How to Design an Award Winning Bathroom

Bathrooms

When looking at bathroom design, things can start to feel a little same same. Lots of marble. Check. Recently it’s been a lot of black hardware and vertical tile. A lot of vertical tile. And I get it. All of that always looks good. But then a stunning space flips all the current design trends on their head and it’s oh so good.

This beautifully rosy bathroom is a quite the show stopper. In fact, it’s awarding winning. Its creator, Decus Interiors just won the Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Award for best bathroom design in Australia. It’s pretty easy to see why. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything quite like this.

Created for a client who wanted a stunning feminine yet bold retreat dedicated to the ritual of bathing. I think this room succeeds in spades.

The bath is clad in an incredible rosy-hued onyx slab. The movement and texture in that stone is insanely good. It is simply show-stopping. The concrete floor was tinted a matte pink to match.

Staying true to the color scheme, all of the fixtures are rose gold – even the base of the unique sink. Things were kept from getting too overtly girly by painting the walls a light gray and adding the subtle pops of black – the art piece, the wall sconce. It’s hard to tell, it appears it’s an Apparatus Studio trapeze sconce (or something very similar). I also love the unique somewhat organic shape steel encased mirror.

Because this room is only for taking baths (must be nice) there’s no need for excessive storage. Hence the ability to create a single shelf along the backsplash for flowers and a few bath accoutrements.

This amazing little space is impressive for its simplicity as much as it for its striking impact. Would I want to take a bath in a predominantly pinks space all the time? I’m not so sure. But it is so refreshing to see something completely out of the ordinary.

Are you feeling this trend-bucking bathroom?

For more bath-related inspiration, CLICK HERE.

design by decus interiors / photography by felix forrest

The Secret to a Seriously Good Deep Clean

Bathrooms

The alternative title to this post could also be “an embarrassing sneak peek into my filthy master bathroom.” While I regularly espouse an ideal way to move through life, I’m the first to admit that I often fall short of practicing what I preach. Because #reality. Case in point, my master bath. After years crammed into tiny loft spaces with even tinier bathrooms, I thought I’d stepped into heaven when I finally created my dream master bathroom.

But sadly, I let the expanse of space get the best of me. Slowly but surely my dream oasis transformed into a hotbed of clutter, grit, and grime. The problem with drawers? You can hide all your problems in them! However, I’ve got the spring cleaning fever and so last week I decided to get down and dirty, dig out all the clutter, fully deep clean my vanity and return my master bath to its dream state – as nature and my design originally intended. I was so committed to this project that I even decided to make a video documenting the entire thing! Scroll down to the bottom of this post to check it out.

For those who do prefer to read, I’m also recapping my process below. I hope it inspires you to deep clean the trouble spots in your house.

Here’s the Before of my vanity. #Nojudgements

And now the after. Ahhhhh.

How do you think I did with my spring clean??

I took three very simple steps to tackle my mess and I wanted to share them with you today because this makeover is proof positive that cleaning a seemingly overwhelming mess is not only possible but oddly satisfying.

STEP ONE: The Purge. I went through each vanity drawer and ditched anything that was old, unused or no longer wanted. Turns out I’m a bit of a hoarder! I was also ruthless about what I kept. That face mask sample I got that some Sunday night I’ll finally try? Out. Random deep conditioner for my hair that I’ve used once? Gone. The multivitamin I swore I’d start taking that’s probably three years old? Ta-ta. If I wasn’t using it on the daily or hadn’t touched it at least once in the last three months – it had to go. I won’t sugar coat it. Sorting through all my stuff did take a couple of hours, but for those of you who don’t hold onto seven year’s worth of makeup (no joke), you should be able to get through the purge stage much quicker.

STEP TWO: Deep Clean. With the vanity completely empty, I got down to the task of deep cleaning. Thankfully Clorox® made it super easy with their Disinfecting Wipes. I was able to deep clean each corner and crevice, not only of my drawers but also of things like my toothbrush holder, trays and drawer organizers easily removing the unwanted germs and grime that may have been lurking there with one swipe. A thorough wipe down of the vanity’s exterior with Clorox® Scentiva Multi-Purpose Cleaner meant my counters, sink, faucet and even drawer hardware got the deep clean they desperately needed. Scentiva Multi-Purpose Cleaner has a custom-blended scent so my vanity was not only disinfected but also smelled of lavender. And this step took less than 15 minutes!

