BEFORE & AFTER: BATHROOM GETS A MUCH NEEDED RENO

This bathroom got a much needed makeover. Here's a BEFORE picture:

The plans were to replace everything in this bathroom.The room was opened right to the studs to do the proper wiring for the fan and lighting. The updates included: a new white hex tile floor, new drywall/paint/trim, new tub/shower, new toilet, new sink/faucet, new light fixture, new medicine cabinet inset into the wall and all the other small accessories like towel bar and a bit of artwork.

Here are a couple more before pictures.

Here is the AFTER!

ASK DEB NELSON: HOW TO DECORATE A MANTEL

A fireplace is often the focal point of a living room. I'm frequently asked about how to decorate the mantel. It usually requires one larger item, like artwork or a mirror to ground the whole area. Then from there it's all about experimenting with different heights and objects to get the right balanced look. Some mantels are more layered with items, while others are a bit more sparse. I always suggest checking some decor magazines, or looking online, for some inspiration of mantels you like and then try to recreate the look at your own house. Here is another of mine with a black mirror and some simple vases of shells and antique books.

This mantel from House Beautiful has always caught my eye, it's simple yet pretty and colourful. Also interesting to see a round mirror.

Another simple mantel from Elle Decor that looks great. This kind of looks like a chalkboard to me above the mantel but it may be art.

A more layered approach with a few pieces of art.

DIY: AFFORDABLE & STYLISH ARTWORK

I like to keep some inexpensive frames around that I can fill with any image to create some easy and affordable artwork. The art on the wall above are pieces I put together, matching frames with images. You can use antique prints, new prints or photography – whatever you have that works. Here is another piece in a white frame:

I've used an Ikea ribba frame and an old, vintage advertisement as the image. The frame comes in several different sizes and colours, so you can pick what works best for you.

Here's how this one looks finished (a bit hard to see the white frame):

This image is an old French, Hermes advertisement, you can sometimes find these on ebay or by hunting around at antique shops. I've found some great old images to put in new frames. I also often have a new matte cut to go around the image to fit perfectly. It gives it a custom framed look.

DESIGN INSPIRATION: KITCHEN CABINETS

When I was planning my kitchen renovation, it took me a long time to decide on the kitchen cabinets. I have lower cabinets everywhere, and open shelves at the end of the kitchen but not many upper cabinets. I went back and forth on white lower cabinets versus a medium grey colour on the lowers only – I really couldn't decide. In the end I decided on white and the results are above. And here is another shot looking towards the dining room.

But in my kitchen inspiration file there were a lot of kitchens with darker lower cabinets, here are some of my favourites!

ASK DEB NELSON: FURNITURE WITH SLIPCOVERS

Often people ask me about the best style or colour of furniture for their home. It can be different in every situation, but as many people know, I'm a big fan of slipcovered furniture. I have a sofa, (that you can see above in a white slipcover), but I have several other covers to completely change the look of the piece. I have different colours, fabrics and styles – so depending on the time of year or look I want, I just change the slipcover. I really like slipcovers for a couple of reasons; first they offer you tons of versatility – you don't have to buy a new sofa when you want a completely different look. Also they are really easy to clean, when people say they can't have white furniture, a machine washable white slipcover can really open up a lot of options. You don't have these cleaning choices with an upholstered piece of furniture. If you're looking for a sofa, consider something that is slipcovered if you want something to change up from time to time.

People also ask where to get slipcovers and there are two options. You can buy a sofa that comes with a fitted cover and perhaps buy a cover in more than one fabric or colour, like the Ikea option below. The other option is to buy a sofa that has loose cushions (ie. removable) so you could have a slipcover made for the sofa and all the cushions. This is a more expensive option, you need to buy the slipcover fabric and find an expert to do the work.

Here are a few sofas options.

1.  The Geoffrey from Montauk sofa, these are beautiful, custom made, down filled sofas. They will make the slipcover and you have tons of fabric options.

2.  An Ektorp sofa from Ikea. This is very affordable, so you could consider buying a couple of covers in different colours.

3.  An option for a small sofa from Bouclair for less than $1000