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

One Small Change: Kitchen Faucets

If you can't afford to remodel a room or do a major renovation, sometimes one small change can make a world of difference. Each Friday, we will now feature "One Small Change" that will lift your spirits and give a fresh look to your space. Maybe even change your life!

Think about your kitchen faucet...does it annoy you with its inefficiency? Is the sprayer broken or outdated? Is it just plain ugly? Delta Faucets can be purchased online or at any home improvement store, and many are under $200. Just imagine filling your coffee pot each morning with a sleek and elegant faucet like one of these:





There are even faucets that can be turned on just by touching--even with with your elbow if your hands are dirty.


Now that's life changing in our book!





and

Not So Mellow Yellow

I moved into my apartment late last summer, and my landlord painted the bedroom, living room, and bathroom the colors I requested before I moved in. I wanted to wait on the kitchen to see what color it "wanted" to be. The cabinets are white, and my counter top and back splash are white ceramic tiles with a few blue denim tiles scattered randomly. My mother's kitchen was always yellow, so I decided my kitchen wanted to be yellow too.

I love yellow...whenever I answer one of those chain emails that tells you what color you are, I'm always yellow. Sunflowers, lemons, cute little baby chicks - how can yellow be wrong? So I'm thinking...


and this is how yellow can go wrong...


Yep, that's my mom's kitchen, circa 1970, minus the weird pattern on the soffitt and ceiling. I've reached age where retro doesn't necessarily appeal to me; it serves as a shocking reminder of how many fads I've lived through that are suddenly hip again.


This one isn't so bad, but factoring in the blazing Key West sunlight that bathes my kitchen every afternoon, it's safe to say I'd be ordering more takeout than my budget allows.

So, off to the Internet for inspiration of yellow palettes that evoke the sunny warmth of yellow that I love without making my eyeballs ache. Something between a baby chick and Big Bird.

Yellow was last year's Pantone Color of the Year, so how does it look paired with this year's darling, Turquoise?


Not very inspiring


Not very uplifting


On the right track


That's more like it. It's a bridal palette, but I can work with that.





These combinations are much quieter than I had envisioned, but very beautiful. Uplifting without making me feel like I'm walking into a pep rally every time I enter the kitchen.

Then I thought about sunflowers. There are so many beautiful and exotic flowers in Key West, yet I find myself missing the sunflower.


So I went in search of bolder palettes and found...





So somewhere between the sublime and the ridiculous, between quiet sophistication and retina-searing garishness my little kitchen will decide what it wants to be. Is there a room in your home that suffers from color schizophrenia?

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.