Home Hardware Redecorating Series - Bathroom Makeovers

How many times have you looked at your bathroom and thought it could use something new? It can be hard to know where to start. Certain aspects about a bathroom can feel restricting, especially if it's a very small apartment bathroom, or if it's a very old and grungy one.

A Small Bathroom

If you are renting, you might not be allowed to do anything drastic, or maybe you don't want to have to repaint it back to the original off-white that it came in when you decide to move. You can choose to install new hardware, or a few nice pieces of home hardware or bathroom accents that you can easily remove later and take with you when you move. Just don't forget to keep the original hardware, and put them back before you go!

Customize your bathroom and make it feel more like you, with some stylish cabinet hardware, like the beachy, sea life themed style.

  

You can also add some great organization and convenience to even the smallest bathroom with the right bathroom accessories. Double hooks, as well as mounted mirrors that swivel and mounted soap dishes are what you need. They come in many different styles and colors.

  

An Old Bathroom

You might not have the money to do the major bathroom renovation that you're dreaming of, but you can make some significant changes with bathroom accessories to spruce it up. A new shower system or a new shower head or sink faucet can make a big difference in the overall look of a bathroom.

  

5 Unusual and Inspiring Color Combinations for Kitchens and Bathrooms

If a certain color combination appeals to you, don't be afraid to run with it. Color combinations that usually aren't used in home décor can make your home unforgettable, and as unique as you are. You can also use colorful pieces of cabinet hardware to add color in the most unexpected ways.

Cabinet knobs and pulls don't have to always be in metallic finishes. There is a world of color possibilities in cabinet hardware, waiting for someone to be bold enough. Here are some interesting and unusual color combos for some colorful inspiration.

Black and Orange

A sleek black bathroom or kitchen needs bright colors and white to balance it out. Usually a lot of white is included with all black walls, counters, and cabinets. Orange adds the right kind of zest to this much black, and orange cabinet knobs and pulls are easier to see!

Pink and Gray

Shades of pink along with different shades of gray and silver look stunning together. To keep it from looking flat, use a couple different shades of the gray, and a couple different shades of pink, which are only a little lighter or darker than the other. Gunmetal gray and hot pink look edgy, while light pink and light gray are more soothing.

Aqua and Yellow

Aqua and yellow or gold contrast beautifully, especially when there is a large area of aqua, with yellow accents. Usually aqua or turquoise is used as an accent color, but it can add a feeling of happy serenity to a room if used on the walls, cabinets or in tables and chairs. Pair it aqua cabinets with yellow knobs or pulls. Together, these colors make for a cheery, yet calm atmosphere,

Purple and Green

Muted, bright or dark and jewel-toned, green and purple together make a room feel lush and lively. Purple is mystical and royal, while green is down-to-earth, A purple or green accent wall, with wood cabinets and green cabinet knobs or pulls would be great for a bathroom. 

Red and Blue

Red and blue (dark blue in particular) are bold colors that many people avoid using together in large amounts, because they can be so imposing. Red and blue work best together when one is more muted than the other. Be sure to add plenty of white, black or other neutral shades or colors to balance it out. This color combination for a bathroom, kitchen or dining room is not for the faint of heart.

What Home Hardware Brands are the Best to Shop for a New House?

Shopping for new home hardware can get complicated, if you are looking for hardware that matches with existing hardware, or if you're getting all new hardware and want it to blend seamlessly across the board. This means you should find brands with a wide selection of collections and finishes, so you can find your style, and find all the types of hardware and accessories you need – towel bars, tissue paper holders, cabinet knobs, appliance pulls, etc. – and have them all match.

This specific instance would be if you are remodeling or you've had your new house built, and now you need to start adding the useful and decorative hardware and home accents. Using the same style and/or finish across your home, from the doorbell to the hinges, can make it look much more polished and cohesive.

We've compiled some of the best brands for just this purpose. The following brands have a big variety, and don't specialize in just one style, like modern or vintage. The following are also examples of what to look for in other brands.

Note: It can be necessary match finishes from the same brand, even though another brand has the same type of finish. The shades and tones in the finish can vary greatly from one brand to another. For example, brass from one brand might be a little darker, or more yellow in tone from another brand's brass finish.

Brand: Hickory Hardware

Why They Are Great

They have a huge variety of collections with different styles and finishes. Let's say you just put the vintage -looking cabinet hardware from the Queen Anne collection throughout your home. The finish is a bright gold-toned brass with a little bit of a weathered texture. You can shop their other home hardware, right down to the door stops, and bathroom robe hooks in this finish.

Brand: Hawk Hill

Why They Are Great

You can do some one-stop shopping for your door bell button backplates, House numbers, cabinet knobs and appliance pulls in collections that cover these things, or collections that go well together. For example, you can grab house numbers in copper, a rustic-looking door bell backplate in weathered copper, your cabinet knobs, appliance pulls or cabinet pulls in the same rustic bronze that is signature of that brand.

Brand: Alno 

Why They Are Great

They have several different collections for bathroom accessories , which are versatile enough to match with any other cabinet hardware or home accent collections. They also offer a wide variety of finishes, to make the job of matching even easier. They have modern styles like the Contemporary 1, 2, and 3 collections, as well as Eclectic and the rustic Hammered or Mission collections.

Some other brands with a big variety of products: Top Knobs, Liberty Hardware, Laurey, Jeffery Alexander and Amerock.

Top 3 Essential Pieces of Home Hardware for Keeping Your Home Organized

Being able to organize your home neatly is a huge part of decorating, and keeping a home in general. Many who live in small apartments run into the task of getting their things put away in the limited room that they have. You don't need to resort to keeping your things in ugly storage bins, however!

There are many ways to keep your things organized, without sacrificing aesthetic, or your home decorating style. This is where the jobs of several types of home hardware come in. Here are a few types of home hardware that don't sacrifice form for function when it comes to keeping your space organized.

Label Card Holders

Just screw one of these onto the front of a drawer and write down what is contained in that drawer. These are particularly useful in offices and even closet drawer organizers, where there are many drawers that each hold a specific set of items. There are many different styles of label card holders to choose from.

 

If you already have pulls or knobs on the drawers, you can get just the label holder that functions as a label holder (above). If you need knobs or pulls, there are some great label holders that have one attached.

 

Small Wall Shelves

Free standing shelves are nice if you have the room, because you can forgo putting holes in your walls. Sometimes wall shelves are a necessity in small spaces, to keep things up and out of the way. These are especially useful in bathrooms and bedrooms.

 

You could choose to get a shelf, or set of shelves as shown on the above left, or just a few brackets to hold up a board as a shelf. Put them around your bathroom counter to keep it from getting cluttered, by your bed or your dresser.

 

Medicine Cabinets

They don't have to just be for your bathroom. If you need a mirror in a small bedroom, or anywhere else for that matter, (mirrors make small rooms appear bigger), medicine cabinets can also be used as hidden storage. Keep small things tucked away, but in quick reach.