1.Let the Air In

If you have the wall space, adding a window to your bathroom can be a great way to let a bit of the outdoors in. A window can help your bathroom from experiencing a build-up of mold and mildew by letting more air in. If you’re concerned about privacy, look for window coverings made of natural materials like bamboo. These window coverings will allow the air to flow through while providing privacy for anyone using the room.

2.Enjoy the Sunlight

Without ample lighting, a bathroom can be a dull, dark place. Most people don’t want to put lamps in their bathrooms and vanity lights are often not powerful enough to illuminate the whole room. If your home’s structure permits, adding a sky-light to your bathroom can be a fabulous way to let more light into the room. Alternatively, you can install solar tubes to add light to the room.

3.Update Outdated Fixtures

Interior design is an ever-evolving beast; what was in ten years ago may very well look antiquated today. If you’re remodeling on a budget, the simple act of changing your faucets and light fixtures can quickly bring your bathroom into the present decade. Your faucets and fixtures don’t have to match identically, but choosing the same type of metal for each will lend a sense of uniformity to your bathroom and be more pleasing to the eye.

4.Increase Storage Space

It’s the rare home owner who is blessed with tons of storage space. You may need to get creative when adding storage to your bath but it can be done. Look for wall-mounted cabinets, vanities with drawers and doors, recessed medicine cabinets and even free-standing racks or shelving units. When adding storage to your bathroom, look for ways that you can add it without sacrificing space.

5.Put Your Toilet through the Wall

The thought that your choice of toilet can save space in your restroom is simply amazing. If you have a small bath, consider installing a toilet that fits through your wall. After the install, the toilet and flushing mechanism will be visible in your bathroom, and the toilet’s water tank will be hidden behind your wall. This type of toilet is not only incredibly stylish, but putting the tank behind your wall can save you almost a foot of space in your room.

You never have to sacrifice style for function during a bathroom remodel. If you keep an open mind and can be creative with your choices, you can update your bathroom in a stylish, functional way. Whether your budget is $500 or $5,000, you can have a new bathroom in as little as two days by following the tips above.

Author’s Bio

Jacob Walker is a guest writer for BathroomRenovationsPerth and for KitchenRenovationsPerth where you can find design ideas for bathrooms and kitchens.

1. Walls

Tool chests and wall hooks may take up a lot of the wall space in your garage, but there are plenty of ways you can add simple and functional style to even the smallest section of unused wall. A decorative clock is an attractive and useful addition if you’re the type who loses track of time in your space. Just installing decorative trim or molding to your garage can add a clean and unifying design element. There are tons of different materials to choose from. Favorites include brushed aluminum, diamond plate and stainless steel. Each has its own look and costs.

2. Flooring

A good all-weather paint can be a cost-effective approach to garage flooring. As can various tough, epoxy coatings. With hundreds of colors and consistencies to choose from any garage floor can look clean and attractive. For the truly dedicated there are other options such as tile, foam rubber and vinyl flooring materials. Be sure to consider what sorts of work you’ll be doing and any potential spills you may have to clean up before choosing a flooring material. Any of these can make an attractive and functional garage floor covering as long as they match your needs.

3. Cabinets and storage

Selecting the right storage ideas can be a challenge. Garage storage options range from straightforward tool chests to elaborate custom cabinets. Materials can vary from simple fiberboard to aluminum, stainless steel and many others. Some of the factors to consider are space requirements, environmental conditions and ease of access. Don’t forget to add ten to twenty percent to the amount of space you think you’ll need in case of unexpected expansion.

4. Furniture

Garage furniture comes in all shapes and sizes. From car parts made into tables and chairs to complete office sets, furniture can be the defining element of your décor. A stylish desk and chair combination can provide a useful planning space. Perhaps you spend enough time in your garage to need one of dozens of models of refrigerators available. There are even beer taps disguised as gas pumps!

