Reflecting Us

She was born in the year 1987 and though I was not there to see her finished I have owned her for 24 of her 35 years of life. We entered her threshold as newlyweds 24 years ago and she greeted us so proudly with her navy blue counter tops, wallpaper border and wall to wall carpet meeting sheet vinyl in the kitchen and dining room. Since then, we have filled her walls with molding, and covered her floors with bamboo. She’s had her kitchen and bathrooms refreshed with new showers and bright white cabinetry. We have blood sweat and tears invested in these walls and we are happy that she is ours. We have watched her exterior transform from ugly eighties architecture to lap siding and white trim work popping everywhere and with each change she began to look more like a reflection of us. In the world of decorating the beauty of buying a pre-loved property is that you can re-create the space to reflect the uniqueness that is you! Often the first thing to re-hab in a pre-loved property is the kitchen and after the kitchen what comes next? Let’s take a peek into the classic courtyard villa from last week and see how the master bath is a reflection of the new homeowners style now that it is completely refurbished somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Total shower re-do
The entire shower was removed and re-tiled again. This is great because in the days that this shower was built the backer walls of the shower was just greenboard. Today, when the shower is re-built the greenboard is removed and replaced with cement board with a water barrier which is a great support system for tile and resists moisture well. The shower in the before picture was tiled up the wall about seven feet which draws the eye down and makes the space look smaller. However, the new shower is tiled all the way to the ceiling drawing the eye upward and making the space look larger.

• Large tile
The homeowner chose large tiles which look great in the space and make the space look larger. The larger tiles are placed very closely together so that they need very little grout. So if you don’t like mold and you don’t like grout get big tile.

• New Tile Floor
The new tile for the floor is also large and it is a larger version of the shower floor tile. The colors blend rather than contrast making the space look altogether larger. Also, larger tile requires less grout so things stay cleaner.

• Hidden Niche
This shower has a half wall dividing it from bathroom sinks and the homeowners had the shower niche installed in the wall. The niche is not visible unless you are in the shower and it is big enough to hold all the soaps and shampoos.
• Clear glass doors
The new doors are clear glass and they look so good! The clear glass keeps the space looking light and open. The way to keep the doors clean is to squeegee the doors after each shower.

• New white cabinets
The homeowners like their spaces sleek and simple and the Shaker style door was perfect for them. The Shaker style door is classic and is really neutral in design style. It can move from modern to traditional and look great in either space. The white cabinets pop against the slate grey tile.

• New granite
The homeowners liked the granite from the kitchen so well that they used it again in the master bath. The granite looks great with the grey tile and white cabinets because it has both colors running through it and it visually ties the space together.

• Black fixtures
The homeowners chose black fixtures and they are beautiful. Remember from last week, if you get black fixtures you should consider a water softener so that you don’t get hard water deposits on the black finish.

• Sleek toilet
The new toilet is very sleek. Most of all it is easily cleanable.

• Lighted mirror
The homeowners chose the best new mirrors above the sinks because they are lighted. Simply touch the mirror on the specified spot and the mirror lights up from inside. This gives soft and bright light for looking your best. Also, the lighted mirror eliminates the need for lighting over the sink. Finally, the lighted mirrors are very sleek and updated.

• Towel warmer
The homeowners chose a black towel warmer to dry the towels. Even though we live in Florida towel warmers are great! They dry the towels faster than just hanging on a rod which is really great in the summer and humid months. So, here in Florida a towel warmer can keep you from having to wash towels so often and it provides a beautiful place to hang the towels until the next shower.

P.S. –Attention all club presidents! We give free decorating seminars. It is lots of fun and very informative. Call and schedule your club today. Also, we are on-line check out our web-site at www.ruthdyer.com and you can always e-mail us at ruth@finishingtouchfl.com or Call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056.

Before and After Pics Below