Tag Archives | Design Ideas

Guest Bathroom Ideas That Make Them Feel At Home

The great thing about a guest bathroom is that you experiment a little bit more when it comes to the design. It is so much easier designing something else, like a room when it is not meant for you. Here are some posts to get inspiration from for decorating ideas, styles, and color schemes:

Decor Styles

Color Schemes

Restyling: One easy way of restyling a bathroom is to reframe the mirror. Since the mirror tends to be a big piece in most bathrooms, it becomes a focal point. So changing the style of the frame can set the tone and style of the room. Have a look here for different mirror styles and ideas. One of those magnified mirrors attached to the fall that flips over is a great piece to have in a guest bathroom.

Clutter Free: You want to have the bathroom as free of clutter as possible – especially if you have a small guest bathroom. Have a look at the Japanese bathroom link above and see how minimalist the spaces are. You want to aim to recreate that hotel experience – free of clutter. At the same time you want to have the bathroom well stocked with fresh thick towels and toiletries (toothpaste, tooth brushes, cotton swabs, razors, bath salts, shampoo, soap pumps, etc.). Keep all of these items out on display in elegant glass jars or wicker baskets. You want these items to be easy to see so that your guests know where to find them without having to ask you – just like in pictures (4) (5) and (6) above.

Some unique storage ideas include using a ladder to hang fresh towels. For more storage ideas check out: Design Guide: Bathroom Shelving Ideas Mood Board.

Fresh Feeling: Along with being clutter free, a guest bathroom should feel fresh and inviting. One way of doing this is through smell – place some fresh flowers before they arrive (8), use potpourri, or drop some essential oils, like vanilla, around the bathroom. Adding some wall decor pieces can make the space feel unique and special: Style Guide: Bathroom Wall Decor Ideas.

Comfort: A few other guest bathroom ideas to consider include a hamper for dirty towels and a trash can. Also having enough lighting in the room is important in making the space feel comfortable. If you are planning on having some young guests, light switches on a cord or lower down on the wall will help them out. 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

More Bathroom Posts:

If you want to create a dream shower room, take a look at this post for ideas: Design Notes for Shower Room Ideas.
If you have a small bathroom space and want to make the most of it, have a look at these ideas: Small Bathroom Ideas and Designs.
For different storage ideas have a look here: Smart and Decorative Bathroom Storage Ideas
Simple Bathroom Decor Ideas To Transform and Style Your Space

May 24, 2013 in Bathroom

Ideas for Decorating With Ladders

In The Living Room: There is quite a bit that can be done with an old ladder. Some ideas for decorating with ladders in the living room include: using one to hang up throw blankets in the living room (1), or as a shelf for photo frames (2) or plants (3).

The DIYer: Jennifer at A Merry Mishap shows how to create the elegant ladder in picture (4). A great alternative to the traditional bulky wooden ladders is a thin metal one (5).

In The Foyer: A ladder can also be used in the foyer as a coat or shoe rack, with hooks on the sides for keys and jackets (6).

Other Ladder Decor Ideas: A step ladder (7) is being used as bedroom side table. Picture (8) shows another ladder in a bedroom, this time being used as a shoe rack. They can also be used in the bathroom as a towel rack . A two sided ladder can have planks of wood in between the steps to create a wide shelf (9). Put two of these ladders side by side with even longer planks of wood to create an even wider unit.

Picture (10) shows a ladder being used in a dining room. Not only is it acting as shelving for dinnerware and snacks, it is a decoration piece in itself. 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10

April 8, 2013 in Decor

Designer Home Wall Lighting Ideas

You have all sorts of wall lights: from vertical and horizontal wall scones, to lanterns and recessed lights. Choosing which ones to use comes down to which room you are looking to light up.

In the Bedroom: An interior design principle is to design a room so that the focus is on what the room is for. So in the bedroom, you’ll want the focus to be on the bed. You can bring the focus here with wall lights by placing one on each side of the bed as seen in picture (1). Having light switches by the bedside (like in a hotel) would be an added luxury.

The Bathroom: In the bathroom you’ll want to have lights that focus around the mirror (2). The ideal setup is to have one vertical wall sconce on each side of the mirror and one light attached to the wall above shining down. This way you avoid casting shadows on the face – making it easier to groom.

The Kitchen: When it comes to the kitchen there isn’t usually much space for wall lighting ideas because of all of the cabinets. The kind of lighting you want here are under cabinet lights. This brings light closer down to countertops making it easier to prepare and cook food. Another lighting idea is to place rope lights above the cabinets (if there is a gap) for a subtle glow.

Living Room: If you want a space to feel large then you’ll want to use as much ceiling light as possible. On the other hand, using wall lights is a good way of making a large living room feel cozy.

Other light fixture options that can be attached to the walls in a living room include art gallery lights that hang over any framed artwork. If you have bookshelves, then wall lights or lights fitted to the shelves will create an elegant space (3). Another idea is to have a cutaway in a wall and have a light fitted into the top and use this as a display area (4).

Staircases: To help get around safely at night, one lighting idea is to fit modern recessed wall lights at the base of the wall by the steps (5).

Decorative Ideas: Here are some luxurious lighting design options. To add some subtle indirect lighting to a room, have crown molding fitted a few inches below the ceiling. This leaves space for rope lights to sit above and bounce light off of the ceiling and back into the room (7).

Another idea, one more suited for outdoor lighting, is to have recessed lights fitted into the floor that shine up and wash a wall with light. An easier way of doing this is to have a plug in can light or a mood light like the Yantouch Jellyfish pictured (8) sitting on the flooring bathing a wall with light.

Outdoors: When it comes to the outside of the home, the more important places to have wall lights are by the front door and by the garage – Home Style and Safety with Outdoor Security Lighting. 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

February 12, 2013 in Lighting

Design Ideas For That Perfect Basement Laundry Room

Space Saving Ideas: If your basement space is limited then have your laundry room designed so you can stack the washing machine and dryer on top of each other to save space as seen in picture (1). You might need a stool to reach the top buttons and reach into the top machine.

A Sink: Having a sink in a basement laundry room is a great idea (2). If you are remodeling and are having plumbing work done for the washing machine and dryers, it won’t cost much more to have extra plumbing for the sink done at the same time.

Storage Options: Storage is an important part of a laundry room (3) (4). You’ll want everything close by. So some storage options to consider include built in cabinets or wall shelves, would be best if the budget allows, or free standing storage units would also work. How about installing a clothes rail between two cupboards (5)?

Helpful Laundry Room Storage Ideas and Solutions

For ideas and photos of how to store your ironing board, have a look at my post here: Wrestling With Your Ironing Board: Ideas on How To Store It and Hide It.

Work Space Basement Laundry Room Ideas: Look to plan a space for an ironing board and a hook on a wall to hang it onto (6). Or have one that is attached to the wall and folds out. A countertop is ideal for sorting and folding clothing (7) (8). If you are going to be spending some time in the laundry room, how about hanging up a TV on the wall?

Safety Design Tips: When planning on putting a laundry room in the basement some things to consider are: needing to have a floor drain (for any overflows) and that the machines will need to be near an exterior wall for the dryer vent.

Basement Space: This laundry room can be a room itself, closed off with walls, or a simple solution would be to use curtains to hide the area when it is not in use (9) (The Small Basement: Ideas and Tips On Making It A Dream Space).

Windows and Lighting: Having a window in a laundry room would be ideal as you’d be able to air out the space (it is also great for having some sunlight shine through during the day) (10) (11). When it comes to lighting, the best light fixtures to use would be pendant lights as they bring the light closer down than normal ceiling lights. 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11