Archive for February, 2009
Friday, February 27th, 2009
Green Tip of the Month: Wash your clothes in phosphate free home made detergent. It’s easy, better for the environment, and it will save you money.
Recipe:
2 cups Borax
2 cups washing soda, such as Arm & Hammer
1 bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated
Fels Naptha can be found in the cleaning aisle of most major grocery stores.
There are many versions of this recipe available on the internet, but this one is the simplest and I find that it works quite well.
Mix to combine all ingredients. Put them in a food processor and pulse for an ultra-fine mix.
Use 1 tablespoon for a regular load, and use 2 tablespoons for a heavily soiled load.
Tags: being green, how to, lifestyle tips, on a budget, saving money
Posted in DIY Tips, Lifestyle, Tips for Being Green | No Comments »
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
This tip comes from Randy with R Squared Renovations, a General Contractor & Electrical Contractor in Dallas, TX
Problem: There is a ceiling joist where you want to place a 6″ recessed can light
Solution: Consider installing two 4″ recessed can lights, one on each side of the joist
Tags: Add new tag, decorating, home tips, how to, kitchen remodel, lighting, lighting fixture problems, lighting fixture solutions, lighting fixtures, recessed lighting, unique lighting
Posted in Helpful Home & Design Tips, Home Construction, Unique Bathroom Vanity | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
“The door to opportunity is marked ‘Push’”
- Unknown
Tags: achieving goals, lifestyle tips, personal, quotes
Posted in Julia's Favorite Quotes | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
Periodically, I will highlight our client’s favorite bathroom vanities and vessel sinks. Here is a recent review of JY-0192-T-55 - A 55″ Small Double Sink Bathroom Vanity:
Positively stunning!
In person this vanity looks exactly like it’s pictured; It is gorgeous. I was so impressed with the quality and the level of service I wanted to order something else. The vanity is a beautiful cherry colored wood with an impressive travertine top and it came with the sinks too! I thought this price is too good to be true, but in fact the vanity is too good to be true. A vanity like this would cost $2,700.00 somewhere else, if you could even find it. If you are having any doubts stop right now and order this beautiful piece, you will be very happy you did. Written by Bridget Ochoa on 2009-02-19
For more 5 star vanities, visit us at UniqueVanities.com

55" Small Double Sink Bathroom Vanity $1699
Tags: 5 Star Bathroom Vanities, bath vanity, bathroom furniture, bathroom remodel, Bathroom Remodel Ideas, bathroom vanities, how to, small double sink bathroom vanity
Posted in 5 Star Bathroom Vanities, Bathroom Remodel Ideas, Bathroom Remodeling, DIY Tips, Small Double Sink Vanities, Unique Bathroom Vanity, Unique Vanities | No Comments »
Monday, February 23rd, 2009
When I was building my home, one of the things that I found really frustrating was that the outdoor lighting selection was very drab and boring. It seemed like everything was the same basic style and came in only two or three color choices.
I decided that I was going to find a few really great lines of outdoor light fixtures for UniqueLightFixtures.com so that my clients could have the best selection possible for their home projects.
Here are a few of our favorite outdoor lanterns.

Hand Forged Dark Brown Lantern
LNT 004, $549

Grand Hacienda Outdoor Lantern
OD-HACNDA-R, $949
Tags: lighting selection, outdoor fixtures, Outdoor Light Fixtures, outdoor lighting, redecorating, unique lighting
Posted in Outdoor Light Fixtures, Unique Bathroom Vanity, Unique Light Fixture | No Comments »
Friday, February 20th, 2009
Sometimes when you are shopping for home decor items, it’s nice to know what is popular with other customers. Best selling items are often recommended from one customer to another, and you can be sure that the quality is excellent.
Here are our top sellers from each site:
www.UniqueVanities.com

This petite vanity is very popular among designers. At just 24 inches wide, it’s perfect for a small bathroom. It features a hand-carved door, with a solid Baltic Brown Granite top and is pre-drilled for a three-hole faucet.
HY-0135 Sale price: $849
www.UniqueMirrorsOnline.com
Bathroom vanity mirrors are very popular. This is the Monmouth Antique. This beautiful and simple round mirror has an antique brown finish with black accenting. The mirror is 20 inches in diameter and the frame’s outer diameter is 26 inches.
2172 HE Sale price: $175
www.UniqueLightFixtures.com

