Our friends over at Real Simple magazine have come up with some really clever ideas for rejuvenating your bathroom. Take a peak at some of the tips below for taking your bathoom from drab to fab, or click here for the top 20 ways to upgrade your bathoom.
1. Bedroom, yes. Living room, of course. But a bouquet of flowers in a bathroom feels especially unexpected. Even a small vase of yard-cut greens adds freshness to the room.
2. One attractive option for window treatments is faux-wooden blinds, which offer all the elegance of real wood and none of the worries of water damage or warping.
3. Towel bars have been replaced by hooks next to the shower, eliminating the need for folding and just-so draping. An extra hook installed below gives the bath mat a place to dry.
4. A woven basket holds an ample supply of toilet paper, eliminating the need to hunt when you’re down to the end of a roll (your guests will thank you).
5. It is possible to keep toiletries looking neat on a bathroom countertop, with the aid of odds and ends like unused, mismatched serving pieces.
Aaack! Did you leave the toilet seat up—again? Don’t you know that’s bad Feng Shui? I mean, really bad. I can see an ancient Feng Shui Master Mr. Miyagi-type-man shaking his head in disappointment at you right now. He’s not happy.
I was once given a book on Feng Shui, and one thing I retained from skimming through it a few times is to always keep the toilet seat down—when not in use that is.
While I’m no Feng Shui expert, I do believe in its tenets, though perhaps I don’t apply them all, I do keep the toilet seat down as much as possible. I don’t always remember to do this by the way, but the Feng Shui philosophy behind the toilet seat being kept down is that this will prevent wealth from being “flushed” out of your life.
Feng Shui originated in China, and is a 3,000 year old ancient art—the art of balancing energy by properly arranging your surroundings in order to assure and maintain good health, bring prosperity, and induce a general sense of well-being. Feng means wind and Shui means water. In Chinese culture, wind and water are symbols of health and prosperity. The bathroom is where water flows generously, and is therefore an important space in the home where one can implement good Feng Shui in order to increase or maintain health and prosperity.
Don’t worry, all is not lost if you left the toilet seat up today. You can bring the good energy (or “Chi”) back into your life—and your bathroom—by incorporating these five fabulous Feng Shui tips into your bathroom décor and practices.
1-The bathroom is a place for cleansing, and keeping it sanitized is critical. A dirty bathroom suggests impurity—while a clean one suggests a pure, cleansing environment, which supports positive Chi. If you’re considering a bathroom remodel, consider easy to clean materials like acrylic for your bathtub and wall surround. Acrylic is non-porous, making bacteria and mold a non-issue.
2-Do make sure that the plumbing fixtures are in good working order. Leaky faucets waste water, and in turn, according to Feng Shui, encourage you to waste money. If the faucets are looking dull and worn, replacing them with shiny new ones will increase your wealth mentality.
3-Keep the toilet seat down, even when flushing. This minimizes the outbound flow of your wealth energy. Your bathroom also looks more aesthetically pleasing when the lid is down. If possible, keep the bathroom door closed, especially when you have company. This will ensure that your guests experience good Chi when they visit.
4-A plant on the toilet adds life force into the room and deflects the draining energy. Keeping plants and earth-energy objects such as stones, shells, pebbles, and wood objects in the bathroom are key to balancing out the predominant water-energy of the room.
5-A proper Feng Shui bathroom has ample lighting and a good ventilation system. Put up lot of mirrors to reflect Chi and help it move smoothly all over the bathroom.
To take things one step further—if you have a bathroom remodeling project on the horizon, the way the tub, toilet, and sink are positioned in the bathroom can affect the Chi. You may want to consider repositioning everything in order to make your bathroom as Feng Shui as it can be. To learn more about a proper Feng Shui bathroom, click here: http://www.thespiritualfengshui.com/feng-shui-bathroom.php
The modern bathroom is a many splendid thing. It keeps us clean, removes our waste, and can even relax us after a hectic day. Unsurprisingly, most bathrooms are not without their weaknesses, but if you pay attention, your bathroom can often express just what needs to be done to make it better!
If You Can’t See Yourself in the Bathroom Mirror, your bathroom is trying to tell you it needs better ventilation. Poor ventilation in bathrooms doesn’t just make getting dolled up after a shower more difficult, it can also lead to mold growth and the premature aging of building materials. A good bathroom ventilation system can exchange all of the air in the room in about 5 minutes. If the air in your bathroom stays stale for 10 minutes or more, you can get a brand new fan installed for about $380.
If Your Shower Goes Cold or is slow to heat up, your bathroom is trying to tell you that your hot water heater is being over worked. Few things are a worse start to your day than trying to wash soap from your eyes in ice cold water. The average cost of installing a new water heater is about $925, and according to the feedback we’ve gathered, a solid 94.7% of homeowners who’ve taken the leap are happy they did!
