HB's Take on Shower Curtains

Apparently House Beautiful would like to continue our discussion on custom shower curtains and offer some advice from notable decorators like Eric Cohler and Mary McGee on how to venture forth from "the same old off-the-shelf shower curtain."

Sorry for the small print above, but I just tore this out of the latest issue and scanned it in quickly because I had to share with y'all, in light of our discussion yesterday. These designers offer some great tips, such as using indoor/outdoor fabric for added durability as well as providing resources to find acrylic rods (why didn't I think of that?!?) and bamboo rings.

Run, don't walk, to your nearest newsstand and pick up a copy of this month's issue. In addition to this feature, the magazine is packed with great images & articles. You couldn't ask for a better beach read for your holiday weekend!

Keepin' It Clean

I've decided over the past few years that custom shower curtains are one of my favorite design touches. Sometimes it's hard to make bathrooms special...especially on a tight budget. But adding a custom curtain not only provides you with an opportunity to add some fun fabric to your bath, it's also a pretty inexpensive way to liven up the space, too.

You know how hanging curtains as close to the ceiling as possible visually "lifts" the room and makes it appear much bigger/higher than it really is? (if you didn't, that's another important design touch that you should tuck away for future use). Well, having a custom made shower curtain that reaches close to your ceiling and falls to the floor will do the same for your bathroom, which is important because these rooms are usually pretty small to begin with and could use some sizing tricks in their favor.

This topic is fresh on my mind because I just had a curtain made for our upstairs bathroom that I adore; all of the colorful animals in the fabric really perk up what was once a very neutral space and the custom height really expands the room. It's our master bath, as well as the bath for the nursery, so I love that this fabric is playful enough for Rob but sophisticated enough for Ryan and me.

Image by Anna Applegate

Below is the first custom curtain I had made for our guest bath; adding solid banding at the top offers more definition and an even greater visual "lift."

Image by Anna Applegate

Some other examples & images of custom shower curtains:

Image via Coastal Living

In this iconic Domino bathroom (below), the designer had the curtain applied to a track on the ceiling, so that it could be easily slid across the wall; genius!

Image via Domino

Notice (below) the added dimension that comes from applying trim and a valance.

Image via Cottage Living

Image via So Haute

One "housekeeping" note on custom shower curtains; you'll need an extra-long liner. I ordered this one for our upstairs bath and it's worked great. I love that it's non-toxic (chlorine-free and odorless) and biodegradable.

You'll want to measure the ceiling height of your bathroom to find the ideal length for your curtain; stick with a traditional width (72") so that you don't run into issues with liners and hooks (they come standard with a 72" width and in packs of 12, respectively). In most bathrooms, you should be okay with an 84" height, but, again, measure to be sure.

If you're convinced but don't know where to begin to order one for yourself, contact me (anna@annaapplegateinteriors.com) with questions.

French Press Totes

In continuation of my feature on my talented, crafty friends, I am excited to showcase French Press Totes by Jennifer Walker.

Jennifer is a dear friend of mine from college who now lives in Richmond, Virginia. She has started making these incredible totes out of old coffee bean bags that have been shipped from all over the world. She makes them into totes and lines them with all kinds of fun fabrics that are individually selected to match the style and colors of the coffee bags.

I love that her totes are stylish, practical, affordable and sustainable- won't it feel good knowing that your bag has been re-purposed instead of tossed into a landfill?


To see more of Jennifer's designs and to contact her directly, visit her blog: www.frenchpresstotes.blogspot.com.

Have a great weekend!

*sigh*

I love these lamps. So much. Unfortunately for me, I have nowhere to put them in my house. My loss, your gain?

Pair of gold bamboo candlestick lamps with marble base & black shade. 29 1/4" h x 12" wide (widest part of shade). $345/pair, seen at Hunt & Gather.

This fun needlepoint pillow has also found its way into the booth. 17" square, $85. The colors are incredible, and are not done any justice by my cell phone picture.

Have a good one!

kh cards

Another talented friend that I'd like to feature is Katie Henderson, of kh cards. Katie has always managed to turn a written note into a work of art, and I'm so thrilled that she's begun sharing her passion and talent through her card business.

Not long ago, I received my first personalized order from Katie (see above), lined with the most exquisite orange faux gator skin paper. I love these cards so much that it almost pains me to use them, as I want them to last forever!

Luckily, I can order more and you can, too (with your own initials, of course. And yes, my initials really are AAA).

For more information or to place an order, contact Katie at katie@khcards.com. As an extra bonus, I can guarantee you that you'll never order cards from a sweeter gal.

New This Week

There are some fun new items at AAI/Hunt & Gather, such as:

Bulls Eye/Federal Mirror. $325. A classic that will stay with you always, never going out of style.

Sold!
White Oval Rope Mirror. $65. Great for the beach or a casual bedroom or bath.

Sold!

Twin Bamboo/Chippendale Style Headboards. One is missing a spool down towards the bottom, which could easily be covered by a pillow. $75/pair.

Sold!
Florentine Tray. $65. Perfect for a cocktail ottoman or for holding jewelry & various other sundries.

Enjoy; and have a great week!

Art by Cole Harbert

I have been in awe lately by many of my friends and their various talents and creative abilities. So much so that I thought I'd feature a few of them, so that you can enjoy (and support, if you're so inclined) their budding businesses.

Cole is a dear friend of mine from Winston-Salem who, sadly, just moved to Birmingham last week. (We miss you already, Harbert family!) She's a very talented artist and I've been particularly drawn to her alphabet watercolors, which are fun and lighthearted, but in sophisticated way. I just hung mine up in the nursery and it makes me smile every time I look at it. Good thing, as it's hung right above Rob's changing table!

Below is a smaller version; mat and frame colors and sizes can be altered, or you can order the watercolor only, if you prefer to frame yourself. Email me (anna@annaapplegateinteriors.com) for pricing and order information.