apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Clearly this space has had a lot of loving attention paid to it, as well as time and money spent on it. Unfortunately, it's so not my taste that I couldn't vote it a winner. (Possibly I'd like it better in real life than in the photos.)

The bathroom is technically almost perfect, but IMO lacks true personality.

i LOVE the faucet orbs. but i agree that this bathroom is technically great, but lacks some measure of home- uniqueness. I would immediately remove the toilet seat cover and mat and get a more modern curtain... these elements really subtract from the overall style.

I agree this bathroom leaves me flat wondering about the true personality of the owners. Looks like a nice hotel bathroom. Perfect for resale value. Dude, you sure love you some orbolicious plumbing handles and a very average shower head.

The style of this bathroom and the writing style of the submitter are remarkably similar.

But very entertaining! I do like the orbs. They're fun.

This leaves me flat b/c if you spend THAT MUCH MONEY of course it is going to look like a showroom bathroom! Just my opinion -- and everyone knows what they say about opinions!

Orbs: fun(ny), the rest, very hotelesque. Looks like thought, time and $$ went into it. It's certainly cohesive and thematic, but do people really still use those crescentish-shaped rugs around the toilet?
And 2000 sf, how sad, such a puny abode! (I know it's not the small space competition).

I love the faucet orbs, but the rest of the bathroom seems cheapened by the wall tiles.

I think the bathroom would have looked better without the wall detailing, letting the marble sink and other materials stand out.

Anyway, looks like great quality stuff, just not my taste.

I like the lighting, and it's in brand new condition, I like that about it. The rest is pretty much unremarkable. The orb fixtures are tacky so are the furry toilet seat cover and the shower curain. If I paid $19,000 for this, I certainly wouldn't have as much pride as this owner does.

Great workmanship but somehow it looks very dated. I think I'd appreciate the tiles more if they didn't cover the whole wall. It looks like you have a traditional aesthetic so maybe wainscotting would make it seem less 80s.

Love the colors, but overall just not my taste. Enjoy your bathroom!
Kenneth

Well, personally, I don't know what everone else here is talking about, but I think this bathroom is GORGEOUS!!!! PLENTY of personality here. It's a "personality" that's NOT borne from CLUTTER, like some of the other stuff I've seen here. I for one appreciate that.

I do NOT agree that the Faucet orbs or blue rugs are "tacky" (as Matt R wrote), nor do I think this bathroom looks "dated".

The only thing "hotelesque" about this bathroom as far as I can tell is the fact that the owners are SO proud of it that they keep it immaculately CLEAN and TIDY. That's something that some of YOU can take a cue on when sending in YOUR photos of your bathrooms.

To me, this looks like a VERY well thought out and put-together bathroom, that's elegant, classy, and very stylish.

I can see why the owners are very proud, and I congratulate them!!

Once again, jealousy rears its ugly head with some of the people here.

Is this Tony Soprano's bathroom?

It's not my style, but it's tied together and looks very relaxing. I would definitely read a book in that tub. Sometimes I think it's hard to separate personal preference from an objective view of design. I say this as someone who is thoroughly creeped out by anything Victorian or Baroque.

For me, this room seems...cold. While I can definitely see the quality and effort, the choice in tiles seems dated which makes the room unexciting.

Specifically, the floral elements in the tiles feel granny-ish, and what appears to be a faux marble effect on the tiles looks dated.

Also, all the tiles are square and relatively the same size. Using varying shapes or dimensions of tile might have introduced some subtle level of visual interest that seems to be lacking for me.

On the plus-side, the lighting looks fabulous and the bath accessories are great (love the orbs). But I fall into the thumbs-down category when it comes to the toilet seat cover and mat.

indeed. this is a very "SPECIAL" bathroom.

"Visitors to our home who find themselves in need of the use of our facilities are struck with something SPECIAL the moment they walk through that small white door."

