Bathrooms « Paint It What I Tell You

Archive | Bathrooms RSS feed for this section

Look for Less: Metallic Vases.

So this one may be a stretch: I’m literally saying you can get the “look” for less…but not the size or the exact finish. Nonetheless, this one will save you over $1,100.

You heard me right.

This is Kelly Wearstler’s Gold Ball Vase. It’s gorgeous, inside and out. And on the bottom where her logo is. It’s 10” in diameter and 15” high, so it makes quite a statement, too. And not to hate on Kelly Wearstler, because I adore her, but this one is not for the masses: it costs $1,125. So, there’s that obstacle to get around.

Gold Ball Vase by Kelly Wearstler, $1,125 (image via Kelly Wearstler.com)

But lucky for you, Anthropologie makes a lovely, albeit much smaller votive, for $8. That’s right: for the price of two coffees. It’s called the Silvered Hobnail Votive, but it’s much more gold/bronze in person. Its measurements are 3.5” in diameter and 4” high.

Silvered Hobnail Votive from Anthropologie, $8 (image via Anthropologie)

…and what do you know? I used it to style a shoot last week. Gorgeous, if you ask me. You wouldn’t even know that I used an $8 vase amongst very, very expensive tile. Except that I just told you. Shoot, I guess the secret’s out.

So budget aside, which do you prefer? I am a huge fan of a rugged but glamorous finish, so I may just prefer the cheaper vase. How convenient!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Accessories, Bathrooms, Look For Less

Sneak Peek: A Beautiful Blue Bathroom.

24 Jan

How many times have I said I was going to be taking project photographs “soon.” Then a lot of time went by. And I didn’t. Maybe two times? OK, ten.

Well yesterday I styled and photographed a few fantastic rooms, and surprisingly many of them turned out quite well! Here’s a sneak peek of a bathroom I worked on in 2011. I mentioned in my A Designer’s Year in Review post that I’ve come to really enjoy designing bathrooms, and this one was a huge part of that! (You can actually even see a little progress photo of it in the montage.) So here it is: enjoy the views!

Have you ever seen such a fun, fancy shower in a second bathroom? This one has beautiful tiny glass tiles from Sicis from floor to ceiling!

Even the back of the toilet is beautiful. And the backsplash is lovely, if I do say so myself.

See that light? Perfection.

Hope you enjoyed the Sneak Peek! Coming up: another bath, a bedroom, and a kitchen! What fun!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Bathrooms, Designers, Lighting, Wallcoverings

Five Under $50: Hand Soaps That Don’t Stink!

18 Nov

Hand soap is one of those things that you don’t usually think about until you need to. Which is fine. Except for when it backfires. I’m sure everyone has experienced buying a really nice looking, expensive-ish soap and having it smell less than desirable…or reek as strongly as perfume…or be heavily mentholated (this happened to me). Or you’ve bought a really basic looking, inoffensive-seeming cheap or normal priced soap that ends up smelling like your elementary school bathroom soap. Or you’ve found a soap that you like just fine, but it’s ugly. Personally, I don’t have built-in soap dispensers in my house and I prefer to put the actual soap container out on the counter as opposed to a glass or ceramic vessel. So to me, the branding and appearance of the packaging matters because I’m always looking at it.

Below are five soaps under $50 that will last you a long time, smell great, and not hit you in the face with jasmine or pumpkin spice every time you raise your fork-wielding hand to your mouth. (We’ve all experienced that, right — that “I can’t get this off my hands, help me!” soap?).

Enjoy, and happy smelling!

1.) MOR Honey Nectar Hand and Body Wash, $16 available at Nordstrom (image via Nordstrom); 2.) CO Bigelow Handwash in Clementine, $12 (image via Bath and Body Works); 3.) Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap in "flavors" such as Basil, Geranium, Honeysuckle and Lavender. About $5 at various drugstore and Amazon.com (image via Mrs. Meyer's) ; 4.) Williams-Sonoma Hand Soap in Pink Grapefruit, $40 for lotion and soap set (image via Williams-Sonoma); 5.) Nest Liquid Soap, available a tNeiman Marcus for $22 each in "flavors" like Bamboo and Wasabi Pear (image via Neiman Marcus)

Another soap tip I like a lot is that when your container is halfway done, you can often fill it back up a bit with water. More than half and it tends to splatter when you pump it, but these soaps are often so concentrated that you can absolutely dilute them without decreasing suds or scent. And finally, in the kitchen you’re likely to need an anti-bacterial soap. It’s always prudent to have a REAL dish soap here — Dawn, Pamolive, etc… — but if you want a scented anti-bacterial for your hands, too, I love Bath and Body Works’ Kitchen Lemon, White Citrus, and Pink Grapefruit for their clean and fresh kitchen scents (and their excellent price point…often 4 for $10).