If Your Body is Cold before, during, or after a shower, your bathroom is trying to tell you to supplement its heating. Having a single, small heat source in the bathroom can go a long way in making it a more comfortable environment. There are several options that will fit the bill in this scenario, and a few (like an electric heater in the wall) can easily be purchased for less than $100.
Note: If you’ve been planning a bathroom remodel anyway, you may want to consider radiant floor heating. Not only will this make the room more comfortable to walk in barefoot, according to the Department of Energy’s EERE Consumer’s Guide, “[radiant heating] is more efficient than baseboard heating and usually more efficient than forced-air heating.”
If Your Water Bill is Through the Roof, your bathroom is telling you to upgrade your fixtures and stop your leaks. Though there are several factors that come into play when it comes to water consumption, the American Water Works Association tells us that, “By installing more efficient water fixtures and regularly checking for leaks, households can reduce daily per capita water use by about 35%.” Efficient showerheads can cost as little as $10 or $20.
If You Have to Leave the Room to Dry Your Hair or Shave, your bathroom may be telling you that it wants an outlet installed. Older bathrooms, especially, are often lacking in the electricity department. Today, however, when everything from blow-dryers to toothbrushes needs to be plugged in, the $300 or $400 it takes to have an electrician come in and install a new outlet is probably a sound investment!
Have you ever used a public restroom, and been afraid…very afraid? I can “see” you all nodding your heads!
We’ve all declared at one point or another, “that was the most disgusting bathroom I’ve ever seen!”
On the flip side, we’ve all been to restaurants, hotels, or other public places, where the bathroom is surprisingly clean, pleasant, and even, dare I say, luxurious. It’s nice to come across those kinds of bathrooms. Rare, but nice.
When an establishment goes to that extra trouble to make visiting their bathroom a positive experience, we are appreciative. Because, let’s face it, we’ve all been there: that dark, smelly, dreary place where tiles are cracked, chipped, or have already fallen off; where graffiti and obscenities have been scribbled on the walls; where toilets don’t flush properly (or at all); where toilet paper is obsolete and the hand dryers don’t work; where the hand soap has run out and the water only dribbles out of the faucet (or not at all); where the smell is overpowering (and not in a good way). Yes, we’ve all been there. But guess what, the places you’re about to discover have the best bathrooms you could ever imagine. A bathroom with a fireplace, a bathroom with a pool table, one with a chandelier and a fresh bouquet of flowers—these are the bathrooms dreams are made of. Read on and discover some of America’s best public bathrooms, which will of course put the local mall’s restrooms to complete and utter shame. Hey, if you can integrate any of these ideas into your own bathroom remodeling project, more power to you!
Bathtubs, showers, and bathrooms are my specialty, so I’ve always got a keen eye out for the latest and greatest bathroom gadgets. The collection over at Baron Bob’s includes some of the wackiest items I’ve come across in quite a while. Check out some of my favorites below!
Let’s face it, we all sing in the shower! Take your shower time concerts to the next level with this fancy shaped sponge. You’ll be a rock star in no time.
Are you bored of your plain white bathroom walls? Looking to brighten up your bathroom? Well, have no fear! Author Heidi Labron over at Helium.com has some of the greatest tips around for turning your bathroom from blah to hoorah in no time. Check out her article below:
The bathroom is one of the hardest working rooms in your home, and the room that many people will see when they come to visit. Choosing an overall look for your bathroom goes beyond putting out the nice towels and cleaning the bathtub. There are many things to consider when decorating this room, and paint color will be a major decision. After painting a very small bathroom a deep red with cream accents, I can tell you that I should have done some more research before slapping the paint on the walls.
#1. ALWAYS CHOOSE WHITE FOR YOUR SINK, TOILET AND BATHTUB. If you are starting from scratch with a new home, your options are a little easier than if you are just redecorating. Your fixtures such as your tub, shower, sink and toilet will dictate a great deal, but we often don’t think about them much at all. If they are white, then your choices for paint colors are almost unlimited. If they are beige or some other color, you might want to consider making them part of the overall color scheme rather than just something that sits in the room. If you are choosing fixture colors, the safest bet is white. That way, you can decorate and redecorate whenever you need to without having to change any of the really big things. Your bathroom can then be transformed with a simple coat of paint, some new towels and maybe a plant or two. Always choose white fixtures, if you can.
If you already have existing features that are beige, you should try to incorporate the beige into the color scheme. Creams, chocolate browns, leafy greens and blues all go very well with beige fixtures. When you have light colored fixtures, you might like your walls in a deeper tone to provide contrast, otherwise everything will blend together and the whole effect will be bland. If your tub and toilet are black, which is another popular color, you’ll want your walls to remain light in order to keep the room looking fresh and bright.