This is going to sound snarky, but the pics and the write-up are boring and condescending, and show what you can do if you want to spend lots of money and not incorporate any personality (unless your personality is devoid of color). If you have the ability to spend 19k on a bathroom, I assume you have the ability to know what a theme is and stick with it. Instead of any "design" at work, I see expensive elements mismatched. How can one explain the vanity, embossed wall tiles, matching toilet seat cover and shower curtain, and lucite fixtures? So you shop at stores you think are great - the next step is picking what you think works and what doesn't. If you are truely as prideful as you write, fine, it's your $$$$. Once again, sorry to be snarky, but when you submit your slides, you open yourself up for this.

bathroom looks mad gay

peace

This is not your typical NYC bathroom in that it looks quite spacious of which I'm envious. Individually there are things I like about it like the ceiling fixture and brightness of the space, even the globes, but it doesn't work for me as a whole. For one thing all that gray tile all the way up the wall I find too bland, no contrast, and it seems almost old fashioned to me. Certainly not modern in the way we might expect from readers of this site. There is little or no color here except the few blue accents from the curtain, etc. which seem out of context.

Ouch!!!!

Well, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

I'd like to thank Bruce for his kind words.

Obviously, my wife and I wholeheartedly DISAGREE with many of the statements posted here. We welcome your critiques and we appreciate them. That's why we submitted photos in the first place. We are very grateful that you have taken time to write your opinions on our work.

What we DO NOT appreciate, however, are the "snide" or "snarky" remarks, especially when they are not necessary.

20036 says that my photos and write up are "boring and condescending". If condescention was what you got from my write-up, then I apologize because that was not my intent. Submitters to this contest were asked to submitt a "pitch" for the "My bathroom Rocks" competition and it was in THAT vain that I wrote my words.

Obviously, you, 20036, and everyone else of this website are entitled to their opinion. However, it was the very thing that you apologized for that I could do without... the "snarkiness". I suppose you make some valid points about the room photos I submitted. However, since you do NOT KNOW me nor my wife personally, I believe it's rather RUDE, DISREPECTFUL, and CONDECENDING of YOU to say that I have a personality "devoid of color" based on photos of our bathroom.

When I submitted photos, it was NOT to "open myself up" to "snarky" comments as you say, but to useful critiques.

I find that if one must be rude or snarky to make their point (like "final word" was with his pointless comment), then they really don't have much to say that I'm interested in hearing.

To everyone else who posted, I thank you so much for your valuable input.

It's a very nice, although generic, bathroom. I think it would benefit from changing out the mirror/medicine cabinet/light combination. It looks dated.

I'm always a little disgusted when I see absorbent materials (e.g., carpet) within splashing distance of a toilet. I ask myself, when was that last washed?

I like the tap handles - they're kinda different & neat.
I do appreciate the work that has gone into this bathroom, however, it's not my taste (and not my size!). But it's great to see variety.

Sorry to see that so many people were so eager to sharpen their claws on this entry, so I had to put my two cents in. I love the faucet orbs and the surprisingly dramatic gallery-style lighting. The floor-to-ceiling tiles are not to my taste (not enough contrast), but it is evident that you wanted to create a soothing and neutral visual palette. I love the way the grain of the marble curves around the sink. I agree that you should upgrade your shower curtain. Congratulations on building a bathroom that pleases you so much. I wish mine were as spacious and pristine!

Hi Roberto--
I was very sad to read the snide comments on your bathroom. You obviously like it and take pride in it and that's all that matters.

Question on the medicine cabinet--where and how much?

i love these contests, and i really hope this one doesn't disintegrate into an emotional mess... no one should take anything personally -- praise or criticism, especially on the web! i wouldn't want people to sugarcoat anything, but i also wouldn't want the entrants to be all upset if people react negatively. what's the solution?

You know, Bruce and Roberto have very similar writing styles, especially that screaming caps thing...

If you're a contest entrant, you're automatically saying that your bathroom is better than everyone else, and you should expect criticism from people who don't like your taste, doorknobs or spelling. If you did your due dilligence and looked through the last few contests, you'll see that even the winners had people who hated their spaces for various reasons. While there are a couple of snide and snarky remarks above, most of your commenters were pretty nice and even-handed, even when they didn't like your bathroom. Like they told me the first week of design class, if you just want approval, ask your mom... If your bathroom makes you happy, why do you even care what a bunch of strangers on the internet say?

