At Stearns Design Build, we believe that our homes should be more than our happy place; rather they should be a collection of happy places. There should be a place within your home carefully crafted for every mood and activity.
This includes your bathroom.
Whether you’re considering some quick + simple upgrades OR diving into a full renovation, these tips will help you reach your goal. Keep reading to create a spa-like oasis for ultimate relaxation in your bathroom!
Freestanding Bathtubs
This is a classic bathroom style that is here to stay. For the freestanding bathtubs, there are so many to choose from. You can go with the classic clawfoot tub, a more modern soaker tub, or a timeless minimalist tub. Many designers are framing the bathtubs with tiling to make it stand out and fit your unique style.
These bathtubs tend to be pricier than others, but they will increase the value of your home + retain their value through the test of time.
Double Sinks + Vanity
A practical + popular decor choice in many bathrooms are double sinks. Two sinks are better than one. Have you ever tried to share a sink with your partner while running late for work?
*Insert small argument here*
With a double vanity set up, two people can easily get ready for the day, while using the same bathroom without any space issues, as there is ample space for both them.
Another new trend is a trough sink; which are larger single basin sinks, which accommodate 2+ wash stations with multiple faucets.
These types of sinks are directly influenced by troughs: long slender vessels that are hollowed out on top and filled with water, which have historically been used for farm animals. Oh, how far troughs have come!
Bathroom Accent Walls
An accent wall is a centralized location in your bathroom, becoming your focal point by visually highlighting your vanity or your bathtub. Typically, a different material or color is used to contrast the rest of the bathroom. As we mentioned earlier, many use this with a colorful tile to highlight their new freestanding bathtub, which in turn makes your bathroom more visually appealing. An additional bonus is that it can also protect the wall from moisture.
Other popular choices are marble, brick, natural stone, and even wood in many cases! As always, the choice is up to you, as plastic and paper are still quite commonly used. You can paint your wall black and it will function just the same or perhaps consider implementing a wall mural!
Freestanding Vanities
A top priority for homeowners in recent years is really personalizing your space.
This includes the bathroom!
“The recent trend in freestanding vanities follows a trend that we see across the building and remodeling market towards personalization,” says Kate Bailey, director of showrooms at Ferguson, a bath, kitchens, and lighting gallery. “The home is highly personal and homeowners want customizable fixtures to make their spaces reflect their personality and lifestyle.”
Many bathrooms feature horizontal vanities with one section of cabinetry. These vanities are efficiently streamlined and take full advantage of available storage and counter space. They also ensure clean lines + streamlined bathroom design.
If you don’t need storage space and are seeking a minimalist design, you can forgo cabinetry and simply install a wall-mounted countertop.
Bold Colors
If your current budget + schedule doesn’t allow a bathroom remodel, you can spruce it up with new paint color to really give your space a brand new look and feel.
When choosing a color, it’s important that you pick something that makes you feel good and brings you joy by looking at it.
For example, yellow is a bright and cheery color that can bring instant feelings of happiness to your space. Another option is light blue’s + greens which are common bathroom color choices. These colors tend to instill a nautical + calming vibe.
Whatever you decide on, make sure it will bring you happiness in your bathroom. Experiment with color swatches prior to painting and see what appeals to you.
New Light Fixtures
An easy + inexpensive way to upgrade your bathroom or any space is adding light fixtures. Even installing a small sconce near your bathroom mirror can completely change the mood and overall feeling in your space.
Some other popular choices are small chandeliers or hanging bulbs which can completely re-envision the space.
Waterfall Shower
Transforming your bathroom into a spa has been a goal of many homeowners, but waterfall showers definitely turn that dream into a reality.
The fixture provides a small waterfall in your shower which, when paired with a matching accent such as LED white light, natural stone, quartz slab, and when coupled with a freestanding tub gives the appearance of a natural waterfall as the accent only helps to highlight the waterfall effect. TLC was wrong about chasing waterfalls.
Toilet Upgrade
Bidets are growing in popularity in 2020 with our massive shortage of toilet paper. (Thank you, Covid-19)
You can get an inexpensive bidet for as low as $40 to attach to your current toilet. Or, you can really splurge and purchase the luxury bidet. This includes an endless warm water spray, heated seat, warm air dryer, nozzle oscillation, replaceable deodorizer, and a cool blue illuminating night light.
Your life will be forever changed with this upgrade. On the subject of splurging, you can always add heated flooring to the bathroom so your feet can be as warm as your fanny all year long.
Plants
For the bathrooms that contain stone, tile, and steel; sometimes a somber effect can come into play. For an easy fix, you can easily throw in a touch of hunter or forest green to make it more appealing. A small plant on the countertop can make the area more vibrant + alive instantly!
In addition to upgrading the view in your bathroom, many plants actually flourish in bathrooms due to the lower light, high humidity, and general warmth that a bathroom typically has. An orchid in the bathroom is always a beautiful touch or maybe some pothos to add air-purifying strength to your bathroom.
