A neutral bathroom and sources (so far)

Read article : A neutral bathroom and sources (so far)

I would love to share beautiful, finished, styled photos with you in the new house.

But I’ve never done that before. So why would I start now?

So instead of worrying that everything in the house needs to be finished before I share, I’m just going to share what’s done to this point. And share all the decisions we’ve made for the spaces. As we keep working on things to “finish” our spaces, I’ll share updates.

Deal? Deal.

First up – the upstairs neutral bathroom. It’s a simple space, but it’s pretty great. (Check out the inspiration for an idea of where I’m hoping to go with this space.)

Isn’t it amazing that there are so many decisions to make in such a small space? SO. MANY. DECISIONS.

I already shared the vinyl flooring, lighting and vanity. Next, I found this white, vintage-feel medicine cabinet for extra storage.  This is the same medicine cabinet we had in our last house and it provides a lot of great space for daily use items. Plus, there’s a mirror inside, which I love.

The faucet is the Delta Ashlyn widespread faucet in chrome.

Next up, the shower.

I found this great Threshold curtain from Target in a neutral gray and I think it’s a great fit for the space. We went with chrome fixtures in the bathroom – mostly planned around this great Delta shower head.

(I’ve had this shower head since my trip to Delta in 2013 and I’m so excited to be finally using it. Henry adores using it during his showers.)

The reason I love the shower head is because it is a 2-in-1 deal – it pulls down for a hand shower and reattaches quickly for a regular shower. Plus, it’s pretty. I ended up buying the Delta Trinsic shower package for the bottom of the shower. 

Look how great that shower curtain looks against those floors. (For those who have asked about how to “finish” the floors against the tub – Ryan just caulked here and it’s working well.)

We also chose a chrome curtain rod and curtain rings. We have always used these curved rods and they provide so much space inside the shower. 

So … that’s a little peek at our new bathroom. A few weeks in and we are making it work. And now, I need to figure out which hooks to hang for towels. 

But, baby steps …

(Psssst: Some of these links are affiliate links.)

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Bath Mat Granny Square Pattern

Read article : Bath Mat Granny Square Pattern

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New Clarins Treatment Essence - how to use for best effect

Read article : New Clarins Treatment Essence - how to use for best effect

Treatment essences aren’t something new to us, skincare fans, are they? But what if there was a treatment essence that helps your skin, based on age and skin concerns? Now, that might be something worth investigating. And that was what I headed to discover in Paris with skincare brand Clarins, as part of the Malaysia digital influencer team! W00t!

Clarins’ office headquarters in Paris!

Paris is a beautiful city, filled with eye-popping monuments, historical artifacts, and stunning architecture that makes you want to look upwards all the time, so you don’t miss anything of the beautiful wrought iron balconies and rooftops. Paris is also home to world famous luxury fashion designer brands and international beauty brands, of which Clarins is one. I’ll take you through some highlights of my PB’s Parisian Adventure with Clarins, tell you a LOT more about these Clarins Anti-Ageing Treatment Essences (and how to score some samples) and how I was taught to use them for best effect. Settle in, it’ll be quite a ride 🙂

Learning about the Clarins Treatment Essence at the Clarins Headquarters

How often do I get the chance to visit a major brand’s headquarters and meet the owners? Never! That’s the answer! LOL! I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to skincare or brands in general, and I love meeting the people behind a brand or product. They are always so passionate about what they do, and that is very, very inspiring!

For this new Clarins Treatment Essence, we were briefed by Caroline Camuzat, Clarins’ International Scientific Manager at Clarins’ new HQ offices in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. The spanking new building is bright and shiny and eco-friendly, with a self-cooling system mimicking a beehive, that is also energy efficient, has an internal cafe and staff canteen, and pleasant gardens through which to walk. Wouldn’t I love to work there! 😀

Being the International Scientific Manager, Caroline took us through the what, how and why of the new Clarins Treatment Essence, and answered a couple of burning questions I had about which to pick, since we have 3 to choose from.

New Clarins Treatment Essence

Some of us are by now, familiar with the skin’s natural barrier that protects us against external aggressions. These Treatment Essences, which are applied immediately after cleansing, as the first step of your post-cleansing skincare routine are designed to “unlock” this skin barrier and boost skin hydration, so other products that go on, absorb more effectively into the skin. Think of it like a pre-serum, or pre-essence – something familiar in most Asian skincare lines.