STEP THREE: Organize & Prioritize. This process starts with the removing of the things. Then there is the putting back of the things. Hopefully, if you’ve successfully purged, the number of things will be a lot less. I also highly recommend investing in drawer organizers. I more than quadrupled my number of bins and trays to keep makeup, skincare, hair stuff and all those other bathroom odds and ends corralled.

Then I grouped things strategically. Everything I touch each morning and evening either went into a bin in my top drawer or into a tray on my countertop (the place of pride for the pretty bath products – not where I put my stretch mark cream!). I finally organized my makeup so all my brushes were in one easy-to-access cup. My favorite products were all grouped together for quick access. And yes, I did keep a hand cream, face cream and facial mask (or three or four) but I made sure they each had a place – so I always know exactly what I have. If your bathroom is too crammed with products, you’re never going to actually use any of them. Now I know I’ve got a good moisturizing mask, a deep cleanser and an exfoliant that I can mix into my nightly routine every week.

So there you have it! I was able to make (relatively) quick work of getting my vanity back to its dream state and I’m committed to making sure it doesn’t slide back into that gross situation again. My Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes have their own spot in my vanity so I can whip them out and make sure those drawers stay clean on the regular.

Still not convinced you can do this too? Check out the video we made that breaks down how to tackle your spring deep clean (and gives you more of a tour of my bathroom!).

The Secret to a Seriously Good Deep Clean from Erin Hiemstra on Vimeo.

This post is in partnership with Clorox®. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting posts that have kept Apartment 34’s doors open.

original photography & video production for Apt34 by Andrea Posadas Creative

How to Have Fun with Paint Colors

Bathrooms

This post is in partnership with Behr. All thoughts are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting posts that have kept Apartment 34’s doors open.

Guys, I’m super excited to share an update about the #thesunsetbungalow with you today. In case you’ve forgotten (or in case you missed it), I’ve been helping my friend Chloe (if you don’t follow her on Instagram, you should!), do some updates to her recently purchased bungalow in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset. A few weeks back I was polling you, dear readers, on paint color inspiration from BEHR’s 2018 Color Trends. I so appreciate everyone who weighed in.

We’ve gone ahead and made our final paint choices and the big reveal is currently on Domino!

These are only a couple of juicy sneak peeks at how Chloe’s home turned out. Head over to Domino right here to see the rest! And don’t worry, more details about the makeover will be headed your way next week.

photography by andrea posadas creative

The Secret to Picking the Perfect Light Fixture

Bathrooms

This post is in partnership with Capitol Lighting | 1-800Lighting.com

When it comes to finding the perfect light fixture, there are two ways to think about it. You can take a very utilitarian approach, focused solely on wattage or light direction, or you can embrace a flair for the dramatic. I approach lighting like you’d think of jewelry for your outfit. It is the dazzling, eye-catching decoration. The conversation starter. That is certainly the approach I’ve been taking for my house. In each and every room, I’ve tried to select the lighting to serve as the standout piece. The lighting is the wow factor.

But this is no easy task. There are in fact many utilitarian details, such as scale and placement, that do need consideration and (as I’ve learned from trial and error!) professional expertise. Thankfully, I found Capitol Lighting | 1-800-Lighting.com to help me add the perfect finishing touches to our house. Case in point, my bathroom sconce above. I searched high and low to fine the perfect piece for our guest bath. I wanted a light fixture that would balance the space, and compliment the my vibe and feel unique. I spent hours trying to find the perfect option.

That’s why I’ve appreciated Capitol Lighting | 1-800-Lighting.com‘s expertise. This isn’t just a warehouse experience of buying lights off a (virtual) shelf. Amazingly,Capitol Lighting | 1-800-Lighting.com allows you to chat online or by phone with one of their highly trained lighting experts who will help you determine fixtures that are the right style and size for your space.

Not being a trained interior designer, I’ve always struggled with scale (just ask my husband about the number of times we’ve need to reorder something because the size was wrong – eek!). We enjoy the blessing and the curse of having 11′ foot ceilings in our house. Love them for the drama, hate them for how hard lighting placement becomes.

When we were under construction, we had to create our lighting plan and have light boxes installed (all while I was six weeks postpartum) long before any rooms even had walls. That made it extremely difficult for me to figure out if lights were going to look right in the end. As it turns out, the placement in our guest bath was set very very high. I felt super stuck trying to figure out what could work to pull together the space between our round mirror (which I’m obsessed with) and the light box. Thankfully,Capitol Lighting | 1-800-Lighting.com‘s helped me find the perfect sconce, saving me from ripping out drywall and doing things all over again. My pick, the Aerin Swing Wall Light perfectly connects the distance between the fixture and my mirror. Now I can finally call my guest bath complete. But that wasn’t my only hole to fill.

