7 Gifts To Celebrate Everyday

photo courtesy Bain Ultra

Big Gift Idea #1

Trying to come up with an out-of-the-box holiday gift idea for that special someone? Significant others can be the most difficult to buy for, especially when there is a house-to-do-list vying for attention both during and after the holidays. Why not consider crossing two items off your lists by giving a gift card that allows the receiver permission to enjoy the gift of luxury every day. A soaking tub with aroma therapy like the one above from Bain Ultra, is one way to extend the giving season throughout the years to come.

photo courtesy Steamist

Big Gift Idea #2

Creating a spa-like experience at home is one way to give the gift of wellness. Incorporating a steam shower into a personal residence can be done at the design stages of a project as well as retro-fitted into an existing shower. The health benefits of steam therapy include muscle relaxation, improved blood circulation, release of toxins, allergy and asthma relief, and even more restful sleep. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving!

photo courtesy Kallista

Big Gift Idea #3

While some may not consider a kitchen sink as a particularly sexy gift, one look at this stunner from the Mick De Giulio collection for Kallista and anyone who appreciates home cooked meals may think otherwise. Equipped with an integrated cutting board, colander holder, knife sharpener and large trough like bowl, this stainless steel beauty will take center stage in any working kitchen and is sure to steal the heart of the one who prepares nourishing meals for the family on a daily basis.

photo courtesy Brizo

photo courtesy Kallista

Big Gift Idea #4

Bling can come in all forms, even paired with polished chrome. Adding a bit of sparkle to the bath in the form of Swarovski crystal finials on faucets and towel holders, or rock crystal wall sconces, is an attainable luxury that elevates everyday rituals. When installed in a first floor powder room, this brilliant element of surprise will be a gift for guests as well. 

photo courtesy Native Trails

Big Gift Idea #5

If you have a reduce-reuse-repurposer on your shopping list, then we have just the gift! This unique bar or vanity sink is fashioned from reclaimed oak wine barrels, creating a rustic work of art that functions beautifully. Come to think of it, if your loved one loves wine (red or white) this will also make an extra special gift!

photo courtesy Blanco

photo courtesy Blanco

Big Gift Idea #6

For the environmentalist/gardener in your life, this gift will provide an effortless way to save kitchen scraps for composting that can later be used to enhance the soil in their perennial beds, creating future lush and bountiful harvests. How very sweet!

photo courtesy Grohe

Big Gift Idea #7

A simple swap out of an existing shower head to one that includes a hand held option, is a gift worth getting excited about. New models even offer water saving features with the use of air-induction technology that creates bigger drops of water while using a lower flow rate. Pretty cool, huh? 

What to Give, What to Get

From now through December 31, 2013, when you buy one gift card at Designer Bath, you will receive a second gift card valued at 10% of the first. Gift it to someone else, or save it to pick out something special for yourself. One size fits all. For details, click here.

Happy holidays and best wishes with your gift lists! Just a reminder, we will be collecting unwrapped toys for boys and girls at our Beverly location to benefit Toys for Tots now through December 14th. Stop in anytime to drop off something special, big or small, because in the end we all know it’s the thought that counts!

Do You Love Your Home?

Greg and Gayle Nowak, Bonnie Collins, and Donald Egan

Winners of the Northshore Magazine

“Love Your Home” Design Event Challenge

photo courtesy Northshore Magazine

At a recent Northshore Magazine event, held on April 4th at Landry and Arcari in Salem, MA, several readers who were faced with challenging spaces in their homes, were the fortunate winners of free design solutions from North Shore home design experts. After many readers submitted photos of rooms that were not working for them, along with a “fix this” wish list, three specific challenges were selected to be solved by Howell Custom Building Group, Sue Adams Interiors, Landry and Arcari Oriental Rugs and Carpeting, Lucia Lighting and Design, and Designer Bath. The three challenges were chosen based on the idea that other homeowners might have similar projects that are not moving forward because they also are in need of a combination of both professional insight and product recommendations.

Home owner submitted “Before”

DESIGN CHALLENGE #1: Existing space includes two full baths, a utility closet, and a master bedroom closet.

• Second full-size bath is not necessary.

• Would like a half bath, creating more space to move washer and dryer up from the basement.

• Would like to update baths with new fixtures, plus a walk-in tile shower for the master bath.

rendering by Howell Custom Building Group

The first step in the virtual re-design process was a site visit from Howell Custom Building Group to two of the locations. After taking measurements of existing conditions, the expert draftsmen at Howell went back to the drawing board and executed 2 and 3-dimensional floor plans of newly defined spaces including new bathrooms for two of the homeowners. Floor plans were created with the help of interior designer, Sue Adams, who suggested improvements to the spaces along with selecting new fixtures from Designer Bath with the help of showroom consultant Mindy Sevinor-Feinberg. 

Mindy with Sue Adams at the Love Your Home event on April 4th

“Sue has so much knowledge and expertise. It is always a real pleasure to work with her, and insightful as well!”