Tough room today... Here are my thoughts (for whatever they're worth). The lighting design is above and beyond what you would normally expect from a bathroom, and really adds a lot to the room. As others have stated, the orb fixtures are pretty cool (and something I haven't seen before). I think the room could benefit from another rich color being introduced into the space. Perhaps, to start, a shower curtain with wide vertical stripes--in the deep blue plus a secondary (warmer-hued) color that suits Roberto and Zaida? That secondary color could be carried over visually in the rugs and towels (i.e. embroidered striping, monogramming, etc.), as well as other accesories around the room. This might create a little more visual interest and break up the wash of predominantly cooler tones. Also, I would consider going even more over-the-top in the luxe direction--looking to high-end luxury hotels for stylistic cues.

And for the record, I disagree with the notion that the contest entrants are posturing that their bathrooms are better than anyone else's. Maybe they're excited about their space and want to share it. Maybe they're looking for suggestions on improvement. Maybe they just want the AT t-shirt and baseball cap you get for entering. Who's to say (other than the individual entrant, that is)... Just because "snark" seems to be the predominant attitude for the blogosphere these days, that doesn't make it any less rude. Even snarkmeisters like Jon Stewart and Margaret Cho turn it off now and again. (And, yes--for the record, I AM becoming my mother.)

What I like about this space is how clean and serene it is. The care they took is obvious. As someone commented above, I could easily read a book in there. Lately, I've been hearing a lot about designing rooms to reflect a "boutique hotel" Frankly, I would hope any room of mine would reflect a more personal vibe. But this space reflects Roberto and Zaida's aesthetic, and I congratulate them on their creation.

When I saw the words "blue heaven" I was totally expecting those really pretty cobalt blue vitreous tiles, not a shaggy blue bath mat. I do like the sink and I'm on the fence about the fixtures. I just wish a totally different kind of tile had been selected. The lighting is nice too.

I love the idea of floor to ceiling tiles--stick a drain in the middle of the floor and hose it down. I like the orbs, but gunk is going to collect under them and it's going to be visible AND magnified because they are clear. Those suckers are going to have to be disassembled and cleaned once a year (at least) if you want to keep impressing your visitors...or just put 40 watt bulbs in the fixtures (that's what I do).

I think this is just the wrong bathroom for this site. You have to understand that the folks posting on this site are rather design obsessed (in a good way), and this is not a bathroom put together by a design obsessed person. It's a bathroom put together by a couple who clearly are taking a lot of time and effort creating their dream home but aren't necessarily all that interested in what's going on in the design world, and there is nothing wrong with that. I mean you're out there making the bank to pay for a three story building while I'm in bed looking at design mags. You're into your bathroom, and that's what counts.

With all the orby fixtures it has an underwater vibe, which I kinda like. It would be great if that idea were pushed a bit further to tip the space away from the serious side of the mood spectrum and toward the lighthearted.

I see on the second look through the slideshow that you are already echoing the orb fixtures a bit with the candle holders. Keep going. Bubbly shower curtain? Big round mirror? It's good to smile in the bathroom.

To second Enrique's thoughts, contest entrants are probably excited about and proud of their spaces and want to share them. They have graciously invited us in to their homes and shown us their most intimate environments.

We ought to be honored and to behave toward these generous people with complete courtesy.

As to the bathroom not being appropriate for a site for the "design-obssessed" (sp?) -- beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The esthetic that most people on this site prefer is not my own, nonetheless, I appreciate the inventiveness, care, and thought that the AT managers and all the people who visit the site so obviously possess and show. I have gotten quite a few ideas from AT and am happy to be able to visit this site--even though I would not fit into the "design-obssessed" category.

I think this contest is meant to show bathroom re-dos and to show different solutions people come up with. Roberto and Zaida renovated their bathroom with much care and at considerable expense. The AT managers obviously felt them entitled to enter. Why second-guess them? Why criticize Roberto and Zaida?

Finally, to Roberto and Zaida -- your opening your home (and showing your obvious pride in it) to us should never have put you in the position of being subject to snide and cheap attacks.

I think that if the framed art was hung in round frames it would better match the circular elements of the room.

Nice towel rack, where did it come from?

The toilet rugs have to go. I find them distracting from the other features.

"i wouldn't want people to sugarcoat anything, but i also wouldn't want the entrants to be all upset if people react negatively. what's the solution?"