I had a similar challenge with our upstairs hallway. This space is a case study for making the details count. We had a spot for a flush mount light box installed in the hall ceiling. While we could have slapped something boring up there, I want every light fixture in our house to make me smile, so when you walk down the hall and peek up you see….

That gorgeous Kelly Wearstler flush mount shining down on you! Ain’t she sweet?! I love the perforated design and also that it’s square. You so rarely see square flush mount light fixtures. I couldn’t be happier with this gem of a find.

The best thing about Capitol Lighting | 1-800Lighting.com is their selection. They don’t just offer gorgeous sconces and pendants but also accent lights. I’m so obsessed with the Clemente Reading Lamp I found for our living room. It’s got such a saucy little personality.

While lighting choices may seem like something small, light fixtures like these are proof positive that no detail in a house should be overlooked. Every pick is an opportunity to find something that brings you joy. And now is the perfect time to spruce up your home for the new year. I’d be thrilled to have any of these stunning options from Capitol Lighting | 1-800Lighting.com in our house. I hope you find something you love too.

shop the post: 1 hudson valley wall sconce // 2 aerin charlton swing lamp // 3 kelly wearstler marble sconce // 4 kelly weartsler melange flush mount // 5 kelly wearstler flush mount // 6 halcon flush mount // 7 pythagoras pendant // 8 round pendant // 9 large pendant

photography for apartment 34 by andrea posadas

This post is in partnership with Capitol Lighting | 1-800Lighting.com. Thank you for supporting collaborations we’re excited about and that have kept apartment 34’s doors open.

Makeover: Kids Bath to Guest Spa

Bathrooms

There’s nothing like a house full of guests to make you want to get your sh** together! I’m frantically finishing off space after space in our house (guest room – check) before the holidays hit in full force. Even rooms that are “complete” can always use some seasonal upgrades. Case in point, our guest bath. It doubles as my son’s bath, which means it’s constantly a hot mess in there. But I decided I shouldn’t force my family to wade through a tub full of toys every day. Thankfully, just a few fixes helped transform my guest bathroom from babes in toyland…

To a gorgeous grownup retreat…

Step one is rather obvious – a serious bath toy purge. Thank goodness for large vanities and linen closets. After the clean up, creating a welcoming bathroom was simply in the details. I wanted to offer a soothing, calming space – the holidays are stressful enough as it is!

I started with the most important thing – brand new bath towels from my friends at Parachute (makers of my fave bed linens you might have seen here). Parachute reached out about showing off their new bath line at the perfect time. Because there’s nothing worse than staying somewhere with bad towels. You don’t want anything too thin or scratchy. Nothing that leaves you dripping wet no matter how many times you towel off. You have to have something super soft and super absorbent and the Parachute bath collection certainly fits the bill. I mixed and matched textures combing their classic towels in gray with the waffle weave in white and topped off the look with their classic white looped bathmat. It feels so nice and plush underfoot.

To achieve the desired soothing vibe, I stuck to a neutral palette with the rest of my accessories. This bathroom is a beautiful bright white, but natural materials and lots of texture; ceramics, bristle brushes, wood accents and brass hardware keep it from feeling stark. A few touches of darker details like a marble tray and vintage stool also add a graphic punch. It’s a good idea to have extra necessities at arms reach, so I added wooden baskets under the vanity for more towels and of course, toilet paper.

Since we’re lucky enough to have a nice large tub, I wanted to encourage our house guests to actually make use of it. A bath tray filled with accoutrements certainly make it hard to resist a good soak. The bathroom counter got cleared of its clutter, leaving space for a kickass circular vase that mimics the round mirror, a cute scrub brush and a vintage print. I’m a big fan of art in the bathroom (evidenced here). Parachute is also carrying robes and slippers which are a super luxe treat for guests. Because who ever travels with a robe!? All in all, I think I like my guest bath better than my master now! What do you think?

SHOP THE LOOK: gray classic towels // white waffle towels // loop bathmat // slippers // robe / marble bath tray / swing lamp / fireclay floor and shower tile // storage baskets // bathtub tray// aesop soap

This bathroom turned out so purdy, we made a purdy little video about it. Give it a watch below!

original photography by andrea posadas

This post is in partnership with Parachute. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting posts that have kept apartment 34’s doors open.

