How to Upgrade Your Toilet with a Bidet

It wasn’t all that long ago that bidets were found almost exclusively in European bathrooms or the homes of the extremely wealthy. However, more and more Americans have been turning towards bidets in recent years, and for good reason. Using a bidet is generally considered to be far more hygienic than using toilet paper alone. Moreover, bidets tend to clean things better and more thoroughly. These reasons make upgrading your bathroom with a bidet something everyone should consider, and here is everything you need to know to get it done.

Traditional Bidets vs Toilet-Mounted Bidets

If you plan on renovating your bathroom, a traditional bidet is definitely an option. However, you can also enjoy the benefits a bidet can provide without the need for major construction work. There are now a large number of toilet-mounted bidets and bidet sprayers on the market that can be installed easily on your existing toilet.

Choosing the Right Bidet

You typically have two options for adding a bidet to your toilet: a bidet toilet seat or a handheld bidet sprayer. Handheld bidet sprayers resemble a showerhead and are mounted next to the toilet, whereas a bidet toilet seat is mounted directly on your toilet in place of the old toilet seat. Both bidet types can be a good option, but the majority of people opt for a bidet toilet seat for ease of use and added convenience. Bidet sprayers require you to hold the sprayer head in your hand and lean to the side while attempting to aim the stream of water where it needs to go. This often results in spraying water all over the bathroom and still not getting fully clean. However, these issues aren’t something you need to worry about with a bidet toilet seat. All you have to do is turn the bidet on and it automatically directs the stream of water directly where it needs to go.

Installing the Bidet

No matter which option you choose, the process for installing it is mostly the same. Primarily, it involves connecting the bidet into your existing water line and then mounting the unit. Depending on your skills, this could be a job that you can do by yourself fairly easily in just a few hours. However, not doing the job properly could result in damage to your toilet or water line. Improperly installed bidets also tend to leak, which could lead to more serious water damage. For these reasons, it is usually best to enlist the help of professional plumbers to ensure the job is done correctly.

Most people that upgrade to a bidet soon swear that they’ll never go back to just using toilet paper again. This means that it could be one of the better decisions you ever make. Nonetheless, it is important that you take the time to ensure the bidet is installed properly to prevent damaging your bathroom.

Decoration on a Budget: How to Style a Girl’s Room without Braking the Bank

Decorating your little girl’s room is a fun way to spend quality time with your kid and provide her with a useful and beautiful space. Creating a space that’s fit for her age and her interests will inspire her to spend time in her space and practice her independence.  However, decorating a kid’s room can be very expensive—furniture, bedding, lighting and decoration can cost a lot of money if you’re not careful of your budget. If you need a few tips on how to create a room worthy of your little princess, here are a few tips that won’t break your bank.

Make it colorful

Kids usually love bright colors, that’s why their spaces are so much fun to decorate. But don’t automatically reach for pink for girls. The world is full of interesting and unique color schemes and your girl will definitely find something she likes. If you want to save money long-term, it’s best to choose a more neutral color combination and brighten it up with color accents, wallpaper and art. Adding splashes of color with bedding, curtains and rugs is also a great idea. This way, you don’t have to repaint her space every time your child changes her mind about her favorite color.

Be smart with the furniture

Kids can be very persuasive, but don’t get bullied into buying a princess bed or tree-house desk. These novelty furniture items might be cute, but your kid will grow out of them in no time. Instead, focus on functionality and timeless design with larger items—something she will be able to use even during her teenage years. If your baby girl insists on a spaceship bed, add canopies to a regular bed to simulate a rocket and finish the scene with NASA bed sheets.

Be mindful of her interests

Every girl is a unique flower, so if she’s old enough to express her interests, consult with her about the decorating process. You can even opt for a theme! All in all, if you include her interests in her room (gardening, unicorns, soccer, guitar, etc.) it will make her rooms feel unique and fit for her life. She will rush to invite friends over and keep the space clean…hopefully.

Add some prints on the walls

Prints are a great way to add personality and color to a space, so why not surprise your girl with a few interesting pieces of art? If your kid loves fashion and all things girly, you can find original famous fashion illustrator prints to grace her room. These prints will add color and interest to her space, but also encourage her to follow her dreams. Plus, if you choose signed pieces, you might even be giving your kid a piece of smart investment that will go for thousands in the future!

Light it up

Little kids love night lights, but pre-teens and teens might be embarrassed to use them. Regardless, it’s important to illuminate your girl’s room with proper general lighting, task lighting for studying, as well as soft lights to add safety and ambiance to the space. Today, fairy lights, LED strips and nightlights come in all shapes and colors imaginable, so you will definitely find something that fits your kid’s space and preference.