My question exactly. Should we just say nothing if we dislike a room, should we be honest - politley, but straightforward - and try to add something constructive? Are there ground rules (besides just common decency)?

"I think this is just the wrong bathroom for this site. You have to understand that the folks posting on this site are rather design obsessed (in a good way), and this is not a bathroom put together by a design obsessed person."

This is just what I was thinking. I can tell you, my parents would love this bathroom; for me, however, it's not a winner. I like the lighting but...that's about it. I just think the elements look very high-quality, but generic and - sorry - dated (the wall tile, the vanity, the medicine cabinet/lighting fixture, the toilet/bath mats). I can imagine the space looking much better simply having chosen, for example, simple, white subway tiles and a tailored, more modern, shower curtain.

And yes, taste is a personal matter. So if they like the bathroom, and their guests like it, that's important. I don't tell my folks how to decorate their house, and they don't tell me how to decorate mine (well, they do, but then we argue...)

"I say this as someone who is thoroughly creeped out by anything Victorian or Baroque."

(PLEASE tell me this doesn't include Bach)

Roberto, Thanks for letting us into your bathroom. Congratulations on creating a space you love. It's fun to see where my tastes intersect with yours, and where they diverge. Good to see that this is a very self-regulating community--the flames quickly get quenched. All in all, we're good guests--please don't let the few "drunks at the party" make you wish you hadn't opened your door to us.

It's a fine line to walk. On the one hand, this is set up as a competition--people are voting on these spaces. And usually (though not this time), Maxwell encourages readers to explain their "no" votes. And I do find people's specific comments interesting; usually they reveal better than I can why I like or dislike a room.

On the other hand, it's easy to slip into the territory of inappropriate criticism.

I agree with Shannon--taken as a whole, the group is doing a good job of maintaining balance.

ha ha - drunks at the party. That kills me.

My style isn't ultramodern either (unlike many of the respondents on this site) but this bathroom isn't for me, although it is very tidy and restful.

I do think the floral tiles date the room. I'd rather see plain dark grey tiles and a really standout sink, with a venetian mirror and a white shower curtain.

I like the toilet very much. I like the dramatic lilies and candleholders as well.

As stated in previous post, to judge effectively, one must understand the owner and he what he is siming for. It is obvious there was money and time spent in this bathroom. And if the owners are pleased with the result, that's what really matters.
That said, I personally do not like this place. I particularly disagree with the comment about the place being gay.

When I was in design school, during "crits" there was a difference between, "I would have taken a different design path." and "You suck as a designer."

Or "The design doesn't take enough risk" versus "You are a boring person."

The difference in being able to state something civilly, constructively, and diplomatically (and keep it focused on the work, not the worker) was actually more a part of the lesson than what friggin' typeface we used.

If you can't understand the difference in these examples, I'd say go ahead and vote your preference (it is a contest after all), but keep your comments to yourself. Or better yet, enter this or the next contest and see, firsthand, what it feels like when people don't know the difference.

I like the plain gray tiles, but am not so into the floral ones. This is not so much my style, but it does seem like it's Roberto's and Zaida's. I have a feeling that Roberto's commentary may have come across the wrong way, because I found myself reading it as a bit self-congratulatory on the first read. However, I think he just put a lot of work into this, and is quite pleased with the results.

UGH !!!.... SO UGLY

Well said, Patrick.

Thanks, Joan. Apparently Eddie didn't read it.

I agree with mary: "You know, Bruce and Roberto have very similar writing styles, especially that screaming caps thing.."

The writing styles are *very* similar

I actually think the snarkiness does have to do with how the pitch was written. "cozy" 8 by 13, TWO 510 sq ft apts....big emphasis on large space, which is quite precious in NYC, over and over and over. It rang of boasting and overpride, instead of pride but in a more humble manner. Seeing the point is to "sell" the room as a contest entry, I can see how this happened...and it could have been written better to get the sell across without being snootyish.

Words are so powerful, aren't they.
I like the globes, but in the end, the room just doesn't have warmth. As a person who has shrugged off the desire to "impress" with my home rather than make others feel at home in it, or a comfortable part of it, the design doesn't work for me. Give me clean lines, fun interest, and pictures of family or personal experiences over a sterile aesthetic that tells me nothing about the lives in the home, and I'll vote "yay." Good luck, and great job, from a technical standpoing. =)

Oh, puh-lease, can we just stay focused on the room, and not worry about who's writing what? Plus, it is very possible that two people can have similar writing styles anyway. Let's not stoop to quick accusations *this early* in the contest.

