Tag Archives: bathroom decor

Creating Your Own Inexpensive Spa Bathroom

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We would all love to go to an expensive spa to destress and come out feeling like a rejuvenated person from head to toe. While it may not be feasible with your budget or schedule, you can create your own calming sanctuary at home. To help you master this spa oasis, we have listed a few simple tips below for turning your bathroom into a relaxing spa-like retreat. Let’s take a look!

Tranquil Colors

Spas use light colors for a calming effect that give the space an organic, relaxed feel. Pale blues and seafoam greens lend a soothing sense to the space’s overall feel. White is a great base color where you can add accents of pale blue-greens to keep the space from feeling too sterile. If blue-greens do not appeal to you, use neutral colors like taupe and linen to accomplish the tranquil feel.

Real Life Greenery

Bringing houseplants into the bathroom says “zen” more than any temporary change you can introduce. Group a small cluster of house plants in ceramic and glass containers on the counter for a welcoming and inviting feel, and do not overlook putting an orchid in the bathroom for a romantic, island-like feel. Since orchids love the humidity, they will do great in the bathroom. Just make sure they receive 3-6 hours of indirect sunlight per day. Also, go to your local farmer’s market or greenhouse and buy some fresh eucalyptus. Tie the eucalyptus together at the base with some rope and hang over the showerhead. The moisture from the shower will help to spread the lovely fragrance throughout the room and the home.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the practice of using oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being. Essential oils, the pure essence of a plant, have been found to provide both psychological and physical benefits when used correctly and safely. Head to your local aromatherapy store and start researching what to purchase for your spa-like bath; lavender is always a favorite. You can place diffusers on the countertop nestled in with the houseplants for a clean look. Also, do not forget lovely smelling bath salts or fresh rose petals to add to your warm and relaxing bath.

Now that you have made some quick and easy additions to your bathroom, do not forget that prolonged relaxation is a must to enjoy every second of your spa-like bathroom. Relax and enjoy!

Special Guest Bathroom Design

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guest-bath-vanity-webThe guest bathroom generally gets the least amount of attention in a home. It’s the smallest room in your house, and your focus when you’re planning your new home is on your kitchen first, and then on your master bathroom and other areas where your family will be spending a lot of time. It makes sense to place the guest bath at the end of your list of priorities.

But if you think about it, chances are almost every visitor to your home will see your guest bathroom at some point. So it has a direct affect on how they view your home. And this is actually the most cost-effective room to create design drama, because the space is so small. A minimum investment can provide the maximum design impact. Let’s take a look at some of the guest bathroom designs in recent Fulton Home models to get some ideas of approaches you might want to take to give your guest bath some extra style.

First Impressions:basha-legacy-powder-room-3-web

Think about what your guest bathroom will look like from the hallway. Even if your visitors don’t actually use the bathroom, they will probably walk past and glance in. That first impression will have an effect on the entire hallway.

In this photo to the right, the eye is automatically drawn to the copper artwork on the far wall. Other features such as the tile and the mini-chandelier come into focus later. Altogether this is a luxurious and well-integrated guest bathroom.

This first bathroom involves a serious investment in options to create a feeling of luxury. This was appropriate as it was part of the Legacy series of homes, which was a luxury line. But you don’t need to invest as much in options as was spent in this model to create drama.

view-from-hall-web

Take a look at the guest bathroom to the left. The vanity is nice-looking but fairly straightforward with a sink embedded in the countertop. The tub and surround are a solid surface which is less expensive than tile. But the tile chosen for the flooring and the coordinated tile inset added to the solid surface in the tub surround makes this bathroom pop.

In this case creativity and thoughtful style take the place of expensive options to make this bathroom stand out. Add an interesting coordinating shower curtain and some towels to emphasize the contrast and you have a guest bathroom that shows your personality without a big investment.