Tub Time: 6 Swoon-Worthy Baths

Bathrooms

After a lovely weekend, it’s always a bit tough to face the keyboard again. So I thought I’d oogle beautiful bathrooms instead.

More than simply a bathroom, this space is pure design heaven! Seriously. When can I move in?

A rustic hideaway would be the perfect place to wile away an afternoon.

While I’m partial to clawfoot tubs, this wood-clad option is catching my eye.

All white is perfectly all right with me.

A modern tub with bronze hardware is the perfect juxtaposition to the antique stone floor.

Tubbing by firelight? Don’t mind if I do.

I hope these moments of bath design zen help get your Monday off to a good start!

For more bathroom design inspiration, CLICK HERE

To check out our master bath renovation, CLICK HERE

For my favorite baths on Pinterest, CLICK HERE

image 1 / image 2 / image 3 / image 4 / image 5 / image 6

Citizenry Giveaway! – Closed –

Bathrooms

As it’s the season to renew and refresh, it seemed like the perfect time for a giveaway to help you do just that!

I’m so excited to partner with one of my favorite housewares lines, The Citizenry (you’ve seen them before here and here) to give away one of their all new bath sets.

Have you ever traveled abroad and discovered locally made furniture, accessories or art, but had no way to get it back home? The Citizenry founders Carly Nance and Rachel Bentley decided to combine their love of far away places and beautiful things with the goal of supporting small artisans. Each Citizenry collection focuses on a new part of the world. Carly and Rachel work with locals to produce handcrafted items that represent an area’s cultural history and highlights its traditional production techniques. Case in point, the latest collection from Morocco.

The Morocco collection includes gorgeous bath sets hand-loomed by a weaving cooperative just outside of Marrakech. Each towel takes over a day to complete! That’s a long way of saying they’re good people.

I used the Amina Bath Set – towels and a bath rug that feature a light gray Egyptian cotton and cream stripes – to create a little oasis in my master bathroom (yes this is a MAJOR sneak peek). Hoping it will inspire you to carve out a little me-time this spring. Details on how to win your bath set are below!

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY

Here’s how to win…
1) Click THIS LINK to enter your email
2) For an extra entry subscribe to Apartment34 – you can click here to sign up

One winner will receive a bath set of their choice (there are three color options!) valued at $250. The winner will be chosen on Monday, April 24th at 9AM CST. Open to international readers.

original photography for apartment 34 by delbarr moradi / florals via high camp supply gardenias

This post is in partnership with The Citizenry. All thoughts and opinions are my own. thanks for supporting collaborations we’re excited about and that keep apartment 34’s doors open.

Bathroom Sconces that Don’t Suck

Bathrooms

Over two years – yes TWO – years into our renovation, I’ve learned quite a few things. But if someone asked me to narrow my advice down to one golden nugget, it would be this: do not move in until your project is complete! Like complete complete. I know this isn’t new advice. People say it all the time, but we did not heed the warning. Instead, we chose in favor of larger living quarters, no longer paying rent and general renovation fatigue. It felt like we’d waited forever. And that was nearly a year ago. So when we did actually move in, quite a bit of finish work remained as well as some major parts of the renovation. And how are all those unfinished projects doing? Yup, still waiting. When you’re suddenly living your life in the space, the frantic need to check finish work off your list disappears, replaced by things like the need to grocery shop, plan a birthday party or I don’t know, write a blog post! This would be why you’ve only seen teeny tiny sneak peeks of the house to date.

One of things still on my finish work to-do list? Finalize my light fixtures. Finding the perfect lighting is seriously hard because there are literally millions of options out there and 99.9% of them are bad. Really freakin’ bad. Then, of course, there are some truly fabulous options, but those cost a bazillion dollars. After a two-year renovation those bazillions have already been spent. So I’m stuck hunting. My current challenge: the perfect sconce for our guest bath. You’ve seen a bit of our guest bath here and there. So you might have caught is has a round mirror and a light color scheme. You’d think finding the perfect bathroom sconce would be a snap.

