Water Tower Housing

Someone in the Netherlands has made apartments out of an old water tower. And apparently, they're not the only ones. How gorgeous and ingenious is this? It's a grown-up tree-house.

This patio on the top looks like a fabulous blender.

Faux Ceiling Beams

This image from last Fall's Zara Home catalog is still one of my favorites. I love their rustic take on modern furnishings. You can't see the ceiling here, but I imagine it to have rough timber beams against a white plaster. I think a big dose of natural wood can add a lot of warmth to a white space while preserving the minimalism.

Of course wood beams could be a great addition to the high ceilings in any modern living space. But they're expensive and hard to install. Luckily, my brother just sent me a great link to a site that sells faux wood beams. They look very real. Well, at least they look real from a distance. And when they're on the ceiling, how close are you going to get?

These beams are made from casts of real wood beams, so they have realistic tool marks and grain patterns. You can get beams starting at $170. Check out some design ideas here.

PS- this site has some annoying narration audio playing on the home page and main product pages, so turn your sound down.

Acrylic Tub Refinishing Really Works

Replacing an old tub is expensive and time-consuming. Taking out the tub usually requires re-tiling the tub-surround as well. All that expense is fine if you are improving a home you own, but what if you rent, or your budget is small?

My mother recently hired an acrylic refinishing company to redo the bathtub in a rental property they own. I went by to check it out yesterday, and it looks amazing! For under $300, they have a like-new white tub where there used to be a chipped pink one (photo from site, not my mom's project). The refinisher I queried said that the acrylic coating comes in tons of colors, though the site only shows white. They also do tile and counter tops.

The only question in my mind is how the finish will fare over time. There are limitations on how it can be cleaned (i.e. no harsh scrubs), which worries me a little. If I decide to give it a try on our 1950's tub, I'll let you know what I think.