What’s your go-to hand soap?

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Bathrooms, Five Under $50!, Kitchen

Ask JGB Interiors: Where to Start With Color?

7 Nov

I promised you your first “Dear JGB Interiors” this Monday, and even though it’s dark out and 7pm I am delivering! Names have been changed to protect the design-challenged. Now, let’s get right to it!

Dear JGB,

My house is mostly neutral colors. It has gray and beige walls, gray and white mostly leather upholstery, and wood furniture of all colors. I like it and I don’t feel like it’s boring but I want to add color somewhere. Since I don’t want to disrupt the vibe of what I have going on because I like my neutral decor and find it calming, I was thinking that I could paint my downstairs bathroom (a half bath) a bright color for fun. Is that a good idea or is it a cop out?

– Currently Colorless in Clarendon

Bold is a good choice! (image on L via Elle Decor; image on R via http://thebohemianluxelife)

Dear Currently Colorless,

First of all, congratulations on being open to change and new colors! Now, I think you really should ask yourself if color is something that YOU want, of it it’s something that you feel compelled to use because you’ve been watching a lot of HGTV. If it’s truly a feature that you want to embrace and bring into your home, then I think that a powder room is a great place to start! It’s going to be a color-haven of sorts; a bright spot in an oasis of neutral calm. I recommend you start by painting — or wallpapering! — your bathroom in a jewel-tone; jewel tones are colors like magenta, deep teal, kelly green, amethyst, or vibrant gold. They’re pretty much as saturated as you can get without going fluorescent or juvenile (those would be colors like bubblegum pink, hi-lighter yellow, or lime green, all of which you’re probably not interested in if you’ve already gravitated towards neutrals). Jewel tones are deeply sophisticated, very dramatic, and they often play very well with other colors; just be sure to pick a color that has similar undertones to the rest of your house. By that I mean if you have a steely gray living room adjacent to the powder room, choose a colorful shade that has some blue or coolness to it. If your gray is more clay-like and warmer, go with a deep eggplant or a dramatically deep russet. Whatever you do, don’t forget to test those colors first! They should be fairly true to the swatch if you have a windowless bathroom, but if you have natural light it’s all the more important to test them. When you acaccessorize, choose a small round rug in a shade similar to your wall color or choose a funky animal print texture. Pick frames and fixtures that are luxurious and fun, like mother of pearl, distressed gold wood, or copper! If you don’t love the first go-round, don’t fret! Bathrooms are cheap and easy to re-paint. But who knows, you may love it and find that color is soon creeping into other spots of your home like your entry way, which would be my “next step” if you’re looking to take your experiment a little further. Good luck, and have fun!

Keep sending in those questions, everyone! Have a great rest of the week!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Ask JGB Interiors!, Bathrooms, Color, Painting

Gorgeous Tile From New Ravenna Mosaics!

26 Jul

This week I have a project in construction that is using a lot of tile from New Ravenna Mosaics, a business based in the Eastern Shore of Virginia. A sustainable, local, and woman-owned small business that has an INCREDIBLE product can be a rare fine, but New Ravenna is doing it with ease, and I love what they’re doing.

Some of my favorites, clockwise from top left, are Baby Galaxy, Djinn, Promenade Mini, and Des Cerceaux.

(images via New Ravenna Mosaics)

This master bath I’m currently working on has a lot of “Del Greco,” which is a gorgeous geometric marble that features both honed and polished tiles: a classic but modern neutral that is anything but boring.

