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Use a neutral color palette as your base. A neutral color palette gives this room a sophisticated base, while a nice balance comes from a mix of Bergere chairs, coral pieces, a traditional gold-framed painting, cowhide rug and a more traditional coffee table. They even got away with placing a hand sculpture on top of one of the coffee table books!
Be sure to include your architectural details as a layer of the collection. This architect has created a spare and beautiful dining room. He's kept original Victorian architectural details, grounded the room with a beautiful luxurious rug, added a contemporary Italian table and leather chairs, added unusual art and topped it all off with a classic Fortuny chandelier.
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Engineered StoneAlso referred to as quartz composite, engineered stone is made of crushed quartz mixed with resin. “Look out for leading brands, such as Silestone and Caesarstone, that make their engineered stone using the lowest percentage of resin,” advises Andrew Macintosh of Andrew Macintosh Kitchens. High-performing engineered stones are heat and scratch resistant as well as extremely tough.To keep costs under control, Macintosh suggests teaming an engineered stone backsplash with matching countertops. “If you do this, the templating and fitting charges are much lower than using a different material and supplier,” he says.Pros: Engineered stone is durable, scratch resistant and nonporous, meaning it won’t stain. It’s easily cleaned with warm, soapy water and comes in a wide range of different colors to suit all tastes. It’s supplied in large panels, resulting in fewer or no seams on a larger wall run.Cons: Installation of an engineered stone backsplash must be done by a specialist. “It is certainly not a DIY job,” Macintosh says.
You can also create a similar effect by choosing tiles that have a chunky, high-contrast grain or color variance. When the tiles are put together in a complex pattern (like herringbone), their geometry gives way to a sense of organic rippling that has the energy of a slab with a subtle layer of extra sophistication.Make sure to take the treatment all the way to the ceiling for that high-impact look.
One-piece toilets tend to be a little more high-end and expensive, although prices and quality vary widely, as with two-piece toilets. This style is seamless, providing a modern look and one less place for soil and germs to hide.
1. Calm, Seamless LookNiche material: Sheets of Starphire glass custom-painted on the back to match the surrounding tileShower tile: 2-by-12-inch Lucian glass tile in Oxygen Gloss from Ann Sacks Niche size: 10 inches high by 24 inches wide by 5 inches deepDesigner: Beth Kooby, Atlanta
Bathroom at a GlanceLocation: TorontoSize: 45 square feet (4.2 square meters); enlarged from 35 square feet (3.3 square meters)Designer: Projekt HomeStewart limited his palette to three primary materials — wood, white tile and beige tile — to maintain the contemporary, pared-down look he and the homeowners wanted. “It keeps things consistent with the aesthetic of the entire home,” he says. Wood and textured warm neutrals prevent the bathroom from appearing too stark and also appeal to the homeowners’ traditional tastes.All the tile used in the bathroom is porcelain; the wall tiles are a textured gray and the floor tiles are a mosaic white. For tile in high-traffic areas, Stewart recommends porcelain because of its strength and the way the color runs all the way through. If the tile chips, you’ll notice it less. The same engineered-pine wood flooring flows throughout the home, including the bathroom. The wood finish on the vanity coordinates with the kitchen cabinets. “By simplifying and remaining consistent with materials, it gives the illusion of a larger space,” Stewart says. It is also cost-effective.
Storage is generally one of the biggest issues in small bathrooms, Stewart says. The design challenge is how to add storage that doesn’t take over the room. In this bathroom, he streamlined storage by concealing it. The 33-inch-wide vanity has two wood-faced drawers with interior compartments to organize bathroom essentials, and the new sink has ample counter space. The “floating” vanity allows the eye to follow the flooring to the wall and also makes the floor easier to clean. A 36-inch-wide, 24-inch-deep full-height built-in storage closet with pocket-door is on the wall opposite the sink. Hooks in the shower, opposite the shower head, swing out to hang towels or clothes to dry on hangers, and swing back into the wall when not in use.
An open, airy vanity and a neutral palette make the most of this 7-by-5-foot bathroom.Your turn: Upload your “before” and “after” photos of a standard-size bathroom remodel and share what makes it special. Extra points for “before” photos and a sketch of your plan. Your story could be part of an upcoming feature on Houzz.
Built-in outlets are great for electric razors, hair dryers and the like. Outlets hidden behind closed doors also create a nicer look than ones visible on a wall. If you’re looking for a medicine cabinet with power, make sure the outlet has a GFCI (ground fault circuit interruptor) if it’s located within 36 inches of a water source (which is likely, considering its bathroom location). The GFCI is a device that detects small current leaks. If there is a leak, the GFCI disconnects the power to the circuit to prevent an electric shock. Check local codes if your project requires electrical work, as you’ll probably be required to hire a licensed electrician.More: Get It Done: Organize the Bathroom for Well-Earned BlissDesign Basics to Help You Think Through a New Master Bath
Colours and finishesIf you’re concerned that handleless kitchens only come in a limited range of styles, don’t be: there’s a plethora of colours and finishes available. Not only do handleless designs come in a large range of colours, but available door and drawer finishes include gloss, glass, matt, curved and wood options, including rough-cut wood, as seen here. As mentioned earlier, with a true handleless option, your fingers won’t touch the front of a door as you open it. However, if you’re still worried about fingermarks – especially if you have small children in the house – it’s worth noting that they will show less on lighter, matt or textured finishes as compared to glossy dark tones.