I must say that when you first prep your skin using the Treatment Essence, you will find that any other products go on and absorb into skin more quickly. The logical summation is that this Treatment Essence will help boost the absorption and efficacy of other products that follow. This has been the premise of treatment essences since they appeared on the skincare scene in recent years.

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Cruising down the River Seine with Clarins Treatment Essences 

However, realising that our skin ages differently and is unique, and therefore one treatment essence cannot suit every skin type, Clarins came out with not just 1, but THREE different Anti-Ageing Treatment Essences to suit 3 different age groups.

• 25+ Multi-Active Treatment Essence Vitality Booster (pink) (RM200) – targeted at younger skin with the first signs of ageing, this essence boosts cell vitality, radiance and slows down cellulcar ageing. The result would be more supple, moisturized and revitalised skin.
• 35+ Extra-Firming Treatment Essence Bounciness Enhancer (orange) (RM215) – targeted at skin that has noticeable signs of ageing which includes dehydrated skin, this essence helps reinforce the skin structure so skin is more bouncy, smoother and firmer. The result is better hydrated skin, reduction of fine lines and skin that is more plump.
• 45+ Super Restorative Treatment Essence Smoothness Enhancer (red) (RM285) – targeted at much more matured skin that is dull with reduced cell turnover and lines and wrinkles, this essence helps re-energize the skin to boost skin radiance, and exfoliate the dead skin cells to help product penetrate better into the skin. The result would be softer, more supple and radiant skin.

As maybe expected, the 3 different Treatment Essences have different textures as well, ranging from the very light texture of the Multi-Active Treatment Essence, to the slightly heavier Extra-Firming Treatment Essence and to the almost emulsion feel of the Super Restorative Treatment Essence. I’ll share more about this when I post my review 😉

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Clarins Herbarium cart at the Jardine Palais Royal 

As Mr. Christian Coutin-Clarins, current Chairman of the Clarins Group told us when he met us, Clarins prides itself on using high quality ingredients, and to take the best from nature to create their products, while protecting bio-diversity and nature. The key ingredients in each of the Treatment Essences are from different plants and sources, to cater to different skin needs:-

• Multi-Active Treatment Essence – Teasel extract to increase cell vitality and boost skin energy, Acerola Seed Extract to boost skin radiance and Myrothamus Extract to slow down cellular ageing
• Extra Firming Treatment Essence – Lemon thyme and Green Banana extract to enhance skin bounciness and smooth and firm skin, Fig extract and hyaluronic acid to boost skin moisture
• Super Restorative Treatment Essence – Pueraria Lobata Extract to stimulate synthesis of collagen, Ginseng & Green Coffee Extract to boost skin radiance and Hibiscus Flower acid to exfoliate skin (I’m particularly pleased about the use of the Hibiscus flower because that’s our national flower! 😀 )

How do you pick which Treatment Essence to use?

I asked Caroline how we’d pick which Treatment Essence to use. Was it based on our calendar age? Or was it something a little more technical?

Answer:

You pick the Clarins Treatment Essence based on the age of your skin, which may or may not correspond to your calendar age. For those of us who take pains to care for our skin, and use sunscreen daily, you will likely find that your skin’s age is far younger than your calendar age. By way of example, I’m 42 this year and based on my age, would be a prime candidate for the Super Restorative Treatment Essence. However, Caroline assured me that the one I should use would be the Extra-Firming Treatment Essence for a while instead (whew! LOL!) as my skin did not display the concerns to be addressed by the Super Restorative Treatment Essence. By contrast, someone who doesn’t pay a lot of attention to their skin, or who displays the skin concerns that correspond to their age group might then need to pick a Treatment Essence from within their targeted age group or perhaps even the next one up. This is most likely to be true for the 20-somethings who may be living the party and late night lifestyle, and find that the Extra-Firming Treatment Essence does more for them than the Multi-Active Treatment Essence will.

GET YOUR SAMPLE! If you’d like to sample this Treatment Essence (I’m only posting my review in about 2 weeks from now so you can try it and share your experience when I share mine) CLICK HERE to get your sample (Malaysia only)!

