Thinking about a kitchen renovation, but baffled about where to splurge and where to save? Leave it to the shopping pros at Consumer Reports to break down the kitchen into the high end choices, as well as their best money saving counterparts. More

When I search for "traditional" bathroom styles, a plethora of images pops up that looks nothing like the kinds of classic bathrooms found in historic American homes. Somehow, traditional has become less about classical style and more about ornate flourishes, dark wood, and heavy, overlapping patterns and textures. More

I love a little nature in the bathroom. But the lonely orchid in my bathroom can't compare with a luxurious indoor/outdoor dream space. A Hawaiian-inspired al fresco shower is the ultimate bathing experience; nothing feels better. More

Inspired by Nancy's great Anthropologie Etsy Challenge post, I wondered if one could furnish an entire bathroom using Etsy. If it could be done, would it be a cohesive look, and would I even like it?! The answer is, mostly, yes. More

Seeing Art of Board's wall tiles from across the room, I was drawn to their random color. Only when I got closer could I see that they appeared to be recycled out of something. And they are! Skate boards as wall tiles … from half pipe to kitchen backsplash. More

What: Blue & White FEZ Cement tile
Source: Granada Tile
Where: Intelligentsia Coffee, Silverlake, LA
Why: This has got to be one of the most stunning uses of tile we've ever seen. It totally transforms the space and gives a cheery, almost otherworldy feeling to the space. Designed by Barbara Bestor for Intelligentsia, she obviously sourced this tile carefully. We first ran this post in 2008 when we didn't know the source and it collected a ton of comments. More

God knows I've gone on and on and on and on about this project, so I'll just shut up for once and let you look at the pictures:

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Black and white floor tiles for the bathroom have a long history. They were popular during the Victorian times and during the Arts and Crafts period. The style has been copied in vinyl form, but there are many elegant versions available today. White hexagon tiles can be used with contrast dots, or with contrast circles which look like flowers. Or you can go with simple square tiles in various sizes and patterns. And then there is the pinwheel design, with its lovely geometric symmetry. More

There are so many countertop options — the classics such as formica, stainless steel and granite — but over the last few years many recycled countertops have been emerging on the market. While each has their own advantages, recycled content countertops have many benefits in addition to being eco-friendly. I was recently given a presentation about recycled content countertops — here are some of the things I learned. More

When choosing tiles for the bathroom, shape, color and texture decisions factor in immediately, but one aspect that can strongly impact the final look is often a mere afterthought. Choosing the right grout color can make all the difference, so it's worth thinking about when planning the overall look of your bathroom. More