(sorry lunesse, that "puh-lease" was not aimed at you!)

But, if people are supposedly responding to the perceived boastfulness of the written portion (which I don't agree with, btw), then why sink to an even lower level? Lead by example, people.

And "snarky" is a way kinder adjective than some of these posts deserve. To me, "snarky" has some implied wit and cleverness to it, none of which some slammers have exhibited.

Phew! I was about to say OUCH and go get a margarita to salt my wound. ;) *snaps fingers*

Now *that* is a great example of "snarky".

It's just a theory. If the intial pitch turned people off, they aren't going to respond well, they've already been flavored by the text into how they are going to feel about the entry. The very last line: "In the end, our general bath is but a small extension of a larger beautifully designed and constructed apartment." What does that have to do with anything, other than indirectly state for our benefit, intended or not, that this bathroom of wonder is just a pindrop to everything else they own. This is how I perceived it, and I've never been into ostentatious verbal display, therefore "showpiece" countertops do not impress me as such. Show me a picture, give me the facts, let me decide. I just think it rubbed folks the wrong way, even when the room itself should be the proper focus. Show me, don't tell me.

Ah, what does it matter. It's Friday. =)

To me, that line ("In the end, our general bath is but a small extension of a larger beautifully designed and constructed apartment.") was about pride of place and how this space is not an anomaly to the rest of their construction project. I didn't really interpret that as an outrageous boast, or Roberto rubbing our noses in anything.

But I do agree that the opening statements can poison the jury... (re-- Fish Tank Frank...)

Yes, Friday! Now where are those Margaritas you promised!!??!

Not very exciting.... Overall... It is clear that there are nice materials, and that there was thought put into it, but it reminds me of what a developer would put in a high end gut-rehab unit to appeal to the broadest audience when it came time to sell.
The sink has no presence other than to say, "I look very Home Depot-ish". The sink base and mirror/light combo is a bit generic. I would have suggested a vessel sink, it doesn't have to be modern, but it is at least in the current decade.
On the plus side, the overhead can lighting is a nice touch, and does add a bit of drama to the space with the shadow effects.

Vessel sinks will be the next generation's Avocado and Harvest Gold.

Patrick (the other one), I could not agree more about vessel sinks.

No, no, no, please say it isn't so - I heart vessel sinks - AND avocado. So there!

I think Pattoo is right on about the the difference between constructive criticism vs. trashing. By the same token, I hope this doesn't mean to posters that *anything* negative is automatically nasty.

Hey Patrick, enough snotty remarks about Fish Tank Frank. We are now married and living in Hoboken with a great deal of black leather furniture.

Mia--
Sorry that I missed the nuptials. The bridal registry would have been quite entertaining. :)

Hey now! Back off on the snide Hoboken comments.

It appears that this website has a very, dare I say, Manhattan-oriented and frankly b*tchy attitude. There are a lot of nice apartments out there that are not in NYC. And, as a Hoboken resident, I can attest to the fact that although its old reputation is one of goombas and joisey folk, the town has quite a different demographic now.

You design hags can go back to your teeny west village apts now.

Please, people. Keep to design crit.

"You design hags can go back to your teeny west village apts now"

Um - *who's* b*tchy?! Or did I somehow miss the "design crit" in the statement?

former new yorker, but i live in berkeley now and i think these apartments (and the comments) are totally relevant to my current space...

p(too) & fiona - can i just say, thank you thank you thank you for voicing one of my biggest pet peeves--the ubiquitous vessel sink. i think it's about time people realized that these really only belong in powder rooms (if you must have one). i mean, we're talking 95% form & 5% function.

I am personally VERY offended by the bitchy remarks about vessel sinks. Not all of us can have non-vessel sinks, and you shouldn't be making value judgments, you sink hags.

I am VERY offended.