How to apply the Clarins Treatment Essence

This is where I thoroughly enjoyed the session with Denise Bathe, Clarins’ Skincare International Training Manager, who is a wealth of information about the pressure technique recommended by Clarins and used at all Clarins Spas worldwide during their facials. She was trained by Clarins’ founder Mr. Jacques Courtin and is so passionate about what she does that I couldn’t help being caught up in the wake of her enthusiasm.

With Denise Bathe at Monseiur Bleu, a restaurant overlooking that iconic Tour Eiffel! She has BEAUTIFUL skin!

I also had the privilege to experience a Clarins facial at the Clarins Spa at the Hotel Molitor where we were put up, and I’m going to tell you right now that it feels EXACTLY like the Clarins facials here in KL! I used to frequent the Clarins Spa at BSC and KLCC and guys, it’s EXACTLY the same! You don’t have to go to Paris to experience it haha! 😀

I’m going to save the pressure technique for another day (or we’ll be here all day!) but what I wanted to share was how to use the Clarins Treatment Essence. Denise tells us there are 3 ways, all of which are effective.

• Use a cotton pad – Drop some of the treatment essence on a cotton pad to saturate it, and pat it over your skin. This takes the least amount of time and is good for those who are in a hurry.
• Use your hands – Drop 1-2 drops of the treatment essence in your palm, warm it up between your palms, and pat it on your skin, tapping with your finger tips. This takes a little more time, and is good for your evening routine, or for those who are used to making a little more effort with their skincare routine. I use this method as I abhor wastage 😛
• Use it as a mask – Get a paper mask capsule (you can easily get these at Daiso – Clarins will have some available, but it isn’t their mainstay right now) soak it with the treatment essence and then lay it on skin for about 10 minutes for an intensive treatment.

My personal preference is to use my hands. I do it with all essences, and I don’t see why I should stop LOL! I dislike the wastage on the cotton pad, and I find that with hands, you actually use a little less product (I usually use 1-2 drop at most) and that means your 200ml bottle can last you quite a while!

Meeting the owners of Clarins!

I don’t meet brand owners every day, and even less so when it’s an international brand of repute. Clarins is one of the few major beauty brands out there who are still owned by family of the founder. It is currently helmed by the 2 sons of founder Jacques Courtin – Dr. Olivier Courtin-Clarins and Mr. Christian Courtin-Clarins, both of whom are incredibly friendly and down-to-earth.

How many Chairmans would allow a bunch of strangers into their office? Not many, I warrant, but Mr. Christian invited us in to show us where he worked, and showed us pictures of his family (all the Courtin-Clarins children are involved in the company in one way or another) without batting an eyelid. It was quite an experience!

Mr. Christian Courtin-Clarins is also very passionate about environment conservation and is personally involved in many Clarins’ CSR projects worldwide. For him, protecting nature is protecting our future for our future generation, and the Clarins group is very active in these endeavours. We are assured that they will keep innovating and developing their products to be better and kinder to the environment, as well as moving towards airless packaging and keeping prices affordable.

Dr. Olivier Courtain-Clarins has recently launched his book “Doctor, I want to be the fairest of them all”, a book containing 60 of the most asked beauty questions he receives, one for each year Clarins has been in existence (It’s in English!) It’s adorably illustrated, and proceeds will go towards arthritis research. I haven’t had any information on whether it’s available in Malaysia, but you can get it on the international Clarins websites.

I always end up with weird pictures of me like this all the time haha! Having my book autographed by the author himself, who looks a little perplexed!

It was a humbling experience to meet both these driving forces behind the global success of the Clarins brand, and to realise that they are unpretentious and very personable people who love what they do, who love their work, and who are passionate about their incidental pursuits and the growth of their company.

Grab your sample!

So there you have it. The highlights of the Clarins x MWS adventure with Paris in Paris haha! 😀 I had an amazing time, I learned a lot and I hope I’ve managed to share some of what I’ve learned with you, so you understand a little more about these Clarins Anti-Aging Treatment Essences and what they’re for.

Paris dreaming of Paris while cruising down the River Seine – I loved this shot! 😀 We waited so long for the flag to unfurl properly and I swear I was almost sunburnt! 

I will be posting my review in about 2 weeks so I’d suggest you grab your sample now, give it a go and then in 2 weeks, come and share your thoughts with me.

