Posts Tagged ‘Home Improvement Stores’

Guide to Kids’ Shower Curtains

Monday, October 5th, 2009
Decorating a kid’s bathroom can be fun. There are so many possible themes, such as Disney characters, animals, the ocean, and geometric shapes, just to name a few.

When decorating a kid’s bathroom, an important consideration is color. Many children enjoy bright, bold colors such as bright blues, reds, and yellows. Others prefer more subdued colors such as pastels. Some prefer a mix of many colors, while others prefer that one or two colors predominate.

When deciding on a theme and color scheme for a children’s bathroom, you might want to first shop for shower curtains. In many bathrooms, the shower curtain is the most prominent feature. If you find a shower curtain you particularly like, it is usually easy to decorate the entire bathroom to match.

Kid shower curtains are available in most of today’s popular characters, such as Hello Kitty, Barbie, Disney princesses, Sponge Bob Squarepants, and Bob the Builder. If you do not wish to use character decorations, many other kid-friendly themes are available as well. Ocean themes are popular choices for bathrooms. They can be fun and funky or simple and elegant, depending on colors used and the types of prints. Other well-liked styles are jungle prints, sports themes, rainbows, clouds, and nature scenes.

Another consideration is how long you need the décor to last. If you plan to change the bathroom often, it is okay to use your child’s favorite characters and bold, vibrant colors. However, if you want a style that will last, you should probably consider more traditional décor. Floral patterns, polka dots, checks, and stripes in pastels or understated colors are style elements that can grow with your child.

Like their adult counterparts, shower curtains for children are available in many different materials, such as vinyl, fabric, and plastic.

Kid shower curtains are readily available at most department stores, bedding stores, home improvement stores, and many online stores.

About the author:

by: Max Bellamy

Shower Curtains Info provides detailed information about unique, designer, hookless, fabric, and kids’ shower curtains, and shower curtain rods and hooks.  Bathroom Vanities Web

Adding a Fireplace Mantel

Monday, October 5th, 2009
Perhaps you already own a fireplace but would like to add a fireplace mantel to it? Or maybe this is a complete project you had in mind including the fireplace and its mantel. Regardless a fireplace mantel is an excellent addition to your living area. And, there are many choices to choose from as well. Wood or stone? A shelf or an entire surrounding wall?

Putting in a fireplace mantel into your home will add a nice touch to your fireplace. It will also give you considerable room to display your treasures. A mantel can be a great place for pictures, a sculpture, or even just knick knacks. Or, for another effect, it can be left empty.

Then there are the choices in fireplace mantels that you have. The first one is a wood fireplace mantel. A wood fireplace mantel would look great in a room that already had some wood items. Perhaps a knotted pine wall or the molding in the room will be a tool to find a matching fireplace mantel. The surrounding area in the room that you will place your fireplace should give you some idea of what you would like it to look like. Another option is stone. A stone fireplace mantel is very nice if the surrounding area will match it in some way. Adding touches of the element, whether stone or wood, throughout the room will help to make it mesh.

A fireplace mantel is an excellent addition to a home. It adds style and design as well as a place to store precious items that you wish to show off. A fireplace mantel that matches the room in some way is perfect. Finding the right one may prove to be a little more difficult, but shouldn’t be harder then checking out a few home improvement stores or catalogs. A fireplace mantel is something to consider if you have a fireplace or plan to install one.

About the author:

by: Mike Yeager

Checklist for Bathroom Remodeling Plans

Monday, October 5th, 2009
Careful planning is the key to a successful bathroom-remodeling project. Before you begin any work in the bathroom, create a budget, a floor plan, a list of supplies, a timetable, and important legal considerations. Let’s break it down by subject.

First, create a budget. Determine how much money you can comfortably spend, and save about 20 percent for emergencies. Get estimates for the work that needs professionals, and always include electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, and drywall installation costs in your budget.

Second, design a floor plan. Ask yourself, will you be working with the existing space or will you be adding on or knocking down walls? Check to make sure you will not disturb the electrical wiring, plumbing, or zoning regulations. Next, measure the amount of space you have and draw a floor plan. In drawing the plan, first put in all the items that are fixed. For example, if the toilet must be in one place because of plumbing, it is a fixed item. Experiment with how you like your floor plan, using different arrangements, with different types of cabinetry, shelves, or even walls. You might try pocket doors to save space, and corner sinks, floating sinks, or pedestal sinks to save even more space. L-shaped vanities and alcoves also save space. In addition, corner showers conserve space, and clear glass in showers creates the illusion of even more space. You may want to add windows or mirrors to let in light.

Third, make a list of the supplies you’ll need and make sure they are available when you need them. Some typical supplies include sinks, flooring, wall tile, countertops, lighting, medicine cabinets, showers, bath tubs, cabinets and cabinet handles, toilets, extra storage, faucets, toilet paper holders, paint or wallpaper, chairs, accessories (like storage containers and/or artwork), as well as tools you have or can buy.

Fourth, create a timetable. Talk to experts or people at home improvement stores to plan how much time you’ll need. If you’re hiring contractors, work with them to design a timetable you all can follow.

Plan projects according to the time you have available. Put in a new toilet and sink one weekend, for example, and paint another. You don’t have to do it all at once, so plan sensibly. Don’t paint the walls or install woodwork until the hardware is taken care of — you don’t want to damage work you’ve already done. Above all, be flexible and allow time for the unexpected or even emergencies to happen.

Fifth, keep in mind legal considerations. Get and post a building permit, pay any necessary fees, make sure you, your contractor, and any workers have insurance coverage, and keep children and animals away from the construction area.

By following these checklists, your bathroom remodeling plans will be a snap.

About the author:

by: Ken Marlborough

Bathroom Remodeling Info provides detailed information on bathroom remodeling ideas, costs, plans, and checklists. Bathroom Remodeling Info is the sister site of Kitchen Remodeling Web.