I made these changes because I wanted my online presence to really reflect the evolution of my interior design firm, Leslie Fine Interiors. The online world has changed dramatically over the past few years and, just like your home, refinement and changes need to be made to keep current. I jumped into the social media world a couple of years ago and have seen some dramatic influences to my design business and how I work.

Through my blog, Facebook and Twitter, I have made professional connections all over the country. Many of these wouldn’t have been possible without social media. These connections have helped me expand the scope of my work, and have also helped me to have access to so many ideas relating to interior design.  Here are some examples:

Trip to NYC with Brizo (click here to read all about it)

 

I was quoted in House Beautiful!

Most importantly I’ve been able to share my design philosophy and point of view with all my readers, and in exchange, your comments and feedback have taught me a great deal.

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Leslie Fine Interiors, Inc.

So buckle up and enjoy the ride because over the course of the next few months, I am going to be introducing you to more design trends and ideas by harnessing powerful web-based tools such as Pinterest, Tumblr and even the latest ways to use Facebook!

These etched glass shower doors seem to give the space a new dimension. The patterns available range from the very bold to very subtle and almost ethereal.

Fili Maté by Vitrealspecchi

Here, the etched pattern suggests the tracks of  water drops from the shower.

Fili Cristalli by Vitrealspecchi

This Japanese-inspired pattern looks almost like fog.

Kimono Cristalli by Vitrealspecchi

Vitrealspecchi also makes scratch proof glass countertops that complement the look of the shower doors.

Fili Cristalli countertop by Vitrealspecchi

Non-scratch glass washbasin by Vitrealspecchi

Take a look at the Vitrealspecchi website for many more inspirational photos of exquisite glass doors, partitions and countertops for every room in the house. Some of the products are so beautiful, I could imagine starting with a glass pattern and designing the room around that piece!

I’d love to create beautiful spaces in your home. Give us a call at Leslie Fine Interiors 617-236-2286.

Cintas, provider of commercial restroom supplies, is trying to raise the profile of public restrooms by encouraging more thought be put into their decor and design. Here’s the fun part – they’re asking us to help choose the best restrooms in America.

Cintas has narrowed the contestants down to ten finalists. These restrooms are found in hotels, restaurants, museums, and other public places. I must say, some of these spaces are beautifully designed.

This first photo is from the ladies’ room at the Field Museum in Chicago. The family friendly restroom includes a nursing room with a sink and a door for privacy. The restroom also features a tots area with smaller toilets for the younger museum guests. Outside of the restrooms, there is a caddy with a free supply of band-aids, diapers, wipes and other products for little emergencies.

The Field Museum, Chicago

The bathroom below is in a hotel in Crystal City, Virginia. The mirror has an unusual bird design, and the countertop is translucent yellow. The faucets emit a colored light as water flows from the tap, with the color changing based on the water temperature.  Be sure to check out the other photos of this restroom on the contest website.

Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel, Crystal City, Virgina

Unlike the sleek restrooms above, this finalist, in a Cuban restaurant in Brooklyn, is meant to look like a space you might find on a Caribbean island. The glass roof overhead is filled with colorful hanging plants, and the walls are made of galvanized metal. It’s cheery and a bit whimsical.

Habana Outpost, Brooklyn, New York

Go to the America’s Best Restroom webpage to see more of the finalists as well as several more photos of the restrooms shown here. Place your vote on the ones that you think are worthy of the grand prize. Voting ends September 19.

Would you like a special treatment for the bathroom in your home? Contact Leslie Fine Interiors in Boston at 617-236-2286.

Kohler, the maker of bath and kitchen fixtures, has an interesting article about the white bathroom. It points out that there is more than just one shade of white– you can have cooler whites with a little blue in them, or warmer whites that include a bit of yellow. So, a white bathroom could include several different whites-as long as they’re closely related temperature-wise. Plus, a contrast of textures and finishes can also add subtle variety in the decor.