GET YOUR SAMPLE! If you’d like to sample this Treatment Essence (I’m only posting my review in about 2 weeks from now so you can try it and share your experience when I share mine) CLICK HERE to get your sample (Malaysia only)!

Do these new treatment essences intrigue you?

They are available at counters from now, so go and have a play. Because some of you on Instagram asked, I checked with Clarins Paris and was told that the Treatment Essences are available only in Asia for now, because we are more receptive to a more complicated skincare routine. But who knows, they might expand to the rest of the world later, if people are receptive to the product! Now, go, get your sample and let me know if you enjoyed this post enough to try the product 😉

Paris B

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Moms Share Pics Of The Worst Places They Had To Pump

Read article : Moms Share Pics Of The Worst Places They Had To Pump

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Breastfeeding is touted as one of the best and healthiest things for new babies, so why is it so stinking hard for working moms to find a place to express breast milk? It’s no surprise to many nursing (or pumping-only) moms to find out that mothers everywhere are pumping in weird, uncomfortable, and sometimes downright gross situations.

In fact, there’s even an organization that started in retaliation to milky moms’ fight for clean and appropriate pumping spaces at work. Among other issues, MomsRising advocates for nursing moms to highlight their experiences and demand change.Which is fantastic, because moms who are making milk for their babies shouldn’t be resigned to pumping in their cars or hiding in closets hoping no one walks in.

Here are the fifteen worst places moms have had to pump, and this is just the beginning of awful pumping locations moms have dealt with while nursing.

15Do It Standing

Mom Audrey shared this snap via Twitter, in which she’s standing in her company’s bathroom while pumping. We applaud this mom’s courage in pumping in the wide-open, since a lot of moms are shy about pumping and would prefer to huddle in a corner. We’d hazard a guess that she could be walked in on any time, since this looks like a bathroom with multiple stalls.

Obviously the outlet location isn’t ideal, since she’s forced to stand to pump, and there’s no way she can hide if someone walks in. Plus, when women are washing their hands at the sink, she could get spritzed with water. Luckily, Audrey says this was at her last job, so we hope she’s moved on to a better workplace with a dedicated lactation room!

14McDonald’s Slammed For Bathroom Pumping

Huffington Post reported on a fast-food worker who returned to her job after having a baby. After breast feeding for the three months she was home with her new baby, the mom wanted to continue making milk by pumping on her breaks. Even though her manager required a doctor’s note, which the mom provided, her supervisors refused to give the mom a private area to pump that met the legal requirements for nursing moms on the job.

This determined mama resorted to pumping in the (public) bathroom at the McDonald’s location, which is bad enough, but then her manager forbid her the use of even a dirty public restroom to express milk for her baby. The employee had to clock out, travel to a nearby library, and use their bathroom to pump in. Ultimately legal action earned better conditions for lactating mamas at this particular store.

13While Moving At Top Speeds

Mom Jen shares on Twitter that while on an Amtrak train, she had to pump in a cramped and dirty bathroom. There also wasn’t a lactation room at the Chicago Union Station, which she stopped at during her travels. Being on a train has to be one of the worst places to pump just because it’s moving so fast, and we hope Jen keeps a good hold on the milk so she doesn’t end up sloshing it all over the place.

Being in close quarters with a bunch of other people isn’t fun anyway, but being stuck on a train and needing to pump, only to find out that you have to use the bathroom truly sucks. Maybe this tweet will spur change with Amtrak, and they’ll at least add some lactation rooms to their station facilities.

12Stains Of Past Pumpers

Mom’s serving up milk for her baby, so the name might be appropriate, but the location is lacking in a few basic pumping amenities. Apart from an outlet, nursing moms need a (somewhat clean) surface to set their pump and the resulting milk on. As KUOW employee Isolde Raftery wrote after her return to work following maternity leave, lactating moms plug their pumps in to an extension cord that hangs from the ceiling.

The dated office chair is stained with old milk spills, and there doesn’t appear to be a sink or other counter space. Any mom who’s done the pumping and pouring routine knows that there’s a high chance of spilling milk if you’re trying to hold one bottle between your knees while pouring the other one into it. But hey, at least this location has a door that locks.

