Home Improvement Tips from Cassandra Lavalle

Thank you to Waterpik for providing a complimentary prize pack for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional prize pack for our contest prize. All opinions expressed are my own.

Did you know that May is Home Improvement Month? We were excited to be able to participate in a Q&A with home expert Cassandra Lavalle, founder of Coco+Kelley, to pick her brain about home improvement projects we have been wanting to tackle in our own home.

One home improvement project that is often overlooked, also happens to be one of the cheapest, easiest, and sometimes most impactful on your family. Upgrading your shower head takes mere moments and can be enjoyed right away. Will upgrading your shower head increase your homes value? Not significantly in dollars, but it can certainly lift your families spirits immediately!

I recently upgraded our shower head to a Waterpik 14-mode Riata Nickel handheld. With 14 different nozzle settings each member of my family can customize their shower experience depending what they are in the mood for. If you like a low pressure drizzle it can do that, or if you want a high velocity jet it can do that too, and pretty much everything in between.

Installing the Waterpik could not have been easier. In fact, the entire installation took a few minutes and did not require any tools at all. All kidding aside, I think it took me longer to remove my Waterpik from the clamshell packaging than it did for me to install it.

Although it is not required, some Thread Sealing Tape ($2 available anyplace that sells plumbing supplies) is a good idea. I had some on my threads already so I did not need to do anything at all prior to installation.

Even though I always recommend reading instructions, if you are at all handy you can probably install the Waterpik without them because the process is so obvious. There are only a few parts and, to be quite honest, they only go together one way.

Upgrading your shower head is an easy way to improve your families comfort in a few minutes and for not a lot of money. The Waterpik we have can be purchased from many retailers for about $60. You can find other Waterpik handheld shower heads on www.waterpik.com from $30 on up, so there is a model to fit any budget. Be sure to checkout Waterpik’s popular line of RainFall+ shower heads, which includes their water-saving EcoRain model.


Our Waterpik Prize Pack includes a Rainfall+ Shower Head, a set of 2 unscented pillar candles, and a $25 Home Depot gift card!

Photo courtesy of Payton & Company

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How to Renovate a Small Bathroom for Home Improvement Project

Well-designed home improvement projects such as renovating a small bathroom can potentially add comfort, convenience and value to a home. The first step is to determine the size of the project and set a budget. When major fixtures are in good condition and just a bit of redecorating and updating the bathroom is needed, it should not be very expensive. The cost will depend largely on the materials selected and whether the homeowner can do some of the work without hiring professional help.


Walls and Ceiling
The most important factor in any project is to begin with a plan. Know exactly what will change and what will remain the same. Start by completely emptying the room of everything that can be moved. Give everything a good cleaning and then assess the condition of the room. If walls are tight and smooth, perhaps they will just need a coat of paint or textured wallpaper. A small bathroom is a good place to experiment with color. It would not be a disaster to repaint if the color does not look right after painting one wall. Many stores will exchange paint if the color is not as envisioned.

Also consider wallpapering one wall and painting the other three. Another idea is to panel the top half of the walls and install wainscoting on the lower half. Manufacturers are constantly improving materials and the newer ones resist color fade and moisture. Painting the walls and ceiling in a monochromatic color such as all white or light tones also works well in a really small bathroom and makes it appear larger. Splashes of color can be added with accessories and towels.


Flooring
Safety should also be a consideration when choosing flooring. A shiny floor can be appealing but some materials such as glossy tile and polished stone may be slippery and unsafe. These floors would be much more expensive as well. Carpeting is not the best choice for a bathroom floor since it may retain moisture and develop mold. An excellent material for the bathroom is linoleum flooring which is popular for its durability, ease of cleaning, and availability of styles and colors. It is easy to install and is always a good choice.


Lighting
When the lighting is updated in any room it can make a big difference in appearance, ambiance, and the way color displays. However, it is essential to have proper lighting in a bathroom for safety issues as well. Good ceiling lighting is important and there should be no dark areas in any bathroom, especially near the shower and bathtub. Wall sconces or light bars can be added or updated with new fixtures on either side or above the mirror over the sink. Many choices exist in lighting fixtures in various styles and finishes to match or complement any décor.

Only a licensed electrician should install new lighting or update wiring. In most areas wiring must be inspected when finished and pass local code requirements. This is a very important safety issue and cannot be stressed enough, especially in a bathroom or any area where water is involved.

Image by Bentley Smith

My Dream Bathroom

When we purchased our home, my husband and I swore that the first thing we would redo, after we removed the many layers of wallpaper both upstairs and downstairs, would be the upstairs bathroom.  It has a dark brown tub with a matching toilet and sink topped off with bright gold hardware.  The walls and the vanity are laminated with a beige/cream colored marble design.  Notice I am using the present tense and not the past.  Yes, we still have what my husband has not-so-fondly labeled "1970's cruise decor" in our upstairs bathroom.

Someday, when we actually get around to remodeling, I am hoping for a modern bathroom, but something that is still warm and homey and not too sterile and severe.  What really makes a bathroom is the vanity and the bathtub.  I have looked at many bathroom vanities over the past few years and have determined that a modern shaker style would be my favorite.  In fact, I would love to furnish my entire home the same way.  I have always liked dark walnut with chrome hardware.  My dream bathroom would have the vanity above with a framed mirror the full length of the vanity.

What would your dream bathroom look like?