2013/08/08

About Spain Bathroom Decor

A bathroom is the perfect spot to remodel into a theme room, since it's usually a smaller room that will confine the look. Since the invention of Saltillo tile in 1577, the Spanish and Mexican heritages have relied heavily on tile to give their rooms flavor. With the wide assortment of colorful tile available today, it makes sense that the Spanish or Mexican look would transcend nicely into a bathroom.

Features

The overall look of a Spanish-styled room is warm and inviting. Rich earthy colors drawn from nature set the backdrop. A combination of tile, fabric, texture, pottery, leather, ceramics, copper and wood all contribute to the creation of a warm, casual yet elegant room.




Floors and Walls

Floors can be either tile or hardwood. Saltillo tile provides a look of authenticity. Wood floors should be dark wood. Walls should be stuccoed or tiled, and painted in the traditional Spanish hues of gold, cream or terracotta. Consider placing colorful tiles at random on your stuccoed walls. Use small 1-inch tiles to create a mosaic pattern in the shower, or frame your bathtub in hand-painted

Fixtures

Fixtures made from wrought iron fit beautifully into a traditional Spanish decor. Countertops made from natural stone, such as granite, marble or slate complete the look, as do vessel sinks made from hammered copper or steel. The overall look, while rustic, should exude a classic, timeless quality.


Lighting

Lighting in the bathroom should keep in mind function as well as form. Candle holders, candelabras, lantern lights, hurricane-style lighting and wall sconces all can look good in a Spanish-style bath. The rustic elegance of wrought iron with blue or green toned glass should be paired with an eye toward keeping the proper wattage in the room, for makeup application, shaving and everything else the bath is used for.

Furniture

Rustic wood furniture, either vintage or new, works well in the Spanish bath. Look for hand-painted pieces with arched details, carved corbels and wrought iron. Turn a vintage piece into a vanity by placing a granite surface on top and a vessel sink. Place a leather chair in the corner as a place to sit when dressing. If the room is large enough, add a Spanish-styled hutch for linen storage.

Accessories

Accessories complete the total picture. Add towel bars made from hammered bronze or wrought iron. Colorful towels, pottery and ceramics, copper bowls and wooden accents will pull the room together. A textured shower curtain in the colors of nature will exude a classic appeal. Finish the look with some old world style art.

2013/04/15

How to Green Bathroom Decor

Keep your bathroom looking clean, elegant, simple and natural with lines that are sleek, but eco-friendly as well. Opt for sustainable bamboo as a source for textiles, as well as water cups or toothbrush holders. Put special thought into a pebble, plant or branch arrangement, and it will show.

Instructions

 1,Adorn and embellish a countertop with bamboo or metal cups (as opposed to a stack of paper cups). Add a plant in a similarly fashioned pot, and a glass or metal soap dish. Consider a simple plate filled with beach pebbles, shells and a small piece of driftwood. Arrange branches that you find locally in a locally handcrafted vase for the full effect.

 2,Use bamboo or organic towels, bathroom rugs and toilet seat covers in naturally colored fabrics of off white or tan. Avoid nylon. Bamboo trashcans are available as well.

 3,Invest in a local piece of art, whether painting, textile, silkscreen, photo or even sculpture to feature in your bathroom. Consider a beach scene or something whimsical. Frame the piece in local, or at least American, wood to truly keep it green.

  4,Purchase recycled toilet paper.

  5,Splurge on a natural fiber shower curtain, rather than the vinyl PVC variety. Nowadays you can find hemp as well as organic cotton; hemp is considered more mildew-resistant than cotton.

2013/03/26

How to Decorate a Bathroom With Accessories



      Prior to choosing bathroom accessories, decide on a decor theme. The bathroom decor style will set the tone for the color palette and materials used. Another option is to pick a bathroom color scheme, such as a white and blue or lavender and green duo. Choose bathroom accessories that enhance the style or colors to create a cohesive look. If you are redecorating a bathroom on a budget, buy colorful towels or a patterned shower curtain to instantly update the look of the space


Instructions
1, Choose a shower curtain according to the bathroom's decor theme. Pick a white eyelet curtain for a vintage or romantic-inspired bathroom, a vibrantly colored frog-patterned curtain for a rainforest theme, or a white and pink toile curtain to create a shabby chic style. Hang the shower curtain from decorative hooks, such as red rose or lily-pad-shaped versions.

2, Pick towels that coordinate with the bathroom color scheme. Enhance a nature-themed bathroom with grass green, coral orange or sunny yellow towels. Choose mauve pink and chocolate brown towels for a romantic or shabby chic style space. Hang the towels on wall racks or roll them and display them on wall shelves.

