“Invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”
Thomas Alva Edison
1847-1931
American inventor who held a world record of 1,093 patents
In This Issue
- Deals, Deals, Deals!
- New Website Launching
- A Spectacular Wet Bar for Entertaining
- Creating the Ultimate Luxury Master Bath
- Tip of the Month: Bubble Baths and Whirlpool Tubs…Can They Mix?
Deals…Deals…Deals!
Tuesday is $1.00 burger night at Bar Louie in Bucktown (maybe also at other locations)…with purchase of a beverage.
Le Bouchon, one of my fave French bistros in Chicago, has a prix-fixe menu on Tuesday night – 3 courses for $22. Every day, you can get a limited 3-course menu for just $20. Mondays features half-price bottles of wine.
New Website Launching
Watch for the launch of our new website, caryweldy.com. With a sleek look, the new site will showcase our best and latest work, video clips, and more tips for the home. We’ll let you know when we go live!
A Spectacular Wet Bar for Entertaining
The previous wet bar was dated and did not have enough storage, and the bar lacked finesse and dimension. The ceramic tile needed some warming up.
For the new design, we used a beautiful granite stone on a traditional raised panel door in cherry wood. The flooring is made of bamboo, stained to match the existing woodwork in this elegant suburban home.
The new wet bar also features a raised panel arch with wood columns that float in front of framed mirrors. A center cabinet on the back bar lights up to show off beautiful glassware. The refrigerator is now hidden on the island area, which features a double layer of granite, giving a rich look to the space. The beautiful granite countertop with a double thickness provides an elegant touch to the wet bar.
We were also challenged with having to make the sump pump hidden yet accessible in the cabinetry…but no sweat! The PVC was rerouted to accommodate the new cabinetry and mirrors.
A new LCD flat-panel TV mounts with a pivot arm on a finished panel on the wall, so that it can be swung out for viewing. All wiring is nicely hidden within the walls and cabinetry, giving a clean, finished look.
Creating the Ultimate Luxury Master Bath
This spring, we were delighted to work with a couple in Orland Park. Their 3-story home featured a large master suite with a spacious master bath and adjoining dressing room, so we had plenty of room in which to design the ultimate master bath.
We transformed the dated bath by doubling the shower size, adding a steam shower, and creating a make-up area for dolling up! The make-up towers slide-out, revealing easy-to-see-and-reach make-up accessories. Large, warm Noce travertine tiles give a warm, updated spa look to the entire bath area.
The steam shower is the ultimate luxurious shower, complete with massaging body sprays directed at the upper and lower back, a jetting rainfall shower head that jets water from 256 nozzles, and a handheld shower. All controls have separate volume controls, and the water temperature is controlled with a thermostatic control, so that the water temperature is set at the same level as the last shower. The solid stone bench is large enough to recline fully and enjoy the steam shower, equipped with an aromatherapy attachment to enjoy your favorite essential oils.
The beautiful shower is adorned with a large recessed shampoo area made of onyx mosaic tile. A frameless glass shower door swings either in or out of the shower, and a large glass window
Tip of the Month: Bubble Baths and Whirlpool Tubs…Can They Mix?
Ever wonder what purpose bubbles serve in a bubble bath? Besides the look of luxury, bubbles indeed serve a practical purpose: The bubbles keep the bath water hot for a longer period of time. The trapped air in each bubble serves as a fairly good insulator for the water in the tub.
So how can you enjoy a whirlpool bath with bubbles? In a traditional whirlpool tub with water jets, bubble bath solution just results in the mountain of endless bubbles that continues to build, the longer the whirlpool tub is on. Essentially, jetted tubs don’t mix well with bubble bath. It was a fun joke at the Holiday Inn as a teenager.
The tub that I like to specify with clients is one that blows out air instead of water. My favorite tub heats the air before it expels it, generating a ring of strong bubbles that are even around the tub. The only downside is that the force is less than some of the stronger water-jetted tubs.
The upsides of air-jetted tubs include being able to use scented oils and bubble bath. Also, there is a much lower risk of bacteria build-up in the jet area, since this tub pushes air out, rather than recirculating water that can result in stagnant build-up in the water-jet tubs. The air tub that I prefer blows out any water from the air channels several times, after the water has been drained from the tub.
In Upcoming Issues
- Cary’s “Best of Chicago” List for 2007
- A Breathtaking Custom Library and Media Room
- …and More!
…and send your ideas if you’d like to see a topic covered. Also, if you would like a question answered that might be reprinted (…we will protect the innocent if desired), please feel free to forward your questions to cgweldy@eagleriverinc.com.
This newsletter was written and edited by Cary Weldy, the owner of Cary Weldy LLC. If you would like to contact us for your remodeling needs, send an email to info@ccaryweldy.com or call Cary at 773-359-1300.
