Wood on the Walls

This summer our family had the opportunity to spend some time in the Florida Keys. It was a fabulous trip and one place I would highly recommend visiting. While we were there, we took a day trip into Key West. It was HOT but we enjoyed seeing the sites. You are probably thinking, “This is great and all and I am glad you took a fun vacation, but what does this have to do with kitchens and bathrooms?”

 

While in Key West, we enjoyed lunch at the Latitudes Restaurant. This restaurant is part of the Westin resort on Sunset Key. Sunset Key is a small 27 acre private island off of Key West with 40 private cottages. This island is accessible only by private boat and no cars are permitted. We dined alfresco at the edge of the water and enjoyed a delicious meal and excellent service. Check it out at www.westinsunsetkeycottages.com

 

The architecture and design of buildings was beautiful and they spared no attention to detail. One detail I loved seeing was plank wood on the restroom walls. The whitewashed finish gave real warmth and character to what can sometimes be a very cold space. Have you considered adding wood to the walls of your bathrooms? Maybe it is in the form of painted beadboard or tongue and groove teak or whitewashed pine. Consider wood wainscoting around a tub, on the ceiling or on the wall behind a toilet. This small addition of wood doesn’t always add a great expense but can really change the look of your space.

 

I hope this has been helpful and informative and helps you with your future projects. If you have the chance to visit Key West, make sure you at least enjoy lunch on Sunset Key. You won’t be disappointed! Don't hesitate to contact me at jessica@webbercoleman.com with any questions. Know that I am always learning, reading, TRAVELING!!! and asking questions to help you with your projects.

Universal Shower Valve Design

Did your eyes glaze over when you read the title above? Me too, when I first heard about this. This was the title of a recent National Kitchen and Bath Association Continuing education course. As uninteresting as that seemed, I thought I should learn more about it as universal design becomes more prevalent and mainstream, especially in bathrooms. So, I braved the Atlanta traffic and subjected myself to an hour on this subject and surprisingly it turned out to be quite interesting and important.

 

A universal shower valve is the unseen valve in the wall behind the tile in your shower or bathtub that the handle affixes to. In years past, you had to select your entire shower or tub fixture before they could rough in the valve and pipes as the valve varied with the design that you chose. With the invention of the universal shower valve, the plumber can rough in with this valve and you can select the decorative trim later in the project. In using this valve, you also have flexibility in changing the faucet out in years to come without tearing up the wall behind it.

I always believe that it is best to finalize your entire plan and selections, and in some cases purchase items, before you begin the rough in stage of the project. This insures that all items will still be available when you need them and helps prevent mistakes on the job site. In selecting your shower valve before hand, you can plan your tile design and plumbing layout to work with each other.

 

Using the universal shower valve may cost a few more dollars up front but will surely be worth the extra investment in the future. Talk with your plumber about this and don't assume they are going to use it. A good plumbing distributor, such as Ferguson's or DeVore and Johnson can also be helpful in answering any questions you or your plumber may have.

 

I hope this has been helpful and informative and helps you with your future projects. Don't hesitate to contact me at jessica@webbercoleman.com with any questions. Know that I am always learning, reading and asking questions to help you with your projects.