Our goal at Stearns is to ensure a seamless transition between nature and residential design. This is what the largest effect can be felt. Our homes are not only the place we spend most of our time but rather a sanctuary where we involuntarily seek refuge and restoration. We encouraged you to bring outside elements into your space, such as plants and natural light.
Hidden Storage
A very desired trend with practical applications as space + storage is always a premium in any bathroom. Take an existing item in your bathroom, ie, your cabinets, vanities, shelves, and then apply another storage area within it. You can easily add pullouts for hair accessories, tiered organizers for grooming products, drawer organizers, a built-in shower caddy, etc.
Open concept
An ever sought after bathroom trend is an open concept, which provides both privacy and wide-open space, depending on your preference.
Getting rid of restrictive barriers and walls and having just your bathroom exist as a large open area for your own needs provides a liberating feeling that will continue as a desired trend throughout 2020.
We hope that this can help you make your bathroom relaxing and happy. If you need additional help with your bathroom or decide to go for a full bathroom renovation, give us a call. We’d LOVE to personalize it for you and your bathroom needs!
Storage can be tricky when designing a home and if it isn’t done correctly, you’ll end up with tons of wasted and unused space. It can pose an especially large challenge when you’re limited by small spaces.
One of our goals as a company is to take our client’s challenges in their home to create custom rooms to fit their individual needs.
Enter our tagline: “We Design and Build Happiness”. Storage is a huge aspect of home customization, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms.
Continue reading, as we invite you to unleash your home’s true storage potential!
The Entryway Storage
Let’s begin with the first destination in your home: the entryway.
An entry table typically serves as a catch-all, but it can be so much more than a place to throw your keys. Small boxes and big baskets are so helpful in the entryway.
A small decorative box is perfect for keys and using a small basket to store mail helps for an organized entryway.
If your entryway has room, a bench of the correct size can not only provide storage but a place for guests to sit to remove shoes. Adding some upper cabinet storage gives you even more space and keeps your everyday items hidden from guests. You can also mount some door hooks for jackets, hats, and scarves.
Kitchen Storage
There are so many ways to get creative when it comes to kitchen storage. If you’re lacking kitchen storage space, let us give you a few space-saving solutions. You’ll just have to rethink those little nooks and you’ll discover the vacant resource of counter space.
Here are some tips + tricks we find to be the most helpful:
Open kitchen shelves
A mix of open shelves + traditional upper cabinets
More cabinet drawers with custom slides + pulls + inserts.
Drawer organizers for utensils, cutlery, pots/pans, cookie sheets, foil/wrap,
Pullouts for waste containers + cutting boards
Pullouts for pantry items like spices, oils + vinegar, & canned goods
Full-height cabinets for cleaning equipment such as mops + brooms
Pullouts for tiered organizers to store cleaning products
A wall rack mounted for kitchen utensils or pots + pans
Utilize the space above the upper cabinets for plants or decor
Customize your island and add drawers to store large kitchen appliances
Bathroom Storage
When it comes to organizing your bathroom, it can be overwhelming to tackle but this tedious task has a serious payoff. Out of all the rooms in the house, the bathroom needs to be very clean + sanitary, which can’t happen without proper storage. We’ve found that it always feels like bathrooms don’t have enough storage, but these tips will help!
Door inserts for jewelry, belts, scarfs, ties
Pullouts for hairdryer/curling iron with outlet and stainless-steel canisters
Tiered organizers for grooming products
Drawer organizers for makeup + grooming products
If you don’t have cabinets, add shelves below the sink
Add floating shelves in the smaller nooks
Add a built-in shower caddy
Decorative ladder to hang towels
Small pieces of accent furniture to use for storage
Living Room Storage
Storage space in the living room can be difficult, especially because it’s where you want to maintain a level of formality and comfort. Here are some tips to help you maximize your living room space.
Built-in Bookshelves
Use baskets for storing items such as remotes or throw blankets
Add open shelving
Get a coffee table with built-in hidden storage
Add an accent piece that doubles as storage such as a small cabinet or storage ottoman
Built-in Entertainment center with custom shelving (we accomplished this with a client earlier this year, including a hidden storage door – See below)
Let us note that regularly decluttering is a key step in maximizing your storage space. The best way to declutter your home is to go room-by-room. By decluttering and using our helpful tips and tricks, your home will feel brand new.
Lose the clutter and have peace of mind.
Would you like us to help you discover your home’s storage potential? Give us a call or sign up for a free consultation!
Want to read some more of our Happy Home Blog? Click the links below!
Lastly, as we move from the kitchen in Part 2 to the master bathroom, we stayed with the same contemporary modern vibe from the rest of the home.
In the master bathroom, his and her sink vanities were nestled in opposite corners, separated by a large charcoal garden tub and small shower stall.
Removing the large, corner garden tub we relocated his sink vanity beside hers along the main wall.
