Take a moment and think, how much of your time each day is spent in the bathroom?

Let’s face it – you spend a lot of time in your bathroom.  The kitchen may be the focal point, but almost every guest will see your bathroom.  Though it may not be a social center like the kitchen, it’s definitely a room your guests will talk about and since it’s a room in which you’ll spend a lot of time – it makes sense to make it a room that’s clean, efficient, and comfortable.

If you’re remodeling your bathroom, starting out fresh, or even just wanting to add some quick updates, make sure it has the following (you’ll notice a few coincide with the kitchen):

• A hook – Every room needs a hook, something unique to pull you in and tie the room together. It could be something as simple as a fun shower curtain or towel set or a little more involved like a claw-foot bathtub or antique plumbing fixtures (a recycled-glass counter top would work in the bathroom too!).
• A mirror – Every bathroom needs a mirror.  End of story.  BUT, your options are endless, you can get a simple one or take it modern, futuristic, or antique and make the mirror your hook.
• Natural light – In addition to the natural mood booster, nothing brightens up a bathroom more than natural light.  Skylights, sky tubes, and windows do wonders for the light levels of your bathroom.  Plus, windows are key for foggy mirrors and air exchange.
• Storage – You don’t need a warehouse, but you’ll need to put stuff somewhere, especially around the sink and in the shower.  It all depends on how you operate, can you store most of what you need behind the mirror and larger stuff in cabinets under the sink or do you want drawers too?  How much do you keep in the shower?  Would a ceramic shelf in the corner hold it or is in-the-wall shelving more want you want?
• Comfort – You spend a lot of time in the bathroom, probably more than you think.  Warm, neutral colors like pale yellows and beiges can help or you could go with cool colors, like greens and blues, for a tranquil atmosphere.  Towels, porcelain, fluffy bath mats, shower curtains, you name it; you can probably find it in your desired color.
• A curved shower rod – If you have an open shower, a curved shower rod can give your bathroom a more modern feel and give you a surprising amount of extra space in your shower.
• Visual texture – Much like the kitchen, mixing materials can set a mood.  Tiles, wood, stone, marble, different colors of porcelain – you can mix and match any of these to create a bathroom that looks great and is easy to clean.  Plus, simply adding some accent tiles can spice up your bathroom without having to overhaul everything.
• A great sink – The sink is one of the focal points of your bathroom and you can change it depending on your style and needs. Maybe a detached basin with vintage plumbing fixtures is more your style or maybe you like a large countertop and a wider, shallower sink.
• A trash can – You may not enjoy emptying trash (we don’t know anyone who does), but a small trash can is a must in the bathroom.  One in a neutral, solid color with a swinging lid will make your trash can a bit more discreet.
• A door hook – Things can pile up in a bathroom, a robe here, an extra towel, laundry, etc.  With a hook on the door, in addition to your towel rack, you can hang up your robe or hang up an extra towel to dry – it’s an easy way to reduce clutter and keep things off the floor.

Keep an eye out for parts 3 and 4 – We’re doing lists for decks and basements too!  And, in case you missed Part 1 of the series, check out the 10 Things Every Kitchen Needs!

Photo credits:

• http://mirrorzonline.com.au
• http://www.woatile.com/stone-mosaic-accents.htm

In every house, the kitchen is a focal point.  It’s definitely not the only important room in your house, but it’s one of the rooms you’ll use the most and oftentimes becomes a social center.  So, it makes sense to ensure it’s a room that’s comfortable to be in, efficient, and easy to use.

If you’re remodeling your kitchen or starting out fresh, make sure it has the following:

• 

  Recycled glass can be fantastic for a hook that adds visual texture.

  Natural light – This will make working in the kitchen in the morning and during the day more enjoyable, you’ll be able to see better and the natural light will provide a mood boost as well.

• Visual texture – By mixing materials, you can create a mood for your kitchen.  Warm woods and finishes mixed in with stainless steel accents and countertops can give off a bright, welcoming atmosphere.
• If they’re within your budget, a few high quality pots and pans, knives, and high-performance appliances (ovens and burners included) don’t hurt.  Ina Garten lists the following in her checklist:
  • Good set of sharp knives
  • Small and large sauté pans, small and large lidded pots, and a large stockpot
  • Large roasting pan
  • Mixer
  • Food processor
  • Set of stainless steel/clear glass bowls
  • Wooden spoons and rubber spatulas
  • Whisks and measuring spoons
  • Electric knife sharpener
  • Cutting board
  • Meat thermometer
  • Black oven mitts (these won’t show burns and wear as much as lighter colors would).
  • Half-sheet pans (great for roasting vegetables, baking cookies and brownies, and more!)
• A hook – We’re not referring to the equipment behind hanging things, though they can be handy.  This is something that pulls you in, something unique.  It could be something as simple as a pot rack or a little more elaborate, like a well-placed island or recycled glass piece countertop.
• Comfort – You spend a lot of time in the kitchen and so does everyone else, add some seating to the island with soft cushions (if you have one), a TV helps, and so does a radio.
• Stainless steel – It looks great with everything and is very useful (plus, it’s easy to clean).
• An Island – As long as there’s space for it, this can easily become the social center of your kitchen.
• 

  Add space with integrated refrigeration.

