hellobeautifulcreatures

Preparing a home for aging parents, relatives or yourself can be a challenge. But with help from local professionals, there are many ways to transition a home for safety and comfort. Being able to move around the home is a priority, said Perry Pascucci, owner Walk-in Tubs of Oklahoma, and bathrooms are a big problem area . “Accidents in the bathroom are the leading cause of broken hips and other injuries, including arms,” he said. “As we grow older, we can become unstable easily.” Climbing into and out of a bathtub can be difficult and dangerous with its wet surface. For older residents, getting into a bathtub can be difficult, and going from the seated position to standing can also pose a potential problem. That’s why walk-in tubs have become more popular with aging homeowners, he said. His business will be one of more than 100 vendors at the Senior Living Expo on Saturday at Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, 6808 S. 107th East Ave . The special tubs allow p...

Our pick Delta In2ition 58480 This efficient showerhead combines the benefits of a handheld with a full- featured traditional model to give you a unique set of advantages, like richer spray patterns and easier installation, than some competitors. *At the time of publishing, the price was $130. The Delta In2ition 58480 combines the simplicity of a wall-mounted showerhead and the utility of a handheld—switching between them is a matter of holstering or drawing the handheld unit. At 2 gallons of water per minute, it meets the strictest federal efficiency guidelines , yet delivers satisfying results on multiple spray settings , from a gentle “rainshower” to a powerful massage. The 58480 replaces this guide’s former handheld pick, the similar Delta 58471, an excellent product many of our readers and a few editors use and love. This new Delta is more efficient than the other one’s 2.5 gpm, and its gentler spray options are more comfortable, which really helps when bathing kids or pet...

The key to successfully redesigning the bathroom lies primarily in the planning stages and in the correct assessment of your particular problems. Redesigning a bathroom is not something that should be undertaken lightly, not because it is likely to lead to considerable expense, but also because once the work has been done there is little you can easily do should you be unhappy with the results. There are four main categories with regards to bathroom problems: congestion, layout and fittings. All too often, a single room combines all four, but if you consider each of these problem areas carefully , you may find that solving one may make the others far easier to deal with. Congestion Too many people wanting to use the bathroom at the same time can be a major source of family friction. The best solution here is to see whether it is possible to provide extra facilities elsewhere in the house so that the whole family does not have to rely on access to a single bathroom. A small guest toi...

In this excerpt from Négar Djavadi's novel Désorientale , an Iranian teen finds sexual  and cultural identity in the Parisian punk rock scene.  The revelation came to me a bit later, through the TV (an old, poorly- functioning set left by previous renters and installed in our room by my sister Leïli), which I watched until late at night. That evening, a concert in a small venue was being shown on Les Enfants du Rock . Because Leïli and Mina were asleep, I’d turned the sound off, so it wasn’t the music that struck me—but rather, the dangerous energy emanating from four young guys dressed in black, barely older than my sisters, strutting across the stage like they owned the world. They were feline, powerful, Dionysian. Their clothes were ripped and their fists raised, rage made the veins in their necks stand out. It was dark and luminous. Secretive. Subversive. In front of them, human waves, dense and insatiable, crashed against the edge of the stage before rising up and shouting ...

If you like spaces that resonate with personality, consider buying a claw-foot bathtub. The statement- making fixtures work in any size bathroom, complement traditional and transitional decorating styles , and are available in an array of contours and colors. Mirroring versions popular between the 1880s and 1930s, today's claw- foot bathtubs offer ageless character combined with ergonomic shapes and spa-like systems. Happily, plenty of vintage bathtubs (with original finishes intact or in need of refinishing) are readily available for those desiring authenticity. Installation Considerations Always in fashion, claw-foot bathtubs can be installed in the center of a bathroom, within a windowed bay, aligned against a wall, or set diagonally across a corner. Before selecting a bathtub, know the location of the bathroom's water pipes and how much floor space is available for the bathtub, as well as the width of doorways, staircases, and hallways through which the tub will be ca...

Installing do-it-yourself acrylic shower walls can be easy as long as you select the right acrylic shower set . (Tim Carter) I’ve had it with ceramic tile in my shower. It’s hard to clean, and I love the sleek look of some of the modern acrylic shower units . I want to do this job myself, so the installation needs to be DIY-friendly. What’s been your experience with these easy- care shower units ? Would you be kind enough to share some installation tips so I don’t goof this up? — Alice W., Xenia, Ohio I can hear you loud and clear about ceramic tile care . When I was younger, I seemed to have plenty of energy to wrestle with cleaning tile and grout. I did discover years ago that using powdered oxygen bleach made the job easier and less smelly, but I no longer have to deal with cleaning tile because I’ve switched out all the showers in my home to acrylic. I’ ve installed countless acrylic tub and shower units over the years, as I’ve been a master plumber since before I was 30. I...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — During New Mexico’s dry winter months , residents wage war on dry, itchy skin, chapped lips and persistent static cling . To increase moisture at home, solutions range from buying humidifiers to adding houseplants and indoor fountains. Customers ask for humidifiers to combat problems like nosebleeds and dry skin, says Robb Baucom, a sales specialist at Lowe’s on Paseo del Norte in Albuquerque. Indoor humidity should be 35 percent to 40 percent, which can be measured on some thermometers. Other ways to add moisture • After a shower, open the bathroom door to let steam out to the rest of the house. •  Don’t run the dry cycle on the dishwasher. Instead, open the door to release moisture, which also saves money. •  Buy an indoor fountain. •  Hang wet clothes to dry in the house, either on a laundry rack or hangers, which saves on energy costs. • Add houseplants. • Fill a spray bottle with water, adding lemon rind or herbs like rosemary or lavender for scent. Spray ...

Shower and other bathroom equipment require upgrading after a certain period of time. Not only the bathroom doors get worn with time, but your shower valves too need repairing. Since it regulates the amount of water flow, pressure, and temperature, having the valve in good condition is not optional. Otherwise, it may cause sudden temperature shifts , resulting in cold water shocks and scalding. Shower valve malfunctions do not always need a professional plumber for repairing. In case you have basic plumbing skills , you can try correcting them on your own. And the solution regarding the repair depends on the malfunctions. Thus, identifying what the problems are is the first step before busying yourself in troubleshooting them. For this, you need to go through the user manual and understand all the parts. Based on the type of existing shower valve , it can be single-handled or double-handled. Also, the unit may be regular valve, pressure balanced, or thermostatic valve . Accordingly...