Floating Bathroom Vanities

Floating Bathroom Vanities

A new and modern trend being seen these days are floating vanities. They have different variations. Some have hardware and some do not but use touch latches. They have doors or  drawers. Floating vanities have a spa like feel when teak and other exotics woods are used. They can also be alto modern with high gloss bright finishes. This type of vanity can be purchased per configured or by sections. They can be custom built or retro fitted.

The above drawing features a double vanity in Natural Wenge.  It has slab panel cabinet doors and is suspended off the floor. The counter top is Vortium Silestone, which is white with gray and clear flecks which reflect the light. The lighter Silestone offsets the dark color of the vanity.  The sinks are Vox® square Vessels above-counter bathroom sinks by Kohler and the faucets are 90 Degree in chrome from Moen.  They are sleek with one-handle and a low arc. This is a design I worked on at Great Spaces for a client that wanted a modern sleek look. We used one large mirror framed in matching wood trim.

For the same client at another location, I also did the above design.  It also features a double vanity but it also has a pull-out trash.  It has Linear Graphite Gloss slab panel cabinet doors that is suspended off the floor. The counter top is Lyra Silestone which is like a white marble with a tile back splash in a light gray. The sinks and faucets were the same as the first design.  We used two Kichler Hendrik two light bath lights in a modern design over each mirror.  Again the mirrors were framed in matching wood trim.

Muilti-purpose furniture.

Muilti-purpose furniture.

I enjoy entertaining, but my dining table only seats six comfortably.  To accommodate larger groups, I bought a gateleg table from IKEA that allows me to seat six additional guests.  It also has drawer storage for extra serving utensils. The main area of my home has a great room consisting of the living room, dining room and kitchen.  When the sides of the table are collapsed in the down position, I place it behind a living room chair so it adds more definition separating the dining and living room areas. It easily moves and folds out when I need the extra table and seating for dining.

I also love window seats.   Window seats give you storage for linens and a nice place to curl up with a good book. You can also use a hope chest at the end of the bed to provide extra linen storage and a place to sit and take off your shoes after a long day.

Need an office but also need a guest bedroom try using a day bed or Murphy bed in the office area. Storage cubes on wheels can be easily be moved around and act as night stand for guests when they come to visit.

I have a two drawer filing cabinet in my office below one of the windows. I bought it thinking it would provide extra seating as well as filling; but JoJo, my cat, has taken it over as his own personal window seat to lay and bask in the sunshine.

These are just a few suggestions of multi-tasking furniture to increase your storage space or make your home more user friendly.

Father's Day

When I think of all the things my Dad did for me over the years. I think of the furniture he made me. I wanted a Barbie house (I was thinking the plastic kind from the store seen on TV).  He made me a bookcase with a roof stained to match the rest of the living room furniture. I loved it, no one had a six story doll house. It grew with me becoming a bookcase, now my mom uses it to store her yarns.  He made me a hope chest that I used as a window seat and stored all the treasures Grandma gave and now sits at the end of the bed as seating to take off my shoes and holds my linens.  He made me a bookcase/entertainment center for my stereo when I was in my teens. Mom uses it now for her shoes. Dad made me two laminated bookcases and two rolling storage cubes that match for my home office.  They went to my first apartment in college and now they are in my home office at my house. When I moved  into my house in Arizona he made me three big bookcases in a classic style painted white and trailered them from Michigan to Arizona, along with some other furniture I wanted. Mom and I always joke that Dad makes things to weigh a ton but last a hundred years. I do know that I've treasured the things he made me over the years.

Art

Art

Decorating with art doesn't mean you have to use expensive one of a kind pieces of art.

This entry has an original painting titled "Horse head" It was created using multimedia of tea and watercolors by my good friend, Jessica Albrecht.

Support your local artist and buy art from art shows, small galleries usually co-ops, art institutes, etc.

Decorative art can be as simple as vacation photos in simple black frames. This type of art personalizes your space.

The above photo is an example using Sedona Arizona photos from past family vacations in simple black frames over the TV entertainment center.

You can also use vacation photos with family photos. The above photo uses photos taken during a trip I took to Italy in high school and my grandparents' wedding photo. These

photos go together in the fact that my grandfather was from Italy. I'm very proud of my Italian heritage and love Italy.

If you're somewhat crafty here are a few do it yourself art ideas which can also make good gifts:

1.  Frame scrapbook paper. Scrapbook paper and/or fabric comes in some modern prints a collection of three in a row or four (two rows of two columns) is an example of a simple modern art collection.

2.  Make your own modern art collection.  Start with a blank canvas.  Use styrofoam cups, plates, paper towel roll, anything that is round and disposable dipped in paint to make circles on your canvas.  Use several colors that are already in your room.  If you drip, spatter, or have blobs it's ok it gives it character.

3.  Monogram canvases over your bed. Take two or three smaller canvases. Paint stripes (use blue painter tape and tape canvas angled, vertical or horizontal) or stencil pattern to the whole canvas and let dry.  Next stencil letters in a different color or shade to the canvases.

4.  Make an embossed canvas. Take a blank canvas and sketch out a pattern. Trace the pattern with Elmer's glue and let dry.  Next, paint over the whole canvas.  Use a color that is in the room. (I suggest painting outside unless you live in Arizona.  In June it's too hot and everything dries too quickly.  You may not get the effect you want.)

Laundry Room

Laundry Room

The above drawing is the floor plan for a laundry room that is 11' x 10'-6". It has a built in ironing board that fits in-between the studs and is covered by a cabinet door. There is also a shelf with a hanging bar to the right of the washer and dryer.  The room is painted a light sage color. All hardware and faucets are nickel finish that coordinates nicely with the warm tones of the wood cabinets. The counter top is a solid surface material that picks out the green and blue in the room. The neutral tone tile flooring is continued throughout the house. A laundry room is not just for washing clothes, but also a place for extra storage for paper products, small appliances, kitchen gadgets, and other dishes not used on a daily basis. It takes the place of the butler panty in the modern day house.

This laundry room takes advantage of the high 12' ceilings, with storage that goes almost to the ceiling. A library ladder helps to get to the higher shelves, while wine shelves break up the wall of shelves and add interest along with storage. The LG steam washer and dryer sit on matching LG storage drawers. Two horizontal frosted glass pull up door cabinets give a modern touch to this room and a lazy susan is used to take advantage of the corner space.

The laundry room has a porcelain utility sink with an movable spray faucet. This is great for soaking or washing delicates. This laundry room has several special features hidden in a 24" wide 24" deep cabinet. One is a hidden cat litter box. The cabinet opens to be able to change the litter box. There is a smaller opening for the cat to get in and out. This is nice for a cat that likes privacy (like mine who glares if you go into the laundry room when he's in the litter box) and an owner that does not want to see the litter box. The second neat feature is the drying racks for sweaters that pull out from the cabinet. Each rack is a mesh material stretched over a metal rod and secured by Velcro. The metal rod is attached to a wood frame that has drawer slides. The third feature is the use of several pull out shelves for storing crock pots, electric fryer, etc.