What were they thinking?

I discovered Fly Through My Window today on a Google search for Martha's jadeite... and enjoyed this blogpost more than any other for a while (because it's done on a realistic, everyday-people budget).

I have to say though... (actually, I have to scream it in my head)... What were the previous people thinking!?



I was so inspired by her bathroom makeover... what a great job Darby!



Go to her blog to read and see more detail.

And what of boudoirs in bathrooms?

sred-kitty wrote in saying she was keen on creating a boudoir in her bathroom... what a great idea for those who can't afford much space elsewhere! I thought it would be fun to gather some inspiration and add some ideas/thoughts:

The easiest way to create a boudoir-experience upon entering your bathroom is, of course, to paint the whole room in some totally different, totally fantasy, totally unexpected colour:

go for a lush magenta


or a bright cherry yellow


Tip:
Make sure you actually look good surrounded in that colour + lighting! Some of us just don't look good in/around yellow (especially if your complexion has tones of pale green/blue)... if you're more on the ruddy side, a pink/red/purple room will do you NO wonders. How to decide? Visit a paper store along with a large mirror (not compact sized). Ask a store assistant to hold the mirror while you hold two pieces of paper of your favourite colour choices on either side of your face. Walk around and see your reflection in different lights (sun, halogen, incandescent). Hey you will look silly, but at least you'll give said store assistant a story to tell ;) and your efforts will repay itself in a bathroom that will reflect the best in you.

or super gloss, almost mirror finish aqua


or gloss pink


I love chandeliers in surprising spots (got one in Hannah's room!)... where more surprising than in a bathroom? LIke the purple one above?

even love it more when the chandelier is hanging low.


Furnishing it with exquisite mirrors, chairs and shelving. Don't you like the charm of the simple, white shelving above? Perfect place to show off gorgeous bottles and soaps. Instead of going all white tones like the one above, what about going jewel like what I did in my small restroom?

I love the oversized mirror here. Ornate and pretty and very girly. And oh to have the luxury of a pretty chair!


Don't you love the small chic painted ballerina in that corner? Or you can go super large, like the one below:



Painting the bathtub also instantly adds appeal and beauty to a space that normally isn't large enough for extra pieces of furniture. Tangerine? Lime green? Cheery yellow?

Bringing in some bling into the bathroom boudoir is a must. Check out this extravagant mirror!



I love how the sharp lines of the mirror exudes a bling and formality that is dressed down by the warm red tones of the cabinet.

Or go totally formal in feeling.. yet still totally feminine:



What about wallpaper? Easy way to add instant "ooh-ness" to a normally plain, oft-neglected space...

A more dramatic feel... punchy.


A softer feel...


And I have to add one of my favourite wallpapers here from Thibaut.


Btw, while I love love love wallpaper in here, not too sure about it with all the moistness in the air!

So maybe tiling?



Of course, any Bisazza job is luxury in itself!

Fun, fun, fun! Wish I had the budget, let's see what you do sred-kitty! Let us know :)

Ensuite planning part 2

All of us have yucky-areas-that-need-serious-attention but budget only allows for so many things to be done yearly. I blogged in October 2008 about our master ensuite that we haven't used since moving in, but woulod be great to be able to use instead of running to the main bathroom for showers etc.

From that blog entry I included some gorgeous bathrooms that inspired my re-design.

No we haven't gotten to it yet... but I just had to share/record on my blog some features from these two bathrooms which I would love to incorporate into our redesign.

I really love a eclectic homes and this bathroom so chic-ly marries ultra-modern with rustic. The sink fixtures/hardware are so incredibly modern and sleek yet the mirror is rustic and simple and I do love the bright pop of colour with the orchids which do love a bright sunny but not dry area. I also love how the look is light and not heavy with furniture etc. 'Course, not sure where the toothbrushes go with this look! ;)

Scanned from Home Beautiful

The only spot for the sink is against a full length window so hanging a mirror above the sink (we're thinking of covering up the bottom part of that window for sink pipes etc) may not be best solution. I love bright bathrooms and this window adds alot of light into our bedroom.