11The Irony Of Dairy Storage

KUOW shared this image of mom Stephanie Parker’s pumping space, which happens to be a storage room at the dairy export company she works for. This pumping mom says the irony of pumping in the dairy supply room isn’t lost on her, and the room does have one thing going for it- it’s not in a bathroom.

By the looks of it, there might even be a fridge in the back corner, although that office chair doesn’t look very comfortable for pumping moms. Plus, is there a sink in this room? We doubt it. So mom probably has to wash her pump parts and store the milk in the bathroom, or risk embarrassment or judgment from coworkers if she uses the employee break room. Then again, since it’s a dairy facility, maybe they won’t mind.

10Soggy In More Ways Than One

Every nursing or pumping mom is used to getting a little soggy from time to time from spills, but it looks like this pumping scenario has the potential to turn into a full-body drenching. We suppose that a shower is a step up from a toilet area as far as bathrooms go, but a shower with an uncomfortable chair isn’t our idea of the best milk-producing ambiance.

The worst thing about this pumping setup, a group of moms told KUOW, is that this medical center actually has lactation rooms. A group of moms (eight of them for this one shower stall) can’t make it to the lactation room in the time they have to pump. It’s either don’t pump at all, or pump in the shower room, and for these nursing moms, it’s clear that making milk is a priority.

9This Mom Almost Broke The Internet

Mom and social worker Mazzalai Nguyen became internet famous when she shared a pic of herself pumping in a hotel lobby. She told US Magazine that she was fed up with the staff at the hotel she was attending a seminar at, since they shut down every reasonable request she made for a space to pump.

Their excuses ranged from they didn’t have any clean rooms to put her in (Nguyen says she found vacant rooms on Expedia), to the hotel’s conference room doors didn’t lock (Nguyen said she didn’t care), to only the General Manager had a private office and it had glass windows (Nguyen also didn’t mind this option). In the end, Nguyen sat down on what we hope was a comfy chair in the hotel’s lobby, set up her pump, and got to work making her baby’s milk. We hope she gave the staff what-for too.

8Milk Making On The Fly – Literally

It’s hard to pump when traveling- even if you’re only driving 20 minutes from home. Packing supplies, tubing, the pump, extra bottles, and a cooler with ice is just the beginning. Add luggage and layovers to that mess, and you’ve got a pumping mom who learns to dread traveling. Plus, TSA requirements state moms can take pumped milk on the plane, but we’ve seen one too many social media posts about agents who unceremoniously dump out moms’ milk anyway.

At least this mom found an outlet and was daring enough to pump in a public spot! For moms who travel a lot for their jobs, their first priority is often to find a pumping-friendly location. Even if the bathroom was her first choice for some semblance of privacy (without considering the ick factor), outlets aren’t always conveniently located.

7Flooring It For Baby

This mom will do anything to get her baby fed, including sitting on a germ-infested bathroom floor to pump milk. It’s infuriating to see moms pumping in bathrooms in the first place, but this mom’s employer didn’t even provide a chair. Luckily her pump is a portable, battery-powered one, so she’s not tied to an outlet to get the milk out.

We suppose sitting on the floor is a better alternative than sitting on the open toilet, since it doesn’t seem to have a lid, plus we imagine there are germs on every surface in there. It almost makes me grateful for the times I had to pump in a bathroom, because at least I was responsible for cleaning it, so I knew it would be somewhat sanitary. That, and I had a spot to sit that wasn’t an open toilet.

6Multitasking Like Only A Mother Could

With MomsRising’s hashtag, #ipumpedhere, this mom shares her less-than-ideal pumping situation. We imagine she’s parked for this pumping selfie, but at least she’s handsfree, so she probably pumps on the road too. Of course, many moms do, especially those with a long commute or lack of pumping location if they travel during the workday.

What sucks about this pumping location is she has to either run her AC or heat, depending on the weather, and people walking by can just look in while she’s parked. Definitely not the privacy of those cushy pumping rooms that we’ve seen elsewhere. Plus, she then has to transport the milk, and what happens if she spills some in her car? Rancid mama milk smells just as good as any other spoiled milk, but now it’ll be all over the car.

5School’s In (Pumping) Session

This pic bugs us for so many reasons, but we’ll start with the fact that there’s an extension cord running under the door for mama’s pump. As if lugging a pump and supplies and bottles around isn’t enough, this mom also has to find and plug in an extension cord, drag a couple chairs into the bathroom, then get started pumping. We sincerely hope she has enough time in her schedule to fit in the actual milk making, because this setup would have us dreading each pumping session.