Because two existing corner windows now occupied the space above his new sink vanity, the clients feared he would have to forego a mirror, because we didn’t want to sacrifice any natural light.
A custom, swivel mirror mounted inside the window casing was our solution, allowing both the mirror + window to coexist while also providing maneuverability when routine cleaning of the window was required.
The pièce de résistance for this master bathroom makeover was undoubtedly the show-stopping walk-in shower.
Commanding the remaining half of the existing room footprint, a combination of gray and black large-format tiles adorn the floor and walls.
Centered on the shower entry opening, a full-size quartz slab takes center stage, highlighted by dimmable LED strip lighting from the floor to ceiling on each side.
Behind half-walls with ledges capped in matching quartz, are strategically placed shower controls that allow turning the water on to warm without getting wet in addition to custom wall niches with concealed, dimmable accent lighting.
Before this bathroom had a ton of wasted space with a bathtub that was never used. The clients had a certain style they wanted in mind and we were thrilled to help that vision come to life with this bathroom transformation.
Watch the video below to see all the before + after photos for this home renovation!
We’d love to have a meeting to hear about your goals, dreams, and the transformation you envision for your home. Are you ready? We can design your dream space today!
Call us today for a free consultation! We can’t wait to hear from you.
So many of us are newly working from home and will be for the foreseeable future. We have some top tips for creating a designated + desirable workspace in your home.
Creating this new space in your home will not only help you stay in the right frame of mind but will also create a clearer separation between your work and home life. Creating these boundaries will make it easier for you to switch off from work and ‘leave the office’ at the end of the day, which is key for peace and balance as we chart this new territory.
Whether this designated space is small or large, it’s imperative to have it organized to maintain efficiency throughout your workday.
As a home remodeling company, we are constantly thinking of ways to help you make the most of your home and now workspace. We love looking at all aspects of home offices including desks, whiteboards, built-in shelving, workflow design, etc.
Here are just a few ideas to help you reach max productivity while working from home!
Built-in Desk + Shelving
Imagine a multi-purpose wall with your desk + bookshelves, as this could aid with productivity for all family members, plus built-in desks can help eliminate clutter in the office space. Depending on the amount of space you have, built-in desk designs can feature any number of drawers + shelves! Don’t forget that additional storage units and concealed cubby holes can easily be implemented to hide paperwork and clutter.
Convert A Room
There are endless possibilities for converting an unused space into an office. Here are some rooms that could be converted into office spaces.
An Attic
A large closet
Garage
Guest Room
Family Room
Breakfast Nook
Laundry Room
If you don’t have an extra room to convert, another idea is a “corner office”.
Easily convert a corner in a room into your own workspace. It requires less space but you’re still able to implement the privacy + organization of a workspace.
Design Ideas
We all know that lighting is key! A well-lit room is paramount for productivity in your office space. You can install lighting into a desk or add lamps to supplement. If you have the choice, opt for an office space with natural light, as it can help prevent that afternoon slump.
Pop of Color! Add a bold or bright pop of color while keeping the rest of the space neutral. You can add an accent wall, colorful cabinets, install bright and enticing artwork, or a colorful chair.
Keep it Green: Research shows that plants improve air quality, health, mood, and productivity. There are many great options for office plants.
These are just a few ideas for your home office. How have you adjusted your workspace to make it more productive + comfortable? We’d love to hear.
We’re here for you! Let us help you create your ideal home office space.
We can all agree, life has thrown us some curveballs this year. We have been home for a few weeks due to COVID-19 and it is making us a little stir-crazy.
At Stearns Design Build, we are all about happiness. Our purpose is to design and build happiness, which is our tagline. For us, this is a well-studied pursuit with the science behind it. We use our building knowledge to help your home to become your happy place.
These days, this idea has never felt more relevant.
Many of us have used this time to tackle small projects in our home, such as organizing, rearranging some furniture, & cleaning projects. As you make your space comfortable, you might realize there are larger projects to tackle in order to make it your happy place.
Do you have a storage issue that leaves your house feeling cluttered all the time? Is your bathroom outdated or a safety hazard? You’ve left this on the back burner, due to a multitude of things- busy lives, budget constraints, etc.
Now is the time to start thinking seriously about future renovations. You can even begin the design process to figure out how to create your dream space that fits all your needs.
This is the year to improve + renovate your home.
You can begin by making a list of spaces in your home that you’re most unhappy with or that could benefit from adjustment or change.
Now, imagine how you and your family will feel when you start taking tiny steps to change the current spaces in your home and the pleasure + joy it will bring.
Typical Goals for home remodeling:
Adding space: The family room you always wanted
Repurposing an existing room: guest bedroom, mudroom
Creating a new room: hobby room, office
Creating outdoor space: kitchen, porch
Updating for style + energy efficiency.
We’d love to have a virtual meeting with you and hear about your goals, dreams and the transformation you envision. Are you ready? We can design your dream space today!
Call us today for a virtualfree consultation! We can’t wait to hear from you.