#2. BATHROOM SIZE DICTATES COLOR. If you have a small bathroom as many of us do, the paint on your walls should be light to make the room appear larger. If there is a window, you’ll have a bit more choice, but if not, try something pastel or stick to white. You can always vary the shade of white to eggshell or off-white, but keeping the tone light will help you to feel less like you’re in a dark closet and more like you’re visiting a spa.
When your bathroom space is larger, you can choose paint colors that are more dramatic. The openness of the room will allow you to choose tones in darker shades and not close the room in on itself. You should always consider your lighting resources when deciding on a shade. If you have a large window, you can go darker, but keep in mind most rooms will still look dark at night, even with well placed light fixtures.
#3. THERE IS SPECIAL PAINT FOR BATHROOMS. The type of paint that you choose is also important. Make sure you select one that is specifically for bathrooms. This room is generally a room of high humidity so you’ll need paint that can hold up to the moisture. Whether you choose a matte finish or something with a gloss or semi-gloss is up to you. The glossier the paint, the more that light will reflect off the surface of your walls.
My recommendation is to choose your paint wisely, and stick with something very neutral. You can always add accessories to a room that has neutral walls to make it look pulled together. And when you tire of the look, just buy new towels and change your shower curtain to change the entire look of the room. It is a cheap way to re-do a room and make a big impact with a small budget. Keep in mind, it’ll be much harder to make your room look different if your walls are dark blue. Stay light and you’ll be alright!
O.K. so I don’t have a Japanese soaking tub at home—and I don’t have a sauna, or a steam room. I don’t have a hot tub, and I don’t have a personal massage therapist.
But, what I do have is a bathtub. Oh, glorious bathtub.
I was going to dedicate a sonnet to my tub, but how would that go, exactly?
Ode to my bathtub…you are so warm and soothing when you are filled with hot water.
(Crickets chirping)
I regularly use my wonderful tub to decompress, rejuvenate, relax, and soothe aching muscles. After a long day in a pair of high heels, a hot bath is a true life saver!
In order to get the most out of my soaks, I turn it into an all-out experience. It’s like a day at the spa! Do not disturb me when I’m taking a bath—that’s my “me” time.
So, even if you don’t have a hot tub or a sauna, or your own personal massage therapist, you can still feel like you’ve just been at the spa, and you haven’t left the house at all!
I’ve compiled a list of 10 musts to turn a bathing experience into so much more than just filling the tub with hot water and soaking for 20 minutes. I always turn my baths into “spa-time”, and you can too!
1. Have bath salts available at all times. They turn a drab, boring bath into a good-smelling, skin-soothing, therapeutic oasis. Pour in about a cup of bath salts for full effect.
2. I love bath oils almost as much as I love taking a bath. Add them to your bath and then notice how soft your skin feels after!
3. Face masks really are an absolute must. Apply a face mask about 10 minutes before a bath. Once in the tub, the rising steam helps to loosen the mask. Don’t keep the mask on while bathing. Remove it so that your pores can absorb the moisturizing effects of the bath’s steam.
4. While bathing, use exfoliating creams and skin brushes to slough off dead surface skin from your face and body. You’ll sparkle with that skin-as-smooth-as-a-baby’s-bottom feeling!
5. Fluffy towels. If you’re toweling off with an old beach towel from a 1991 Daytona spring break trip, do yourself a favor and get rid of it. Invest in some thick, cottony, offensively fluffy towels. Heavenly!
6. Once you’re out of the tub, you need to moisturize! Notice how I said “need”. Yes, moisturizing really is a must—especially for those of us with dry skin. Have many different scented moisturizers on hand so as not to get bored.
7. If you’re at all like I am, you already know the importance of perfectly manicured hands and feet. Nail polish, nail polish remover, nail files, buffers, nail clippers, and a nail brush should all be tucked away somewhere in your bathroom.
8. Lighting scented candles and incense while you bathe only makes your bath time that much more relaxing and pleasant.
9. Connect a dimmer light control switch to your bathroom light. You’ll defeat the whole purpose of relaxing if your bathroom is too bright.
10. Throw some of your favorite music into the mix, and voilà, you’ve just maximized the pleasure quotient of your bathing experience!
This is the second year I have volunteered at The Weekend to End Breast Cancer, and let me tell you, it’s an incredible experience.
I’m Pat Bellavance, Bath Fitter’s Plant Manager in Saint-Eustache, Québec. For a 2nd consecutive year, Bath Fitter has been involved with The Weekend to End Breast Cancer. Some of the Bath Fitter crew participated in the event by raising money and walking, while others, like me, were volunteers the day of the event.
The Weekend to End Breast Cancer is an annual fundraising event in which participants raise money by walking 60 kilometers. Since its inception in 2005, the event has raised over 30 million dollars to benefit the Jewish General Hospital’s Segal Cancer Center.