Lighting:basha-legacy-powder-room-2

Because of its small size, smaller light fixtures can have a big punch in a guest bathroom. And if you want to take a chance with a different look, a guest bath is a great space for experimenting. The simple wall sconce on the right adds a touch of charm in a guest bathroom. After all, this is not a space where you need bright lights, and a gentle glow is flattering when people look in the mirror.

guest-bath4-web

 

 

The photo on the left shows another fun way to use lighting in a guest bathroom. By adding a light under the vanity, the room doesn’t have a blinding glare when a guest hits the switch, and the look is unusual and interesting. In this case the sink is also translucent – notice the photo at the top of this blog – so the light also makes the sink glow. This choice gives you the opportunity to add some drama to your guest bathroom while not taking up any additional space.

Tile Trim:basha-legacy-powder-room-1

Whether you choose a simple row of tile to outline your vanity or expand your tile choices to cover an entire wall, tile has a special place in many bathrooms. In the photo to the right you can get a closer look at the Legacy bathroom we visited above. In this case a full wall of tile is complemented with a rich row of glass tile trimmed with a darker border just above the vanity, serving as a backsplash. It provides the feeling of wainscoting and pulls every element in this room together. The border also adds some welcome contrast.vanity-cropped-web

You don’t need to use this much tile to have a design impact in a guest bathroom. Take a look at the vanity on the left. The countertop uses a simple tile pattern to create a charming rustic feel. Then a six-inch backsplash of narrow rectangular tile picks up the tones of the vanity’s wood finish to create an integrated design element that makes this guest bath memorable. The oil-rubbed bronze hardware with its rustic flavor makes so much sense with this look.

Finishing Touches:bath-2-web

Don’t stop with the design elements. Once you move in, take the time to find the right art and accessories to complete the look in your guest bathroom. In the photo above, the design of the bathroom is enhanced by the choice of shower curtain, towels, art and accessories.

Notice that although the design itself is neutral, it left the homeowner open to introduce color into the room. By bringing in orange-red and the grey-blue, the neutral elements actually connect with the color palette. While you don’t need to be afraid to pull color into your design choices, if you would rather keep your permanent options neutral, think about what colors you will want to bring in with more temporary elements later. You may want to bring some of those colors with you to your design appointment.

Above all with a guest bathroom, have fun! It’s the smallest room in your home so it’s OK to take a few chances. And those extras aren’t going to break the bank with the minimum square footage involved. So as you wander through the Fulton Design Center, if you spot a special sink, faucet, tile design or light fixture you can’t resist, why not consider the guest bath for its home?

 

Warm up your Bathroom

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wModern-Shower-Evergreen-Elm-Warner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-014By their very design, bathrooms tend to be colder in style. With all the glass, tile and porcelain, you have a lot of hard surfaces to contend with. But it doesn’t take much effort to warm up the feeling of a bathroom. Here are some tips to make a difference:

Be generous with towels: One of the best resources for adding warmth and color to any bathroom is by your choice of towels. For maximum effect, double up on the towels like these shown here. With the black towels as a base, the bright light green hand towels really pop. Look for opportunities to add more than the basic towels where you can. For example, the towel at the left of the photo on the ring is perfectly located for drying hands at the sink.

Add art: Whether it’s a print like the one shown here or fabric wall hangings, some wall art makes a bathroom more interesting and appealing. But be careful not to put anything particularly valuable in a bathroom. The moisture in the room during and after a shower can damage art, particularly watercolors and pastels. Instead, look for nice prints or photographs with minimal value.

Use accessories: Even a smaller vanity like the one in this photo will carry a simple accessory, and that addition personalizes the space and can make a real difference in a bathroom’s mood. The simple vase of flowers shown here adds charm without taking up too much space thanks to its small footprint.

Bathrooms are a  functional space in your home, but with just a bit of effort you can also make them feel more like a haven for friends and family. So warm up your bathrooms with these simple additions.

Wainscoting Warms up Guest Bathroom

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wainscoting-in-guest-bath-webGuest bathrooms are often the smallest rooms in a home, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t pack a powerful decorating punch. You can take advantage of more expensive flooring and tile choices because the smaller square footage keeps the cost down.

This guest bath takes full advantage of the small space to create an inviting look. Wainscoting makes a room feel cozier and just a bit old-fashioned. That mood is extended by the use of oil-rubbed bronze for the faucet and fixtures.

wainscoting-in-guest-bath2-webThe interesting choice of metallic tile for the border, shown in detail in the photo to the right,
carries the bronze finish further while adding an additional element of style and texture to the room.