  Integrated refrigeration – A fridge is large and boxy, if it fits within the cabinets you build around it instead of in front of a wall, you will have more freedom to design your kitchen like a room.

• A great sink – You can add accessories to make your life there easier and your work more efficient (we hear sliding cutting boards are pretty popular).
• And, when in doubt, hire a Kitchen Designer – If you’re truly in a rut or you want to run your ideas by someone before making the investment, a professional opinion can be invaluable.

Remodeling your kitchen or starting from scratch can be a daunting task.  Trends are always changing and sometimes it’s hard to keep up with everything.  At the end of the day, take the time to plan your kitchen for you and your use – after all, you’re the one who’s going to be living and working in it.

Keep an eye out for parts 2, 3, and 4 – We’re doing lists for bathrooms, decks, and basements too!

Photo credits:

• http://www.naturalbuilthome.com/kitchen-bath/counter-tops/recycled-glass/vetrazzo-recycled-glass-countertop.html
• http://www.homeparadise.com/appliances-refrigeration-c-259_264.html

Toilets, lavatories, commodes, cans, johns, latrines, outhouses, privies, loos, and of course thrones.  Given that the toilet is often considered the throne of your bathroom, it seemed only fitting to examine the different ways people decorate their throne from 24 Karat Gold and Diamonds to crazy shapes and  new age concepts, you’ll find it all within our gallery.

Image Credits:

• http://blog.toiletpaperworld.com/unique-toilet-made-of-candy/
• http://creakofboots.blogspot.com/2012/11/toilets-with-view.html
• http://funandmania-funtime.blogspot.com/2010/04/unique-and-funny-toilets-collection.html
• http://howto-krishnaraj.blogspot.com/2011/04/most-unusual-and-unique-toilets-in.html
• http://izismile.com/2009/03/09/the_most_unusual_toilets_14_photos.html
• http://now.msn.com/toilets-of-the-world
• http://virgieswebplace.blogspot.com/2008/07/unique-toilets.html
• http://www.blog.mr-uxn.com/2010/12/oldest-most-simple-and-golden-toilet.html
• http://www.nowthatsnifty.com/2009/05/unique-and-strange-toilets-and-urinals.html#.UPmKq2-_JnQ
• http://www.nowthatsnifty.com/2011/07/unique-and-strange-toilets-and-urinals.html#.UPmQZm-_JnQ
• http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unique-urinals-10-most-bizarre-toilets

While you’re boxing up the decorations from this season – keep these in mind for the next (and adapt them for other holidays throughout the year too)!

When decorating for the holidays, most people hit the usual suspects: the front yard, the outside trim of the house, the front door, the windows, and the tree. Those that like to go all out will also decorate dining rooms and living rooms. That covers almost every place you can decorate. If you really want to make a lasting impression on your guests, do whatever decorating you usually do, but add some holiday touches to a few places that are usually overlooked, like the bathroom, kitchen, and deck.  Make sure you check out the small gallery when you get to the bottom of the post to see photos of some of these ideas in action!

When it comes to the bathroom, a lot of people will add a holiday-themed soap or hand towel and leave it at that. After all, more often than not, your guests will use the bathroom. But why stop at soap and a small towel? Why not go all out and decorate this area as much as the rest of the house with some of these bathroom design ideas? Well, it is a bathroom, so maybe not quite as much as the rest of the house.

• Shower curtains are easy enough to change – red, green, gold, holiday-patterned, penguins, snowmen, the list goes on and on. A shower curtain is a great way to both personalize and decorate your bathroom.
  • But, perhaps you have a shower door instead of a curtain. You could hang a holiday-themed towel set on the towel bar/bars for an easy decoration.
• Upgrade your countertops, sinks, & faucets or update outdated faucets, countertops, and sinks to impress your guests.  Guests could end up being the perfect reason for finally checking that off your list.
• Remember that big red candle and gold ribbon centerpiece leftover from Thanksgiving? Put that on the bathroom counter or on the tank of the toilet and voila! Your bathroom is decorated for the holidays!
• You could even take a small string of lights and drape them around the mirror.
• A small red table would liven up your bathroom for the holidays.  That table that’s been in storage for years?  Clean it up, paint it, and put it in the bathroom with Christmas color towels for your guests.

