Hollywood Regency Bamboo Chair Makeover

This was a pretty easy makeover: all it took was two cans of spray paint, one small piece of plywood board (as seat), and a piece of stylish fabric.

And ta da...the new Hollywood Regency Bamboo Chair in Premier Prints Zoom Zoom Chevron Fabric. I love how the mini-chevron makes the overlapping circles pop: so many patterns yet they don't seem to compete with one another.

Need I remind you they were in this state when I first bought them? They looked so sad and abandoned.

This is another one of these chairs in Joel Dewberry Sparrows Vintage Yellow fabric in our basement hallway.

So which one do you like better? Chevron or Sparrow?



In the Mail Today

These Super perky mini-chevron fabrics by Premier Prints arrived in the mail today. I am thinking chair pad, pillow cover, shower curtain or even roman shade? Stay tuned for the reveal.
 

Premier Prints Zoom Zoom Chevron Fabric in Village Natural

Premier Prints Zoom Zoom Chevron Fabric in River Rock Twill

Six Types of Bathroom Wall Arts

In my opinion, bathroom wall is one of the easiest places to decorate in a house. Why you may ask. Unlike a foyer or a dining room or a living room where you'd usually want to showcase your tasteful collections, bathroom walls can take any style or form of arts as long as they please you. Arts throughout your house can not only bring your decors in a room together, but they also speak to the home owners' taste in art. Arts in the bathroom, on the other hand, don't have to follow the same rule. One could have a Degas over the mantle in your living room, and a whimsical watercolor painting by an art student from Etsy in your bathroom, and they would still co-exist just fine.

Here are six types of stylish bathroom wall arts that I am in love with:

1. Vintage: Vintage arts have made a major comeback in recent years. In addition, there are numerous re-creations of vintage designs like this art print.

2. Cute: Hoot Hoot! Are you feeling what I am feeling? These cute owl art prints are perfect for little kiddies' bathrooms as well as those that are young at heart.

3. Moody: these arts usually work into a certain ambiance you would like your bathroom to offer. For example, this serene and tranquil minimalist photo by Jennifer Squires would complement a spa-inspired bathroom.

 4. Whimsical: bathroom is also a great place to hang some playful and informal arts like these.

5. Typographic: there is an unprecedented influx of typographic arts in the marketplace. They have found their ways into pretty much anywhere in your house from nursery to mudroom to kitchen and of course to the loo. This art print caught my eyes as I was browsing on Etsy because it's one of the few that doesn't ask me to take any action or "carry on".

6. Artsy: who says you can't put up a gallery wall in a bathroom? Aren't they sensational? All photos via Houzz.

So what type of art do you have on your bathroom walls?

Bathroom Single-Handle Faucets Roundup

Two-handle faucets, also known as widespread or three-hole faucets, in general have a more elegant appeal with a larger selection of sizes, styles and finishes. Single-handle faucets, or single-hole/single-control lavatory faucets, though easier to use, maintain and install, on the other hand have a more limited selection of styles, often more modern. Some faucet manufacturers offer a single-control version for their widespread faucets just so you can have the design of a widespread and the convenience of a single-control installation.

As I was researching which faucet to use for my upcoming bathroom reno, I've narrowed down to these single-control ones for the following reasons:

• Style: vintage and traditional.
• Price wise: they all fit into the $200-$300 bracket (except for the Pfister Ashfield), which in my opinion, is the right amount you want to spend on a single-control bathroom faucet that would withstand everyday use.
• Height: they all have pretty decent spout height (6-8"), spout clearance (5-6") and spout reach (5").
• Use: they can be installed on undermount, drop-in or vessel sinks.

1. American Standard Portsmouth Monoblock Single Handle Lavatory Faucet in Chrome, model 7415.101.002.

2. Delta Victorian Single Handle Centerset Lavatory Faucet in Chrome, model 555LF.

3. Kohler Fairfax Single-Control Lavatory Faucet in Chrome, model K-12182.

4. Moen Brantford One-Handle Bathroom Faucet in Chrome, model 6600.

5. Pfister Ashfield Single-Control Lavatory Faucet in Chrome, model T42YP0C. Though this is also the most affordable one at ~$150, its unique seltzer bottle type of handle makes it harder to work with other fixtures in a bathroom.

7. Pfister Portola Single Hole Bathroom Sink Faucet in Chrome, model GT42-RP0C.

 

So what do you use in your bathroom? Which single-handle faucet listed here is your favourite?

 

 



Soap Scum and Water Stains

As a neat freak and germaphobe, I can't stand any presence of them. I have been struggling to keep my bathroom spotless and fresh in between housekeeper's visits until I started to use this, the Bio-Life's Tub and Tile Soap Scum + Stain Remover.

Bio-Life is a Shoppers Drug Mart's private-label brand to match its product line rivalry Method. Since Bio-Life hit the market in 2007, SDM has continued to improve its effectiveness while remaining phosphate-free and biodegradable. I was skeptical at the beginning, but in the past couple of years I have switched almost every single household cleaners to green products.

I am glad to report that the Bio-Life Tub and Tile Cleaner has become my ultimate shower cleaner for the following reasons:

• The "Pear Violet" smells divine during spray and leaves behind a lingering fresh scent. I've tried numerous cleaners before and none of them are as easy on my nose.
• It's efficient: a few sprays will cover pretty large area. The label says to spray and wipe clean, but I find rinsing leaves less streaks behind.
• It's powerful: soap scum and hard water stains melt away upon contact. Water hardness is pretty high (121+ mg/L) in the most parts of Ontario, so hard water stains build up much faster in shower. This cleaner helps keep the shower fixtures and glass in my bathroom sparkly in between major cleanings.
• It's versatile: I have both marble and ceramic tiles in my shower, and this cleaner won't erode natural stone surface.
• It's priced well: retails for under $5 and it often goes on sale for $2.99.

I wish I took a "Before" picture (you probably don't want to see it anyway...it's gross) of our stained shower faucet, but this is how clean it gets after a couple of sprays and tiny bit of elbow grease.

Bio-Life All-Purchase Surface Cleaner is another one that I really like. Its Mango Tangerine scent smells so natural, and it can pretty much clean any surface.