Kohler’s old-style toilet and pedestal sink fit well with this bathroom with their retro styling and traditional lines.

Here’s what makes this bathroom really interesting. Although much of the mood captures an earlier time, other elements are more current. The art, for example, has a contemporary vibe, with clean-lined frames. Installing the wood flooring on a diagonal, which makes the room feel larger, is also a more modern approach.

Altogether, this transitional bathroom with its eclectic approach provides an appealing space that speaks well for the style and taste of the owner. You can see this bathroom in person when you visit this and other Fulton Home models at Peninsula at Queen Creek.

Finishing Touches Make Bathroom Special

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finishing-touches-make-bathroom-specialwWhat takes a bathroom beyond its function and makes it special? This bathroom from the Capital model at Seaboard in Cooley Station has elements that make it more luxurious and enjoyable to spend time in. Let’s see why.

Interesting flooring: By their nature, bathrooms tend to be the smallest rooms in a home, which means that your design options are more limited. However it also means that you can splurge a bit on options such as flooring because there isn’t as much square footage to cover. This floor is both interesting and unusual. It has the look of rounded river rocks cut flush to make up the floor. The same stone is used for the sink’s backsplash.

By choosing this as both floor and backsplash, this has become the bathroom’s primary design element. The look takes this bathroom out of the ordinary without making its design too confusing for a smaller space.

Mirror frame: Fulton Homes offers this in its bathrooms, and the option makes the mirrors feel more finished. It adds a touch of sophistication and upgrades the feel of the space. Notice that the mirror choice doesn’t match the cabinets. Instead the dark tone provides a welcome contrasting element.

Accessories: The flooring and backsplash send a back-to-nature message, and the accessories support that. The earth-tones of the towels and the flowers at one end keep up the nature theme.

When you’re designing your home’s bathrooms, take the time to make each one a unique and special reflection of your taste and style. Remember that nice things come in small packages.

Guest Bath with Color

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Guest-Bath-with-ColorwYou don’t have to put color in your permanent elements to make a room colorful. Let’s take a look at the savvy choices that make this guest bathroom something special.

Tile mosaic: Although this mosaic contains only neutral tones, the variety of dark and light tiles open the space for color. When you add bright color near neutrals with strong contrasts, the colors will reflect onto the neutrals, pulling color into their space. Take a look at this photo. It looks like the backsplash mosaic has some color in it although it doesn’t.

Art: Art is one of the easiest ways to add color. these two canvases are different yet link together by color, style and subject matter. It’s smart to start choosing your color palette in a room like this one by choosing art. The rest of the color can be drawn out of the selection of prints or canvases you choose.

Towels: Today you can get towels in any color range from vivid almost-neon tones to soft muted shades. It’s smart to choose two or at the most three colors for a bathroom towel set so that the colors work well together yet provide enough contrast to make the space interesting.

Shower curtain: If your bathroom needs a shower curtain, consider adding a floor-to-ceiling decorative curtain like this one. This pulls the colors from the art and towels to another location in the bathroom and adds additional patterns to the mix. Altogether a nice addition to the space.

Accessories: The flowers are a bright spot in the bathroom. You don’t need a lot of accessories for this bath. Just enough to add interest and one more spot of color.

When you decorate your bathroom, don’t be afraid to add color wherever you can. You will also be adding warmth, personality and interest.

Accessorizing your Bathroom

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accessorizing-your-bathroom-webWith a bathroom, you have a limited space to work with when accessorizing, so you want to make the most of your choices.

Here are some things to consider  to make your bath a special space for you whether you’re getting ready for your day or relaxing while preparing for bed.

Color: Do you like soft subtle colors in a bathroom? Take a look at how well grey and white work in this bath from the Rancho Mirage model in the Oasis at Queen Creek community. From the natural look to the diagonal tile floor to the rich soft grey on the walls, the room has a gentle feel that encourages relaxation. Brown and grey towels fit well with this color scheme.

Lighting: Although a bathroom’s lighting is built-in, it has a strong influence in the mood of a room which really makes it count as an accessory. In this room the contemporary fixture features the same brushed nickel finish as the faucets and the trim on the shower. Everything feels coordinated and it all works with the grey color scheme.