The kitchen is a focal point of the holidays – for the food, not usually for the decorations. If your guests are longtime friends, relatives, or just curious, you can bet they’ll be taking a peek into your kitchen. Show them something they probably haven’t seen before with some unexpected, extra decorations.

• Decorate your refrigerator! You can line it with lights or accent with fun magnets and/or cards.
• If you have an island, you can wrap lights around the top or the base, that way you can decorate and still maintain functionality.
  • If the island will end up being extra space, a decorative centerpiece or Christmas village would fill the space and serve as an attention-grabbing, impression-maker.
• Similar to the bathroom, you can upgrade your countertops, sinks, & faucets or update outdated ones.  Guests are a great excuse to check some items off the to-do list!
  • If you have a counter with a color that fits the holidays, accent with candles, snowmen, gingerbread figures, whatever fits your style.
• Painting cabinets is another option. It’s a bit more intensive than throwing up some decorations, but it’s not as permanent as adding/changing tile or replacing the counters.
• Placing ribbons on the cabinets is a clever way to decorate.
  • You can clip cards to the ribbon with clothespins for a personalized, homey touch.

Outdoor decks are often ignored during the holidays. Most of the time, people wrap lights around the railings and leave them alone. After all, it’s cold outside and most guests would rather stay inside. However, with some of these ideas, your guests may just venture outside to take a peek and might decide to stay a while (barring tons of snow, of course).

• Aside from wrapping lights around railings, you can string lights from the roof to the railing for interesting aerial lights.
• A deck firepit allows you the possibility of having a small, contained bonfire on your deck, which can be used for both warmth and for fun activities like toasting marshmallows.
  • You could even have a snowman making contest utilizing marshmallows and other candies.
• Tiki torches tend to be used more for spring/summer nights, but they do make a metal torch version to act as outdoor heaters, which you can use to encourage outdoor exploration.
• Instead of “decking the halls,” you can wrap your deck rails with boughs of holly and add wreaths for accents.
• Using strips of wide, decorative ribbon, you can wrap the railing and small support poles of your deck for a festive touch.

The holidays can bring out the interior designer in all of us. Embrace it, don’t be afraid to experiment, and if a remodeling job fits the bill – go for it. When you’re thinking of decorations, remember, it’s not about everything being perfect and, whatever you do, have fun. Most importantly, have a safe, happy holiday season!

Surprise!  Somewhere, sometime, maybe even as you read this – it’s happening to someone, maybe even you.  It’s only a few days before Thanksgiving and the location of this year’s family gathering has changed – it’s now at your house.

Imagine you just received the news and think about it, you thought Thanksgiving dinner was happening somewhere else.  Your dining room is a bit of a mess and, let’s face it, a bit un-festive.  For the sake of a stress-free, smooth family dinner, you need to do some decorating – and quick.

Keep reading for 11 decoration ideas that will have your house looking festive just in the nick of time (at least enough to satisfy any nitpicky relatives).

11 Quick, Creative & Crafty Thanksgiving Home Décor Ideas

1. Make a festive centerpiece for your table (unless that’s where you put the turkey).
   1. Artificial fall foliage is a great way to get festive quick!  If you’re feeling especially crafty, surround a large red, brown, or cream-colored candle with foliage and add ribbon as an accent.
2. Keeping with the foliage trend, wrap strands of leaves around doorways and banisters of stairs.  If your kitchen overlooks the dining room, you could even get away with framing your cabinets with strands of leaves.
3. White pumpkins are in around this time of year!  Wrap two or three with festive ribbons or leaf strands and place them on the table, counter, or windowsills for a sophisticated, festive look.
4. Wreaths are not just for Christmas!  You can get a plain wreath and decorate it with fall-colored leaves and ribbons, adding small gourds for accents.
5. Change the light bulbs in the dining room to a yellow or orange-tinted bulb for a warm glow (without the fireplace).  It will give the room that cozy, intimate feel (and the soothing glow will help distract from and cover up the lack of decoration if time runs too short).
6. Garnish your place settings with tiny cornucopias of M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces (or both!). 
1. Dip the tip of a waffle cone in warm water for about 20 seconds, then microwave for the same amount of time.  Gently use a clean pencil to roll the tip into a curl, hold for 20 seconds, and then fill cone with the candy of choice.
1. Add ribbon for a festive touch.
7. Lacking decoration on a flat surface?  Place a pumpkin there and surround with candles.  Add leaves, ribbons, and/or other gourds for accents.
8. Have a fireplace, but not planning to use it?  Fill it with pumpkins and gourds of various sizes and colors.  It will end up being a focal point of the room and appears extravagant enough to deem other decorations unnecessary.
9. Switch your standard salt & pepper shakers for something fall-themed, like pumpkins.
10. Switch your tablecloth.  A cream-colored cloth with a red or orange runner will make your table the focal point of the room – even before the food shows up.
11. It’s a bit kitschy, but if you’re out of time and ideas, there are always those fun holiday-themed inflatables for your front yard.  Holidays should be filled with laughter; an inflatable in the yard definitely sets the mood for humor.