Whether she’s a teacher or school staff, there’s no excuse for this mama not having a more sanitary and convenient place to pump, considering that many teachers have offices, plus there has to be a nurse’s room or something, right? Wouldn’t a first aid setup room make more sense than an unhygienic bathroom that doesn’t even have counter space or an outlet?

4Unwelcome Visitors

Another contribution to MomsRising campaign, this cluttered photo shows a variety of supplies in a storage room with very little space for mom and her set of milk makers. Is that chair with the box on it where she’s supposed to sit? And are those cords plugged in somewhere, or is there an outlet buried behind the stacks of junk that are piled up?

We’re a little nervous for this mom’s safety, but at least the space has a door that closes and hopefully locks. Still, with the range of supplies that are in here- projector, coffee pots, electrical components- odds are, someone’s going to come looking for an item while this mom is pumping. Every pumping mom dreads hearing someone try the door while they’re pumping, and this is the worst since she’s in storage central for the entire office.

3The Copy Room Cliche

This awkward setup has us shaking our heads for a few reasons. First, there’s clearly a copy machine right inside the door, likely the primary use of this room. We can imagine a queue lined up to make copies as this mom exits with her pump and freshly made milk. Then there’s the fact that this is some kind of control room- is that a wireless router we spy on the wall?

We hope that tech support or computer engineers don’t need to get in here for any reason, especially when this mom is pumping, because interruptions while you’re trying to make milk are obnoxious and uncomfortable. However, this mom told KUOW that her agency was planning a location move, and that the new space would have a dedicated lactation room. Hang in there, mama!

2Taking Care Of Business Times Two

Mom Lee Ann Yonker shared on Twitter that she was going to Vegas for business, and that her little girl was back at home. We’re sorta jealous of this mom because she wrote that she has Freemie Cups, which every nursing and exclusively pumping mom lusts after! Freemies are a hands-free pump that includes cups that fit into your bra. So it’s not that shocking that this mom was pumping in the airport and inside a casino, because her pump is fairly discreet.

Other than the odd tubes coming from her chest, this mom’s pumping situation isn’t that noticeable. However, pumping in a smoky casino isn’t our idea of enjoyable milk making, especially knowing that we’ll probably have to visit a bathroom after to pour the milk into bottles and store it. Then again, maybe this mom has a hotel room and a fridge, in which case this might not be the worst pumping scenario we’ve seen.

1Uncomfortable In Every Way

This mom told KUOW that her office is too small for her to pump in, and her company doesn’t offer a lactation room for milky mamas. At least she has a portable pump, so she’s not tied to an outlet for power, but it can’t be comfortable pumping in her car. Trust me, I’ve been there, in 80 degree temps with the windows up and trying to hide from coworkers as they walked past my car.

We also wonder though if this mom shares an office with coworkers, and maybe that’s why she pumps in her car rather than negotiate better pumping conditions. At least this way, her entire office doesn’t know that she’s taking a pumping break, because we know some uneducated types feel squeamish when we talk about making milk for our babies.

Sources: MomsRising.com, KUOW.org, HuffingtonPost.com, USMagazine.com, Twitter

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A Small 1960s Bathroom Is Completely Remodeled

Read article : A Small 1960s Bathroom Is Completely Remodeled

A few days ago, I got an e-mail from my mom that said, “Just wondering why you don’t have our bathroom under Rooms I Designed.” Good question! It’s one of my favorite projects I’ve ever done, so I definitely needed to get that post linked up under the “Rooms I Designed” tab.

So I searched for the post. And I searched again. And I searched some more.

I couldn’t find a post where I ever showed you my mom’s bathroom remodel! Could it really be that I never showed you? I could have sworn that I did, but for some reason that post has disappeared. So, I’m going to show you again.  If you’ve already seen this, please bear with me.  But I have a feeling that this will be new to many of you since this is a project that was completed just over four years ago.

The house, which is the house I grew up in, is a ranch style house that was built in the 60s. As I’m sure you know, bathrooms weren’t given much consideration in the 60s. They were generally small and utilitarian, and a far cry from the luxurious spa-type retreats that we expect of bathrooms today. Over the years, my mom had tried to update the room. At some point in the 80s or early 90s, the walls were wallpapered and the vanity got a coat of paint. But it was still just a small 1960s bathroom.

