Bathroom Wow Factors!

Bathroom Wow Factors!

 

Bathrooms are the most expensive and most used rooms in a home, after the kitchen of course! So when deciding on how to design or remodel a bathroom it is important to include features that are most functional and desirable to maximize value of the addition to the home.

 

Here are some features and designs that will have you saying "Wow!"

 

 A living wall is a unique way to bring some green materials in...literally! It adds interest, texture and nature, to create spa like experience. Just make sure you have enough natural light for plants.

Curvaceous design, from an Italian designer. May not be for everyone, but it's very cool.

 

This design is minimal and functional...the mirror is defogging, which is good since the shower is so close and open. 

Designer lighting adds more luxury

That is a fireplace in the bathroom...very warm and relaxing.

Amazing and spacious master bath with double sinks and a huge frame-less shower.

Glam, glam, and a little more glam! Yes, that is a zebra print tub!  

A multi-head shower makes for a relaxing and massaging steam shower experience.

Full slabs of onyx and granite make for a gorgeous feature wall in the shower. 

This master bath has warm radiant heated floors to add to the warm and cozy feel the space has. 

The fully enclosed steam shower gives a full outdoor experience.

A bathtub that doubles as a sunbathing deck. The cover keeps the water warm while sunbathing.

After a nice long hot soak, of course wrapping up in a warm towel tops it off, adding a heated towel rack is a nice feature. 



High Tech Kitchen Appliances

Trends & New Technology- Kitchen Appliances


Looking at some of today’s newly remodeled kitchens or the kitchens of some newly built homes, you probably won’t find the “same old same old” appliances.  More and more new kitchens feature new technology with appliances that multi-function.  LG has a new refrigerator model with a 15" HD TV screen and a 4" LCD weather center screen.  Induction cooktops that can boil water in 90 seconds, with the use of magnetic cookware, the burners are always cool to the touch. Dishwashers are evolving to use less water and more steam to clean and sanitize dishes. Range hoods are popular, a new model includes a HD screen with multi functional use. Double ovens with multimode convection, allows for several different cooking modes. Consumers today are constantly upgrading to the latest and greatest technology to improve their lives. Kitchen appliances are a large part of a busy household. Whether entertaining a large group of friends or getting the family breakfast before starting a new day, technology can improve the experience.       

A few of the latest:

  

Kitchen Makeovers- Before & After

I am in the kitchen and bath business so I love a good kitchen over-haul! I love to see what a dated, unmanageable space can become with a little reconfiguring and some good ole destruction and reconstruction. I really like to look at pictures in magazines, and online to get inspiration and ideas for a new space. Remodeling or just refreshing can add value and improve the atmosphere of your interior and make it a focal point and gathering place of the home.

Here a few that I found on the DIY page. Some are quite a transformation!

1. Before- Stuck in the 80's

1. After- Sleek & Modern

2. Small Galley

2. After- Open Wide

3. Before- Décor Yikes!

3. After- Everybody Likes!

4. Before- Dark & Dated

4. After- Bright and Refaced

5. Before- Too Much Clutter

5. After- Clean & Airy

6. Before- Tile Takeover

6. After- Tile Makeover

7. Before- Oak Galore

7. After- I Adore

8. Before- Cheap & Out of Style

8. After- Upscale & High Style

Support Local Art

 

Supporting Local Arts

Worldly Views

Davenport IA

 

I visited the Bucktown Center for the Arts in Davenport, IA. The center is an artist’s gallery as well as a store front to sell their work as well as display it. There are several rooms within the 2 floors that I toured. There were several different mediums of art displayed throughout the center. By far my favorite gallery/store was called Worldly Views on the 2^nd floor in suite 203, and is run by photographer and artist by the name of Jack Wilhoit.

Upon entering the space I was overwhelmed, in a good way, by all that there was to look at in the relatively small space. There was a mix of photography and sculpture. He began taking pictures in 1995, when he traveled working for the Army. He was lucky enough to have visited all 50 states and 49 different countries, all of which, he took pictures from. He is known locally as the “Door Guy”, because the majority of his work is of doors he photographed throughout the world. Also he has old vintage doors with pictures of doors in them, which is kind of genius to display a door within a door, and makes for a pretty unexpected and very creative way to display them. Also he used old windows as frames and shadow boxes, which were very cool. He also took to recycling bottles and used them to make interesting chandeliers and light fixtures. Another element that he uses a lot is bicycles; he has pictures, 3D sculptures and very cool dioramas of scenes recreated from a picture, uses parts of bike frames as picture frames, all relating to bicycles.

All along the walls there are tables with every print he has ever developed, grouped and labeled where each was taken. There are pictures from several different countries including China, Italy, Scotland, Greece, Spain and several others. His scope of work is amazing, and to see all of them at once is exiting.

Jack is a really cool guy who is happy to tell the story of all of the pieces he has displayed and how he came about the scenes in his work.