3,  Enhance tile or wood floors with rugs. Choose a red heart-shaped or plush white rug for a bathroom with a romantic, glamorous flair. Pick a woven bamboo or green shag rug reminiscent of grass for a rainforest-themed space.

4, Decide on decorative and convenient bathroom accessories. Go for an opulent look with shiny gold accessories, such as a wastebasket and lotion and hand soap dispensers. Choose a lily-pad-shaped soap dish and frog-patterned toothbrush holder and sink cup set to create a rainforest theme.

5, Complete the bathroom design with decor pieces. Display a vintage vase filled with fresh flowers on a vanity table. Hang black and white family photos in antique gold frames. Fill a woven rattan vase with bird of paradise flowers for a tropical forest look.

2013/02/20

About Country Style Bathroom Decor



   If you are considering a country decor redo for your home, don't forget the bathroom. There are some wonderful items you can include in your bathroom to give it that country or vintage look. The look can be achieved with a few decorating items, or you could go all the way with a claw-footed tub and a pedestal sink


Inexpensive Options
The least expensive method of getting the country look in your modern bathroom would be to add some small decorative touches. Go antiquing and look for old medicinal bottles, an old-fashioned metal medicine chest, some old country photos to frame or even add a small shelf with handmade soaps and candles. Cracker Barrel and Restoration Hardware are good places to look for such items. There are some free country decorating catalogs that can inspire your decorating ideas; Country Living or Layla Grayce for a French Country look are examples.

Take It a Step Further
If you want to move your country decor bathroom to the next level, consider replacing your more modern faucets and towel holders for an old-fashioned look. The old white porcelain hot and cold water faucet knobs are a great addition to this style of decorating, as are iron towel racks or glass drawer and door knobs.
Look for fabrics in gingham or very small prints to use for your shower curtain and window treatments. Calico Corners offers a nice array of fabric choices as does Country Curtains. Add some plantation shutters to the lower half of your windows for privacy and a fresh country look.

Country Remodel
For those of you who want a major overhaul, remove your modern tub and replace with a beautiful refinished claw-foot tub or one of the modern reproductions. Add appropriately aged reproduction faucets for a great base for a relaxing country bathroom. Another remodeling option is to replace the sink and vanity with a pedestal sink. Of course, by removing cabinetry surrounding a modern sink you will need to replace this with an old chest for towel and accessory storage. Instead of a large frameless mirror over the sink, replace it with a round or oval mirror framed in wood. This will add character to your bath.

Lighting
Lighting is important in every room, but especially so in the bathroom. Change out more contemporary fixtures with iron or wood wall sconces, and replace an overhead light with a vintage chandelier. Place well-scented candles near the toilet, tub and sink for a glowing, relaxed look. Use smaller antique lamps on your chest of drawers or on shelves.

Considerations
Use a vintage tile pattern to complete the look on your floor. Black and white make for a great country look. Add a few thick cotton throw rugs, and your country-style bathroom look is complete.
Country Living has some terrific photos and ideas as well.


2013/01/22

How to do Italian Kitchen Decor



Italian kitchen decor was all the rage a few years ago. People were faux finishing their walls in bright yellow & had cookie jars that looked like fat chefs. This went out of style pretty quickly. Real Italian kitchen decor is much more lasting & enduring. It speaks of good food & lots of laughter.  

Instructions
1 ,Go Modern Italian. If you look through kitchens that are actually in Italy you might be in for somewhat of a shock. You can browse through these websites even if you don't speak Italian. You will see a lot of stainless steel, on the walls, on the counter tops & on the appliances. They even use modern curved islands.

2, Interpret the theme. If you want Italian kitchen decor, you probably have at one point thought of basing your room around wine or grapes. Many times, this is done literally by hanging grapes from the chandelier or even stenciling them on the walls. Instead, use the colors of wine or turn your room into a dark, romantic wine cellar.

3, Decorate around your cooking style. It's all about the food. Make your Italian kitchen decor function well for cooking. Have a center island in the kitchen with bar stools where kids can learn how to cook from their moms or grandmas. Italian kitchens are places where recipes are passed down from generation to generation.

4, Make it comfortable. Your Italian kitchen will be a place where people spend a lot of time. You can even add a small sofa behind your dining table. Choose bar stools with high backs on them for maximum comfort.

5, Turn everything into artwork. Use a tumbled marble tile back splash for that old world feel. You can hang a large poster in your breakfast nook. You can even get wall words to express your favorite saying or family motto. Plus, you can remove it, if it becomes dated.