Posted: November 25th, 2010 | Author: Jennifer | Filed under: Room of the Week | Tags: bathrooms, design, moodboards | Comments Off
Ok, so I shared my dream kitchen with you all a few weeks ago. But, as I mentioned that is not the only thing on my mind! I also have big (and so far only imaginary) plans for my existing bathroom (so when I say dream bathroom I don’t mean from-scratch /sky’s-the-limit! I am working within some parameters, which designers have to do nearly 100% of the time).
As you can see, my bathroom is tiny! Since I am in an apartment building, I will keep all fixtures in their existing positions. This will also save on costs.
I want the bathroom tie into the rest of the space so I went with a very neutral palette in here as well: lots of whites and greys and with glam touches of chrome. I want this to be equal parts industrial and glam.
1 – Countertop: Caesarstone Pebble (honed finish, 1 1/2 thick with a square edge)
2 – Floor tile: Grey Feel Series Grey 12×24 unglazed porcelain by Ames pattern: off-set
3 – Tub tile surround: White Gloss wall 12×24 by Ames Tile pattern: off-set
4 -Accent tile (one vertical 4″ stripe): Teal glass, Grey glass & Bianco Carrerra mosaic by Olympia Tile
Not pictured:
No backsplash required for vanity
In floor heating: Nuheat
5 – Cabinets: Abstrakt high-gloss white by Ikea
6 – Sink: Box rectangle countertop basin byBlu Bathworks
7 – Sink faucet: Pure single-hole raised basin mixer in chrome by Blu Bathworks
8 – Tub faucet & shower head: Trevi Cross Tempassure Thermostatic Tub and Shower in chrome by Brizo
Not pictured:
Toilet, tub & glass shower enclosure existing
9 – Medicine Cabinet: Zenith frameless white resin at Rona
10 – Lighting: Archcrest bath bar by Minka-Lavery at Lumens
11 – Towel Bar: Stillness 24″ by Kohler
12 – Tissue Holder: Stillness vertical by Kohler
13 – Robe hook: Stillness by Kohler
13 – Robe hook: Stillness by Kohler
14 – Towels: Grey bamboo from Nood
15 – Bath mat: White bubble from Nood
16 – Print: Abstract by Jennifer Sanches 20×200
So what do you think? I think sometimes these boards don’t translate to the internet very well! My love of whites and greys makes things difficult to read off the screen. Any comments or suggestions are welcome!
On that note, if you think that this is “all” that you would get from a hiring a designer think again. This plan is far from completion. There are many missing items from these boards (for example: paint colours, types of mouldings, grout colours, picture frame style, door handles etc.). These are the details that go into a full spec package that a designer will take care of for you! It just goes to show how much planning goes into a very small space. Also remember that if fixtures, walls or electrical are being moved things get even more complicated! And then you need permits and contractors, to make sure things are ordered well before construction starts. It is a constant juggling game but lucky for me I love it.
If you are looking to give your space a dose of fabulosity – whether you are splashing out or on a budget – drop me a
line. Check out my
Hire Me! page for more details.
Posted: November 4th, 2010 | Author: Jennifer | Filed under: Room of the Week | Tags: design, kitchens, moodboard | 1 Comment »
Okay, I am totally daydreaming here but I want a new kitchen. Bad. Someone redid our kitchen in the last few years so it is way too new to justify ripping out. But that said, I am so not in love with our maple shaker style cabinetry (complete with total crap install and ugly white appliances). Will we get around to re-doing it? I certainly hope so, but it is pretty far down my to-do list which currently has more important projects on it (like install washer/dryer, and replace closet doors that we ripped out in a fit of DIY-madness a few weeks ago).
But that doesn’t stop me from dreaming oh no! In fact, I am pretty close to knowing exactly what want. And here it is:
Layout
While I don’t totally love the layout of my kitchen, the space is generally pretty functional. Moving around electrical and plumbing is costly so I would keep the general layout. What I would love to remove is the bulkhead. This leftover from the seventies is not cute. Ripping it out and re drywalling the ceiling would serve two advantages: #1 – it would cover up the icky popcorn ceiling and #2 – I could install taller upper cabinets, to provide more (badly needed) storage space.
Cabinets
Ikea has great kitchens. There. I said it. It’s totally true though, and as a designer, when one does not have an unlimited budget to work with there is absolutely nothing wrong with going to the big blue box. On the contrary! Ikea uses great European-designed hardware and has a ton of customizable options that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else for the same price. I really like their high-gloss white doors with understated pulls.
1 – Abstract White High Gloss cabinet doors by Ikea – prices vary
2 – Strecket aluminum door pulls – from Ikea 1″ size – $3.99/2 pk
Paint colour
There are minimal walls left to paint, but I would select a nice neutral grey (this would carry throughout my open-concept space). Currently I am loving soft dove-y greys like this colour from Benjamin Moore: OC-54 White Wisp. (Yes! Even with the copper pendant. I am loving mixing metals and I really love the contrast of that light against grey tones.)
