One Small Change: New Towels

After all of that work we put into our bathroom redo, I still felt like something was missing. Everything looked fresh and new and luxurious, but something was still off.

Then the other day, as I was looking at this shop display...


...it came to me! We needed new towels.

Okay - this may not be a life changing epiphany. But it's a bathroom changing one.

Previously, we had a very nice set of crisp white towels that theoretically work in any bath.


But by adding a little color...a sea glass shade of blue to be exact...my pretty new bathroom received yet another upgrade.


It's amazing what a big difference such a small change can make.

Feeling a little blah about one of your rooms? Think about updating your couch or bed with some colorful new pillows or throws. Revitalize your kitchen with bright curtains and dish towels. And yes - pretty linens can give a bathroom an unexpected face lift.

Little things really do make a difference.

Now that the Bedrooms and Master Bath Are Done...

You may remember several months ago we featured a master bath with soft blue glass tiles, and then later we showed you the master bedroom and guest bedroom of the same house. Well, now the kitchen remodel and the guest bath remodel are complete, and we want to share the finished product with you.

Previously the kitchen had been dated with old cabinets, light fixtures, and tile counter top. It felt dark and confined. The floor had been Cuban tile, which is very popular in Key West, but it just didn't go with the changes the homeowners had made in the rest of the house. The kitchen was completely gutted, new tongue in groove beadboard replaced the damaged wood on the walls and ceiling, and only the floor plan remained.





We specified the cabinets to be a combination flat panel shaker style and beadboard to mimic the beadboard on the walls and ceiling. And we love the light fixtures that look like softly rounded river rocks...they pair wonderfully with the beautiful honed granite counter top. The light cabinets with glass doors definitely lightened and brightened the space.

Moving on to the guest bath...

We wanted to continue the pretty French apartment theme that inspired our redo of the guest bedroom in the adjacent bath.

Remember the pretty feminine bedroom in classic blue and yellow?



We continued those shades in the guest bath. It is a tiny space, but we think you can get a good feel of the room from the photos.







We love the classic claw foot tub, and it was in great shape, so we just changed the faucet and painted the exterior of the tub the same soft blue as the walls.

We have been so happy with the way every aspect of this project has unfolded. Believe it or not, we still have more to do and we'll continue to share the progress with you.





and

Bathroom Redo: The Unveiling!

Remember several weeks back when we posted these pictures?




That would be the new bathroom tile samples and a couple of "before" shots.

Well - it's finally done! (almost)

Here is a visual tour of the process:

















The only thing that's left is the glass panel for the shower (which should have arrived by today - sigh).

This update has been a long time coming and I'm thrilled with the results. Big thanks go to Caroline for her design expertise and work as "foreman" while we were relaxing at our river house in Oregon!

Bathroom Rehab

We have embarked on a new decorating project chez Coveny. Redoing the master bathroom is something I have been dreaming about for the entire nine years we have lived here. (Wow! Has it really been that long?) However, there were many more important things to do. Number one was to renovate the shop space and get the business up and running. Then Terry launched into creating a tropical paradise in our yard. Then, Disaster struck in the form of Hurricane Wilma and everything we had accomplished had to be redone. At last, hooray, it's time for the bathroom redo.

Here are a few views of the current mess. I cringe each time I put my toe in that tub/shower...and I cringe even more to imagine all of you readers looking at this. But to appreciate the wonderful anticipated "after" you have to see the hideous "before." So, gulp, here goes:







Ugh - it's even worse in pictures...

The one redeeming feature of the master bath though, is a great one. The door was handcrafted by someone along the line.I love it and it has provided the inspiration for the cabinetry. We will have a vanity and recessed medicine cabinet of pickled pine with hand tooled grille work panels.

And here is a board of tile samples.

It was a hard decision on the flooring. I fell totally in love with the real stone sample but after considering the difference in price and realizing I would spend a lot of time on my hands and knees scrubbing grout, I opted for the granite looking porcelain tile.

The walls will be crisp white painted bead board with pale aqua ceiling. The horrible old tub is leaving and being replaced with a room-width shower of 8x10" vertical white tile with a 6" border at the top of the little glass and marble tiles in shades of soft green and aqua. There will be no shower curtain or doors, just a glass panel about 2/3 the length of the shower. White oval sink, white commode and of course the pickled pine cabinetry. All crisp, clean and sparkling.

The demolition begins June 1, and I, like a complete coward, will sneak away to Oregon leaving the whole mess in the capable hands of my fellow designer Caroline. But just in case you're interested, we'll post updates.

Using Tile as Art in Interior Design

I have always been drawn to tile in architecture and interior design. A backsplash, a shower, a wall or a floor can be transformed into art with the application of richly glazed tiles, intriguing patterns, and subtle textures.

Daltile is an American company of mass produced tile and stone products. Their catalog features everything from the simple ceramic tiles to natural stone, metal, glass and granite. It's so easy to create an affordable kitchen or bathroom using their products and accenting with their specialty lines or special handmade tiles from other tile designers.

This is a bathroom that features Daltile ceramic and glass. What makes it so special is that the homeowner herself came up with the idea for the waterfall effect.


These are two more examples of Daltile installations. A shower using tumbled natural stone...


...and a backsplash using glazed porcelain with granite accents:


Oceanside Tiles produces art glass for architecture. The glass is fired in furnaces reaching up to 2300 degrees Farenheit, depending on the color, and it is then cast and finished by hand.


Seneca Tiles produces a line of handmade ceramic tiles in beautiful soft glazes with a chunky feel, evoking thoughts of handmade tiles in the desert southwest.


A photo doesn't do these tiles justice. They truly have a special tactile quality.

Original Style is a British company that produces a line of traditional art tile.


And they now have a line of pop art designs that are so fun!



Pratt and Larson in Oregon produces a line of hand art tile with wonderful textures and palettes.



We were recently introduced to two tile artisans, both in Minneapolis, who produce handmade tiles and mosaics in the old world tradition with their own exclusive glazes. Bon Ton Designs are all custom made to the client's order.




And Mercury Mosaics produce handmade tile and mosaics in period inspired colors.



I have found that an otherwise timid client will usually be willing to work a bold tile design into their budget.

To borrow a Dan Rice quote from Oceanside's website: "There are three forms of visual art: painting is art to look at, sculpture is art you can walk around, and architecutre is art you can walk through."

Art brings a room to life. And when it comes to interior designer, tile is my favorite medium.