Under the Sink: Doesn't Cut It!

When you have a tiny bathroom, you need to maximize your storage. Under the sink just doesn't cut it!

We found a simple and easy to assemble unit at Target. What I like about it is, in addition to open shelving, there is a little cupboard. The things you keep in your bathroom don't need to be on display.

We also found a great new set for the toothbrush holder, soap pump, and cotton swab containers. We bought these at Home Goods. (Do you have a local Home Goods? It's a fun store to shop in!)

This great skinny little magazine rack was a great find at a tag sale several years ago! It fits perfectly in the  bathroom, and the dark wood adds a nice contrast to the clean white in the space.

To add some elegance, I took some simple close-up photos of flowers, and put them in this super simple silver frame, that was pre-matted in white with all the spots. I simply printed them out in the right size to fit the frame.  (PS.. in my apartment, as in most they prefer we don't put a bunch of holes in the wall, so to hang most pictures, I use Command Hooks.)

How do you keep your bathroom neat and organized? Do you have additional shelving? Do you have problem keeping things in order in this small space? Let me know, I'm always happy to hear from you!

Happy Designing! Feel free to report on any design issues that need addressing, or just pop in and leave your thoughts.  Thanks for reading!

Graduation!

I have officially graduated with my Associates in Interior Design! It was Norwalk CC's fiftieth annual commencement ceremony, and it was lovely. My parents flew in from Seattle for the event, and P and his family came to support me as well.

I am bursting with pride. This has been a long and sometimes very rocky path, and I am so thrilled that I have made it through.

I spent a wonderful weekend with my family taking in the sights of New England, and I am now enjoying a morning without school! 

What's next? Well, more blogging of course! I will be on the lookout for exciting new things to share with you. I have started a Facebook Page for the blog, if you "like" it, you will receive more frequent updates from the design world. 

Happy designing! See you next week for more on the Co-Habitating projects!

More Clothes, More Closet!

About a month back, my boyfriend P and I decided it was time to move in together. But that meant that we would have a lot more clothes! We live in a one bedroom apartment, with a standard closet, measuring 8'W x 9' H x 1.5'D. Here is what the existing closet had for hanging space:

We had one hanging rod, at about 6' above the floor. With no secondary closets in the entire apartment, we needed to solve this. We went to the local hardware store, picked up the supplies for an extra shelf and hanging bar, as well as, all of the systems to properly hook it into the wall.

I now wish that I had taken pictures of all of our fails, but I don't, so let me explain what we did. First we removed the existing shelf and hanging bar. Then we moved it up to 7' from the floor, using plastic molly's, and screws to secure the shelf, then to test it, we started hanging up the clothes... and then the shelf started falling out of the wall. This was incredibly frustrating!

So we went back to the hardware store, and asked what to do. We needed to get different supports for the shelving that attached to the back of the closet. This support was of course only made in a 3'-6" span, or a 9' span. The smaller was much too small, even if we put in two, and the second was about a foot too wide. So we bought a hack saw, and the larger shelf. With that we also bought hardcore drywall anchors, and a stud finder. (P thought this was for him!)

Then we got back to work. Now, because the drywall was weakened from the plastic mollies ripping out, we had to move the shelf another 6" up from the floor, making it 7'-6" from the floor, all said and done. We searched for the studs, but as we live in an old historic building that was never supposed to be living space, the closets weren't framed out with the studs set the way we see them now. We were a bit nervous about not being able to anchor into the stud, but since we had the drywall anchors that say then hold up to 75lbs/anchor, we went ahead.

After measuring, drilling in the anchors, screwing in the back support rail, and putting up the vertical pieces for the shelf to hook into, we did just that. We put up the shelf and bar, and tried again to hang clothes on it. It held! we put of the secondary shelf 3' below the top shelf, putting it at 4'-6" from the floor, and centered in the closet. This self is only 4' wide, so that we could add some hanging shelves on either side, hanging from the top rack.

When I previously stated that "it held"...it didn't! Well it did, but only for 2 days. This time everything hooked into the wall, with the heavy duty drywall anchors, remained in the wall. But the vertical supports, hooking into that, maneuvered themselves out of the back support. UGH! We realized that we needed to anchor-in these supports as well, instead of just screwing them in. Luckily, since nothing ripped out of the wall, we didn't have to start over completely again.