This bathroom featuring fixtures and cabinets by Arlexitalia, stays with a pretty consistent pure white scheme with many glossy finishes. The result might be a bit too stark for some tastes, but it certainly does create a very strong impression.

Photo from Arlexitalia

This bathroom by Kohler fixtures uses a warmer palette of white. The simplicity and symmetry of the design supports the intricate mirrors and chandelier over the bath.

Photo from Kohler

This bathroom by Kohler adds organic brown and gold elements to warm up the stark white. (Notice the indirect lighting in the shower.)

Photo from Kohler

This Kohler bathroom is primarily white but with a cool, blue-green tint.

Photo from Kohler

This white bathroom, seen in House Beautiful,  combines both warm and cool elements, with a turquoise tile border along upper portion of the wall and wood accents.

Photo from House Beautiful

Take a look at additional bathroom decor ideas in the House Beautiful slide show as well as the Flickr slide show.  While you’re at it, take a look at some of the bathrooms in my online portfolio under Rejuvenate 1, 2 and 3. I’d love to know what you think.

I’d be very pleased to work with you to design a bathroom that will be your special place to relax and rejuvenate. Call Leslie Fine Interiors in Boston at 617-236-2286.

There was a time when a bathtub was little more than a purely functional element of a functional space. But, bathrooms have evolved into spaces that are designed with great sophistication and beauty (as well as function), and now there are many options that are available for tubs of different shapes and sizes.

The free standing, claw foot tub was often found in a traditional home. Fast forward to today, and we’re seeing a comeback of the free standing tub designed in a clean lined, contemporary style. These tubs can serve as the centerpiece of a bathroom and are quite beautiful as well as functional.

One manufacturer of the contemporary freestanding tub is Wetstyle. The company does a wonderful job of exploring the aesthetics of shape. Various combinations of curves and straight lines are available in the company’s several collections. All are very elegant, and all are excellent starting points for a beautifully designed bathroom.

The Cube Collection from Wetstyle

The Be Collection from Wetstyle

The Flo Collection from Wetstyle

Duravit‘s 2nd Floor Series adds wooden elements to the tubs and other fixtures. The wooden accents are a wonderful contrast to the white tub and the various materials unify the tub with the bathroom cabinets.

2nd Floor Series from Duravit

2nd Floor Series from Duravit

How about combining beauty with therapeutic value? Bain Ultra has several free standing tubs that provide a full array of therapeutic features– colored LED lights for chromatherapy, water jets for hydro-massage, and even headphones for sound therapy.

And they are beautiful looking too!

Essencia Oval Bathtub from Bain Ultra

Ayoura Bathtub from Bain Ultra

Are you a bath person? (Don’t knock it ’till you try it!!)

The Charlotte collection is transitional with flowing lines and classical elegance and an Art Deco sensibility. The collection introduces the new Brizo Cocoa Bronze finish into the line which features warm, dark bronze tones. According to Judd Lord, director of industrial design for the Brizo brand:

“A trend we continue to see is a warmer color palette that can be used on fixtures ranging from traditional to modern.  The Cocoa Bronze finish was specifically introduced so that any Brizo design can project an air of warmth and friendliness to the space, ultimately complementing the overall environment.”

The Charlotte collection includes: a widespread lavatory faucet, widespread vessel faucet, wallmount faucet, three and four hole Roman tubs, showerhead, ceiling mounted showerhead, handshower with slidebar, wallmount handshower, bidet faucet, and coordinating accessories, lighting and mirrors.

The collection is available in the following finishes: Cocoa Bronze finish with Brilliance^®Polished Nickel accents, Polished Chrome, Brilliance^® Polished Nickel and Brilliance^® Brushed Nickel finishes.

Charlotte will be available in October 2011 – get in line!!

A great resource to keep up with what’s happening in the world of bathroom design is the annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) which wrapped up a few days ago in Las Vegas.  I was unable to attend this year because of scheduling conflicts, but I’ve been busy reading many of the articles and blogs about what was shown at the show.

