What kind of shower curtain do you have? I’ve seen all the phases of shower-curtain-decor in my adult life – from a map of the world to colorful prints from Klimt and Kandinsky. In our last home, we had the classic white waffle weave, which served us well for years (and years!). I’ve loved all of them for different reasons (and seasons in my life), but for our current bathroom, we wanted to mix it up. We wanted easy breezy, nothing too fussy, but something to contrast with our sea of white. It started harmless enough; something simple, we said.  We also loved the idea of floor to ceiling, so I – again, harmlessly – ordered a 96″ liner online at the start of our renovation. We’ll get to the curtain later, I thought.When ‘later’ came, a 96″ shower curtain – unless we wanted to fall back on the waffle weave – was surprisingly hard to find! While 96″ liners abound, a casual-but-cool curtain in the same length was almost non-existent. Feeling frustrated, we contemplated buying curtains or linen bedsheets and sewing them together.

We also considered buying extra large blankets and having button holes sewn in, and at one point, I found myself on a site dedicated to nothing but tablecloths! With sewing at the very, very bottom of my list of talents (oh, my poor, neglected sewing machine), the total cost of those options equated to the cost of handmade Etsy options. And so, ready to just buy already and move on with our lives, we landed on this grey slubbed-fabric curtain from Etsy. john lewis made to measure eyelet curtainsWe liked it from one of our very first searches, but at the time, we were so sure we could DIY a curtain for less. flamenco shower curtain cheapThe purchase was slightly impulse at the height of our frustration and more than we thought we’d spend, but it proved to be a splurge in the right area. dritz curtain grommets reviews

It adds a massive dose of texture and luxury – and it’s so pretty! The curtain has an amazing weight to it, and it added an instant facelift to the space! Not to mention, we’re one step closer to a victory shower. Our hunt took us to places all around the web, and although we wish they could all be extra-extra long (for reference, our skinny storage above sits 6′ off the floor), we found a lot of  curtains we’d totally buy and rounded them up below! wamsutta curtains ashley stripeWe seriously considered chambray curtain panels and turkish blankets, so I threw those in the mix, too. dandelion shower curtain bed bath and beyondEven if you’re not a seamstress, we think an alterations drop-off shouldn’t run too high. hazelmere curtains

(And if you are a seamstress, can we be friends, please?) Click on any thumbnail below to take you to the source.*Our shower rod and double glide clips. * Links contain affiliates. See more about affiliates in our policies.Images of this birch print wallpaper keep appearing throughout the blogs and Pinterest. I do believe it is reaching classic status. This wall paper pattern has started inspiring both decor projects using it and variations on this theme.3ddd curtains pdf First check out the wastebasket upgrade by Benita over on Chez Larsson (one of my favorite blogs - might be my Swedish heritage showing through!). She includes a tutorial so you can upscale using any wallpaper if birch isn't your theme. Here are some of my previous posts with birch as a theme: Birch Update • Containers Birch Trees in Quilts and Fiber Arts Birch Bark as a Theme Last spring before Pinterest entered my life, I did a series of posts on using the birch theme and birch bark in decor.

When I started pinning I create a board about birch and have been collecting new ideas there for awhile.  Thought it was a good time to update my readers with the collection. Today I'll share birch containers.  Here are a series using birch bark to create or cover containers. Look at this gorgeous basket crafted from birch bark. The beauty of this container is that it blends so well with its contents..... I have recently posted about the beauty of bright green moss on the table here but look at it in the following photo with it placed in pots covered with bark.  There is a DIY tutorial in the links. You don't have to make your own. Here is a very pretty berry basket skillfully crafted from birch bark and available from Little Birch Farm on Etsy. Here are some of my previous posts of birch as a theme: I have shared with you my plans to FINALLY finish the Laundry Room here and here. Today, I met with the plumber. I am planning to move all the utilities around to maximize usable space and I have no idea what code allows for.

I didn't want to spend a lot of time trying to lay out cabinets in SketchUp if the solution wasn't practical. The plumber said everything was certainly doable and appropriate! I called two plumbers for estimates. Plumber One came today, on time, with suggestions and is doing a free water test. Plumber Two wants $67.50 to arrive and more $$$$ for time to do an assessment of the situation before providing a quote.   I also visited Lowe's and collected some information on stackable washers and dryers because that is part of the plan as well. I am looking for information about them. It seems like a perfect solution yet so seldom is it done.  Does anyone have any knowledge on the subject? Other Laundry Room Redesign Posts:1. The BIG Project • Laundry/Utility/Pantry 2. Scary Laundry Room 3. Collecting Laundry Rooms Ideas I have spent most of today working on our taxes - personal and two businesses. No DIY, no design and (almost) no Pinterest! For my post I will share with you something that made me smile because my taxes sure didn't!

