Vanessa L. Osei & Daniel Dziadkowski
Kingdom Countertops & Cabinetry , Highlands Ranch CO
Another lunch box slams on the countertop, a kid down the hall wails ‘Mooooommmmmm!!!!!’ for the 98th time this hour. The hubby is blowing up my phone to find out about our business insurance coverages and my email inbox notification is buzzing off the table... seriously!? For the love, I need to escape! Well let me see, vacation is not on my horizon and surely a trendy ‘mommy by herself’ vacay with just me, myself & I is nowhere in my distant future.
This fact leaves me incredibly grateful I designed my bathroom as a ‘serene mini getaway-scape’. If home is where the heart is, then home should also be where the rest and relaxation takes place! Current mental health stats are shocking and while technology was supposed to make our lives ‘easier’, it has also contributed to us ALWAYS being available and plugged in, even when we don’t want to be!
The world will keep taking and sucking until you are worn to the bone, so set aside a tailor made space for some intentional self care! In designing an insulated space from the stresses of the world, I take refuge, solace and time for me.
Design Elements- It’s Your Canvas
The HGTV craze has everyone worried what will be ‘in’ or ‘out’ in the next few years. The truth is we don’t know. Design has become a faster and briskly moving river over the last decade and for this I say DO WHAT YA WANT! Design it YOUR way! It’s your space. You will spend countless hours there and you will write the check for it too. We see way too many clients regret not remodeling their bathrooms sooner so they could also enjoy it before they sell. Nowadays people will either buy your home because they love it as is, or because they intend to rip it all out anyway- so trying to please a mysterious buyer in the future is usually a waste of your time. This is YOURS.
In considering the structural elements of your serene escape, consider the flooring, walls, counters, bathtub & shower as your main building blocks. Do you want the vibe of earth tones like a mountain retreat? A traditional Victorian tub and a brick flashback in time? Or are you looking for a clean, bright, modern ‘spa’ hue? Always remember your decor can add an accent color or completely change the vibe in a few years if you decide to change things up again without having to demo and start over. Ask yourself: What kind of lines do I like? Am I drawn towards more natural stone veins or uber clean man made modern lines? Does shiny chrome or warm golden metallics touch my soul? Is ‘less is more to keep my joy sparked’ where I lean or do I want the bells & whistles I need on hand?
I always encourage people not to put in too much of what they love in a space, as we are easily prone to do. For example, if you love and are drawn to natural rustic woods, be careful of adding this to your cabinets and flooring and wall tiles. It will just look like a wood mill threw up in your bathroom! Combine balance and different natural elements alongside your favs. Maybe the darker warmer hardwood tiles go on the floor but you brighten it up with the lighter creamy wall tile in your shower for a heart jumping contrast of dark and light. If you love glass, cement and metals, add in an accent wall with a warm natural wood so your space doesn’t feel like a cold jail. Do your accent tiles in the shower or vanity backsplash tie together different color hues and tones from your floors and walls? That is one of their most powerful jobs. They can help bring together two things you may not think ‘go’ together. If your cabinetry is busy with wood grains or bold color, keep a one toned plain countertop so too much isn’t going on in the brain when you look at it. The opposite is true if you have a plain little movement cabinet, there is more freedom to do a busy colorful granite.
Some designers will want to lay down ‘rules’ but the truth is you live with it, so if you like a few different textures, colors or materials that may not be ‘standard’ or ‘match’- hey do it ! If you feel serene in your space that is what matters most!
If you have a large space, can your foundational lay out establish different areas in your oasis? Delineate one area as the sitting/sipping coffee as the sun rises spot near the window. Make the cozy fireplace area for wine & winding down after a long day with a good book. You can define your space with different patterns in how your tile is laid or a transition in flooring type. Maybe you keep waterproof tiles near the wet areas, but opt for hardwood in the sitting areas.
If you have a small space, do your material selections make the area look larger and less cramped? Longer horizontal tiles can make a smaller room look wider by drawing the eye left or right in longer waves. Too many small mosaic or subway tiles can make it feel cluttered and full. How can you maximize space with your cabinetry selection to keep all the things you will need handy, but out of cluttered sight? Remember if you’re doing a remodel, is the current configuration what you want? If staring at the toilet from your bathtub is killing your spirit, look at turning it the other way or putting a half wall, door, cabinet or divider up to keep you in a relaxed state of being.
Decor & Essentials- The Cherries on Top
The backdrop has been laid, and now it’s time to accentuate the space by ‘moving in’. A few key things for any serene escape are:
These tips should ensure your bathroom is not just a place to get ready in the morning
or wash off the chaos, but rather a place to take you away from the stress
of life and into serene surroundings! Vanessa
Vanessa Osei is the owner of Kingdom Countertops & Cabinetry in Highlands Ranch, with her husband Gideon who has been in the industry for over 18 years. She works with amazing designers & installers for all your remodeling and design needs in a one stop shop environment, to save you time & stress. . She is the mother of three kids, has a language & global education background and runs one of the largest Prison Ministries in the state. As a native Coloradan she enjoys mountain trips, avoiding all the traffic and enjoying time with friends & family over her favorite meals. She loves the creative aspect of design and the practical side of construction!
Kingdom Countertops & Cabinetry is located just behind the bowling alley
next to Max Taps on University & County Line.
They are open M-Sat 10am-6pm
