Tray Ceiling…Tres Chic

It is virtually impossible to find a tray ceiling that has been done so well that all the edges are perfectly straight.  I also find that as the house settles the sheetrock tape begins to show and it just never looks good.  Well, here’s an idea for a tray ceiling renovation that covers the flaws and updates the look. 

The tray ceiling in this client’s bedroom was the typical tray ceiling with one band of crown moulding where the ceiling and wall meet.  We designed this ceiling, adding additional mouldings and beams to give the look of a coffered ceiling.  It brought this 1980’s house into the 21^st century and I think it is very chic.

 

There is some arithmetic involved when designing a ceiling like this, especially when you are adding the recessed lighting.  You need to layout everything so your lights are centered properly between the beams.  You may think this wouldn’t be very difficult but the ceiling rafters will dictate where you can and cannot place the cans for the lights.  My advice…figure out your dimensions and layout the lights first.  Then you can tweek the placement of the beams if need be.

Another piece of advice…Whenever you are doing a combination of a fan and recessed lights, make sure there is plenty of room past the fan blades for the lights.  If they are too close, you will get a strobe effect from the lights when the fan blades are rotating and that’s very 1970’s.

Celebrate Life and Rejoyce! 

Joyce Caldwell

Bathroom Features

As promised, here is a follow up to my bathroom renovation.  I want to show you some of the features that I included in this renovation. 

Garden seat instead of a built-in bench – Guys don’t get it, but women need a place to sit in their shower.  The standard solution is to build in a bench in the shower.  The problem is that you need a wall to build it against.  Because I wanted my bathroom to feel as large as possible, I didn’t want to build a knee wall across from the shower head for a bench.  I wanted an all glass enclosure so I set out to find a teak bench that would hold up to the constant water soaking.  I found a great looking one in the Frontgate catalogue but it was expensive - $250 plus shipping. 

While visiting my local nursery I found this Oriental garden seat.  It is big enough to sit on or just to have a place to sit my oversized shampoo bottle.  Water will never be problem because it is glazed porcelain and made for the outdoors   I like the unexpected element it adds to my shower space and it cost about $40.

Shower pan versus tile floor – I love the look of a mosaic tile shower floor but I don’t like keeping it clean.  I opted for a cultured marble shower pan.  It’s clean looking and I know this one has been installed correctly so it will never leak.

 
Shower Enclosure – The frameless glass shower enclosure was a real splurge but well worth it.  I love the way the door opens in or out and the clear glass makes my bathroom look twice as wide as it did before.

Bamboo Towel Ladder – As you can see I love to accessorize the bathroom as much as any other room.  Therefore, it was hard to find a wall for a towel bar.  I opted for a bamboo ladder which I painted black.  It is so light weight it can lean against the glass shower enclosure.  I think it’s more interesting and warmer than a stainless steel towel bar.


Black Onyz
Chicklet

Pinwheel tile design – I chose this pinwheel tile layout so my tile installer would not have to clip all the corners on the large floor tiles to accommodate the accent tile.  The black accent tile is Sonoma Tile Tantrum Black Onyx Chicklets (1/2” mosaic).  It’s glass and I love it because it looks like little jewels.  Also glass is a modern twist on the expected black marble accent.

I'm now saving for a free-standing tub and granite countertops but truth be told I'm in no hurry.  I'm very happy with the bathroom as it is.

Let me know about some of your bathroom dilemnas.  I'd love to help you with some creative solutions.

Celebrate Life and Rejoyce!

Joyce Caldwell