Category Archives: Bathrooms

The one place where mold can build up quickly is in your bathroom. Mold problems grow well in constantly moist areas. The bathroom qualifies as the perfect breeding area for mold. Mold will start to grow on grout between tiles in the shower and in the corners of the tub or shower. If caulking was used in a home remodeler, in these areas around the tub or shower, the caulk should be mold proof. Being a fastidious housekeeper does not guarantee any mold build up somewhere in the home. If one keeps up with at least weekly cleaning of the bath areas there should not be too much of a mold buildup. If you or anyone in the household has allergies, mold can be the factor for sinus problems and sneezing. It is easy to keep this allergen out of the house, with a few good tips on what to use for a good bathroom cleanup. If you have hired a bathroom contractor to come and do a bathroom remodel, the contractor can use mold resistive items in this area.

The following are helpful tips on how to get rid of mold build up in the bathroom. Always check your ventilation system in your bathroom, and make sure that there is a good flow of air. If your bathroom has fans, make sure that they are working properly and are frequently cleaned at least monthly. A quick wipe down of the fan weekly would be a wise move and makes a monthly clean up less taxing. A small dehumidifier in the bathroom will help remove excess moisture from the shower, thus decreasing mold buildup. When purchasing bath accessories such as shower liners, curtains and rugs, make sure that they are resistive to mold. Floor tile in the bath area with washable throw rugs is smart choice, rather then wall to wall carpeting. Mold proof caulking can cut down on the build up of unwanted mold. Check the function of plumbing to make sure that there are not water leaks.

It is relatively easy to cleaning a bathroom of mold. Recommended by professional cleaning companies and individuals who clean homes and businesses for a living, is to use a bleach and water solution of 1/4 to 1/2 cup of bleach to one gallon of water. The solution can be transfered into a spray bottle and sprayed on the mold areas. Let the solution sit for 15-20 minutes before scrubbing off. One can also find commercial cleaning solutions that are made for mold clean up and these also work well on those hard to clean areas. One caution is to never mix cleaning solutions together. Never mix bleach with other cleaning solutions as it can create harmful vapors. When using a bleach solution, make sure that the room is well ventilated and wear a mask. This will help to prevent the user from breathing in any bleach fumes.

Photo Credit: http://homesbyburma.com

A popular trend today within newly built homes or remodel projects is to have granite countertops installed, whether it is in the kitchen, bathroom or bar. Granite is a beautiful addition to any space because of the natural beauty in the different veins, specks and swirls that makes each piece of granite unique. When you’re getting ready to plan your remodel or new project, discuss with your contractor or professional granite fabricator to find out how you can work this gorgeous stone into your space. Here are many other reasons why granite is an excellent choice to have in your home:

More “counter space” and “storage”. As a kitchen and bath designer, I hear these two requests from clients more than any other.

While function and look are close runners up, people never seem to verbalize that they also want comfort.  I know you want it, people! I have been in beautiful, spacious kitchens that just aren’t user friendly.  That’s sad.

Here are some of the questions I ask my customers when taking their needs into consideration. If your designer doesn’t ask you any of these, make sure you bring it up!

Time spent in any business seems to generate anecdotes about experiences and situations that are just too funny to be true.  After 36 years in the remodeling business the stories have begun to pile up.  Some of them are serious, some funny, all of them true with something to be learned.
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It never ceases to amaze me the lengths some people will go to deceive someone. I often wonder how productive these people would be if the same amount of creativity and energy were put forth in a positive manner. This is a story that takes “seeing is believing” to a new level.

Time spent in any business seems to generate anecdotes about experiences and situations that are just too funny to be true.  After 36 years in the remodeling business the stories have begun to pile up.  Some of them are serious, some funny, all of them true with something to be learned.
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My remodeling career has afforded me the opportunity to experience various aspects of the business world.  When I had recently graduated from college, I started in the contracting business as a salesperson.  Sales was not a career I would have chosen at the time but I’m glad I did. I became proficient at designing and selling bathrooms for a local plumbing contractor who had begun a remodeling company as well.

Gina Bonura is a Kitchen and Bathroom Designer at Alure Home Improvements. Read more of her thoughts on color at “COLOR 101: How to Make Your Home Project Go from’“Nice’ to ‘Wow’”

Here is an example of a soothing and secure wall color

Sometimes it’s overwhelming to select colors for the kitchen and bathroom in the home.

Gina Bonura is a Kitchen and Bath Designer at Alure Home Improvements

One of my biggest challenges as a designer is to get clients over their fear of color. Color is what makes the project go from “nice” to “WOW“.

I think the fear of color comes mainly from three things:

1. Commitment – people fear that they will tire of the color in a few years
2. Wrong color choice - they are afraid it will make the room look small, or won’t match
3. Can’t picture it – they just can’t picture what it will look like.

Help is on the way - read on!

Gina Bonura is a Kitchen and Bath Designer at Alure Home Improvements

In all my years as a Kitchen and Bath designer, there is one question I hear over and over again:

“What do I clean that with?”

Truthfully, with the right products, and by starting out with low maintenance materials, even the most reluctant housework haters will find it not so hard to clean their kitchens and bathrooms. Over the years, through lots of personal trial and error, I have found what works and what doesn’t.

Scaling of Elements
Shapes, actual and implied textures, along with the placement of fixtures are being used to create scale. The overall composition of kitchens and baths is being defined by a sense of scale, which is both functional and visually appealing. An irregularly textured pebbled wall, marbled surface in glass tile, reflective metallic material, or symmetrically hung pendant lighting directs the eye around the room and contributes to a balanced space. Distinctive wall coverings, tin ceilings and the implied texture of a pronounced wood grain are all stand-out details that are being seen as contributors to the balanced scale of current designs.

Color with Energy
Bold colors are creating a vibrant splash in room palettes for 2010, with rich blues, purples, greens, and citric yellow making their confident appearance in kitchens and baths. Colors exuding emotion, acting not merely as a passive backdrop for the room, but bringing life through lighting, wall colors, and wood tones, are profoundly impacting the most innovative designs. Colors from nature combined with others more synthetically blended, are inducing a feeling of movement and motion throughout the room through sharp contrasts.

Space Subtleties

Fixtures once confined by location are now incorporated into kitchen and bath designs in almost limitless ways. This freedom in the use of space allows designers to create design-driven room plans rather than those driven by necessity and space solutions. Floating vanities and wall-mounted toilets allow an unobstructed and spacious feel to a bathroom, while appliances that are stacked and positioned within islands are contributing to functionality in the kitchen by bringing together task space with the right appliances.

Japanese Influences

The impact of Japanese design can be seen very subtly in clean lines, open spaces, and neutral color palettes with bold splashes of color in select areas. More apparent Japanese influence is showing up in designs across North America, relying often on one strong anchor piece of Japanese origin. Artwork, Japanese antiques, and the traditional qualities of Japanese culture are at the core of some compelling kitchen and bath designs. The cultural effects seem not only to be additions or decorations to the design, but are deeply embedded as a primary ingredient.

Art Integration

An intense level of personalization in kitchen and bath design is taking different forms. The introduction of a favored piece of art—perhaps a framed painting or an antique sculpture—as the basis for a design creates challenges, but also offers guidelines and solutions to color and material choices, as well as selections of theme. As artwork itself is personal to the owner, this presents an immediately intimate quality to the space. This method of integration allows the designer to fold all other aspects of the room around the treasured piece.

For more hot design ideas visit National Kitchen & Bath Association

Things to consider when remodeling your bathroom

• Layout and space needs
• Quality products
• Installation
• Service and Warranty