5. Games and recreation

There’s no reason your garage has to be all business. Consider adding some recreational activities to your space. Large selections of wall-mounted games such as dartboards or basketball hoops are available for your entertainment. Mounting even a small television on an adjustable base lets you watch your favorite shows or sports while working in the garage.

Decorating your space can be as easy or as elaborate as you like. Instead of a massive rebuild consider incremental changes to your space. Developing a staged improvement plan can save both time and money, especially if you do most of the work yourself. Plan for the future while you’re working on your current installation project and by the time you’re finished you’ll have the money ready to tackle your next project.

Author’s Bio

Robert Wilkes is an on the road freelance blogger for TruckersReport as well as a regular poster on their Truckers Forum.

These boxes can be used for favours such as candy (my personal favourite), key chains, candles (using a bigger box), or whatever favour you chose.

Materials:

• Boxes (I went with a hunter green colour, but The Container Store and many other stores have a variety of colours)
• Lace
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun

I actually only covered the box top, but you can cover the top and bottom if you choose.  I like the contrast provided by leaving the bottom of the box as is. Cut the lace to create a 1″ parameter around the box top and fold over gluing as you go.

Once all sides have been glued to the interior of the box top, add it to the bottom, and tie a bow on it!

Rocquelle Porch is a 25 year old wedding consultant in Houston, TX. You can find more of her wedding inspiration and ideas on Consider Me Lovely: a wedding blog, www.considermelovely.com!

A lot of people begin new home decorating projects very excited, but quickly lose that fervour. What happens to dull their passion? One setback may be a huge set of home decorating “rules.” When new designers begin to read up on different design ideas, they hear professional stylists telling them, “Do this, but never do this…” It can be enough to make anyone nip their own creative impulses in the bud. Here are a couple of the “rules of design” that you can feel free to break.

1. Keep things symmetrical. This is nonsense. While a symmetrical room layout can be very inviting, it can also be very boring. Take chances with your design. Put things where you think they look best. Let your personality shine through. None of us are perfectly balanced people; so why should our rooms be perfectly balanced? Have a little fun!
2. Stick with one theme. Consistency is a great thing, but you don’t have to be bogged down by the limitations of one style over another. Feel free to add a little funk to a traditional country look with a post-modern painting or sculpture. Keep things interesting.

There are plenty of other, hard and fast rules that you can break as a designer. Be sure that you know the rules well, before you break them. If you are breaking rules, just to be breaking them, you are likely to end up with a stylistic nightmare. You want to use the breaking of the rules to make a style statement not to cause people to be uncomfortable. Remember it’s OK to be a fashion outlaw sometimes, you might just surprise yourself.

Personality

Don’t make your kitchen all about productivity, there’s another P you should add to the mix – Personality! Your kitchen design should be a reflection of who you are. You don’t have to keep family photos relegated to the living room or family room, add some family photos to the kitchen as well. You can pick up some nice, light-coloured picture frames that are very inexpensive to frame your kitchen photos. Then, add some customization to the frames with floral designs or hand painted highlights. Let your personality shine through in your kitchen.

Playfulness

All work and no play makes your kitchen a dull place. Have some fun with your kitchen decoration. Bring in some cute knickknacks to display on your spice rack. Then put up a simple shelf for knickknacks, but put some spices or old kitchen utensils on it as well. Mix things up and have a little fun in your kitchen.

Pizazz

Too many kitchens are stuck being forever painted white. Throw on a new coat of paint, but add some actual colour. If the thought of doing all your walls is too much, think about doing just one wall or a section of wall over cabinets for a nice contrasting colour. Complement your new paint with some fresh-cut floral arrangements as a centerpiece and you will have a kitchen teeming with new life.

Add these three P’s to your kitchen’s design. Make the hub of your home a reflection of your style that is fun and exciting to spend time in. Don’t let your kitchen get stuck in the past; take some chances and liven things up. It may be a shock to your family’s senses to come down for breakfast to a fun, colourful, expressive room, but they will soon come to love it.