3 – Paint colour by Benjamin Moore
Lighting
I, like most designers, like tons of lighting in a space. While lighting might not be a major issue in a place like your living room, your kitchen needs light and lots of it. Preferably it should have general (generally overhead) as well as task (usually undercabinet). And it should have something pretty to look at too. Ideally I would like a few potlights, a row of linear LEDs under the upper cabinets and two gorgeous pendants over the bar.
4 – Tom Dixon Copper Shade Pendant
Countertops
I am definitely a quartz type of girl. Low maintenance and durable? Yes please. I would stick with a very light coloured countertop with some flecks of grey for interest. I like this 7141 Quartz Reflections by Caesarstone, which has the bonus of containing recycled materials.
5 – Quartz countertop by Caesarstone
Backsplash
I like a little zing, but nothing too crazy. I would love to wrap the Caesarstone up the backsplash for a seamless look, but since cost is very much a concern of mine, I would probably end up with a tile. I like this oversized linear tile with a bit of sparkle.
6 – Point 8×24 glazed tile in linen available locally at Ames Tile
Flooring
I would pull through the wood floor that we have in the rest of the space. Again, it’s not what we would pick but I do like it – a lot more than the current kitchen! It’s a Shaw Engineered Hardwood Hickory in Burnished Amber. (But believe me, I’ve thought seriously about painting the whole darned thing black!)
7 – Engineered hardwood floor by Shaw Floors
Appliances
One of the best parts of renovating your kitchen is picking out new appliances! (Or it is to me at least.) For starters, I want a super quiet new dishwasher. This one from Bosch is very dependable and quiet.
8 – Dishwasher available in Canada at Future Shop – $799
My current fridge is actually a-ok, barring the plain old white-ness. I would replace with a similar model with a bottom-mount freezer, like this Whirlpool model:
9 – Refrigerator by Whirlpool
Make my new range a ceramic top slide-in style. Like this one – another one from Whirlpool:
10 – Range by Whirlpool
I want a microwave/hood fan combo that has a powerful fan, with lots of different easy microwaving options and that looks good, with a minimal amount of black on the front. Like this:
11 – Microwave/hood fan available in Canada at Future Shop – $499
Tada! What do you think? I am so inspired right now I could start ripping out cabinets and just get right into it. I love it when I have a complete vision.
If you are looking to give your space a dose of fabulosity – whether you are splashing out or on a budget – drop me a
line. Check out my
Hire Me! page for more details.
Posted: October 28th, 2010 | Author: Jennifer | Filed under: Polyvore, Room of the Week | Tags: bedrooms, moodboard, polyvore | Comments Off
Halloween still has me thinking spooky thoughts. I blame the season for the dark direction this bedroom took, but I really love the end result. The tension between the sleek wardrobe unit and the curvy bed is fantastic. The rug is playful and unexpected, as is the black rose petal chandelier. The overall effect is definitely dark, but with the punches of fuchsia it is not at all gloomy. This would be the perfect space to curl up into on a blustery fall evening.
If you are looking to give your space a dose of fabulosity – whether you are splashing out or on a budget – drop me a
line. Check out my
Hire Me! page for more details.
Posted: October 14th, 2010 | Author: Jennifer | Filed under: Room of the Week | Comments Off
Why is it that we always want most what we can’t have? Well, lately I have been dreaming of a cozy office to call my own. It would be a place where I could close the door to be alone and get some work done. (The same door would also shut when my workspace veers out of control – something that happens only too often!) It would be chic but a little edgy, girly but a little unexpected too. I am loving the pieces I have picked out here (especially the octopus!). Hopefully someday soon I will have a real room to put them in.
1 – Anime acrylic chair at Tonic Home ($325)
2 – Charging station at Crate & Barrel ($7.95)
3 – Octopus Triptych at Tonic Home ($1395)
4 – Kite Kilim Rug at West Elm (5′x8′ $229)
5 – Crane Grellow desk lamp at CB2 ($99.95)
6 – Sloane white leaning desk and bookcase at Crate & Barrel ($399)
7 – 2×2 White console desk at West Elm ($299)
8 – Tiled Capiz decorative boxes at West Elm ($29/sml/$39/large)
9 – Yellow art insulation mug at ModCloth ($12)
10 – Small Aalto Savoy Vase at Hive Modern ($60)
If you are looking to give your space a dose of fabulosity – whether you are splashing out or on a budget – drop me a
line. Check out my
Hire Me! page for more details.
Posted: October 8th, 2010 | Author: Jennifer | Filed under: Room of the Week | Comments Off
I have been feeling a bit under the weather here lately, so I have been doing lots of my favorite thing: watching Bravo TV shows online. I have been catching up on The Rachel Zoe Project and it reminded me of just how much I love Rachel’s LA apartment. Have a look:
{Images from SnOOp – and yes I realize these are all of her old house not her new apartment but a lot of the furniture is the same}
So good right? It inspired me to do a Room of the Week:
Inspired by: Rachel Zoe’s Apartment by bananarama on Polyvore.com
I particularly love the yellow lamps in her apartment – which I could not find on Polyvore, but I did find in real life:
They are the Truffault lamp by Kenneth Wingard. I die. At $458 for the large size, it looks like it will be a while before these babies come home to me. *le sigh*
If you are looking to give your space a dose of fabulosity – whether you are splashing out or on a budget – drop me a Hire Me! page for more details.
