Tenant Proof Bath Tub and Shower Design

For a tenant proof  bath tub/ shower area, tile the entire wall including the ceilings. This will prevent water damage to the shower ceiling from broken shower nozzles or aggressive shower cleaning. If you can afford to do so I recommend also tiling the ceiling a foot or two past the shower ceiling or even better the whole bathroom ceiling.

Tiling the ceiling wall of the shower or even the entire bathroom ceiling was typically done in 1930's bathroom such as the one pictured above. Later on this very practical tiling practice was abandoned, most likely due to builder costs. Leaving homeowners with the odious task of repainting and replacing the shower ceiling every few years. If have your very own pink and green 1930's vintage shower as pictured above be sure to keep it. You can of course create your own 30's inspired shower using black and white subway tile with gray grout. This color scheme will appeal to the greatest number of tenants. The initial cost will be more but you won't need to ever paint or repair the walls due to a broken shower nozzle. I also recommend taking the opportunity to add a support bar attached to the stud walls at this time.

 Here is another tiled shower/tub combinations.

Timeless Kitchen Design Part 3 Hardware

Timeless Kitchen Cabinetry Hardware Part 3

Simple hardware, unadorned knobs and pulls enhancing the functionality of this kitchen. The practicality of the old fashioned drawer pulls and glass knobs is such that they have become classics used in a variety of applications far beyond kitchens and bathrooms. For a variety of classic knobs. pulls and hardware check out Rejuvenation Classic American Lighting and House Parts.

This kitchen has 1 1/4 inch black hexagonal glass knobs in black and hexagonal glass pull.

1-1/4in. Hexagonal Glass Knob

Tenant Proof Kitchen Sinks and Surrounds

The best kitchen sinks for your home and rental that are useful and easy to maintain are seamless double drainboard sinks with an integral countertop and backsplash. These sinks were either wall mounted or came with legs. They came with a low apron and because of the lack of an extra hole next to the faucet to provide an air gap dishwashers cannot be installed underneath them. However, portable dishwashers than you roll up and hook up to the sink can be used. Portable dishwashers come with a finished top, side and back as well as being on wheels to make their wheeling up to the sink much easier.They are more expensive then built in dishwasher but also easier to replace if something breaks and can't be fixed. They tend to last a long time we are still using ours built in the 1980's.

Another option is the porcelain sink with integral backsplash and double drainboards with the metal base cabinet that were available in the 1930's to 1950's. Many of these are still available.

These double drainboard integral sinks in either a single or double sink model have a deck mounted faucet and a lower backsplash. The deck mounted faucet will make your plumber smile but you will grimace at cleaning the water gunk that collects around them. The low backsplash will not protect your walls as much as a taller backsplash, however you will have lots of storage for things under the sink and if you like you will be able to install a built in dishwasher.

Another option for a seamless double drainboard sink is the Elkay Gourmet Lustertone stainlesss steel double drainboard sinks. They come in single or double sink version in a variety of sizes.They are very difficult to find on Elkay's website unless you have the code to plug in.

Elkay Gourmet Lustertone single sink with double drainboards are as follows

S5419
S5019
S7219

Elkay Gourmet Lustertone double sinks with double drainboards are as follows:

D6029
D6629
D7234
D8434



There is a rumor that Elkay has an option to customize this sink by adjusting the backsplash height and the side splash heights but I have not been able to find this and in general it is extremely difficult to find any of these sinks by Elkay on their website without the codes. I love the option of stainless steel but I really miss the rounded, bulbous shape of the porcelain over cast iron sinks with their 8 to 12 inch backsplash and their backsplash mounted faucets that prevent crude from collecting behind the deck mounted faucet and backsplash.

Kitchen Cabinetry: The Importance of the Toe Kick

Kitchen Cabinetry: The Importance of the Toe Kick

Notice this cabinetry does not have a toe kick area 

The Toe Kick Area

Many vintage kitchen base cabinets did not have a toe kick. The toe kick is a welcome feature of modern day kitchens. It enables you to get up close to the countertop to work without causing back aches. In vintage kitchens work was often done at a free standing table in the middle of the kitchen not on the countertops of the base cabinets. However later kitchens were built with the toe kick area as we see below.