In particular, I’ve been interested to see a review of some of the best of KBIS for the bath on the lifestyle and design blog Apartment Therapy.

In the transitional/contemporary vein, writer Aaron Able describes a “strategic aesthetic that was a nod towards traditional but just modern enough to appeal to today’s consumers.” He seems to think of it as edginess with the sharpness dulled just a bit. But I see it more as a contemporary twist on a traditional look, with some edginess added to make it different and exciting.

Case in point –  the Treshem Bathroom Suite from Kohler:

Treshem Bathroom Suite from Kohler

“The elegant simplicity of Shaker-style furniture inspires the edgy, neo-traditional design of the Tresham Suite,” says Kohler’s website. The decor in the photo above is appealing – whimsical yet timeless and fun.

But if a more contemporary bathroom remodel is truly what you’re after, consider using Rohern’s R3 Series of medicine cabinets as part of your design plan:

R3 Series from Rohern

The R3 in the name comes from the words rethink, renew, remodel. The line is designed with the remodeling of existing bathrooms in mind. They look smashing, and with high end features such as slow-close hinges, an R3 cabinet adds luxury to your bath.

But my favorite item in the Apartment Therapy review has to be the Aimes Soaking Tub from TOTO:

Aimes Soaking Tub from TOTO

I do like the simple design of the tub with the contemporary lines of the faucet. And for those of you who know me well, you know that I am addicted to my nightly soaks, so I’m just dreaming about filling it up with hot water and bubbles and giving it a try! It looks so comfortable and inviting.

Contemporary? Traditional? Transitional? What’s your bathroom style?

When you’re considering a bathroom makeover in the Boston area or beyond, please contact Leslie Fine Interiors at 617-236-2286.

A great bathroom is more than just a place to get clean and apply your makeup or shave. A great bathroom is also a sanctuary – a place to rejuvenate.

It’s the place you can go where no one is allowed to bother you under any circumstances. “Sorry. I was in the bath” is the gold standard excuse for not taking a call.

A  great bath needs space– space to move, counter space, space to stretch out, space to clear the mind and meditate.

But don’t forget the scents and sensations. Even the Wall Street Journal recognizes that a tub of warm water isn’t enough. As the WSJ says, “for baths to really deliver in the relaxation department, they need plenty of oils, bath salts and delicious soaps.”  (They’ve got that right!!)

And consider the containers. Don’t settle for the uniformly unattractive bottles that shampoos and bath oils come in. You want beauty in your bath! Consider storing your bathroom liquids in vintage bottles, as the WSJ suggests.

Photo by Don Freeman for the Wall Street Journal

Appealing to the sense of smell, consider a high quality bath oil. Just a few drops in a warm tub of water turns the bath into an experience to savor.

I love the smell of lavender.

Lavender Harvest Foaming Bath from L'Occitane, available at L'Occitane and Sephora

And sake?

Sake rice bath from Fresh, available at Fresh and Sephora

A little wine is nice.

And don’t forget the candles!

Photo courtesy of leamar.com

Oh, and one more thing…

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m overdue for my bath. If you need me, please leave a message.

Wine photo (cc) Jenny Downing

Rubber ducky photo (cc) longhorndave

The faucet comes in both a deck mount and wall mount options that will work for both under-mount and vessel style sinks.  The two finish options are chrome and brushed nickel and you have the option of a metal or black tube.

Don’t you think these are handsome?

The Kohler Karbon line is also available for the kitchen with even more finish options.

One of the simplest and most appreciated additions to a bathroom is a magnifying mirror. Women love them for makeup application, tweezing and all too often self assessment! Once the men see them, they want one of their own for shaving. These mirrors are particularly helpful for those who need to throw on a pair of reading glasses now and then…

I have posted a picture of one of my favorites from Remcraft. I love the sleek styling and the quality craftsmanship stands up to heavy usage.

Click here to see it installed in a bathroom I designed.