design trends Archives - Emily A. Clark

Kids’ Bathroom Renovation: Subway Tile + Chrome

Nov152017

If you’ve recently been through a bathroom renovation, you probably know that even the smallest decisions can often become the hard, keep-you-up-at-night design dilemmas. I still have a few finishing touches left to do, but the boys’ and girls’ bathroom renovations are complete, and I wanted to show you a couple of the details I chose.

Like most people, we were working within a budget and with the mindset that this renovation will (hopefully) take us through many years. For those reasons, and because the house is pretty traditional, it was important that my design decisions were fairly classic, giving us the biggest bang for our decorating buck. But, boy, is it tempting to do something really bold and maybe even a little over the top in this crazy game of “Pinterest one-upper.”

I eventually decided on two classics: subway tile and chrome. There are so many good patterned tiles out there right now and beautiful brass fixtures, but. . . These are our kids’ baths. And again, I didn’t want to invest in elements that I would be “over” in the next five years. But just because you go classic doesn’t mean you have to predictable–right?

shower curtain // garden stool // bamboo shade

In the girls’ shower, I opted for a 3×6″ white subway tile with a navy “stripe” going all the way around. (Those tiles are 1/2″ x 6″, from a local tile shop.) It looks more black then navy in the photos but definitely reads more blue in person. I wanted to stay away from doing too much black and white since that can sometimes look a little more retro than I wanted.

Finishes can be tricky, and I know brass is all the rage. But, I just feel like simple chrome–especially for a kids’ or guest bath–is here to stay, especially when paired with mostly white. It’s a combo that always works. My designer friend Rebecca recommended the Cassidy shower head by Delta Faucet and I loved the oversized design and shape right away. A more modern design in a classic finish is a nice compromise. (I still used brass touches–drawer pulls, mirrors, lighting–and will show you that later.)

The shower head is adjustable, by the way. It took me a couple of weeks to figure that out. . . ;) And, in case you’re wondering, I’ve snuck in a few showers in the girls’ bathroom and you do get plenty of water.

Hope this helps some of you who are knee-deep in renovation decisions. What bathroom design elements do you consider “classic?”

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A Lesson in Layering

Feb202017

It’s a good day when one of your favorite designers updates his portfolio with a new project. The latest from Mark D. Sikes is another beautiful lesson in layering. Think you can’t use another stripe in your room because you already have one? Or, that all of your natural wood tones have to match exactly? Or, that you can’t layer different shades of the same color? He’ll make you rethink all of the things that might be hanging you up. . .

Besides having a mutual love of blue and white, here’s what else I think he does so well:

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See the full project (and the rest of his incredible portfolio) here.

And, another post you might enjoy: Manly Decorating (In a Good Way)

2016: All the Good Things

Jan32017

I’m back—and stuck to the promise I made to myself to stay away from my computer until 2017. To be honest, it was kind of glorious. You all survived, too—right? ;) I didn’t check Instagram every hour. I didn’t post to Facebook. And, I didn’t read a single blog. I did watch a lot of episodes of The Office (good for the soul!), spent a week with my parents and finished two books.

As I continue to think about what I want my blog to look like in the coming year, I wanted to first share a few of my favorite highlights and loves from 2016.