So maybe a mirror that swings out into that space like this one.
Too understated, though... no?

Scanned from Country Home Ideas

Hope some part of this inspired you!

In-Progress decorated restroom

I think I've mentioned a million times now how this whole place was painting in the one shade, even bathtubs, toilet paper holders, toilets, door knobs etc...



I also lamented about how sad our toilet was...

And the source of inspiration:

Image taken as screenshot from the Designer Visions Online O-At Home apartment walkthrough videocast

That collection on those shelves would have easily cost $350-400 and that is $350-400 I don't have to spend just to make a really small space prettier... when we have other needs.

But I loved how reds and oranges and pinks were used to "jewel" up the space.

We had friends over on the weekend and they were wowed by what I'd done to the restroom, which is kinda surprising since the guy that noticed is normally pretty... duh about design etc.

This is how mine looks right now:
I think I spent $70 on this, including the Ikea RÖNNSKÄR wall shelving, frames from thrift stores and repainted in some leftover black gloss, and the two bars of soap, each costing me $14.95. The rest I kinda went picking from around the house.



I try not to keep too many magazines so I tear out the sheets. But I like keeping most of the covers since so much work has gone into making them pretty... I thought to hang them up in our restroom, selecting those with the same shades.



As collectors know, a collection is never complete/done. Collections evolve, change and develop... so this isn't "The End" of the Restroom.

Ensuite eye candy

N.B. I am not a fan (however gorgeously designed) of the ensuite in the master bedroom divided by half a wall or a tall bedhead. I don't get how economical that kind of living is.

I thought I'd start with the above statement. Our ensuite needs a renovation when we can afford it since the toilet leaks, the shower stall leaks because the builder neglected to properly seal the stall and the sink is outside the bathroom. (So we don't use it.)

I am Malaysian now living in Australia. Most bathrooms in South East Asian homes do not have a dry/wet area. Firstly, because of the extreme humidity, floorboards in your bathroom is basically a total waste of money. It is far more practical financially and housekeeping-ly to tile most surfaces. (So I grew up spraying the entire bathroom with water, soaping the entire bathroom and then spraying it again.)

Now that I have the chance to re-design and dream for an achievable (small and narrow) ensuite within budget and space, allow me to meander through my thoughts.

I'd thought about having pretty special tiles everywhere, but they are rather expensive!


So maybe pebbled walls?

Carlos Domenech

I've always wanted a chair in my bathrooms but it won't have space for that luxury.

Sherrill Canet

Maybe a stool within the shower area?


While pedestal basins are so elegant and sleek

Ashley Roi Jenkins

I do kinda like the thought of having storage to hide what doesn't need to be on display


I want a pretty unique mirror(s)

Gunkelman Flesher

Philippe Starck

Two sinks means cleaning two sinks and we're rarely at one at the same time


A floating sink/storage means there's more floor space (illusions are important in small spaces!)


I love the idea of an armoire or built in for towels, pretty supplies and cotton balls in a pretty glass jar.


We're not bath people (very conscious of water usage)...

Oak Management

... and prefer a quick in and out of a shower

Philippe Starck

I only want a glass/plexiglas wall dividing the shower "stall" from the rest of the ensuite. This takes up way less space than an actual stall and door and keeps things rather simple.

Clare Cousins Architects

Adding colour to that glass gives it feel of luxury..

Karim Rashid

So... get me?

Sherrill Canet Interiors

My previous post featured a green living room by Sherrill Canet Interiors. I clicked over to her site and I was drooling by the end of it. (Isn't it fantastic when interior designers are so confident of their work that the photos displayed are so large that we can really look at detail??)

New York designer Sherrill Canet has created such gorgeously elegant but sumptious rooms for her clients... man oh man. I especially love the mix of new and antiques, something that I myself strive for (not similar level of antiques, of course!!!!).