Bringing The Outside In

Growing up back in the early 80’s (ok, late 70’s!) I always remember plants in just about every room of the house (and in the homes of other people we visited).  Over the years not so much, but now my Insta feed tells me it's well and truly in revival mode.  In a time where we’re so restricted with our movements, bringing the outdoors in again is a beautiful thing!

Let’s talk bathroom plants in particular.  Bathrooms are typically a very hot and steamy room right? (Because of the hot water I mean!)  Similar to that of tropical, rain forest type environments - there’s so many plants that thrive in those conditions - plants which can be easily maintained in your bathroom.  No green thumb required, here's a few examples....

Birds Nest Fern, Peperomia, Mother-In-Laws Tongue

 Boston Fern, Monstera Deliciosa Tauerii, Peace Lily

Think about your space, bathrooms are often not the largest of rooms in the house, but even the smallest of spaces can make a big impact - bring that green goodness in.  Consider:

• Floor space – are there any corner areas, or gaps in-between your fixtures and fittings where a plant could be placed, making a simple but effective difference to the room?  Dress it up with a gorgeous planter pot that complements the existing color palette.

Pic sources:  Fienza Bathware, Decina, Unknown

• Windowsill – lift the blinds up, let the light in. It probably won’t be a big plant in this area, but a lovely little statement piece nonetheless.  Alternatively, look for small spaces on surface areas - eg bath corners, vanities etc.

Pic soures:  Unknown, Greens Tapware

• What about a shelf, do you have an existing shelf currently full of clutter? Remove the clutter and make it the home for your new green friend.  If no shelf, is there wall space or an area to put one?

Pic sources:  Shutterstock

• No space at all, look up! Always room for a hanging option, using plants with soft drooping foliage.

Pic sources:  Decina, Unknown

Time to bring the outdoors into your bathroom or ensuite space and turn up the heat!

If you like any of the bathroom looks provided here, Cook's have a range of products to recreate these looks.  Contact one of our Showroom Consultants today.  Alternatively, visit our online shop.

Soooo, are you down to your last layer of skin after all the hand sanitising? How’s the isolation going for you?

Although practicing social distancing measures for a little while now, the work from home isolation period has only just started for me (lucky enough to even be working I say).  As I peer over my laptop and gaze into the kitchen area, my thoughts totally leave the spreadsheet that should have been completed an hour before.  We can all relate to some lack of concentration given the circumstances at the moment though, right? I’m noticing that in all the juggle of family v work life (I know you get it), there has been a downfall with strict attention to detail in the cleaning department.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like last week’s breakfast cereal is stuck to the bench top or anything, but 'Spray n Wipe' on the run is just not going to cut it anymore in this current Corona climate.

Knowing how much we all have to play our part in getting on top of this dreadful global virus - a case of the guilt’s sets in about the lack of attention to detail with those other household items.  You know the ones - they're in the background and always left out while you cater to the needs of the demanding ones - like the dishwasher, washing machine, bathrooms and floors.  I’m talking cupboard doors and handles, light switches, fridge handles, remote controls and the list goes on.  'Tomorrow' I tell myself, and back to that spreadsheet I go.

Tomorrow is now today *sigh*.  I know we’ve all got a bit of extra time at home at the moment, and we’ve got to find ways to entertain ourselves. However, spending almost an entire day disinfecting your house is not really on the ‘I'm so looking forward to this’ list though – agreed?!  Anyway, it must be done. Quick scroll through my news feed first though and see this……

…A 4+ day life span, it's a telling reminder that I have to stop procrastinating.  Five hours later and the calming fragrance coming from the diffuser has been overtaken by the strong smell of copious amount of cleaning products, and I'm reaching for the Panadol.  My old stainless steel kitchen sink has been scrubbed so much with Gumption there’s now scratches all over it.

Ok ok, so the latter may have been intentional…… We've got some beautiful new kitchen sinks that have just gone up on the website. The temptation to ensure the old sink looks even more worse for wear couldn't be resisted. The Abey Piazza colour range is amazing – in fact I’m tempted to do a whole kitchen reno just to accommodate a new sink colour!

See what having extra time around the house does.  I've gone from Coronavirus prevention cleaning, to a new kitchen. Off to tell my husband the good news about our next project – ‘Project Isolation Reno’!

Take care everyone, stay healthy and let’s all look forward to some social NON-distancing on the other side of this.