Clean and Simple

My best friend Jen had recently bought a house and the bathroom was in desperate need of some remodeling. She wanted a black and white vintage look which was created with white subway tiles for the tub walls and white hexagon mosaics with black grout for the flooring. After the renovations were complete, the bathroom really needed the finishing touches. Accessories made huge difference in an otherwise simple design. With affordable finds from Target, TJ Maxx and Lowes, we were able to give this bathroom huge style.

Our model for this bathroom is Paris aka Bad Kitty as I call her!

Can you tell why?

Product Knowledge

Yesterday I went to a product knowledge seminar for one of our flooring distributors. We listened to representatives from 4 major companies discuss their up and coming products as well as what they are doing (or had already been doing) within their companies to become green compliant with some of the changes in requirements for 2009. I was happy to hear from all 4 companies that most, if not all their products are manufactured here in the U.S. Why does this matter to us? Well besides the point that it will help us keep our jobs which seem to be in limited supply lately, it is better for our environment. Buying closer to home leaves a smaller carbon footprint on our planet.

One topic in the meeting discussed was the amended Lacey Act which prohibits all trade in plant products (e.g., furniture, paper or lumber) that are illegally sourced from any U.S. state or any foreign country. It will require importers to declare the country of origin of harvest and species name of all plants contained in their products. Again, why does this matter to us? Because it will help protect the world's remaining forests, and the people, wildlife and global climate that depend on them. So before you decide to install that beautiful Exotic Hardwood in your home think of alternatives such as a laminate version look alike or a hardwood that can regenerate itself quicker. To become responsible designers now, we have needed to educate ourselves on more than just the form and function of a product for our clients but it's effects on our environment as well.

This chart may help you make a more informed decision:

Guide to Buying Hardwood

The companies includes in this meeting were:

Anderson Wilsonart Armstrong Quick Step

Modern Kitchen with Sparkling Personality

I had the pleasure of working with Pritika on multiple rooms in her home. She was moving back into their home after having had it rented out for quite some time and needed some assistance in the renovations. This house is a track home so it had many basic design elements but we worked together to give it a custom look. The first area we worked on was her kitchen. She wanted a clean and modern look and it turned out beautiful. The Photos do not even do it justice as using a combination of glass, dark granite and stainless appliances, this kitchen sparkles in person!

FLOOR TILE:

Crossville- Now Series color: Moss 12"x24" and 6"x24"

BACKSPLASH TILE:

Crossville- Glass Blox color: Blue Haze/Ocean Air/North Sea 1/2" x 2"

GRANITE:

Emerald Pearl Slab

Stay tuned for posts to follow featuring Pritika's beautiful Downstairs and Master Bathrooms.

The Contemporary Set

I had the opportunity to work at the Cole residence on both of the bathroom remodels in their home. The look they were going for was Contemporary and they went with very similar looks in both bathrooms with some minor changes to each. For both we used large slate tile floors, custom red birch vanities and medicine cabinets as well as white subway tiles for the shower walls.

In the Master Bath we used Quartz countertops, Stone Pebbles for the shower pan, and a slate mosaic on the backsplash. In the Hall Bath we used the same materials for the shower walls and floor but we changed the countertops to Corian.

MASTER BATH

HALL BATH

New Fabric Line

I have brought on 2 new fabric lines that I wanted to share. The first one is Trend which has some beautiful patterns but at a lower price point. We all could use a break on the old pocket book right about now.

The next line is Carole Fabrics. I love this line for it's variety, prints and colors. Many of their patterns also come at a reasonable price point.

Please contact us if you'd like to view either of these lines or to set up a custom drapery or bedding appointment.

Lazy Design Assistant!

I was hard at work in the showroom today and noticed my Design Assistant was missing from her bed by my desk. I got up to investigate and found the slacker sun bathing in the carpet area! In her defense she is normally a very good assistant. She does a great job at greeting and making all of our clients welcome. Today was a slow day so I guess she deserved a break!

Featured Design

I was elated to find out that the The Knot.com had started their sister company Party Spot.com and wanted to feature the shower I designed for my best friend Jennifer Skog on it. You can view it HERE!