– Mindy Sevinor-Feinberg

photo courtesy: Steamist

A Total Sense steam shower from Steamist was a recommended addition to the existing master bath in Challenge #1. Just a few of the benefits of steam shower therapy include: relief for allergy sufferers, the alleviation of joint pain, and improved circulation. The new laundry room, which would include a half bath, was designed to include classicly inspired fixtures from Kallista.

photo courtesy: Kallista

laundry room rendering by Howell Custom Building Group

DESIGN CHALLENGE #2 required a virtual makeover of the attic space in a local Victorian home. New fixtures were requested for the existing bath along with a room plan for the under utilized attic space which had become a catch all/storage area with no real function. Sue Adams suggested adding custom bookshelves to each side of the room to provide decorative and useful storage, comfortable seating in the turret section of the attic to accompany this newly acquired reading nook, and new but Victorian-inspired bath fixtures in the attic bath. A fresh color palette of pinks and greens was chosen along with a vibrant striped carpet from Landry and Arcari plus dramatic lighting from Lucia Lighting and Design. The virtual end result is a welcoming space within the existing footprint of the home that provides additional real estate without having to add on or change the existing roofline.

rendering by Howell Custom Building Group

a sitting area with lighting from Lucia Lighting and Design

carpet from Landry and Arcari

Benjamin Moore paint color choices

fixtures selected from Designer Bath

fo attic bath in this Victorian home

DESIGN CHALLENGE #3 involved sourcing carpets and furnishings for a local home with ocean views. Below are a couple of the mood boards designed by Sue Adams that incorporated selections chosen to warm up the space while keeping the focus on the outside view. Seating arrangements were also recommended. 

carpets from Landry and Arcari with furniture and lighting selections

by Sue Adams Interiors and Lucia Lighting and Design

Sue Adams with her carpet selections

from Landry and Arcari

After the unveiling of the design challenge solutions, guests at the Love Your Home event were able to visit information tables set up by each of the participating home design experts and were able to pose their own challenges or ask questions about the selections made for the winners.

Beezee Honan of Designer Bath

Lucy Dearborn of Lucia Lighting, Julie Arcari of Landry and Arcari,

and Susan Howell of Howell Custom Building Group

The evening also included a couple of giveaways including a raffle prize featuring a $2,500 mini-home makeover that included gift certificates from each of the participating home experts. Proceeds from the event raffle benefitted Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity.

To see more photos from the Love Your Home Event held on April 4th, visit our Facebook page. Be sure to pick up future issues of Northshore Magazine for updates on this event, the winners and their virtual makeovers. To see images from the related “Love Your Home” Pin It To Win It contest, visit our Love Your Home inspiration boards on Pinterest.

If you have a design challenge that needs solving, consider giving one of our North Shore home design experts a call. We are all happy to help!

5 Gifts that Can’t be Wrapped

Comfort and Joy. We sing about it, we wish it for others, but how can we deliver on it? While there may not be a one size fits all solution, here are five special ways to surprise someone with a gift that keeps giving well beyond the holiday season. 

photo courtesy: Runtal

1. A Luxurious Get-a-Way: Gift Card to Designer Bath

Days begin and end in the bath. A space that is comfortable, well lit, and truly reflective of an individual’s personal design aesthetic (not the previous homeowner’s, for example) is a luxury that can be enjoyed on a day-to-day basis. A gift card from Designer Bath good towards shiny new fixtures, luxurious towel warmers, radiant heat installed under new tile ... this would be the ultimate gift for a new home owner or that special someone who has been dreaming of a bath upgrade. 

photo courtesy: Steamist
watch the video here

2. A Youthful Glow: Steam Bath from Steamist

Steam therapy hydrates dry skin, enhances collagen production, and helps to release the tensions of the day by relaxing sore, tired muscles. Creating a spa-like environment at home is one way to share the healthful benefits of steam year-round without the need to schedule appointments. 

photo courtesy: MTI

3. Virtual Levitation: A Good Long Soak  

A soaking tub is a lot more than just a pretty fixture (although some of them can certainly be considered sculptural works of art). Submerging the body in warm water induces relaxation while relieving stress on joints. Heat therapy quiets the mind and allows the body’s natural pain relievers to work more quickly and effectively. Radiant heat technology in the bath structure provides a warm surface for neck, back, and shoulders, allowing the user to escape reality in warm, enveloping comfort.   

image courtesy: Brizo
watch the video here

4. Designer Model: Smart-Touch Plus Faucet by Brizo

The little black dress of elegant faucets, this sleek number featuring hands-free technology is part of an exclusive bath collection by international fashion designer Jason Wu for Brizo. Bonus gift: coordinating matte black accessories are available. The perfect fit for the fashionista on your list. 

image courtesy: Bain Ultra

5. Colorful Therapy Sessions: Vedana from Bain Ultra

The ultimate personal time out, the Vedana Therapeutic Care Unit offers four transporting experiences that foster overall well-being.  Light, color, scent, heat and sound are combined to create a guided sensory experience that can clear the mind, energize, and induce feelings of joy. 

Designer Bath will be open on Saturday, December 22nd from 9am to 4pm. Check out our special on sale now link for “take home today” gift giving. We will be closed on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Happy holidays!