your medicine, toiletries, dental supplies,air fresheners, and extra toilet paper. Store them in the concealed cabinet and keep them tidy.

His and Her's Bathrooms

Increasingly, bathrooms are being designed as retreats for couples with rare private time. Architects and interior designers say bathrooms are getting larger to accommodate massive tubs, double showers and huge vanities with opposing mirrors large enough that couples can stand back to back and still see each other.
"Communing while grooming" might seem like a strange phenomenon, but according to Kate Murphy of The New York Times, for a growing number of couples, it’s an appealing way to bond.  Once a privacy zone, couples now retreat to their shared baths for intimate down time.  But these aren’t just the functional bathrooms of yesteryear. 

Gary Carlson, a homebuilder in Scottsdale, Ariz., said, “It’s kind of like the bathroom has become the new den.”   Today’s bathroom is larger and multi-functional – more of a lounge than just a place to shower and go.  It’s a place for the woman to primp and share her new clothes with friends, while her husband  uses the same space to enjoy watching the game and grabs a snack from the stocked mini-fridge. In The Bathroom Break, Kate Murphy explains that for many busy couples, time in the bathroom provides a restful break, a rare snippet of "alone time" in their over-scheduled lives.  Murphy says it is natural that the bathroom became a shared space for the modern couple especially as the open floor plan of modern houses prohibits the privacy afforded in more traditional homes.

Extend Your Primp Zone

Bathrooms are one of the most trafficked areas of the home.  But most are painfully small.  Can't afford a full out remodel?  Extend the functionality of your bath by transforming a corner of the bedroom into an organized dressing area that suits your style.

An extra-long drawer fitted with felt trays means baubles can be whisked inside this modern vanity, leaving the top refreshingly uncluttered. Available for $179 at Ikea. 

This mirrored vanity telegraphs 1950s Parisian style. Painting stripes on the walls is a chic alternative to wallpaper. Mix your vanity with thrift finds and no one will guess you found it at JC Penny's for $300.

He may not be a metrosexual, but he sure is a bathroom hog.  End the bathroom squeeze by creating an ample dressing area for him in the bedroom.  Ikea's low storage unit combines drawers for clothes,a laundry hamper and a whimsical clothes tree to keep his suit unrumpled all for under $200. Add a valet to keep loose change, watch, cologne and cuff links contained.

DIY: Towel Ladder

When you take your DIY cues from Martha Stewart, even your towel rack can add style to the bathroom.  Keep the bathroom tidy by hanging towels from the rungs of a progressive or apple picking ladder propped against a wall.  It's the perfect accessory for a casual, beach home.  Or use your towel ladder on the porch to discourage kids from tracking sand into the house.  Attach rubber tips made for chair legs chairs to the ladders' feet to prevent slipping.  For extra security attach the top of the ladder to hooks and eyes.  Read here to discover more of Martha's DIY fixes.

Best Bathroom Accessories Under $100

1)   Use your summer vacation to browse for unique home accents. Months later your finds will transport you to Rocky Mountain highs or memories of the Nantucket shore.  If you are staying close to home, here are our editor's top five  recommendations for bathroom accessories under $100:

With your formal style, you add a personal touch to every element of your house, so why stop in the bath? Your polished look demands gracious touches like fresh flowers, plush towels in your signature color and monogrammed soaps. On sale at PotteryBarn.com, 6 for 29.99 with a single letter or three letter monogram.

 

Want to redecorate, but afraid your landlord object to a major DIY project? Get the graphic impact of damask wallpaper in seconds without the fuss and fumes of wallpaper glue! India Rose’s 100% cotton poplin shower curtain is machine washable and reinvigorates your entire bathroom. Available at indiarose.com for $97.

Missoni’s “Izzy” Towel will keep your urban sophisticate swathed in luxury after those chilly runs in Central Park. $20-$55 at thisisautom.com

 

 

Even the most casual living spaces demand organization. Make back-ups of commonly used items like soaps, brushes, and sponges decorative decorations by storing them in hand-painted clear glass containers.  Clear up your precious cabinet space for items that can't be exposed to heat or light like perfume, medicine, and cosmetics. On sale at PotteryBarn.com from $27.99-$59.99.

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Featured in May’s issue of Metropolitan Home,this mirrored vanity set has enough sparkle to glam up the boudoir of any modern day bombshell. Available for $49.95 at ZGallerie.com

How to: Accent or Downplay your Windows

Depending on their size and location, you might want to downplay or emphasize your bathroom windows to make your small bathroom appear larger or add light to a room that is dimly lit. Here are our expert's top tips:

Downplay: Have a stunning pedestal tub? Don’t detract with flashy curtains.
Downplay :Choose neutral colored fabrics in draperies, or practical humidity resistant faux wood blinds from Blinds.com.
Downplay: Leave windows bare with the exception of mini-blinds that complement your color scheme

Is a view the highlight of your powder room? Draw attention to it.

Emphasize:Highlight windows with colorful boxpleat, grommet or swag valances over coordinating shades
Emphasize: Harmonize treatments with your floor tiles, carpets, wall colors and other accessories like towels.