Archive | January, 2009

Bath Vanities From Another Era

on January 19, 2009

 As a self-professed nostalgia hunter, I like to find antiques that were popular during certain historical periods. In fact, my home is a Victorian-era home built somewhere around the turn of the 20th century. The aspect I love most about my home is that much of the original flair remains. The marble fireplace, the beautiful crown molding, elaborate pediments over the doors–all of it stands as it would when it was first built. I didn’t want to reproduce the look so much as I wanted to preserve it. There are many ways to actually achieve this. The most important one is by buying time-appropriate furniture.

Lately, I have discovered that purchasing antique fixtures is increasingly difficult. Since my husband got laid off from his job, we don’t have much expendable income. Unfortunately, this also means I have less of an incentive to buy the $3,000 authentic antique bathroom vanities that my heart beats so ardently for.

Reluctantly, I decided that perhaps I should cut back on my spending. The other day, as I was surfing the Internet, I stumbled upon a site called “Premiere Vanities”. They sell everything bath vanities. On a whim, I browsed through their traditional and antique bath vanities. I know they’re not authentically antique but boy, do they have the same old-world charm! I guess I never knew that modernly built furniture could have a lot of the same qualities as rustic pieces. The wood is just as rich and the marble is just as luxurious as it would be with any old-fashioned bathroom vanity. Actually, it has all the look and feel of an antique but without the oftentimes dated quality. 

I put in an order for one of their antique white single bath vanities and I expect it to arrive within the next week or so! I can’t be more excited.

 

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Why Bathroom Vanities From Premiere Vanities Are Better Than Home Depot

on January 19, 2009

 I know, I know. “Them’s fightin’ words!” I do have a good reason that I will explain to you in the proceeding entry.

You see, I used to be a Home Depot junkie too. I mean, practically everything in my home had the “Home Depot” logo on it. The reason I really frequented this place so much was because it’s only about ten miles from my home. I know that convenience shouldn’t be the motive to spend thousands of dollars but as a busy father, I simply don’t have time to stray from well-established habits. Eventually, I learned that Home Depot wasn’t as infallible as I had thought. It all started when I purchased a couple wooden single bathroom vanities.

The wood bathroom vanity that I bought was fine when I bought it. About two months into it, the cabinet doors came apart. Two months! I fixed it and moved on. No big deal. Then later, I heard from a friend who worked at Home Depot that their wood products come from old growth forests. I am by no means a “tree hugger” but I do feel that we should all do our part to be eco-conscious. The fact the wood on my vanity was obtained from a primary forest made me blow my top. I knew that this once symbiotic relationship between me and Home Depot was officially over.

Soon after, I went online and decided to find a vanity that way. Even if it would take some time to arrive at my door, I knew I did not want to physically enter a hardware store for awhile. The wound was too fresh.  There was no way I was going to resort to having vanities Home Depot style.

I found this online store called Premiere Vanities that sells all kinds of bathroom vanities large and small. When I spoke to their customer rep—who, by the way, is the nicest person I have ever spoken to—she told me that they had a new line of environmentally friendly “green” vanities. The best part about it is that they are all so affordable! I placed my order right then and there. I have had my Premiere Vanities wood vanity for 5 years now and I am not one bit afraid that the cabinets will break off on me.

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Brave Vanities Bathroom Remodel

on January 19, 2009

 I keep looking at my outdated bathroom and wondering exactly where I can start to improve on it. There’s the broken toilet, the flowery laminate floor, the ugly yellow acrylic counter tops and cracked bathtub…there’s simply too much wrong with this room! I don’t know where to begin.

After looking at some how-to books and home design magazines, I set out to remodel my bathroom. Apparently, according to all of the sources, it’s prudent to start with the vanity. Since the vanity tends to be the focal point of any bathroom, by purchasing or building your vanity first, you can create an aesthetic around it. This makes it relatively easy to decide upon other fixtures in the bathroom when you have a central inspiration to establish from.

I went to a site called Premiere Vanities on the counsel of a friend and I was amazed to find all the options they have available. From single bathroom vanities with one sink to ornately accented antique bathroom vanities, I actually had a lot of trouble choosing a unit for my new idea of a vanities bathroom. Finally, I decided that because of all the years of having an unfortunate old-fashioned looking space, I really needed a dramatic transformation.

The only aesthetic I think that can offset the outmoded appearance of my bathroom is something completely oppositional to the gaudy 70s wallpaper that I have going on right now. After much contemplation, I’m pretty sure I want to go with the Chic Black Single Vanity. It’s unique in that it is entirely mounted on the wall. It almost appears as if it’s floating! I love how sleek the whole set is. Now, all I have to do is to find decor that will complement the modern style. I’m so excited to start my vanities bathroom remodel!

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