Shower Curtain Starter

This shower curtain inspires me to redecorate my bathroom.

I have a very standard 6' x9' bathroom with a tub/shower combo, nothing fancy. In fact many of you probably have the same functional bathroom.  I know that I will never have a bathroom like the incredible ones featured in Houzz and other online sites. So the shower curtain matters.  I love this dynamic design combined with a rich color.  I can see my bathroom with standard white fixtures painted a mocha brown to match the tree and big fluffy white towels offset against the rich background. It would be stunning and still have plain vanilla bones.

I have redone my bathroom several times in the 32 years we have lived here.  It is the easiest room to redo and I can make drastic visual changes without it costing a lot of money. I have learned from experience that you always start with the shower curtain!  You can get paint to match any shower curtain. But you can't get a shower curtain to match any paint.

An idea that I did pick up on Houz and I might implement if I get truly ambitious is a shelf for beautiful stuff in the bathroom.  I like handmade pottery, a dried grasses arrangement, even candles in the bathroom. I especially like how this shelf appears to divide the mirror.  It's got me thinking.

modern bathroom design by san francisco architect Mark Brand Architecture

But then if I wasn't being practical,  imagine a bathroom based on this design also from Houzz? The branch is so very dramatic.

contemporary pool design by new york interior designer Lea Frank Design

Notes: Shower Curtain available from Amazon, Coordinated bath set also available

Hidden Storage

I believe in living well in smaller spaces.  To do so one must optimize storage wherever possible and although I would love to own Eames stools or a Ngoochi coffee table, my practical side rebels.  Stools, end tables and coffee tables can and should double as storage. This solution made me smile.....

Oh! But following the links I discovered this one as well. One thing you'll learn is that I love wood in interiors - in balance, not too much.

There is also one with gold bouillion.  

The links credit goes to bltd - Better Living Through Design.

It comes from Form•Function•Style in Australia.

Extra Kitchen Storage

There have been a lot of posts recently in the design blogs about finding extra storage in your kitchen.  I occasionally wonder about cabinet designers not being able to think outside the box. When I had my kitchen redone years ago I requested that small under- cabinet shelves be added.  They thought I was crazy but added them.  They are a great kitchen storage solution.

My shelves are just 6.5 inches high and 4.5 inches deep and they hold so much. I keep things I need easy access to in this often under-used space - salt and pepper shakers, sugar and creamer, assorted teas.  

Although these were made and installed along with the cabinets, one could easily make open-backed boxes out of 1x6 pine or laminate board and screw them to the bottom of existing cabinets. I had them installed under nearly all my cabinets. I did have to select my coffee pot carefully to be sure it fit underneath.  The shelves are also a great place for displaying collectibles. Below is a set of handcrafted pottery mugs designed to look like bent tin cans.

I also had a paper towel holder crafted in the same style and installed next to the sink. There is no doubt about it - this design is a very handy kitchen storage solution.

Check out Apartment Therapy: Beautiful and Creative Storage Solutions in the Kitchen