Toe Kick Space: Things Not To Do

Many kitchen designers who don't cook or clean suggest giving your cabinetry feet in the toe kick area in to give your cabinetry the look of furniture added over time. These toe kick ornaments fool no one. They only thing they add is more cleaning. You will no longer be able to easily Swiffer or mop your kitchen. These toe kicks will require you to clean out the area behind them on your hands and knees with a damp cloth. However, do put a piece of wood down so the front of your toe kicks on something. You definitely don't want an open toe kick area under your base cabinets as this requires cleaning under the entire length and depth of your base cabinets. Here are the pictures of what not to do.

 For ease of cleaning you want an unobstructed toe kick area that  you can easily swiffer and mop.

Timeless Kitchen Cabinetry That Last

Timeless Kitchen Cabinetry Design Part 1

This period kitchen is from the 1920's. It is still around today in 2012 over 90 years after it was built. Why when kitchens are the most remodeled rooms in homes? The reason is because this kitchen was built specifically for this space.The kitchen cabinetry was designed to meet the needs of the cook to provide storage, preparation  and cooking space while taking advantage of every inch of space. Although many things have changed the basic components of a kitchen have not. Notice the upper cabinetry is built all the way up to the ceiling. The cabinetry fits this kitchen like a well tailored suit. 

The particular building method of this cabinetry, the inset frame style, denotes quality because of the skill and precision required to build them. Both the door and drawers of this cabinetry sit flush with the frame of the cabinetry. The door and drawer style also play into this timeless look. The door style is a square inset flat panel door, otherwise known as a Shaker door style. The flat or slab drawer fronts play a crucial role in the classical aspect of the design through their lack of ornamentation. See the example image below from Crown Point cabinetry notice the flat front drawer fits inside the frame as does the square inset flat panel door. These are very plain in style and will not go out of fashion.

The choice of an off white oil based enamel paint for the cabinetry appeals to a wide variety of tastes and is not likely to trigger a negative reaction.  Color like pattern is very subjective and waxes and wanes with the dictates of fashion. Soft and muted neutral colors such as creamy, off white, antique white, bisque, beige and soft grey work well across many time periods offending no one. These colors provide a neutral palate that one does not grow tired of. They enable the accessorizing with objects that provide color and patterns and can easily be changed as tastes change.

Particular wood species trends vary across decades and may not appeal to as many individuals as a neutral painted wood finish. If you want a wood tone chose a mid tone color so it it not too light or too dark. Remember the 90's oak kitchen cabinet trend or the knotty pine trend of the 1960's? How about  the picked oak finish of the late 1990's or the dark cherry finish of the 1980's? This is why it is better to stick with a neutral painted finish or a mid tone stain in wood.

Art Deco Bathrooms

Lately, I have been seeing a lot of art deco bathrooms from the 1930's to the 1950's with wonderful tile work on the floor, walls and ceiling and some great design ideas for showers. If you have one of these bathrooms save yourself a lot of work and keep them. The showers were tiled all the way up to ceiling and the ceiling was tiled too. A great way to prevent lots of repairs to the ceiling from shower heads that break. Also notice the covered arches surrounding the showers.

Colorful Art Deco Bathroom from the 1930's

Kitchen Setups to Avoid and Why

Okay, I am giving in today and talk about dumb kitchen cabinet designs that serve no real purpose except for looks. Some of these designs look very attractive but I will explain why they are dumb in order to save you the mistake of installing them in your home..

The two open display cabinets on either side of the flirty French style hood (photo above) serve no purpose except for display. The location ensures that the display items will get covered with grease and require weekly washing. I don't know about you but I do enough cleaning. For an easier to clean kitchen remove these two cabinets and replace with nothing.

