PLAYGROUND COTTAGES HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS.

Bath VanitiesPosted by admin on May 23rd, 2011

If you ask any woman if she would like one of those bath vanities, whether she will buy it or be given to her as a gift, what do you think will be her answer?

Bath vanities seem to be equated with women. Whether she can afford it or not, she will surely desire to have one of those in her bathroom. Her bathroom may be small at the moment to accommodate one of the smallest available but it will not stop her into thinking what else she can do to have it sooner or later.

Having one of those bath vanities boosts the woman’s spirit. It makes her happy. When she is happy, her work is much better. The problems that will face her will just be challenges. Once she goes into her bathroom, problems would seem to fade away, though for a moment, it helps her face reality with such an uplifted spirit.

Men, would you like to shut up your nagging wife? If you can, and you have not yet, try showing her one of those bath vanities and tell her she can choose among those and you will be buying her one as your anniversary gift to her. After all, you need her in many aspects.

Tips in Cleaning Your Natural Hot TubPosted by admin on February 11th, 2011

A natural hot tub is a great item to have in your home. It could provide you with precious moments of relaxation and could help release the stress and tension in your mind and body. However, it is important to regularly clean your hot tub. You will need to replace the hot tub water because you will want to submerge yourself in clean waters only and this will prolong the life of your hot tub.
Below are some quick tips that will help you in cleaning and maintaining your hot tub.

• Use vinegar-water solution. If you run out of hot tub chemicals, you may make your own vinegar-water solution and use it as a cleaning agent. Spray this solution all over your empty hot tub, wait a few minutes, and then rinse your hot tub well.

• Use baking soda-vinegar paste. For tougher stains, mix together baking soda and vinegar to create paste then apply this to stains and dirt. You may use an old toothbrush to help you brush the stains and dirt away. Rinse your hot tub well before using.

Bathroom AccessoriesPosted by admin on February 6th, 2011

While getting laminate flooring for a bathroom is impossible, I am still wishing there is hope for our bathroom. There is really nothing I can do about it since we are renting, except to use functional bathroom accessories.

Who would not want to have a bathroom like this?

The only thing I can do right now is to dream and make sure our bathroom is always clean.

His and Hers Bath SinksPosted by admin on January 3rd, 2011

I love the bath sinks and the neutral colors of this bathroom. A separate his and hers bath vanity dresser and sink make for a great and peaceful marriage too!

The Bathroom Supplies FreakPosted by admin on December 14th, 2010

One of the most important things for me in choosing a house is the bathroom. I have always been particular about how it looks and whether it is clean. Even when I was little, I had a notion that bathrooms should be clean. It is the place where we clean our bodies so naturally, it should be clean as well, right?

It is not surprising that one of my pet peeves when my husband and I lived on our own is an unclean bathroom. Hence, I made it a point to be the one to do the bathroom cleaning. I even bought janitorial some janitorial supplies to help me. There was a time when I would crazily check all our bathroom supplies just to make sure that they are clean and complete.

Now that I have kids already, I am more forgiving of the state of our bathroom. Sadly, having two kids in the house means more people making a mess while not having enough time to clean. Still, our bathroom is way cleaner than most. My kids seem to be slowly acquiring my thing for clean bathrooms because they will refuse to use dirty public restrooms and restroom supplies. Well, at least I know they will have a clean bathroom in the future.

How to Make Beautiful Bathrooms using Small SpacesPosted by admin on October 9th, 2010

I have always had a high criteria for bathrooms. I have been raised by my mother to make sure it is always sparkling clean and dry as the state of a bathroom reflects the state of the whole house. The place we live in has a small bathroom, but it has not stopped me from making sure that our little bathroom is clean and looks pleasing to the eye. After all, aren’t bathrooms supposed to be our little sanctuary in our home? You can find a lot of new bathroom fixtures at betterbathrooms.com – all under reasonable prices and fixtures specifically for small spaces.

There are two elements to great bathrooms: Fixtures and atmosphere. Partnered together, the results are spectacular. Here are some tips to make beautiful bathroom with small spaces:

Glass: Glass shower enclosures can make a small bathroom feel bigger since you can see from one side of the room to the other. Also think about widening a window or installing a skylight to create a feeling of openness and allow more natural light.

Sinks: If you can hang the sink and vanity on the wall, it will help give the room a cleaner look. Ensure you have storage space somewhere so the sink doesn’t end up cluttered with toiletries. Many manufacturers also offer extra-small sinks or ones designed to fit into corners.

Toilets: Although most toilets are a standard size, some are designed for smaller spaces. The closer to the wall a toilet is, the less space it uses. Also, look at toilets with a lower tank that occupy less space.

Baths and Showers: Some manufacturers make bathtubs designed for a small space but you may have to do without the Jacuzzi features. You can cheat a little by raising the tub’s rim height since a higher rim will give the bather a more pleasurable soak. Showers fit more easily into a small space and some are designed for very cramped quarters.

Other Tricks: White and light-colored paint can make a room feel bigger. If you’re going to install shelves, try to place them so you can see straight through to the wall. This helps give a feeling of space.

Bathroom HighPosted by admin on July 24th, 2010

I prefer my bathroom to be white with splashes of colors. But the walls should be white, it’s an OC trait in me I guess. However, sometimes I think having color would be fun. Love the colors and patterns in these bathrooms:

Shower TraysPosted by admin on July 15th, 2010

Updating an existing bathroom, or adding a new one, is a smart way to increase your home’s value, but what if you have limited space and a tight budget?

Shower trays could be your affordable solution.