Here we were able to use the plastic mollies, as this area wasn't holding the bulk of the weight of the closet. We screwed everything back into place, and re-hung all of our clothing again. Then after several days of it still standing, we hung the shelves on either end. After it hung for a full week, we celebrated!

The good news is, now we know how to do it right, if ever we have to do it again, and all of you can learn from my mistakes!

Best of all, we can fit all of our hanging clothes, and we have storage space for all of our off season bedding, and linens to go!!  Here's how it looks now:

Overall, it makes a considerable difference, and it is still standing one month later (knock on wood!). Over the next several weeks, I will be showing you all of the little things we had to do, in order for the two of us, and all of our stuff, to fit under the same roof!

Happy Designing, and as always, be sure to comment with any questions!

President's Office

Our latest school project was to redesign the President's office. The exciting thing about this project is that, one of the three design teams would be chosen to have their design executed over the Summer of 2012, so I could potentially have something great to show you in the Fall.
I was paired with two extremely creative, and smart women: Viviana Velazquez, and Suraya Raine.

Here is what we came up with:
There are the best images we got of our presentation boards. This image shows the floor plan of the space which contains the Administrative Assistant's office, the President's office, the Conference Room, Kitchenette and Bathroom Space, and a small copy room.

We wanted to incorporate a flow through the space so we implemented a lot of glass along the outside wall, so from the hallway, you get a more open look (through frosted glass) and feel. We suggested having a window cling made of the Norwalk Community College emblem made, and put on the main outside window, which you can see on the second illustration.

We kept a lot of the existing furniture, painted it white, and changed the desktops out to ones with subtle curves. We have included a lot of shelving and storage space. In the President's office there were existing built-in shelves, which we kept, but again, painted white, changed the configuration of them to add spaces to showcase student artwork. Because we added these art spaces within the shelves, we have also put in under-cabinet lighting to properly showcase the art. 

Here in the kitchen and bath space, we switched out some of the appliances, from a full oven/stove, to a two-burner stove top, allowing not only more counter space, but functional drawer space to go in below. We were also able to find a compact Energy Star refrigerator/freezer combo that fits below the counter. We painted the cabinetry white, and found the above vertical grayish/blue white striped paper to use as the back-splash.

Wallpaper is an easy to clean and inexpensive option in a kitchen like this that isn't going to be used for excessive cooking. We pulled the blue color out and painted it in the space above the microwave to add more color in the small kitchen. We also put in a sunny yellow counter-top material, that is made out of recycled paper! You can find it here.

In the bathroom, we kept things the same, with the exception of a fresh coat of paint, some wainscoting, a new mirror, and some wall sconces. The larger mirror gives the allusion of more space. The sconces and warmth and dimension by layering the lighting.

In the conference room we just rotated the focus of the space, used a horse-shoe arrangement for the tables, and put in a Smart Board. We altered the closet openings to be sliding doors, instead of regular hinged doors, and they now go across the entire closet. We have put in a closet system with a lot of shelving for ample storage.

The last thing we did was re-arrange the layout of the coat closet and the printer space. We turned the coat closet so that it opens into the copy room now as opposed to opening into the secretaries office. By doing this we were able to open up the copy room and give more space for someone to get into the closet and use the space. We found a smaller printer, that has the same capabilities.

We wanted to create a more fluid space while incorporating influences of multiculturalism. This is a community college, but, there are people within this school from all over the world. We wanted this to feel like a cohesive space that could speak to any of these individuals. We accomplished this through the lines, curves, and color scheme. We have proposed that this color scheme be implemented throughout the school eventually to create a cohesive theme throughout the entire college atmosphere.

Overall we came in $5,000 under budget. The President hasn't made a decision yet, but the presentations went well. All three of the projects were great. I will keep you posted.

Happy designing. Remember, if you have any specific comments or questions, feel free to leave them below with your contact info and I will address them!

864 Square Feet: After

The condo is complete! Instead of doing a lot of blabbing about all of the improvements, let me just show them to you...

Here is the progress of the space:

While doing all of the tiling we decided to extend it into the bathroom as well.

We had to deal with the lumps and bumps underneath the kitchen floor.

Lots of little details to finish

Covering up the last of the vibrant blue wall.

the sub-floor beneath the old carpeting.

Some of the finished paint details:

We painted the details in the door to add dimension.

We did similar detailing around the molding of the fireplace.

Close-up of the mantel. 

Crisp white molding frames the walls nicely.

And now for the main event! Here is the new home:

Kitchen, Complete with appliances, new tile floors, and a fresh coat of paint.

