Last week I shared a few of my favorite products, materials and design trends with you.  There are so many beautiful and creative ways to solve design dilemmas and many fabulous products are available to you.  You just need to know where to find them.

Doors Inside And Out.
Whether you’re looking for interior doors, closet doors or space dividers for your home the Sliding Door Co. offers beautiful contemporary and space saving solutions available in multiple finishes and designs.  Choose from frosted, laminated, clear or linen glass to create a clean, sophisticated and multi-functional atmosphere. www.slidingdoorco.com.

For a striking exterior door visit www.neoporte.com.  Neoporte fabricates stunning exterior stainless steel doors customized to fit your home’s architecture and style at the same time providing you with extra home security.  This first impression will distinguish your home from the rest.  Neoporte is also a certified member of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Countertops.
I love to specify Quartz surfaces for many of my kitchen renovations.  Why?  They are a highly durable, practical, cleaner and safer product compared to other natural stone materials.  Quartz fabricates beautifully – is stain, scratch and heat resistant and is available in exquisite colors and finishes making it perfect surface for any home renovation project – traditional or contemporary.  www.caesarstoneus.com.

Screen Saver.
As I wandered through the shops and galleries on Friday enjoying “The Legends of La Cienega” – Celebrate Hollywood I fell in love with an exquisite set of Moroccan Screens that were included in a vignette designed by Amy Wells, the set decorator of Madmen.  Find your inspiration at www.1stdibs.com.

Beautify Your Bath.
Infuse instant glamour and sophistication to your bath with these unique and striking Indian cotton shower curtains.  Choose from five different exquisite colors and patterns to compliment your style. www.johnrobshaw.com.  The Stone shower curtain is my favorite.

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.

With everyone’s hectic lifestyle, the bathroom is the one place to escape from it all to retreat and relax. Whether you’re renovating a main floor powder room, the kids’ Jack and Jill, or your master bath, you want to make sure you create that sanctuary that provides you with a sense of peace you crave at the beginning and end of the day.

We could typically spend up to 7 hours a week lounging in the bath, steaming in our showers, grooming, cleansing and applying makeup.  This is a room to be lived in rather than just pass through and that’s why it requires such careful attention.

These spaces tend to be among the costliest rooms to renovate. That’s why it’s important to realize it’s less about trends and more about style. Whether remodeling or adding on a new bath, think about all those amenities you might have wanted in your bathroom but never had. Now’s your chance. Read the magazines, search online, and visit your bath supply showrooms for wonderful inspirational ideas.

Ideally bedrooms and baths should be separated visually from the main working areas of your house. At least one guest bath or powder room should be easily accessible from the kitchen and family room area of your home.

The master bath should be large enough to fit an oversized tub, generously sized shower, and double vanity sinks—and as many other bells and whistles to provide you with the Zen-like atmosphere you crave.

If you’re faced with any of these issues in your own home then maybe it’s time to think about correcting these old problems by creating new solutions.

Ask Yourself These Questions:

• Are you short a powder room, and right now your guests use your main bath?
• Is your tiny main bath too cramped and cluttered for a family of four?
• Does your sink and combination bath/shower drip and leak and just doesn’t work well anymore?
• When your bathroom door is kept open, can you see the toilet from down the hallway? (Yuck)
• Can you hear everything in your current powder room—there’s no privacy or sound insulation?
• Are you still in love with the pink tub, toilet and sink – or is it time to let it go?
• Are you struggling with insufficient storage and unable to organize all your products and supplies?
• Is the moisture level is too high and the overwhelming scent of mildew proving to be more than you can handle?

Are you now ready to create new solutions?

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.

Brown Residence, Week 17
With everyone’s hectic lifestyle, the bathroom is the one place to escape from it all to retreat and relax. Whether you’re renovating a main floor  powder room, the kids’ Jack and Jill , or your master en-suite, you want to make sure it looks great and functions well.

When space planning – locate at least one guest bath or powder room that’s easily accessible from the kitchen and family room area of your home.  The master bath should be large enough to fit an oversized tub, generously sized shower and double vanity sinks.

If you’re adding a new bathroom, it’s more cost effective to locate it near existing plumbing lines from neighboring spaces or by sharing a common stacked plumbing wall from above or below

Research magazines, search online, and visit bathroom supply showrooms for inspiration.  Make a list of some of your fantasy bath items and combine your dreams with practicality.

Baths are among the costliest rooms in your home to renovate. That’s why it’s important to realize it’s less about trends and more about style. Select your fixtures, materials, fittings and colors carefully – and make sure each material you select evokes a sense of peace and calm from within.

Basic Bathroom Measurements

Minimum size: 5’ X 7’ (35 s.f.)+
Recommended: 6’ X 9’ (54 s.f.) + with two sinks
Powder room with toilet and sink: 3’ X 6’ (18 s.f.) or 4’ X 5’ (20 s.f.)+
Small bathroom with corner shower, toilet, and sink: 6’ X 6’ (36 s.f.)+
Full bathroom with tub & shower combo, toilet, and sink: 5’ X 8’+(40 s.f.)+

Master bathroom: 10’ X 14’ (140 s.f)+
Standard size bath tub:  30” X 60”
Shower stall: 36” X 36” (bare minimum)+
Space in front of a toilet or bidet: 24”
Length of double sinks vanity counter: 72”+
Height of vanity: 34.5” – 36”
Space to separate a light switch from any water source: 60”
Standard height for toilet paper holders: 26” off the floor
Standard elongated toilet bowl: 14” X 18.5”

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “How to Avoid the 15 Most Common Decorating Mistakes”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.