In-Vogue Basins

The days of white, porcelain baths and stainless-steel kitchen sinks are over. Combining function with style and design, a new era of basins has arrived. Read full Home Improvement Online article here. 

In-Vogue Basins

By: Kathy Kidwell 

Bath basins
Exploding into the decorative and innovative categories are the newest bath tubs and sinks. To peruse the new offerings in decorative sinks, you need to look no further than vessel sinks. In the past few years, the vessel sink trend has grown, and this year, it has become an outlet for sculptors, creating works of art using a wide variety of materials. From hand-carved stone and onyx to tile, granite, colored glass, copper, bamboo and much, much more, the incredible palette of materials to choose from make the vessel sink a brilliant addition to any bath.

Innovations in the use of materials, incorporating water-saving technology and creating a spa at home have dramatically upgraded the options in today’s bath tubs. From chromatherapy and hydrotherapy to the use of Quaryl in Villeroy & Boch’s Squaro tub—a material that conducts heat very slowly, so the bath stays warm to the touch—upgrading your bath to a luxury suite is becoming more mainstream.

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How to Create a Comfortable Bathroom

Bathrooms News, an online home improvement and bathroom blog, shares an article on how to make your bathroom more comfortable. Click here to read the full article.

How to Create a Comfortable Bathroom

By: Bathrooms News

In this day of fast-paced communication, hectic professional life and demanding personal commitments, your bathroom is probably the only place where one can find a semblance of privacy and solitude. It is here that many individuals finally find time from their hectic schedule to be with themselves. No wonder many scientists of the yesteryears were at their creative and innovative best in their bathrooms.

The first question that occurs in our mind is what are the factors that need to be considered at the time of designing a bathroom? Irrespective of the amount of resources, and the level of comfort, and style that one aim, the most critical criteria that a bathroom need is a high level of cleanliness. The design, plan and the material used to create a bathroom itself lends the cleanliness to entire bathroom.

It is then followed, by the comfort level of a bathroom, and especially, how the toilets are designed and what it offers. It is a facility that all the members of a family whether they are young and old, would be using, and the last thing one would not want a cheap toilet that develops yellow stains, just within few months of purchase.

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World's Coolest Hotel Bathrooms

Great article posted on the Travel and Leisure.com that also appeared in "Making a Splash" in T+L Magazine about some of the coolest bathrooms around the globe, from Paris to Utah. Click here to read the full article.

World's Coolest Hotel Bathrooms
By: Adam Sachs
I first fell for Tokyo when I arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel at Marunouchi and read the little sign in my bathroom.

“Don’t be afraid of our toilet,” the note begged, politely, reassuringly.

I was far from afraid. I was transfixed, happy. I pressed all the buttons on the toilet, even the ones with the pictures of things I’d never want to have happen or couldn’t really comprehend. When that was done, I drew a bath in the outsize tub at the center of the room, fiddled with the electric shades and dimmers, turned on some hotel music, disgorged all the bath salts, and fetched a Cognac from the mini-bar.

Our bathroom rituals are different in hotels than they are at home because the function of that room is altered and enlarged. The home bath is a way station on the path of the everyday. Traveling, we’re off our routine and in need of comfort, warmth, and cleansing.

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Hidden Savings in Your Bathroom

Toilets consume about 27 percent of the water used inside the home. You can save water and money by checking your toilets for leaks, replacing your flapper and installing a fill cycle diverter or upgrading to a high- efficiency toilet.

Installing an early-closure flapper can save as much as 1.5 gallons per flush.

Investing in a high-efficiency toilet can save more than 4,000 gallons of water per person each year.

Up to a gallon of water per flush can be saved by installing a fill cycle diverter in your toilet tank. The diverter redirects water to the tank and less to the toilet bowl.

To install a toilet cycle diverter on a typical gravity-flush toilet, follow the instructions below:

1. Pull hose out from overflow tube.
2. Remove clip or holder, if any.
3. Insert diverter into hose end.
4. Push diverter onto overflow tube with one of its arms inside and one arm outside the overflow tube.
5. In some cases, the hose may need to be cut shorter to reduce buckling or tipping.
6. Follow these directions and soon you’ll be saving a substantial amount of water.

Bath Planet featured in Johnson City Press

Bath Planet was recently featured in an article in the Johnson City Press titled “Remodeling: DIY vs. contractor." The piece focuses on an increase in bathroom projects that Scott Brooks has seen since opening his Bath Planet location earlier this year. Scott discussed how Bath Planet can help homeowners who would like to be more involved in the project by giving them ideas of what it will cost, finding the right materials, and installation in the “wet areas” in the bathroom. Click here for the full article, or begin reading below.

Remodeling: DIY vs. contractor
By Madison Mathews

As the demand for remodeling projects continues to rise, so do the questions that often come with tackling upgrading parts of the home.

When is it beneficial to go the way of HGTV and do the project yourself, as opposed to hiring a contractor for the job?

That’s obviously one of the big questions whenever starting a home improvement project, but experts say there’s more to that question than meets the eye.

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Summer Bathroom Decorating Tips

We’re all trying to cool off, but when it comes to outfitting our bathrooms we all want the hottest designs. There’s nothing like the change of the seasons to get you in the mood to redecorate, and the bathroom should fall under your room decorating radar for summer! From seashells to nature-inspired designs, you can create a fresh new look for any size bathroom. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Highlights from the seashore are the perfect match for a fresh, aquatic-inspired look. You’ll find plenty of designs in carved ceramic, clean-cut porcelain, and simple but elegant rocks, pebbles, and other accessories fresh from the shore.
• A splash of color will add a unique look to your bathroom theme, and you can start with a basic cream or beige, and work on a fresh focal point. Choose yellow, orange, bright red, or another bright and bold color palette for a cheerful morning wake up!
• How about new towel bars and accessories? Even a slight change in the wall hooks and accessories can help you create a fresh look. Switch to chrome or brushed silver for a fresh and sparkling addition to the wall space.
• A new rug can quickly liven up the entire bathroom, so take your pick from beige and tan designs that speak of the outdoors. You’d be surprised at just how following one or two of these tips can really transform your bathroom into a room you can brag about!

How to Save Money on Your Water Bills This Summer

We all want to save money on our water bills, but we don’t want to be inconvenienced, Here are a few ways to save water without even noticing it! And so you know, summertime is when we waste the most water!

• For cold drinks keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap.
• This way, every drop goes down you and not the drain.
• Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. Your bill and water meter are tools that can help you discover leaks.
• Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation.
• Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.
• Spreading a layer of organic mulch around plants retains moisture and saves water, time and money.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk and save water every time.
• If your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace the showerhead with a water-efficient model.
• Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, then reuse it to water houseplants.
• If water runs off your lawn easily, split your watering time into shorter periods to allow for better absorption.
• Use sprinklers for large areas of grass. Water small patches by hand to avoid waste.

Follow these simple tips and soon you’ll notice a difference in your water bill!