Work the angles. Though it is your frontal vision that “sees” color, the ability to look at color choices obliquely is a trick of the trade. Move around the room as you assess your samples and pick one or two that you think work. The choices will be obvious if you do not stand in one place, rigidly questioning your ability to decide what is best. This is where speed helps you get the result you want. You’ve done the work of light assessment required to make good color choices. Now let yourself use your intuitive knowledge to create the home that you and your family desire. Edit out the samples that do not satisfy and then choose from the remaining two. There is no one right answer. This part of the color process is fun and can be done in a snap. Let yourself tap into your innate understanding of what makes a habitat satisfying. From your lifetime of experience, the information you need to make a choice of color that fits your requirements is preprogrammed, just ready to be put into play.Browse more stories about color
Another option, Ott says, is to select one or two colors and then use variations of it. If the main color is blue, you might select a gray-blue, a pure blue and a navy paint as you move from room to room. The same concept can be used for decorative accessories.For wall paint, you can ask the paint store to create a “tint” of a particular color, perhaps knocking down the main color by 50 percent, which the mixer will do by adding white. “They can create a lighter or darker version of it,” Ott says. “That’s a good way to unite without putting the same color everywhere.”“I also tell people if they’re going to do their wall in this color, go two or three shades lighter for your ceiling so it doesn’t look like a sore thumb because you painted it white,” says Keith Wardlaw of Plus Modern Design in Kansas City, Missouri. Paint decks can also be a good inspiration source for finding colors that work well together. The Right Way to Test Paint Colors
Restrict the Edgiest Colors to Enclosed RoomsRooms out of the sightline of other rooms are good places for going wild. Master bedrooms, powder rooms, kids rooms and any other room encapsulated by four walls are great places to indulge, says Carl Mattison, an Atlanta-based designer. “If you turn the corner and go into a little powder bathroom, which you don’t go in all the time, who cares? Paint it black!” It works, Mattison says, “because it’s its own little box.” Photo Flip: 102 Eye-Popping Powder Rooms
If you just don’t have the space. First, it might be best to reconsider the size and shape of the table you’re attempting to fit. Choosing a table that seats two to four fewer guests but leaves a bit more circulation space might be the better bet. You can also choose a round or oval table to free up space in the corners of the room so only a short stretch is actually tight to the wall.Browse round and oval tables
Another option is using two-tone combinations to add a little bit of drama and contrast. When incorporating a two-tone color design, always be sure to anchor the kitchen by using the darker color on the bottom cabinet and lighter on top.Pro tip. I’ve used paint colors like Benjamin Moore’s North Sea on the bottom portion of the cabinets and then Meadow Mist on top, or Sherwin-Williams’ Cityscape below and Alabaster above. 8 Great Kitchen Cabinet Color Palettes | Find cabinets pros near you
Paint Color ConsiderationsKitchens are the gathering place in the home, so you want to be sure the overall design is welcoming and reflects the aesthetic of the house. For cabinets, many times I find that neutral paint, such as white, beige and gray, will give your kitchen a welcoming and clean look.White Cabinets Remain at the Top of Kitchen Wish Lists
7. Gray. Is gray the new white? It’s hard to say for sure, but for those who like a light and airy look but are tired of white, a sumptuous gray or gray-beige is the next best thing.At first thought, you might expect gray to seem cold and off-putting. However, as you can see in these examples, a wide range of tones, from charcoal to clay to just-off-white, make an excellent complement to wood floors or shelves for a welcoming palette that feels anything but chilly.Read more about designing a gray and white kitchen
Dark grout in a similar tone to a dark tile will create a softer look, while a light grout will bring out the tile pattern, adding even more drama. If you like black tile but want to soften the look, choose a charcoal shade for the tile and match it closely, rather than choosing a pure black and trying to soften it with white. The look will only be more vivid. (Alternately, you can add a beautiful rug, like this welcoming bathroom.)
Notice how much more pronounced this herringbone pattern appears than the earlier similar-patterned example. The diagonally stepping stripes formed between tiles really pop and give a lot of energy and life to the space.
Stretch the space. Want a smart way to make a narrow shower look more interesting? The answer is to use tiles with a tiny scale. Doing so will add texture and pattern that recedes rather than advances (as actual patterned tiles would), a neat space-stretching trick. These also contrast beautifully with the smooth sheen of the storage unit.
After. Once Human received approval for the project, he had the space taken down to the masonry walls and concrete floors. Then, he dropped the ceiling down 2½ inches, and had recessed lighting and a recessed shower curtain track installed.At first, the owner was not convinced that dropping the ceiling farther was a good idea in this small area. However, Human explained that adding more light and leveling the ceiling would actually make the small room feel bigger. When the client saw the results, she understood what Human meant.Shapes. You may notice that this room is full of right angles, from the floor tile to the bathtub to the vanity. This was intentional. “Our hashtag/motto in our office is #detailsmatter, and this is one of those background details that really pushes the space from an everyday bathroom to a designer bathroom,” Human says. He used square-edged marble on the vanity countertop and bathtub surround, and outlined the floor tiles in black marble. These details, Human says, while simple, help make the overall design elegant.Splurge. Because the room was small, Human could splurge on more expensive floor tile. He searched for the right statement piece and finally fou...
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