Check out these wonderful penguins. These little guys are filled with personality. They are crafted from reclaimed wood that has been layer together in such a way as to identify bird body parts when turned. I became aware of these cute dudes on The Designer Pad, a blog I've bookmarked and follow. They are created by Beller of Norway. Previous Posts of InterestWooden Rocks? Perfect Present • Wooden Bow This is my second installment in a series on beautiful design trends that I won't implement. You'll note I said beautiful because, in many applications, I find these visually stunning but for other reasons I will not incorporate into my home. Trend 1 that I discussed last week was open shelves in the kitchen. Trend 2 that I'll address today is palettes and palette lumber. It is cropping up everywhere and in truly stunning ways.  Here are some examples: Palettes as headboards are common.... traditional powder room design by san francisco architect Ward-Young Architecture & Planning via Houzz

eclectic bathroom design by cincinnati design-build Andrew Melaragno, AIBD via Houzz Previous Posts in The Design Trends • Don't SeriesOpen Shelves To start a big project like a laundry room re-do requires some research and in 2012 that means Houzz and Pinterest. I have been collecting ideas for a while and in both applications I have created collections to help me sort out my ideas.  I just love these tools and the range of information available on the Internet - just wish my connection speed would stay up there! That is a rant for a different day but AT&T are you listening? Looking back through my collected ideas in Houzz I find the following items... First, some examples of fold out ironing boards. I truly wish they would learn how to do away with ironing altogether but alas - not a day goes by that I don't have to iron something! I want an ironing board that will probably stay open most of the time but can be put away when I entertain. I use this room as a staging area during entertaining and then I'd like the ironing board to be gone.

The first two examples are fold out options. Traditional laundry room design by New York architect Crisp Architects Traditional laundry room design by Tampa architect Bud Dietrich, AIA Contemporary laundry room design by Portland design-build Angela Todd Designs Contemporary laundry room design by Newark interior designer Kingsley Belcher Knauss, ASID contemporary laundry room design by san francisco interior designer Susan M. Davis traditional laundry room design by grand rapids architect Visbeen Associates, Inc. Modern laundry room design by salt lake city interior designer Stephanie Southwick My laundry room redo is a big enough project that I can't just do a before and after photo shoot and share in a summation blog post. No, this project has the potential of being an epic adventure with me learning important stuff along the way. Yesterday I shared with you my free-form shaped room and the initial idea. Today some "as is" photos.  You'll understand how important the upgrade is to our home.

Here is what my laundry/utility/pantry looks like today...I had to use a wide angle lens because there is only so much space in this eyesore. There is some distortion but you can see the scope of the project. In looking at that back wall you can see the pantry function is important, and you can see that it is relatively organized but certainly not attractive. That indicates that I need closed storage. The things that will be kept here are not pretty. Laundry Room Redesign Links:1. I am getting ready to embark on a big home project, one that his been on the back burner for over thirty years! That is the finishing of my laundry/utility/pantry room. It is an extremely busy, well used room and it is still unfinished. The finishing of it will have to be done by professionals because it needs to be done quickly. We can't live long with the water pump and water heater disconnected as flooring is laid and sheetrock installed. So, I am getting prepared for contracting a big disturbance in our lives which hopefully will end in something beautiful.

I have started planning and you'll need to understand a few things about our home. First it is creatively shaped. I designed it and David and I built it ourselves (with much help from my Dad) back in 1978. Talk about a learning experience! Much of it was unfinished when we moved in and we finished new areas as kids arrived. Here is a floor plan of the first floor. See what I mean when I say "creatively shaped?" 1. Relocating the water heater, water pump and pipes to better use the space. 2. Hide the utilities behind a removable wall - removable for maintenance reasons. 3. Add studs where necessary (back wall) and sheet rock it all. ( It has a cathedral ceiling!) 4. Add flooring - probably just vinyl. 5. Get a stacked washer dryer. 6. Install cabinets EVERYWHERE. Right now I have been spending my project time relearning Intaglio, a floor plan program and Google SketchUp. I do plan to create a 3-d drawing before moving forward. We have all been commenting on what a unique spring this is.  

It is here early, after almost no winter. And as always it brings joy to the heart and daffodils to the garden.  The bright yellow and green against the still brown world is a welcomed sight! I want to fill my house with them. Here are some ideas to get me started..... How about a wall decal? Previous Posts of Interest:Black-eyed Susan Pin Wheels What a terrific idea! Here is a wall mounted kitty jungle gym. Our kitties are now gone but wouldn't this have been fun. I need to save the idea for the grand kitties! The DIY possibilities are huge! Exceptional photography is truly important in making a visual impact in a blog.  David gave me a new lens last week and I really needed to spend some time exploring its strengths. Today, no projects - just photos. I have taken hundreds of shots, discarded most, repeated some, experimented. When you are in the DIY business, learning new things is a must. Here is some of my favorites in no particular order. Detail of my stone lamp