The cabinet extending all the way to the counter next to the sink.will get wet from the sink and rot. In addition, people will always be settings things on the counter  just in front of the drawers requiring you to move them before opening the drawers. This is guaranteed to drive you nuts. I don't know what it is about ledges that causes people to put down little things there. Lastly these cabinets take up valuable counter space where it is most needed. A better option would be have a classic upper cabinet. If you need tall storage install an armoire in a location away from the sink but don't build this configuration.

Now let's look at the shelves next to the stove. This is something you will find in a shelter magazine described as a new way to "update" you kitchen. The stylist was only thinking of what would make an attractive photo, not about greasy dust that would collect on things right next to the stove. The stylist probably only eats takeout or microwaves. So my advice is don't do it, you kitchen really doesn't need this kind of "updating" not unless you like to add extra cleaning to your weekly routine. If you were really short on storage this area would be better served by an upper cabinet that reaches all the way to the ceiling and had a door. Imagine two upper cabinets just like the grey one on the left,without the drawers, on either side of the sink, traditional yes, but it works and doesn't require extra cleaning by you.

Here is yet another cabinet placement  that just baffles me. When cabinets are extend all the way down to the counter top next to the stove this creates a fire hazard. It also swallows up valuable counter space on either side of the range to put items before and after cooking. In addition, this adds to your kitchen cleaning by requiring you to scrub the grease and food splatters off your cabinet sides. For safety reasons the best option is to avoid upper cabinets entirely near your range and instead put up wall hung pot racks on either side.

Why You Don't Want Cabinets on Either Side of Your Range.

Just because you see it pictured in a gorgeous home magazines doesn't mean it works well in real life. Upper cabinets on either side of the range are a popular trend with kitchen designers at the moment. However, this trend creates extra cleaning and it increases the danger of fire.

For fire safety keep upper cabinets at least 24 inches away from either side of the range hood. Backsplashes should be made of fireproof materials such as porcelain or ceramic tile, glass or metal. These material should be carried up to the ceiling and at least 24 inches on each side of the range hood. The space on either side of the range hood can be put to good use with wall mounted pot racks to hold metal pots and pans with metal handles, in other words fireproof things.

This kitchen was designed by Nicole Hough and featured in House Beautiful magazine.

Bungalow Bathrooms by Jane Powell and Linda Svendsen

After repeatedly reading about Jane Powell and Linda Svendsen's book  Bungalow Bathrooms I finally got a copy of the book. It should more accurately be called Period Bathrooms because it follows bathroom design from the late 1899's to the 1940's. The pictures show a variety of colorful bathrooms as well as your standard white bathrooms. The bathroom has not changed much over time hence which is why you can find these early bathrooms still in use today in many older homes in the United States. If you have one of these bathrooms keep them and embrace them. If you have a bathroom from the 1960's to 1990's I strongly encourage you to incorporate elements of period bathroom styles because they are classic, durable, attractive, easy to maintain.

Probably the largest money saving option you can do is to tile the shower/bath combination all the way up to the ceiling. Don't leave a wall watch of 12 to 24 inches above the wall tile, this will create two surfaces for you to maintain. When your shower head starts leaking and spraying all over you will be glad you did this. The shower won't know its only supposed to spray the tile. For this reason it is also a good idea to tile the ceiling of the shower and a few feet outside the shower.

Of course, the most tenant proof way would be to tile the entire bathroom the floor, baseboards, wall and ceiling. A good tile job can last a lifetime. This can save you hours of your time in painting and replacing damaged walls and damaged linoleum. It will cost money up front but save you time and money over the long run. Money you can get back, your time once used is gone forever. What do you want to spend your time doing? Wouldn't you rather be doing something you really enjoy rather than repairing ceilings, walls and floor in your bathroom? I sure would. Here are some examples of tiled shower ceilings. Most of these are probably more elaborate then needed but they provide inspiration. To make it appealing to more people I would stick with white subway tile and thin black trim accent pieces. Black, white and gray don't go out of style.