Tuesday 24 March 2015

Bathroom Storage Ideas

Bathrooms are often the rooms with the least space, but the most amount of clutter that needs organising! While you may think that having a small bathroom limits the amount of storage you can have, there is a huge number of minor adjustments you can make to your bathroom that can help in your quest for more bathroom storage!

Use height – Shelves are cheap and easy to make and can be used to store towels, toiletries, and you can even use them to hold mason jars, which look lovely when used to store bathroom essentials! Shelves with inverted brackets also add a quaint, shabby chic look to any bathroom!



Secret Storage – Medicine cabinets have been used for years above sinks to hide unsightly bathroom items, but did you know you can also get full length mirrors that double up as storage! Great for homes that have very little space in their bathrooms. Another great storage idea that doesn't take up much room is spice racks – not just for the kitchen! These can fit in even the tiniest of spaces!

Depth – How much can you cram into that space underneath your sink? Adding sliding drawers and shelves on the inside of doors in the cupboard under the sink is a great way to help utilise what space you have, and keep everything organised!

Magnetic Strips – While this is more of an organiser than a storage solution, magnetic strips are cheap and can be easily added to the walls around your sink (or anywhere else) and can help you avoid the inevitable pile of bobby pins, tweezers and nail scissors that don’t have a home in your bathroom!

Any suggestions? Let us know by making a comment!

Thursday 19 March 2015

Bathing and its Health Benefits

Thanks to busy modern lifestyles, a quick shower is often favoured over a long soak in the bath, but baths can do wonders for your health, not to mention they can help you relax and de-stress after a busy day or week.


Did you know that certain bathing ingredients can support internal cleansing and overall health? Some of these include:


Baking Soda – Adding baking soda to your bath can be beneficial for those suffering from swollen glands, sore throats or soreness of the gums & mouth.
dissolve 4 cups of aluminium-free baking soda in a bath as hot as you can stand it, and stay in the bath until the water has cooled.

Epsom Salts – A bath with Epsom Salts can be beneficial to heart & circulatory health, can lower blood pressure, ease muscle pain, and eliminate harmful substances from the body.
To get the health benefits from this detox bath, dissolve 2 cups of Epsom Salts in a comfortably warm bath, and stay in for at least 12 minutes.
                                                       
        
Sea Salt & Baking Soda – This detox bath is great if you travel a lot, as it is therapeutic for exposure to radiation, x-rays, aeroplane flights and airport screenings.
Before soaking away in a sea salt & baking soda bath, do be aware that it will make you sleepy – so it is best to have this bath at night time before bed.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Adding Apple Cider Vinegar to your bath is a great overall detoxer, and is perfect for aches and pains!
Add 2 cups of pure apple cider vinegar to a bath as hot as you can handle it and stay in the bath until the water has cooled.

Essential Oils - w
ith just a few drops of favourite essential oils you can transform your bath time in to a haven of relaxation and spa like tranquillity.
With a little experimentation and a little research you can find out the perfect oil or combination of oils that will help what might be ailing you on a particular day.
Don’t reach for the painkillers next time a bath might be just the tonic to perk you up when you’re feeling ill or down.

Monday 9 March 2015

Plants in the Bathroom - Part Two

Here is part two of our run-down of the best plants for your bathroom:



Orchid (Orchidaceae): You may be surprised to hear that the lovely Orchid favours hot, humid conditions – so are perfect for a bathroom! Despite their love of the warmth, they do prefer to be cooler at night, so are best off in a bathroom with a window.
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum): These lovely plants can thrive in any condition, whether it be light, dark, dry or warm – so you needn’t worry about having one in your bathroom! Thanks to the way they grow, the Pothos plant looks particularly lovely hung from the ceiling in a hanging basket, or in a corner high up!


Zanzibar Gem (Zamioculcas Zamifolia) or ZZ Plant: This plant is virtually indestructible, and can survive even the most extreme conditions – perfect for those who do not have a green thumb, and tend to forget about their plants! The ZZ plant is ideal for a windowless bathroom, as they prefer to be away from direct sunlight, as this can scorch their leaves. While it can survive in the total absence of water, the ZZ plant will grow much faster if watered.

Don't forget to read part one of our bathroom plant blog.


Do you have any plants that you know of that perform well in the bathroom, tell us and we might feature it in another blog!

Plants in the Bathroom - Part One

It is well-known that plants improve the air quality in a room, and can even help remove airborne harmful contaminants. Not to mention they can help to reduce stress, anxiety and overall can make a room look much nicer.

Contrary to popular belief, bathrooms can be the perfect environment for tropical house plants, due to the inherent conditions and in particular, high humidity. There are even some that can be placed in your bathroom even if it doesn't have a window, as some plants grow well in a low-light environment.

The trick to choosing the right plants for your bathroom is looking for ones that prosper in a moist/humid environment – as these typically need little amounts of light and a fluorescent bulb switched on occasionally will be enough for them.
Please be careful with the toxicity of some as they can be poisonous when ingested (particular care must be shown if you own pets)


To take the headache of choosing, we've written a run-down of 5 of the best plants you can purchase for your bathroom.

Here is part 1:
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata): These plants need A LOT of humidity, and the soil needs to stay damp at all times – perfect for a smaller bathroom where humidity will build up faster! You’ll know if the humidity in your bathroom is high enough, as the leaves on a Boston Fern will turn yellow if the room isn’t humid enough.

Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior): Small Bathroom? Large Bathroom? No windows? Lots of windows? It doesn’t matter, Cast Iron Plants can survive extreme conditions – so are perfect for any bathrooms! Although they do thrive when watered a lot.

Tuesday 3 March 2015

CASE STUDY: The striped Galleon

Here at Hurlingham, we pride ourselves on being able to offer fabulously designed, classic baths, as well as having the ability to finish any of our extensive bath collection with the choice of thousands of paint finishes. What’s more, we offer the choice of fabric or genuine leather wrapping.


Not only can we provide the finish for your bath, in our workshop we can create a bath uniquely customised to any specifications. Meaning if your bathroom is elaborately styled, you can create your own bath that would fit in perfectly.

Recently, a client contacted us with the idea to make a painted striped bath in their favourite colours that would also match the décor currently in their bathroom. After many hours of hand painting and hard work, the customer was delighted with the finished product seen above – the striped Galleon in Farrow and Ball’s “Charlotte’s Locks” and “Off Black”.