November 2023 - Tri-Lite Builders

21 Nov 2023

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Bathroom Remodels, Blog, Build/Design Process, Home Improvements, Storage, Trends Permalink

12 Custom Storage Solutions for a Clutter-Free Bathroom

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On November 21, 2023

There are a lot of details, both big and small, to think about when designing or remodeling a bathroom. And I believe that to create a space that truly works for you, investing extra time and money on custom storage in the planning stages will be worth it in the long run. Here are 12 custom storage solutions to consider with your design and remodeling team early on for a clutter-free bathroom.

Materials + Methods Design

Custom Storage Solutions

The first step in planning a functional bathroom is understanding what your needs are and the general quantity of what you plan to keep in your bathroom. I suggest writing a list of your top priorities and wish list items, such as towel storage, easy access to hairstyling, or an organized skincare setup.

Your bathroom might not fit everything you would like. Pare down your belongings and try to decide where each category of items will reside. Eliminating what you don’t love or need, and deciding on a home for each category, before you finalize your plans might help narrow down your storage solutions. You might realize that some less frequently used items are better stored elsewhere in the house.

Docking Drawer

1. Hairstyling Drawer
Many people use hairstyling tools and products daily, yet these items are often tucked away under the sink or somewhere else that’s not very accessible. If this sounds like you, and you want your tools and products to be easily reachable, consider devoting a drawer to hair care.

An outlet in the drawer can help keep cords neat and off the counters. And consider storage that will allow you to put hot tools away right after using them, while they’re still cooling, as with the metal-lined holders seen in this photo from Docking Drawer.

KraftMaster Renovations

2. Rolling Drawers
Items stored in the back of deep cabinets are difficult, and sometimes awkward, to retrieve and put away. It’s also very easy to forget about things when they get shoved to the back, which can lead to clutter and unused items. Rolling drawers with full-extension slides will allow you to see all the contents and keep them organized.

How to Choose a Bathroom Vanity

KraftMaid

3. Tiered Drawers
If your drawers are very deep, you might consider adding tiers; splitting your original drawer into two might prevent it from becoming a cavernous catchall. There are many tiered drawer configurations to suit a range of organizing needs. If you need part of your drawer to remain deep, for instance, a cabinetmaker might be able to install a partially tiered drawer.

Wow Great Place

4. Pullout Towers
Cabinets that extend to the ceiling add storage, which is especially handy in a bathroom with a small footprint. Wow Great Place created the three stacked pullout towers seen here, in a narrow space between a sink and a wall. They increase the storage considerably, all the items are accessible, and the pullouts are fairly inconspicuous when closed.

Delicious Kitchens & Interiors, LLC

5. Tip-Out Tray and Notched Drawers
I’ve seen many bathrooms in which the panel in front of the sink is a false drawer front, and I always find it disappointing to pull on the handle and have it be immobile. To squeeze in every ounce of storage possible, depending on your sink and counter configurations, consider adding a tip-out tray and notched drawers, as Delicious Kitchens & Interiors did here.

MasterBrand Cabinets

6. Hidden Hamper
Many of my clients don’t like having their laundry hampers visible and taking up floor space; they prefer to have them hidden. Hidden hampers require a lot of space though, so you’ll want to weigh the pros and cons of giving up cabinet space (either in your bathroom or your closet) to house one.

Since a hamper is a frequently used item, the solution should be both convenient and aesthetically pleasing. If you decide to allocate cabinet space for your hamper, I recommend installing one on slides so you can pull it out push it in easily.

Whit Willow, Llc.

7. Vanity Towel Bar and Hooks
If you don’t have much wall space for hanging towels, consider installing towel bars and hooks in front of or on the side of your vanity.

Mulberry’s Design House

8. Wall Storage
As long as a wall isn’t load-bearing and doesn’t have pipes or electrical wires running through it, you might be able to hollow out the wall to create more storage. A half wall that separates the toilet from the shower or vanity area can be an ideal place for storing extra bath tissue, as in this space by Mulberry’s Design House. I recommend proceeding with this solution only with the approval of an architect or a contractor.

KraftMaster Renovations

9. Medicine Cabinet Features
In the past, a medicine cabinet was simply a shallow cabinet with a mirror. Nowadays there are many features you can select to make your medicine cabinet serve you well.

Useful features can include a Bluetooth speaker for your music and refrigerated sections for special skincare products and medicines. You also can add night lights, defoggers, and charging ports for electric toothbrushes, razors, and beauty devices. Some of these features might be considered luxury items, but they might truly enhance your life and make your routines more efficient.

Wood Specialties, Inc.