Mia--
I think your writing style is suspiciously similar to others. ;)

The writing did kinda rub me the wrong way, but it was mostly the brand name dropping more than that last sentance or the tone... I waited until I got home to listen to it, but the podcast is much better -- he really sounds like he loves his bathroom and home and wants to have a beautiful, restful space. He also touches on the care that went into his renovation and generally sounds like a nice guy...

Re-reading our comments, It seems like everything went to hell after Bruce chimed in -- before then people were talking about how they didn't like it overall but still thought that is was restful and clean. After Bruce told everyone they were jealous, the gloves were off and Tony Soprano reared his ugly head...

Ugghh...

Death... where is thy sting?

For the record, although Bruce and I have similar writing styles, I can assure you he and I are NOT one and the same, contrary to the insinuations. It's irritating and insulting to me to even have to address this point, but... there it is.

Also, I had absolutely no interest in "bragging" or using the size of my home, or anything else to "rub it in anyone's face".

As for the accusation of "brand name dropping" , the submission guidelines for this competition specifically requested that they be provided, if possible.

I realize that our bathroom is not very colorful or exciting by the standards of some people here. However, my wife and I put all of ourselves into creating this space when we built it. The choices that we made were not "generic" at all. But only someone who knows us personally would know that. I can assure you that everyone that has ever visited our home and entered our bath has had nothing but nice things to say about the look and feel of the space.

Look, I'm just a 38 year old married guy who is proud of his bathroom as I'm sure many of you are proud of yours. I wanted to share my acomplishment with others in this competition and on this website. Along the way, some useful constructive critiques were hoped for. To the credit of many of you, constructive critiques was PRECISELY what I got, even when you didn't like our bath, and for that I sincerely thank you.

But had I known that my entry would turn into such a negative flame war from some of the other people here, I would most certainly never have submitted it.

Best of luck to the other entries in this competition, and to all of you embarking on your own home projects.

Regards,

-Roberto Williams

(I STILL heart vessel sinks)

This is my impression of Roberto: A BLOO BLOO BLOO BLOO BLOOO!

I will try not to be "snarky", but this bathroom really does not do it for me. I think the shower curtain, mat and that toilet seat cover are unfortunate choices, both in color and material (they look polyesterish in the photos). ANY toilet seat cover would be an unfortunate choice. This looks quite generic to me, although I will admit that my style preference runs toward turn of the century vintage, and that certainly influences my opinions. This kind of reminds me of the Hilton hotel that I stayed in when I visited S. Carolina last spring (where, incidentally, I found a pair of dirty men's tighty whiteys hanging on the back of the door). The knobs on the vanity are the best feature in this bathroom. I think a shower curtain and bathmat in a nice natural fabric (nubby cotton would introduce a little more of an earthy feel) and bright color (orange or red?) would improve my overall impression of this bathroom.

i think it looks lovely and that you most certainly put a lot of work into it, i do however have some constructive criticism for you (not to be percieved as snarky).

i think if you were going for the mellow spa-like vibe it might have been better had you not gone w/ navy for towels, rugs, etc. but instead you should have picked a more tranquil color like sage, light gray or lavender (or light blue to keep w/ the "blue heaven" theme). my personal belief and design asthetic is that navy blue, as well as maroon and hunter green for that matter seem very 80's bachelor pad to me, at least for bathroom colors. a lighter color would also work better w/ the wall tile, which is nice but doesn't seem to match the navy (at least how it looked in the photos)

then again if you are just wild about the navy, and were going for a high-contrast/high-design theme, then you should have stuck w/ white tile for the walls, or maybe white wainscoting

overall i think the only "flaw" (not that i would even call it that) is that the wall tile and and navy don't seem to match, and you maybe should have picked one and ran w/ it

otherwise i think all the other elements - lighting, orb fixtures, granite, other knick-knacks look very good and cohesive and well thought out

I guess this has been beaten to death already - and most here will know that my view is similar to those expressed by ptoo and others - but I think that the instructions on how to enter helped contribute to the tone of the entry that offended so many ppl. How do you write a pitch for such a competition if you have never done so before (I'm sure Roberto has never written anything like this to anyone before)? Do you try to be understated? Do you ham it up? Do you try "sell" your work? If this is light hearted competition (which it is - there is no prize, no glory, no nothing except for the feel good factor of a community of users getting into the spirit of a fun little competition on one of our favorite sites) then maybe you really go to town on the pitch just to get into the said spirit.

