Unclog Drains With Alka Seltzer

Let’s face it, your drains are always going to clog eventually. Cleaners and tools can be expensive, especially when it comes time to call the plumber. Luckily, you might have some Alka Seltzer and vinegar around the house, which can be combined to lifehack away at your clogged drains!

Just drop two tablets of Alka Seltzer down your drain. Pour in a cup of vinegar after and wait for a couple of minutes. Then fill a container with hot water and rinse out your drain and you should be good to go!

Scrub Away With Power

Need some heavy firepower for the tougher bathroom stains? No problem. Time to bring out the power drill. Just whip out your tool box and attach a scrubber with strong bristles to the drill bit part of your power drill. Use your bathroom cleaning spray of choice and grind away!

Clean Your Showerhead

Fill up a sandwich bag with distilled vinegar and wrap if around your shower head. Then use some string to tie the bag around the neck of the shower head so that it is closed tight. Let the bag remain overnight and your shower will be looking good as new!

How To CreateAan Industrial Style Bathroom

Our personal style is reflected in every part of our lives – the way we dress, the choices we make and how we decorate our surroundings. Sometimes, however, expanding your style to all parts of your home can be a bit difficult. This is especially so when it comes to rooms like bathroom, which is so often thought of as having one “default” look. But in reality, bathrooms can look as unique as any other room in your house and yes, you can even introduce the industrial look to them.

faucet-1529179_960_720What makes the industrial style?

You might think that this is a great idea, but you might not know where to start! What is, exactly, the industrial style? Simply explained, it’s a branch of the huge “vintage style” tree and it is supposed to remind us of the industrial times, which is why it often features a factory-like atmosphere. As dark and monotone as that may sound, the industrial style actually has many different subcategories that can range from very dark and gloomy to super-light and quirky. You can look online for inspiration and find the style that suits you best.

The base

The look of walls and floors is the key element of industrial style. You really can’t put some vintage furniture into a white-tiled bathroom and expect it to look industrial. So, what are your options? A very popular choice are bare walls – concrete or exposed brick. Both of these will create a unique feeling and make people feel like they have travelled to some other time. Another popular option, especially for floors, is wood. A rough wooden surface may be a bit more difficult to clean, but it will definitely give a new dimension to your industrial bathroom. If you really want to go for tiles, you can opt for small tiles in a checkered print.

bathroom-2132342_960_720The furniture

Not everyone can go and find themselves a real vintage bathtub, but there are other widely available options that will help you achieve the desired effect. A good rule of thumb to follow is: the rougher- looking, the better! Polished surfaces, crisp porcelain and shiny silver faucets were not a thing back in the day, so going for rougher looking materials and pieces like stone baths can help you achieve a vintage look. If you manage to find an old, steampunk-looking piece and repurpose it as a shelf, a holder for your sink or just a magazine holder, you’ve hit gold.

The details

When talking about style, the most important thing to remember is that it’s all about the details, as they are easiest to personalize. A popular choice for the industrial style is detached pipes, especially if they look a bit older and slightly beaten-up. Another thing you can experiment with is light. Always go for warm bulbs and try to find quirky chandeliers that will match your style. Other details can include shower curtains, pictures and paintings, brass towel holders, bird cages, vases and anything else that you like that comes from the vintage family. If you are not sure what style you want to go for, you can check out Pinterest and similar websites for ideas, DIY projects and everything else you are unsure about.

bathroom-1981999_960_720

A bathroom of your dreams is waiting for you to design it. Therefore, check out Acqua Bathrooms for various ideas and accessories you need to create this wonderful look in your bathroom. It is a unique play on the classical vintage style and it deserves to be represented just as much.

Bringing Your Victorian Kitchen To Life

It’s all in the details in a Victorian kitchen.  The timeless elegance of a Victorian style kitchen is really held together by the details; the small authentic touches to decoration.  And decoration is something that Victorian kitchens have in spades. M ore than the similar Georgian or old-fashioned kitchen.  Still Victorian kitchen designs have a utility to them that makes them especially appealing to busy professionals and families alike.  The Victorian kitchen has the best of both worlds, unique design elements and useful design.  Some of the stylistic details include scrolls and corbels, moldings and carved pilasters.

If you’re picturing an almost frightening gothic style twisting pilaster and arched entryways and cabinets take a deep breath, that intensity level has been curtailed in recent years.

Modern Victorian kitchens tend to feature:

  • A simple and clean island table
  • Freestanding ornate and sleek glassware cabinet
  • A range stove
  • Cream and white colored cabinets with teak or other dark wood accents
  • Overhead racks for pots and pans

Indeed, you may say that Victorian kitchens today look quite similar to a contemporary style kitchen.  That being said, if you want to pump up the Victorian features you certainly may by taking out built-in furniture pieces like cabinets and replacing them with freestanding pieces and you can do this on a budget.  The reason this is a very traditionally Victorian stylistic choice is that back in the 1800’s they didn’t have built-in cabinets, they had furniture that provided the necessary tabletop work space.  Today it is not uncommon to see old classic bureaus used as kitchen island in a “modern” Victorian style kitchen.  This type of furniture is well built, has all the classic designs, and adds a wonderful accent to the kitchen.

Of course, we don’t recommend taking out your cabinetry.  Built-in cabinetry is quite a useful invention and it is easy and possible to make your kitchen Victorian without tearing them out.  Other classically Victorian style furniture pieces you may want to consider adding:

  • A kitchen dresser
  • A larder or pantry
  • A central workspace table

As for flooring there are four options: wood, linoleum, cork or ceramic/stone.  Wood flooring wasn’t favored in Victorian kitchens until late in the Victorian period.  Linoleum was favored in more upscale Victorian kitchens and was popular due to how easy it was to clean.  Not many people think of cork flooring when they think of Victorian kitchens, but it’s still true that they were a popular choice at the time and a green choice now because it’s made of recycled material.  Ceramic and stone floors are hardly surprising and are popular choices nowadays for old-fashioned kitchens but they aren’t specifically Victorian.  Of course one drawback to ceramic and stone floors is that they can be hard on the joints whereas the other options tend to offer more cushioning.  Something to think about if you spend a lot of time standing in the kitchen.

So the long and the short of it is this; Victorian kitchens are not old and boring, and if you need to liven yours up, dig deep, do some research and find a way to add your own personal touches.  Have fun with it!