A Barrier-Free Master Bathroom With a Luxurious Feel

Bathroom remodel offers ideas for designing an accessible bathroom that’s elegant too

Master Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A semi-retired couple whose children are grown
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters)
Designer: Carnemark Design + Build

This couple living in a two-story home were ready to transition to first-floor living. The husband had been diagnosed with a debilitating illness that would gradually limit his mobility and require the use of a wheelchair. The homeowners decided to stay in their Bethesda, Maryland, residence and relocate their master suite downstairs. They turned to designer Jonas Carnemark, whose design-build firm had done previous work for them, to make their ground floor more accessible and to turn their downstairs en suite bathroom into a barrier-free master bath.

Carnemark’s aim was to design a space that felt like a luxurious retreat rather than a nurse’s station. The homeowners were budget-conscious, so the designer also focused on providing value in the selection of materials and features.

The bathroom has won several awards, including the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s 2018 award for universal design.

NATURAL LIGHT: THE BENEFITS OF BRIGHTENING UP YOUR HOME

Natural light simply cannot be rivalled by artificial light. Natural light can have an effect on both your mental and physical health, as well as playing a critical role when it comes to your overall wellbeing. Therefore, learning some of the best ways to let more sunlight into your home is invaluable.

NATURAL LIGHT SOURCES

In order to establish the best ways of letting more light into your home, you’ll need to first understand the differences between natural light and artificial light. Natural sources include the sun, stars, moon, fire and lightning, where sources of artificial light include candles, lamps, electric bulbs, smart phones, tablets and computers.

Although artificial light can also have its benefits and advantages to our lifestyle, natural light really cannot be rivalled and letting more sunlight into your home wherever you can will help you reap its many rewards.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF NATURAL LIGHT

When the sun’s out it makes us feel good, uplifted and wanting to get out and about. Sunlight and Vitamin D go hand in hand. Vitamin D helps to lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. As well as this, natural light helps support the regulation of Serotonin and Melatonin levels, helps to reduce stress levels, and helps regulate Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

As well as all the above health benefits, sunlight is also known to improve productivity levels and improve sleeping habits. Natural light has a profound effect on our sleep and waking habits, and is vital in regulating our circadian rhythm. Did you know that people exposed to greater amounts of natural light during the morning (8am – noon) often fall asleep more quickly at night and have fewer sleep disturbances?

The following infographic, designed by the team at Cool Shutters, outlines some of the main benefits of letting more sunlight into your home, as well as some key ways in exactly how you can let more natural light into your home. From windows, sky lighting and doors to mirrors, paint choices and flooring, there are plenty of opportunities to brighten up your home or even your office space.

In an easy-to-follow layout, the infographic starts off by pinpointing the key differences between natural light and artificial light and the various sources of each, the infographic then goes onto explaining blue light, the Lux levels of different types of lighting and then some key facts around energy savings. Going into in-depth detail, the infographic shown below also explains the many health benefits of sunlight, and then concluding with some top tips on how exactly you can increase the natural light exposure in your home.

source: https://www.coolshutters.co.uk/2018/05/21/natural-light-the-benefits-of-brightening-up-your-home/

Get More Kitchen Storage With Counter-Depth Upper Cabinets

Get the lowdown on expanding your upper storage capacity

Upper cabinets don’t come in one height or width, and they don’t come in just one depth either. Typically, upper cabinets are much shallower than lower cabinets, sometimes by as much as half the depth. That’s some serious space you’re missing out on if you’re looking to squeeze every inch of storage out of your kitchen. Here’s why you might want to consider going deep with your upper cabinets.

Where to Hang Open Shelves in the Kitchen

Consider these locations for letting in natural light, dealing with a tricky corner and more

Open shelving in the kitchen is a bit of a love-it-or-leave-it idea, and whether it’s practical or not comes largely down to how you use your kitchen. But if you do want to incorporate floating shelves, a question emerges: Where should you hang them? There are many great places to put open shelves, and this guide will help you determine the best spot in your kitchen.

Take a look at ONE88

Bellevue’s newest address has received incredible interest during its recent preview with over 100 residences sold. The excitement continues with the unveiling of the One88 Visual Tour. Take an exclusive first look at an animated tour of the building’s sophisticated residences and world-class amenity collection and experience the attentive design detail that has defined this remarkable new high-rise.

A 3 Year View From the Seattle Space Needle

 A 4-minute video you’ve been waiting for to illustrate why a 4-mile drive in Seattle takes 45 minutes.

America’s Obsession with Granite Countertops

Granite countertops are an American obsession. But how did they become so ubiquitous? Our nation’s countertop history has had a few surprising twists and turns.

A smog vacuum cleaner and other magical city designs

Daan Roosegaarde uses technology and creative thinking to produce imaginative, earth-friendly designs. He presents his latest projects — from the sidewalks of Amsterdam, where he reinterpreted “The Starry Night” to get people thinking about green energy, to Beijing, where he developed a smog vacuum cleaner to purify the air in local parks, to a dance floor that generates electricity to power a DJ booth. Check out Roosegaarde’s vision for a future where creativity is our true capital.

A History of the Most Iconic Home Designs