The problem that we get from the nasty, unconstructive comments, is already manifesting itself in a lack of entries for this competition and with Roberto saying that he would never do this again. Who does this harm but us? The very ppl making judgements on other ppls' taste. As Paul Weller once sang "The public gets what the public wants" and I fear that the public is winning in this case.

This is my impression of Nick--
You are an ass.

Roberto--
Hang in there!!! You actually get your daily revenge against some of these class-less posters because you and your wife walk into a space you love, a space to be proud of, every single morning.

Thanks for opening your home to strangers (some stranger than others, apparently!) and sharing your sources, pride and enthusiasm.

Nobody has pointed out the obvious drawback to those orb sink handles... once you've washed your hands, you have to DRY them first before you can turn off the water!

Jane

I really love how a lighting plan was obviously implemented in this rehab. I think lighting is one of the things that people usually get really wrong in bath remodels.

I second what Patrick (the other one) wrote. Very well put.

I think I would like this bathroom to be in my home. It is clean and neat and large (bigger than my last bedroom). However, if I was renovating a bathroom, I would probably try to make it a little more unique to me. So, while it is a great space, it just isn't my style and first choice. Plus, why "Blue Heaven?" - I don't get the name.

I like all the accessories. Probably would have left out the flower accent tiles, but they're not that bad, I'm just not into flowers. I think I would add some gray to the areas that are real navy, like the shower curtain, rug, towel racks, marble jar. That would just seem to blend one color into the other without quite such a high contrast. The solid chunks of navy seem to almost push some of the nicer details like the trash can, the candle holders, the vase, etc. to the background, being clear and all.

Also, if there was anyway to make those light bulbs on the vanity present less as a splash of peach as they do in the photo on this page. That adds a little to the peach/gray 80s vibe that I don't think is probably the same in person. Bare light bulbs just don't photograph as "cool" colors even if they are the kind that give off a fairly natural light, such as reveal.

What about those light bulbs that are clear? Like these:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1286840
That might help or look terrible but its cheap and worth a try to try to at least keep the cool blue vibe a little more consistent.

Here's a shower curtain that might be a bit less imposing:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006G17CS//103-0803375-8286264

Then you could pull colors out of the various blues and grays to use for accent towels, other marbles, and maybe a rug set in this collection or in one of these colors, but not a solid dark blue.

I think a lot of the problems people have notices could be helped by some of these accessory changes requiring little financial investment.

I like the orbs, the framed photograph (I've been thinking of ways to put artwork in my bathroom!), and the cleanliness of the bathroom. If it were my bathroom, I would add some colors to offset the grey tile--perhaps something lighter than the blue found in the towels, and at least 2 or 3 different colors. Those orbs are whimsical, playful, while the decor of the bathroom at large is not. While it is not my dream bathroom, it is certainly better than the one I have in my rental.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYUCK! EXACTLY the kind of reno i hope i never ever find when looking to purchase a property. sorry to be harsh, but that's ... HORRIBLE. williamsburg? how's about anywhere, u.s.a.?

CLEAN AND PRICEY, YES, AND ALSO ... UGLY, TACKY, GREY, BORING. WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY! GUESS THESE FOLKS ARE CREATING A McMANSION IN THE HEART OF WILLIAMSBURG. I DON'T THINK THEY ARE PART OF THE HIPSTER ELEMENT IN WILLIAMSBURG. MY GUESS IS THEY ARE NATIVES. THAT'S FINE, AND I'M SURE THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY THINK THEY HAVE GREAT TASTE. IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT KIND OF TASTE FROM WHAT APARTMENT THERAPY DESIGN MAVENS ARE USED TO.

New Yorker--
The audience here has all kinds of style preferences, so please don't speak (SCREAM) on behalf of anyone else but your rude self.

But your all-caps low-class ranting IS something the AT design mavens have no patience for.

and, anon, if you're going to be so outspoken, how 'bout using your real name.

Amen, Patrick.

Is that your wedding picture, there, over the toilet? Hm.

I must join the others in saying that fuzzy crescent mat and toilet lid cover have no place in that room. They give the impression of someone having bought the place fully-completed adding their touch in the form of a housewarming present from a department store.