10. Toe Kick Storage
A toe kick is a recessed area at the bottom of a base cabinet that allows someone to stand closer to the counter comfortably. Depending on the construction of your cabinets, you might be able to convert the base to a toe-kick drawer for even more storage. If you have young children, a cover for the toe kick drawer can double as a step as well. Consult with your architect and contractor to see if incorporating a toe kick drawer would be a feasible option for you.

Hartman Baldwin Design/Build

11. Bathtub Storage
Carve out extra spaces in the framing of your bathtub or create a shallow cabinet or shelving unit in front of your bathtub.

Casework

12. Decor Display
While planning your functional bathroom, be sure to also include spaces where you can add decor and personality. Evaluate if recessed shelving created from otherwise unused zones might be a good investment for you. Open shelves can display small plants, candles, and framed photos, as well as serve as additional storage.

Houzz Contributor. Patricia Lee is a professional home organizer in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the co-owner of Tailorly with her business partner Jeanne Taylor. Together they create beautiful homes through decluttering, organizing, and styling. For more information visit www.tailorly.net.

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For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Tri-Lite Builders will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or emailing [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsmen are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

07 Nov 2023

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Blog, Design, furniture arrangement, Interior Design, Lifestyle, Professional Interior Designer, Trends Permalink

How to Get Your Furniture Arrangement Right

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On November 7, 2023

Like a blank page or canvas, an empty room can be either an opportunity or a challenge. With so many ways to fill it, how do you know where to start? I’ve taken some of the basic rules of furniture arrangement and distilled them into 10 simple tips. They’ll help you work with your interior designer to determine where to put things, where not to put things, and how to prioritize the choices you make.

Nicole Peter Studio

Basic Rules of Furniture Arrangement

Think About How the Room Will Function
Consider how the room is used and how many people will use it. That will dictate the type of furnishings you’ll need and the amount of seating required.

Hendel Homes

Decide on a Focal Point
Identify the room’s focal point — a fireplace, view, television — and orient the furniture accordingly. If you plan to watch television in the room, the ideal distance between the set and the seating is three times the size of the screen (measured diagonally). Therefore, if you’ve got a 40-inch set, your chair should be 120 inches away.

Studio H Design Group

Start With Priority Pieces
Place the largest pieces of furniture first, such as the sofa in the living room or the bed in the bedroom. In most cases, this piece should face the room’s focal point. Chairs should be no more than 8 feet apart to facilitate conversation. Unless your room is especially small, avoid pushing all the furniture against the walls.

Manlove and Company Interiors

Consider Symmetry
Symmetrical arrangements work best for formal rooms. Asymmetrical arrangements make a room feel more casual.

Galbraith Carnahan Architects

Create a Traffic Flow
Think about the flow of traffic through the room — generally the path between doorways. Don’t block that path with any large pieces of furniture if you can avoid it. Allow 30 to 48 inches of width for major traffic routes and a minimum of 24 inches of width for minor ones.

Try to direct traffic around a seating group, not through the middle of it. If traffic cuts through the middle of the room, consider creating two small seating areas instead of one large one.

Moose Tuchus LLC

Aim for Variety
Vary the size of furniture pieces throughout the room, so your eyes move up and down as you scan the space. Balance a large or tall item by placing another piece of similar height across the room from it (or use it to replicate the scale). Avoid putting two tall pieces next to each other.

nest + company

Build in Contrast
Combine straight and curved lines for contrast. If the furniture is modern and linear, throw in a round table for contrast. If the furniture is curvy, mix in an angular piece. Similarly, pair solids with voids: Combine a leggy chair with a solid side table, and a solid chair with a leggy table.

BDesignD

Design for Ease of Use
Place a table within easy reach of every seat, being sure to combine pieces of similar scale, and make sure every reading chair has an accompanying lamp. Coffee tables should be located 14 to 18 inches from a sofa to provide sufficient legroom.

John McClain Design

Allow for Circulation
In a dining room, make sure there are at least 48 inches between each edge of the table and the nearest wall or piece of furniture. If traffic doesn’t pass behind the chairs on one side of the table, 36 inches should suffice.

In bedrooms, allow at least 24 inches between the side of the bed and a wall, and at least 36 inches between the bed and a swinging door.

Do Your Planning
Give your back a break. Before you move any furniture, test your design on paper. Measure the room’s dimensions, noting the location of windows, doors, heat registers, and electrical outlets, then draw up a floor plan on graph paper using cutouts to represent the furnishings. Or, better yet, use a digital room planner to draw the space and test various furniture configurations. It’s less work and a lot more fun.

Crosby and Company

Tell us: What furniture arrangement challenges have you faced in your home?

Article written by Fred Alpert, Houzz Contributor. Fred has written about architecture and design for many Web sites and magazines, including Houzz, Metropolitan Home, House Beautiful, and Style 1900.

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