A last-minute change of plans can be stressful – it doesn’t have to be. Take a moment, breathe, and then pick a couple of items from this list.  You’ll be ready for the holiday season in no time and fully prepared to have everyone over in no time!

Based on the way everyone is talking, you would think the Zombie Apocalypse is happening tomorrow. Well, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, nonetheless.  Preparations are in full-swing.  For just a million dollars or two, you can reserve your own half-floor or full-floor condo through suvivalcondo.com.  They’re a lot fancier than anything you may have seen on AMC’s The Walking Dead.  For those of us without millions of dollars at our disposal, don’t fret – there are other options.  Providing they are zombie-free or can easily be cleared of zombies, there are plenty of buildings well-suited for protection, be they missile defenses, forts, castles, or on islands.

As a disclaimer, protection and preparation are great, but some of these zombie safe houses are only great protection under certain assumptions.  These strongholds will hold, well, strong, assuming that zombies cannot:

• swim
• climb
• operate boats
• move very quickly
• survive extremely cold temperatures

Let’s assume that you, like most of the population, have neither millions of dollars nor the ability to hunker down in these featured places, what do YOU do?

No need to panic!  You can take cues from these prime examples and remodel your home to be outfitted properly with some of the protective features. To be even more prepared, you can practice surviving the Zombie Apocalypse by entering the RPG world.  Armed with missions and resource guides to enhance your chances of survival, Yellow Dawn is a great place to start.  Whether it’s fortified walls, missile-proof windows, wrought-iron gates, a boat, or even a moat that is more your style, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for preparing your home for the Zombie Apocalypse within our gallery.

Image Credits:

• http://www.awsm.com/4981/solid-block-of-modern-ness-for-zombie-defense/
• http://survivalcondo.com/documents/the_concept.html
• http://brettstrikesback.com/blog/in-case-of-zombies/
• http://thehousecat.blogspot.com/2011/10/zombie-apocalypse-preparation-level.html
• http://zombieapocalypseacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/daily_picdump_604_640_87.jpg
• http://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-places-to-stay-after-the-zombie-apocalypse-2011-10?op=1#
• http://zombie-forum.com/zombie-blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/zombie-castle.jpg
• http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1933&start=240
• http://napavalleyregister.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/a-zombie-proof-house-at-di-rosa-explores-hope-and/article_dcd52c14-97b1-11e0-abcb-001cc4c03286.html
• http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/timon-sager-wolke-7
• http://www.artificialowl.net/2008/07/maunsell-army-sea-forts-red-sands.html
• http://cheezburger.com/5934959616
• http://homes.yahoo.com/news/anti-zombie-strongholds-for-sale.html?page=all
• http://www.realtor.com/blogs/2012/06/01/penetrate-this-sixteen-fortresses-for-staving-off-the-zombie-apocalypse-photos/

Romanoff Floor Covering (RFC) is pleased to announce that it has recently acquired top-rated remodeling provider, Affordable Contracting.

RFC’s leadership is excited about the opportunities this acquisition will create for both companies’ customers. Affordable Contracting, one of 2011’s Top 5 Residential Remodelers in the Atlanta Business Chronicle and among the top 500 nation-wide, provides the same “Perfect 10” customer service levels enjoyed by RFC flooring customers. Now those seeking to delve into additional remodeling projects can feel good in continuing to work with a team they know and trust.       Read more…

Fall is upon us.  With the changing of the seasons, you may be itching to change around some aspects of your home.  Whether it’s a full kitchen or bathroom remodeling or just some new touches to freshen things up, there are some great color trends for your kitchen and bathroom with endless possibilities.  This year, there isn’t just one particular color sweeping into kitchens and bathrooms – there are a few.  This time around, the focus is more on combinations and touches of color.  Reds, oranges, greens, blues, and purples are popping up all over the place.       Read more…

Extravagant kitchen faucets are what define the truly luxurious lifestyle of the rich and famous. These modern faucets are products of today’s advanced technology and elegant designs. If you are all for standing out and making your kitchen the envy of your friends, here are the top ten most extravagant kitchen faucets you can choose from:

You could hardly go wrong with choosing stylish kitchen faucets made of high-quality materials. It’s a bit heavy on the budget but totally completes the ideal look and functionality of your kitchen. Zada Hadid offers the Triflow Faucet with a three-way tap:       Read more…