Dining Room, fresh paint, some wall art, shelving to showcase the Client's shot-glass collection

New fixture in the Dining Room

The view of the sunken living room from the front door. You can see the beautiful patterned carpet.

The view from within the living room. Here you can see the complimenting detail of the patterned carpet mingling with the cut pile in the rest of the house.

The patio with the excellent view of the trees and the mountainside.

The hallway leading to the bedrooms and bath, all the walls and doors with fresh paint.

The completed bathroom with tiles, and new curtain up.

Another view of the bath. Fresh paint, and accessorized vanity.

A fishbowl view of the second bedroom. Currently serving as an office, and storage space with its lovely lavender paint.

The Master Suite, with fresh paint, a Chocolate accent wall, and new bed linens.

The other end of the room leads into the walk-in closet, and the bathroom.

We don't want to forget the Laundry closet. The tile extends from  the kitchen through the entry  and into the  laundry space, making it easy to clean, and giving a long cohesive line through the space.

Lastly, here is the beautiful blanket, that was knit up for this client as a house-warming gift. What a special treasure to be cherished in her home.

So what do you think? We are currently working on getting all of the window treatments up and organizing the final touches. The bulk of the work is completed. The carpeting looks great, as does the tile, and I love how all of the paint turned out. With a project like this, and a client with a tight budget, it was important to do the big, overhauling pieces first. Save the smaller details for afterwards. It is much easier to save for a window panel, or a curtain rod, than entirely new flooring and paint throughout. We were lucky enough to have a team of family doing the bulk of the labor here which helped stretch the budget immensely!

Overall, this condo is going down as a success, and thrilled with the final product. Hopefully I can show you the window treatments soon!

Happy Designing, and remember to feel free to comment and let me know if there are any challenging spaces that you would like some hints on!

864 sq. ft. Before

Someone I am very close with just bought her very first home, an 864 sq ft condo! As shown below, it has a good layout, and good bones, but was in need of a little face-lift. This week I will show you how it was upon purchase, and next week I will show you the renovated product. The condo was purchased in early December 2011. The housewarming was last week, and there was one happy Hostess!

You can do a lot with 864 square feet.

Here is what the previous owners had done:

Kitchen

Living Room with vibrant blue fireplace focal point

Dark Bathroom

Guest Bedroom, with wires running through the walls, and a bulky TV mount

Master bedroom, with larger window, there is another little window off to the right letting more light in.

To Do: Replace the flooring throughout. (We were trying to get hardwood, and tile, but the HOA and downstairs neighbor wouldn't sign off on it.)
Paint!
Furniture Layout
Install window treatments
Get stove
Finishing touches, accessorize!

Next week, you can see some of the design being implemented, and the final product! I hope you will be amazed!

Playing with Color & Texture

Colors can make a huge impact. Spinning off the child's play theme we've been using, you can see how colors can make a room. They should be used everywhere, whether in small or large doses.

Often we think, "it needs to be a bold wall color in order to make an impact." However, color can be placed in small doses, in subtle locations. Sometimes, it is best to use a color-scheme based off of neutrals, or very muted colors that you can add bold splashes to as your taste changes. If you use subtle patterns, textures and colors of the same gradation, and mix in coordinating vivid colors, through window treatments, chair cushions, or even something as simple as throw pillows, you can change your look at the drop of a hat.

Layering your room is much like layering your outfit.
Be mindful of textures, patterns, and how you can mix in colors.
Start from the ground up. Your basic elements of your space, your flooring and walls.
Add your large pieces. Maybe an area rug to offset the cold feeling of a stone floor. You choose a sofa upholstered with a great tweed for visual texture.
Bring in some fun chairs to scale, with great details in the back, and a playfully colored seat cushion.
Then add some long flowing drapes in a whimsical design, that subtly adds another interesting element.

Then you can frame prints with textural elements to hang in your space. Here are two I found just by searching online:

Keep in mind the longevity of a living space. Unlike your outfits, you won't change it daily. You can, however, change it (seasonally, annually, etc.,) based on your own needs and interests. Choose pieces that aren't super trendy and use a trend you love as a starting point, then think of ways to change it based on your personal taste.

Flirt with the trends, while implementing your own twist.

I know, I know.. This was a wordy post. I hope you made it through to the end. Next week, will be almost entirely photos to balance it out.

Happy Designing! Please comment and let me know if you have any specific design trends you need help imlementing in your space!