Art: Although there is only one piece of art in this bathroom, it has a serene and appealing style, and it is set in just the right place for viewing when in the tub. The darkening cloud-filled landscape pulls some color into the room without requiring all of your attention. It is as relaxing and inviting as the rest of this space.

If you want to take a closer look at this bathroom and a number of others, we invite you to tour our models in Oasis at Queen Creek. You can explore all the choices before deciding on the perfect bathroom for you.

A view from Outside: Bathroom

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Corsica-bath-webHave you ever thought about what a room looks like from the outside? That moment before you actually step into a room creates a person’s first impression of the space. Given this, you may want to spend a bit of time at your doorways looking at what people see as they first walk into every room in your home.

This bathroom takes advantage of every design and décor element to create just the right first impression. To begin with, the flooring transition is smooth, with an inviting and interesting tile pattern that fits well with the style and colors of the bedroom.

This bathroom is a study in contrast, and that is evident immediately when you look through the doorway. Notice how the mood created by the flooring is echoed in the sharp change in color between the dark vanity and light countertop.

The light fixture also supports that feeling, with a dark finish complementing the appealing light shades that shine without being overpowering.

Just a few accessories add charm to the vanity. Their dark tones also provide just the right amount of contrast to the white counter with size and shapes that are interesting without being overwhelming. Brown and grey tones from the artwork and towel suit the space while connecting the bath to the bedroom through color.

How much time have you spent looking into each room in your home from the hall or just outside? Take this opportunity to view your décor choices from a new perspective, and remember that the old adage “It’s never too late to make a first impression” works for rooms as well as people!

Decorate Using the Four Elements: Water

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water-3-cropped-webWhen decorating a pool area, it’s natural to lean toward the element of water in your design decisions. You already have the blue from the pool, and sand tones or grey bring a natural look to the space. Blue and white also make a great combination for a water-themed space. In this photo, the light hardscaping is the color of driftwood, which makes the area feel a bit beach-like.

water-cropped-webYou don’t actually need water to have a water-themed area. Take a look at this butler’s pantry to the left. The natural stone backing combined with the countertop creates the feeling of water running down the wall and across the counter into the small sink. This mood is enhanced by the clear glasses along with gold and silver metallic accessories. The water theme makes this spot the perfect place to serve drinks to family and friends.

water-2-cropped-webA bathroom is the most logical place to carry through a water theme. Once again, even without the blue-green color scheme that is common to water spaces, the sensation of water can come by using ultra-shiny tile in a vertical display, as the photo on the right shows. In both smaller photos, placing a light above the wall so that it shines across the surface helps create that feeling of water flowing.

Whether you use this concept outside by a pool or water feature, or inside near a sink or bathroom, expanding the water theme beyond the function of a space into the design allows you to enhance your home décor. All photos are from Fulton’s Legacy community.

A Relaxing Master Bath

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DSC_0153 (2)At the end of a long hard day, can you imagine sinking into a nice warm bath, maybe soothed by a generous helping of bubble bath in your favorite scent? The wide edging around the tub provides enough space to light a few candles and prop up a favorite paperback to read while soaking. This relaxing master bath is ready for you.

Or if you prefer showers, how about washing off the stress of the day in this oversized shower, complete with a bench to relax on?

No matter how you use your master bath, just walking into a room like this one can help reduce your stress. The vanity has plenty of storage space, making it easier to keep the counters tidy. The two tones of rectangular tile set the scene for a spa feeling.

Do you dream of a relaxing master bath like this one from Legacy? One with plenty of room, and designed to match your specific taste?

DSC_0098If instead you want one that has a more traditional style while kicking up the glamour, how about the master bath to the right? The gold pendant lights set the stage for luxury. Notice how the filigree creates an inviting pattern on the walls while the lower counter on the vanity provides a space to sit to fix your makeup.

This master bath also has a comfy tub in place, made for soaking. And if you peek in the mirror, you can see the reflection of a generous walk-in closet.

What would your ideal relaxing master bath look like? To get some great ideas, why not visit the models at our Legacy community? We think you will be enchanted by what you find there.