This hand-forged rustic chandelier is a Spanish colonial reproduction with 6 lights. The finish is a natural rust with hand-waxed top coat. Antique candle covers, 2′ of hanging chain, mounting hardware, and canopy are all included.
CH-CANT6-R Sale price: $675
Tags: bath vanity, bathroom furniture, bathroom vanities, bathroom vanity, bathroom vanity mirrors, candle chandelier, decorating, decorative mirrors, lighting, Rustic Chandelier, Wrought Iron Chandelier
Posted in Bathroom Remodel Ideas, Bathroom Remodeling, Unique Bathroom Vanity, Unique Furniture, Unique Light Fixture, Unique Mirrors, Unique Vanities, Wrought Iron Chandelier | No Comments »
Thursday, February 19th, 2009
Our pre-made bathroom vanities are very simple to install, even for the novice. Our bathroom vanities come with a large cut out in the back to connect existing plumbing lines. If you need to move your plumbing, this is much more complicated and requires the use of a licensed plumber. But if you are just changing out vanities, then you simply disconnect your existing plumbing, pull the old vanity out, and move the new one in. You reconnect the plumbing and install the new faucet.
One challenge you may face if you are installing a bathroom vanity against base board, is that you will need to have a carpenter cope the base board into the new vanity. The definition of cope is to join (two molded wooden members) by undercutting the end of one of them to the profile of the other so that the joint produced resembles a miter joint.
If you do not cut the base and cope it into the leg of the vanity you will not be able to fit the vanity tight against the wall, resulting in a gap on the sides and more importantly between the countertop and the wall. Cutting and coping base can be done by a professional carpenter for about $75 to $100 depending on your area.
Another option is to install a tile backsplash behind the vanity top.

Bathroom Vanity
Tags: bathroom remodel, Bathroom Remodel Ideas, bathroom vanities, bathroom vanity, customize, home tips, how to
Posted in Bathroom Remodel Ideas, Bathroom Remodeling, DIY Tips, Helpful Home & Design Tips, Unique Bathroom Vanity | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
Today I want to show you a really wonderful wrought iron chandelier from our light fixture site.

This beautiful 12-light chandelier has is 36 x 36 inches total size, and comes standard with resin wax bulb covers and a 3 foot chain. Sale price: $1199. Item number CHN030CG
Each chandelier is made to order to ensure the perfect amount of detail and attention is paid to the intricate filigree design in the center.
This chandelier is perfect for a dining room, living room, or even a bedroom with a tall ceiling. Get creative and select candle covers that coordinate with your color scheme and decor.
Be sure to browse our complete selection of rustic chandeliers.
Tags: candle chandelier, customize, decorating, lighting, redecorating, rustic chandeliers, Wrought Iron Chandelier
Posted in Unique Furniture, Unique Light Fixture, Wrought Iron Chandelier | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
Are you remodeling or building a new home? One idea we implemented in our new master bathroom was the addition of a flat screen TV. If you have open walls and can run the cable, this is a great addition to either your morning routine or evening wind down. I enjoy watching the morning news when I get ready. We purchased a small flat screen LCD TV for approximately $175. This was a small price to pay for such a luxury! And it gets used every day!

Master Bathroom
Tags: bathroom furniture, bathroom remodel, Bathroom Remodel Ideas, decorating, how to, luxury master bathroom
Posted in Bathroom Remodel Ideas, Helpful Home & Design Tips, Lifestyle, Unique Bathroom Vanity | No Comments »
Monday, February 16th, 2009
Taking on a redecorating project can be a lot of fun and it can also be a challenge. We are here to help you along the way. There are many simple ways to update the look of your bathroom and stay on budget. By changing the vanity, adding a new mirror, and new light fixtures will increase the value of your home, while also giving you an opportunity express your personal style.
Start with the room style: traditional, contemporary, or possibly a mix of both. This is an important first step in developing your decorating plan.
The next step is to choose your vanity. The vanity is the centerpiece of the room, you can build your decor around it. You can have a custom cabinet maker build a piece unique to your needs. This is ideal, though this is the most expensive option. The current trend is furniture style vanities. These come prefabricated with hand carved moldings and solid stone tops, under mount ceramic sinks or vessel sinks, and are usually pre-drilled for a faucet. This is an ideal choice for the DIY personality. If you are replacing an existing vanity and do not need to make any adjustments to the plumbing, this type of vanity can be moved into the space, and you can attach the existing plumbing to the new faucet fixture.
Vanity size will determine the mirror size. The bathroom mirror, ideally should be the same width of your vanity or slightly narrower. If you have a double sink bath vanity and want a contemporary look, an unframed large single mirror will keep it simple and sleek. For a traditional look, use two single oval mirrors hung over each bowl. To add character, consider choosing two different mirrors to hang over the individual bowls.
Light fixture styles for bathrooms include over the mirror vanity fixtures and wall sconces, which are mounted on the sides of the mirror above a vanity. Recessed ceiling lights can also provide general lighting for a large room. Be sure to consider the amount of natural light in your space.
Tags: bath vanity, bathroom furniture, bathroom vanities, bathroom vanity, bathroom vanity mirrors, contemporary vanities, decorating, decorative mirrors, double sink bathroom vanity, Vessel Sinks
Posted in Helpful Home & Design Tips, Unique Furniture, Unique Light Fixture, Unique Mirrors, Unique Vanities, Vessel Sinks | No Comments »