(image via New Ravenna Mosaics)

The “cloud nine” color marble exhibits a lot of peach and olive undertones that pair so well with the brushed bronze finish we’re using for fixtures. This might be hard to see, but I’m sure some of you with very trained eyes can glean the color variation from the picture.

(image via Hinkley Lighting)

I’m so excited for the completed room to be unveiled, and can’t wait to share it!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Bathrooms, Flooring, Vendors

Stratton Blue from Benjamin Moore: Three Ways!

31 May

Stratton Blue (HC-142), a historical color from Benjamin Moore, is a perfect blueish greenish color that is fresh and classic. Depending on the light, the shadows, and the surroundings, it’s virtually impossible to tell if the color is blue or green; that’s a huge part of its charm. Over the past year I’ve had THREE! clients use this paint color in their homes, and they all have made it their own via different interpretations and accents I’ve recommended. I’ll be building my online portfolio over the next few months, and you’re sure to see some pictures when all is installed, accessorized, and shot, but for now here is a sneak peek at some mini-boards of the different ways that Stratton Blue can shine.

Let it stand on it’s own!

Stratton Blue is a bold color, so pairing it with crisp white is a great way to showcase it on the walls. A single pattern or pillow incorporating some vibrancy is enough. This mini-board is for a guest bedroom in a DC row house.

(Clockwise from top right: Thomas Paul's Dahlia fabric in Aegean via Thomas Paul; Cottage Furniture's Lawson Sideboard via Layla Grayce; Oly Studio's Jonathan Tufted Stool via Oly Studio; Crate and Barrel's Lupe Pillow)

Let it set the tone with detailed, textural accents!

Neutrals of all shades and materials deepen the complexity of a space, and with a sophisticated shot of color the room becomes both refined and relaxed. This mini-board is for a master bedroom in a Capitol Hill home.

(Clockwise from top right: Jangle in Silversage via Calico Corners; Brass Foiled and Wood Round Accent Table via Clayton Gray Home; Vincent Rug by Ballard Designs; Villa Club Chair by Thomas Pheasant via Baker; Celadon Green Gourd Lamp by Arteriors Home)

Let it take the beautiful backseat with contrasting complements!

Stratton Blue’s ambiguous blue-green hue is the perfect pair for an equally non-committal pinkish-orange. This mini-board is for a powder room in a Northern Virginia home. Full disclosure: this “client” is my mother, and the only commitment she’s made so far is the paint color…anyone want this powder room? If so, let’s DO IT!

(Clockwise from top right: Godzilla Poster by MonsterGallery via Etsy; B&W Wall Hook via Anthropologie; Lobmeyer Crystal Back-lit Mirror via Orange via First Dibs; Zebra Wastebasket and Tissue via Clayton Gray Home; Bus Ticket Tea Towel by 3-P4 via Urban Outfitters )

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Comments 5 Comments
Categories Accessories, Bathrooms, Bedroom, Color, Painting, Washington DC

A Simple Vase + A Good Sale = A Match Made in Heaven

12 Jan

I bet that you have an unused clear vase sitting just around your house, and I guarantee you that Bath and Body Works is having their huge after Christmas sale right now (until January 16th). Why do those two things relate to each other? This is why:

Your powder room will be just like a posh hotel. (images on top via Bath + Body Works, image on bottom via Crate & Barrel).

Like I said, Bath and Body Works is having a huge sale, and in that sale they have millions of billions of tiny little purse-sized antibacterial hand sanitizers priced at 38 cents each! I’m not making this up. I bought about 20 of them today and literally handed them to everyone I knew on my way into my building.

I had few thoughts running through my head as I scooped them into my basket today at the mall (except for “oooo pretty! oooo cheap! oooo more!), but now I realize the perfect use for them: a take-home soap buffet! Just get a big-ish glass vase, fill it with these tiny anti-bacterial sanitizers, and put it in your powder room so that guests can take one home with them when they leave. They’re tiny, candy-colored, and truly useful! In my house, where we’re still changing diapers and being hit with cold season, a quick and easy way to clean your hands is always much appreciated. Just please please please remember not to use anti-bacterial soap each time your wash your hands: constantly killing every germ you touch will take away some of your body’s natural ability to fight off immunities, and anti-bacterial solutions really are best for on-the-go cleaning.

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.