A shower tray is the floor of the shower (the part you stand on). Because they come in many different materials, colors, sizes and shapes, their versatile beauty works well with any wall finish you choose, at a price that’s right for every budget. They range in price from as low as $100.00 to a hefty $1500.00, and because of the variety of colors and finishes, the decorating possibilities are unlimited.

Shapes:

There are square shapes for corner installations, bow fronts (two straight sides and a curved front—think pregnant triangle), u-shaped, rectangular (for walk-in showers) and circular models with claw feet. Quadrant (an elongated version of bow front) and pentagonal styles are also available. The depth of the tray varies from 4 to 6 inches, and there are even flush models, ideal for wheel-chair access. It’s recommended that you consider your available space, and choose the largest size possible for the most comfortable shower experience.

Manufacturers offer a wide variety of colors, finishes and materials. High glass acrylic surfaces (acrylic reinforced with fiberglass) are lightweight, stain and scratch resistant, and are often textured to prevent slipping. Slightly pricier are the steel enamel trays which are almost flush with the floor, highly durable, and ideal for wheelchairs – they just roll right over them. Stone resin models (combinations of natural stone and resin) are slightly higher in price, known for superior durability and rigidity with acrylic gel topcoats that are known for their warm touch to the feet. At the top of the line are copper trays with hammered surfaces to insure against slipping, or nickel-plated for superior style and beauty.

Dual Flush Toilets: Conserving WaterPosted by admin on July 8th, 2010

Designed for light and heavy flushes, a dual-flush toilet tends to average less than 1.2 gallons per flush. They meet HET criteria of 1.28 gallons per flush or less (HET criteria for dual flush toilets identifies the effective flush volume as the average of one high flush and two low flushes). They can also be called HET toilets. Dual flush models are available from many well-known manufacturers with light flush capacities from .8 to 1.1 gallons and heavy flush capacities from 1.3 to 1.6 gallons per flush. These toilets typically operate with a handle that can move up or down, or a two button system. One direction or button will activate the lower flow flush, while the other will activate the higher flow flush.

You can always have your current toilet converted with a Dual Flush Conversion kit, to help you save money and legwork especially if it’s a busy household with one toilet. SelectAFlush dual flush retrofits current toilets to perform like low flow toilets and in some cases saves more water than a high priced HET  toilet. No need to buy a new toilet and send your old toilet to the dump, just convert your current toilet into a water saving dual flush. 

Peaceful RetreatPosted by admin on July 6th, 2010

I have a fetish for clean and beautiful bathrooms. Maybe because I cannot forget what my mother told me before that the state of a house’s bathroom is clear indication of the state of the rest of the house. So whenever I go to new houses, I tend to sneak a peek into their bathrooms This is me who seldom needs bathroom breaks during trips. (I heard Lipofuze makes you pee twice as much, is this true?)

An amazing sample that not all small bathrooms don’t have much chance of being decorated:

the truly gorgeous home Nikole Herriot, as seen on Design*Sponge

Bed and Beth IdeasPosted by admin on February 3rd, 2010

What has been keeping me occupied the past few days? I have been adding finishing touches to our rooms as I have unearthed a couple of decorations I can use around our clutter-free (finally) room. I still have yet to decide (and order) the big brother’s study table and double deck-bed though. Lack of budget and my fickle-mindedness really go hand in hand together.

I also bought some bathroom accessories and toiletries last weekend while I was in the grocery and was disappointed to find out it won’t fit into our little basket in the bathroom. We really can use a nice vanity in there. So far, a search on bathroom vanities – contemporary and white, my preferred style – yielded these results:

I really like the second picture for a powder room, I love the fact it hangs on the wall and the round vanity mirror offsets the corners. The third picture would look better if they were white but I love the sink! The first image reminds of a 1950’s bathroom – very vintage and chic.

This one is very nice too:

I love the open shelves with baskets and how wide the mirror is! Once we have our own house I will really fight for a big bathroom, because I really want a small closet for our towels and linens. Beside that will be the space for towel warmers! I really like the stainless steel ones, it reminds me of bathrooms in five-star hotels:

But these one would be more organized (it also keeps things hidden):

Look at how diverse towel warmers are these days, they can really make interesting designs i the bathroom already:

Imagine the spiral towel warmer having different colors of towels, they would really be an eye-candy! Of course, for me, I would prefer my towels be white.

Bathroom and Kitchen Remodeling DreamsPosted by admin on January 26th, 2010

I have blogged about being tied down with the current state of our house’s kitchen and bathroom as we are renting. Frustrating as it maybe for me who spends a lot of time in the kitchen and considers the bathroom my private haven, I just make do with what we have and try not to get irritated every time water spills from the sink because it is too shallow and water spills over the bathroom tiles because there is no separator from the shower and toilet.

If I were to choose, I would be using glass sinks for my bathrooms. Yes, it would be plural because when we have our own house, I will fight for my own bathroom (even if it is technically in the master’s bedroom). I know I will be pushing it if I gunned for his and hers bathroom sinks as well. I saw a very nice glass vessel sink that would be very appropriate for what I had in mind.

I saw this over at MR Direct Inc and I love that they included the specific sizes in every item. This particular crystal glass sink comes in many colors too. Wouldn’t that be interesting to use in a powder room?

Lovely BathroomPosted by admin on January 16th, 2010

I love the wood + shade of green that was used.

This would be better if there would be a his and hers sinks and this adjoins to a walk-in closet, don’t you agree? I am wishing for a white tub as well (I might as well wish for some  belly fat reduction since I am wishing!).

Care to tell me what’s the name of that lovely shade of green? I am loving it.

Source.