But unfortunately, it’s proving challenging. For one, we have very high ceilings so a lot of fixtures look dwarfed. Secondly, I’d like something in either white or brass but not overly utilitarian looking. The piece also does need to give off decent light. So I’ve hunted and hunted and hunted and finally tracked down a list of top contenders.

from left to right park studio novato / arne jacobsen bellevue light / park studio rudd sconce / aerin clemente double sconce / applique de marseille / park studio fairfax / aerin charlton wall light / michele varian brass globe sconce

Ranging from industrial chic to more traditional, I think really any of these pieces could work. It’s all about finding that right mix of good style, appropriate scale and honestly, something I don’t think I’ll hate in five years. Obviously this list also isn’t exhaustive. There are pieces I love from Allied Maker, from Lawson Fenning, from School House Electric, Cedar & Moss and One Forty Three, among others. And I’m sure many of you, my design aficionados, have a lighting source or two up your sleeve. Care to share? Because that’s the other thing I’ve learned through this renovation process. Turns out I’m a design commitment-phobe. It’s really hard for me to finalize a choice. So I hope to see lots of your sage advice in the comments below. Because it’s time. I’ve got to finish this house before it finishes me!

SHOP MORE LIGHTING

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”2556920″]

image 1 by tessa neustadt / image 2 by jotun lady / image 3 via elle decor / image 4 by park and oak / image 5 by becki owens design /

5 Simple Steps to Declutter Your Bathroom

Bathrooms

One of the best things about a major move is the opportunity to declutter. It can take a little time and persistence but the results of a good ole purge are so worth it. Case it point – the bathroom. It’s so easy for counter tops, medicine cabinets or drawers to get overstuffed. Guilty of keeping that half full bottle of nail polish because you might like that color again someday? I’m guilty. Or wanting to try every tonic or serum your favorite beauty blog just wrote about? Guilty. Or only clean out your make-up drawer once a year? Totally guilty. Turns out, according to a recent study 71% of American couples have actually argued over a bathroom-related issue (such as hogging storage space, not tidying up and not replacing toiletries). I actually would think it’s even higher! I swear the amount of bath products I keep on the counter always seems to spontaneously multiply. So when our move presented a chance at a fresh start, I committed myself to keeping our bathroom clutter-free.

Five easy steps have helped me keep my counters clear for three solid months now so I thought I’d share them with you!

STEP 1: Dump the junk. I started by hucking any and everything in my bathroom that I hadn’t used in awhile. Aka, if it was more than three months old and I hadn’t touched it, it went buh-bye. That random clay mask, I kept telling myself I’d use some Saturday night? See ya. My collection of multiply bath salts for the 3x a year I take a bath? Gone. Random salt spray for my hair that I use…never, eyeshadow I used last holiday season, an overflowing collection of old makeup brushes? All kicked to the curb. And it felt good.

STEP 2: Identify the necessities. It can be so easy to accumulate random bath products. So I’m doing my best to whittle down to what I know we will use everyday. I particularly love unisex products that can do double duty. Sure we all share toothpaste and the like, but it can be harder to find places where bath products overlap. That’s why I was stoked to learn about the newest body lotion from Lubriderm. It can be a hand lotion or a body lotion and is intended to be used by the guys too! One less product to clutter things up? Sold.

STEP 3: Put things in pretty containers. I love decanting. I’m a bit of an addict. My dish soap, shampoo and condition, laundry detergent. I love how pretty containers gives a nice uniform look to everything. I think it gives me a sense of calm in my otherwise chaotic life. Regardless of my deep seeded reasoning, I’m a sucker for beautiful jars. These dark glass jars are by Infinity Jars and I’m in love.

STEP 4: Add some life. The danger with beautifully empty counter space? It’s hard to resist the urge to fill it. Pretty perfume bottles, a new serum, a pretty tray. It seems innocent but accumulation seems to feed on itself. I find the best way to protect yourself is to ill the space in the first place! A nice plant adds some unexpected life to a bathroom and thrives in the steam filled room. It’s also become a personal mission to hunt down pretty bath products. A sleek black toothbrush, pretty smoked-glass tumbler and my favorite diyptique candle add a little upscale touch so that my bathroom can remain a more spa-like space.

STEP 5: Repeat steps 1-4. At least once every 3-4 months.

No matter how hard you try it can be tough to keep bathroom clutter at bay, but with a little discipline, I’m going to be able to keep it this way.

PS: this is the first sneak peeks of our bathroom so I thought I’d share my sources! Counters are White Zeus by Silestone / faucet & sink are Kohler / hardware from School House Electric / tile is by Fireclay Tile / Round mirror by Ikea / bath towel from Anthropologie

This post is in partnership with Lubriderm. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations that we’re excited about and that have kept Apartment 34’s doors open.

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