This year’s walk took place on August 22nd and 23rd. We had great weather, and the turnout was incredible—there were 2,196 walkers!
I was part of the security crew, or the “motorcycle volunteer crew” if you will. Twenty-four motorcycle-riding volunteers, me included, were responsible for manning every major intersection of the walk. We went from one intersection to the next as the walk progressed, making sure the walkers were safe. But we didn’t just stand around like a bunch of bored security guards—we shouted motivational words of encouragement to the walkers as they went by. We told them not to give up, to keep going, and that they were doing great. Our motorcycle radios were on full blast and as we danced to the music, some of the walkers danced with us! It being a hot weekend, about 30 degrees (Celsius) each day, we took to spraying the walkers with water-spray-bottles—not that they were complaining!
Seeing so many people come together for a cause that affects each and every one of us is an emotional thing, and it’s difficult to explain the type of energy that filled the air that day. As exhausted as the walkers were toward the end of the walk, they were all dedicated to completing it, and on a hot day, after so much walking, many were struggling to keep going. I admired everyone for being so determined.
Six Bath Fitter vans were also volunteered, and were available at different locations throughout the walk. They were there just in case anyone became too exhausted and needed a time-out, or a lift to catch up with the other walkers.
This year, the event generated a total of 5.7 million dollars! It was inspirational and rewarding, and I will definitely be volunteering again next year! Hey, why not get involved? Visit http://www.endcancer.ca/
Bath Fitter’s Forth Worth Texas location is moving to Arlington, Texas, and I couldn’t be happier!
I’m Emiliano, Bath Fitter Texas branch manager, and this new location is a very exciting switch for me and my team. Our other location desperately needed an upgrade; it just wasn’t a big enough space to hold all our displays, and the staff was feeling a bit cramped. The new location is larger and better situated, which allows us to serve our customers more efficiently. To celebrate the new location, we’re having an open house on September 11th, 12th, and 13th.
I’ve been with Bath Fitter for about 5 years, and I’m thrilled to be moving forward with the team to a new location. In it, we definitely plan to keep growing and to keep giving our customers the best service around. I’m full of optimism about our new location’s future and I have a lot of passion for what I do here at Bath Fitter. To me, this is not just a job, this is my career, and I’m fully devoted to it.
This weekend’s grand opening celebration is going to have tons in store for everyone. The first 300 guests receive a free gift, and all our visitors will get to see a sparkling new showroom offering great bathroom ideas. Anyone who is interested in learning more about our bathroom remodeling product will not be disappointed. We have many bathroom designs in the showroom for all to see, and we plan on giving people an opportunity to learn more about our great financing options.
The new location is in a much busier area. In fact, the new Dallas Cowboys stadium is just 4 blocks away, and the Arlington stadium is only 3 blocks away! We’re expanding, taking on a bigger market, and we’re ready for the challenge.
At Bath Fitter, we’re one big family, and we love giving our customers the beautiful new bathroom of their dreams! We’d love to see you at our open house on September 11th, 12th, and 13th. The address is 2402 east Randol Mill, Arlington, Texas. Get all the details here.
I’m not an “in and out” of the bathroom kind of gal. I like to linger. I like to primp. I like to make sure every hair is in place, that every eyelash has been curled by my eyelash curler and preened by my mascara brush.
This habit of lingering I have, this affinity for spending hours in the bathroom, can sometimes mean I’m not paying enough attention to how much water I’m using, or how much tissue paper is being needlessly used up.
The “greener” our society has become over the years (meaning increased environmental awareness), has forced me (and all of us, I imagine) to reexamine what I am doing day-to-day, what I am consuming, and what I can do to lessen the negative impact some of my actions have on the environment.
Since I love to spend time in the bathroom, it was only natural I reevaluate what goes on in there. I did some digging, and came up with five tips for being green in the bathroom. Here are five things I am either already doing or plan on doing, and you can too.
I turn off the water while I’m brushing my teeth. It’s such a habit now that if it’s inadvertently left running, a pang of guilt hits me right in the chest.
I clean my bathroom with diluted vinegar. Vinegar is a highly effective cleaning solution, and it’s non-toxic. Fill up an old glass cleaner bottle with the vinegar solution and be amazed at how well it cleans. Use it, love it.
Are you still using paper towels to clean up in the bathroom? Yeah, me too, but let’s all start using reusable rags instead.
Three words: recycled toilet paper. Get some here.
Keep your shower time at 10 minutes or less (this is a huge challenge for me, but I am trying).
Oh, and one last thing. Guys, are you shaving your face while the water is running? I know I’m not, but that’s because I don’t have facial hair. Fill up the sink and put a plug in it!
Still hungry for more tips on how to go green in the bathroom? Click here.