Add a relaxation corner

If the room in question is spacious, it’s a great idea to add a fun relaxation corner for naps, reading sessions, studying, texting with friends or daydreaming. No matter the age, kids love forts, and you can easily install a teepee into her space. With a few modifications, this relaxation corner can grow together with your child and change purposes.

With these tips in mind, you’re ready for a fun remodel of your little girl’s room. In no time, she will have a fun and cozy space and you will still have some money left in your bank account.

4 Tips for Adding More Storage Space in Your Bathroom

Even though your bathroom is likely the smallest room in your home, it doesn't mean that you don't have to sacrifice storage space. You might want to keep items for your nighttime routine in a separate area from what you use for getting ready in the morning, which means that you would need a few additional shelves or cabinets. Here are a few ideas to consider that can give you more space while also giving your bathroom a stylish look.

Racks

From wooden towel racks to metal racks to store shampoo bottles and makeup, there's an assortment that you can install on your bathroom walls to give you more space. This technique allows you to utilize the vertical space that's available in the room instead of taking up more space moving out horizontally. If you choose to use wooden racks, you can paint them or add details to match the decorations in the rest of the room so that everything blends together.

Storage Bins

If you have empty cabinets, then utilize the space by putting storage bins in them. These can be colored bins to keep everyone's items sorted or baskets with fabric in them to give more of a neutral and sophisticated look. You can sort everything from makeup and moisturizer to hair supplies and toiletries in the bins so that you're not hunting all across your bathroom for one thing that you need. If you have children, then you might want to use colored bins that they can put stickers on so that they have their own space for what they use in the bathroom.

Cabinets

Adding cabinets is one of the bathroom renovations that can be quite easy to do if you have the proper tools. You need to measure the space where you plan to put the cabinets and find just the right size for the room. Consider finding taller cabinets as they won't stick out as much as those that are boxier. If you install cabinets that have a metal backing on the inside of the door, then you could use magnetic strips to hang scissors, clips, and other metallic items that sometimes get lost in drawers.

Rolling Away

If you have a small bathroom, then you might not be able to add a lot of permanent details. However, a beverage cart can add a touch of class to your bathroom for the duration that it's in the room. It can be used to store towels, toiletries, and other essentials that you know you're going to need when you're getting dressed.

When you look around your bathroom, you might not think of some of the simple ways that you can add more space. Utilize the walls as much as possible so that you can add items vertically. Take the time to consider what will benefit your family when you begin the process of adding more storage.

How to Style a Gallery Wall in Your House

Gallery walls continue to lead as a trendy way to decorate the walls of your home without having to paint or pick out wallpaper. While it might look like an effortless process, there's usually a lot of thought and consideration that goes into making a wall look good. In order to make sure your gallery wall looks up to par, consider some of these styling tips.

Measure Everything First

Even though it might seem like a tedious step you can skip, do not skip the measuring step. Whether you use a simple measuring tape or find a measuring app for your phone, there's no excuse to not know the dimensions you’re working with. Having an accurate idea of how big your wall is and the sizes of your pieces can make placement a lot easier. Factor in the same amount of space in between each piece of artwork. It's also good to set the pieces in front of the wall in order to get an exact rendering of what the wall will look like.

Include Framed and Unframed Accessories

Framed photos are necessary when you're creating a gallery wall. If you want to take it to the next level, get custom framing for your artwork so that you have exactly what you want while also making your wall even more unique. Frames provide uniformity, and when everything looks uniform you’re left with a more polished appearance. However, for a bit of extra flair in the style department, consider adding a few unframed pieces. You might opt to hang a decorative sconce, a sculpture, or a plant on a shelf among your artwork. There are plenty of ways to add unique decorative pieces that aren't just artwork.

Create the Right Color Scheme

An incredible color scheme grounds the look of the wall. It should also complement the room it's hanging in. Take a look at the color wheel in order to get a better idea of the colors that complement each other in order to build the perfect look. Even if your color scheme is fall colors, adding a pop of sky blue can provide an unexpectedly pleasant appeal that can tie everything together.

Do Trial Runs

Before you drill holes in the wall and screw nails in place, do a trial run with removable wall-friendly tape. Set all the pieces on the ground in the ideal order you'd want them. If it looks good, hang them. If not, rearrange them until they look the way you want them to.

Just like any other decorating project, it's important to take your time in creating the perfect solution. Don't rush the process by looking for a ton of art pieces to put together. It's great and extremely special when you can hang cohesive pieces that mean a lot to you. It's also okay to change your mind if you've found a better piece that you'd like to hang in another's place. Whatever speaks to you most is what you should go with as you curate the perfect gallery wall.