See what I mean?  Oh sure, the wallpaper could have been ripped down, the walls given a coat of paint, and the vanity replaced with something more updated.  But it still would have been a tiny bathroom…definitely not “master bathroom” material.

And then there was the matter of the shower.  This picture isn’t an optical illusion.  The door really was that narrow, and the shower itself was like a tiny, dark closet.

And of course, the room had the standard plate glass builders mirror and the standard 60s bathroom lighting.

The good news was that on the other side of the bathroom was a guest bedroom (one of five bedrooms in the house), so there was plenty of room for expansion.

So I got to work coming up with a plan.  The main priorities were a double vanity and a spacious shower.  My mom isn’t really a “bath” type of person, so she specifically requested that a bathtub not be included.  Here’s what I came up with…

Quite a difference, right?  You can mouse over the photo just below to see a quick view of the before and after floor plan.

I also did some drawings to work out all of the details. I knew I wanted the vanities to be separated by a center cabinet, and I also wanted mirrors with sconces installed on top of the mirrors. There were lots of other details, such as furniture feet, a clear glass tile accent, and oil-rubbed bronze faucets.

Opposite the vanity, on the wall with the door, I wanted to place a custom cabinet with two pull out sections to be used as laundry hampers.

In all, it took about three months from start to finish.  A load-bearing wall had to be dealt with, the slab foundation had to be broken up with a jackhammer to make a route for the new plumbing. It was a complete mess, but I think the results were well worth the inconvenience.

The vanity area is the star of the room, with custom made cabinetry, high rim sinks, marble countertops, glass door and drawer pulls, and pretty sconces.

The walls were given a Venetian plaster-type treatment called Lusterstone, which has a gorgeous sheen to it. The new shower is massive compared to what was in there before. And probably my favorite design detail in the whole bathroom is the four inches of clear glass tile that accents the top of the wainscoting.

The toilet is no longer front and center in the bathroom. It now has its own little area to the left of the shower, hidden a bit by the custom laundry hamper cabinet.

Thank you for letting me share this little stroll down memory lane! This was absolutely one of my favorite projects I’ve done…if not THE most favorite. The bathroom needed to be a traditional style bathroom to fit my mom’s taste (and the rest of the house), so as long as I stayed “traditional”, I pretty much had creative control over every design decision, and that’s every designer’s dream! And I have to admit, it was really fun creating a “dream room” for someone with completely different taste than my own. It allowed me to flex my design muscles a bit.

Here’s one more look at the before and after. Move your cursor over the picture to see a quick view comparison of the bathroom before and after the remodel.

DIY Projects For This Room

Okay, so there was only one DIY project for this room. What? You didn’t think I was going to teach you how to break up a foundation with a jackhammer or move a load-bearing wall, did you?!

Homemade Bath and Shower Cleaner {Recipe}

Read article : Homemade Bath and Shower Cleaner {Recipe}

Posted by Cindy  ·  January 4, 2017

This homemade bath and shower cleaner is amazing. This recipe has been floating around the web and I had to give it a try for myself! I couldn’t be more thrilled to have found an inexpensive powerful homemade bathroom cleaner. You problably have the ingredients already at your house. Once again vinegar proves to a a great household cleaner. You can even mix vinegar with baking soda for a great way to unclog a drain.

Homemade Bath and Shower Cleaner Recipe

Measure out equal parts of Dawn dishwashing detergent and vinegar. Heat vinegar a couple of minutes in microwave or on cook top until vinegar is hot. Carefully pour vinegar into a spray bottle. Add in Dawn dishwashing detergent and shake to mix.

This Dawn & vinegar cleaner will cut through soap scum, clean sinks, and also the potty. Just spray it on, scrub and rinse. For tough soap scum build-up, spray the mixture on and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes. Scrub and rinse.

Do be careful, it does make alot of bubbles, so the tub might be slippery. If there are too many bubbles try mixing two parts vinegar to one part Dawn. Salt will also dissolve the bubbles.

You will be amazed with this bottle of blue magic! 

If you like this cleaner you might like this DIY Laundry Detergent Recipe.

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