The White and Gold Ballroom at Mar-A-Lago is setup for Donald J. Trump’s Super Tuesday press conference at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on March 1, 2016.
Unless you’re on Trump’s guest list for a social affair, get invited as a dignitary or world leader, or pay for a private club membership (assuming you make the cut), the door is closed.
This isn’t Vizcaya. That means, no public tours or a weekend cabana fee to use the pool or spa.
Does that mean that whatever happens in Mar-a-Lago stays in Mar-a-Lago? Seems so. Unless people share video, such as the one of the then-president pretending to conduct an orchestra at a Super Bowl party. Or unless the FBI releases documents revealing details about its search.
But even though you can’t get inside for a good look yourself, you can learn more about the mansion through its soap-opera-like history.
Here are some things to know (including the number of bathrooms):
Where is Mar-a-Lago?
The Mar-a-Lago mansion is on South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach. The town sits between the Intracoastal, a body of water known in the area as Lake Worth Lagoon, and the Atlantic Ocean.
The mansion and the town can be reached via several bridges from the much-larger and metropolitan city of West Palm Beach. “Mar-a-Lago” means sea to lake in Spanish. Palm Beach is best known as the home to millionaires and billionaries.
Huge estates line the main road and a luxury shopping street, Worth Avenue, attracts people who can afford the shops and those who just want to window shop. Trump isn’t the first U.S. president to have a house in Palm Beach. President John Kennedy and his family also spent time at a mansion on the other end of the narrow town.
When did Donald Trump buy Mar-a-Lago
Trump, the real estate mogul, bought Mar-a-Lago in 1985 for about $10 million. His intention was to turn it into a private club, which he did about a decade later. He eventually moved into the mansion as a part-time resident. During his presidency, Trump declared himself a Florida man and made the mansion his primary residence.
When was Mar-a-lago built? How many toilets?
The 58-bedroom house was finished in 1927. after three years of construction. Oh, and it has 33 bathrooms.
Is Mar-a-Lago open to the public?
The mansion and club are private so there is no public access and no known tours. The best way to see it is by passing in a car, although the home and the grounds are set off from the main road. Supporters and protesters typically line one of the bridges across the Intracoastal to get their messages out because pedestrian access and parking are limited near the mansion.
When you think about bathroom comfort and luxury, it’s easy to imagine plush towels, warm baths, and inviting spaces. However, there’s one often-overlooked feature that can elevate your bathing experience from routine to rejuvenating: the towel warmer.
More than just a novel accessory, towel warmers serve functional and aesthetic purposes that extend well beyond the bathroom.
The practical benefits of towel warmers
1. Year-round comfort
Imagine stepping out of a chilly shower, only to reach for a damp, cold towel. The immediate reaction is discomfort, a stark contrast to the relaxing experience you’re trying to cultivate. Towel warmers provide immediate warmth, enhancing your bathing experience, especially in colder months. They ensure that your towels are always cosy, ready to envelop you as you step out of the bath or shower.
Towel warming systems, like those featured on Heat and Plumb, can be a game-changer for the whole family. When it comes to improving comfort with towel warming systems, a key benefit is that they lay the groundwork for a serene living space that prioritises well-being.
2. Improved hygiene
Comfort isn’t merely about luxury; there are also hygiene benefits afforded by towel warmers.
Wet towels left hanging can become breeding grounds for bacteria and mildew. The heat from a towel warmer dries the fabric rapidly, reducing moisture accumulation that can lead to unpleasant odours and potential health issues.
3. Space-saving design
If you live in a compact flat or a smaller home, you’ll know that every square inch counts. This is where towel warmers shine. They can double as functional decor while freeing up precious wall space.
Options range from sleek heated rails to elegantly designed radiators that integrate seamlessly with your bathroom’s style. Not only do they fulfil practical needs, but they can also enhance the room’s aesthetic appeal, giving it a touch of sophistication.
Emotional and lifestyle benefits
1. Enhanced relaxation
We’ve all experienced the hustle and bustle of daily life: work schedules, family responsibilities, and the demands of modern living can often lead to an overwhelming sense of chaos. Towel warmers can create a little oasis of comfort within this hectic life. The luxury of a warm towel can evoke feelings of relaxation and indulgence, serving as a small reward after a long day.
Whether it’s part of your morning routine to get you started, or a calming ritual before bed, warming up your towel can enhance those moments of self-care. It not only signifies a break from the chaos, but allows for personal reflection and time out.
2. Family-focused benefits
There are practical advantages for families too. Bathing children can be an exercise in patience, but knowing they’ll wrap up in a warm towel can make the process more enjoyable for everyone involved. This small touch can transform a mundane chore into a moment of joy and comfort for your little ones, enhancing family bonding and turning bedtime routines into soothing rituals.
Energy efficiency and sustainability
You might be thinking that a towel warmer sounds extravagant or wasteful in terms of energy consumption. However, many modern towel warmers are designed with energy efficiency in mind. These systems often use lower wattage while maintaining effective performance, particularly the electric models which utilise timers and zoning functions to heat only during specific hours.
By optimising energy consumption, you not only contribute to a more sustainable home but can also lower your utility bills.
Investing in everyday luxury
In a world where luxury often comes with a hefty price tag, towel warmers provide an affordable indulgence that enhances your daily routine without breaking the bank. They combine practicality with comfort and hygiene, making them invaluable in any home.
Whether you’re planning your next home improvement project, or simply thinking about ways to enhance your daily comforts, don’t dismiss the humble towel warmer. It’s a simple addition that fosters a luxurious, inviting environment and provides practical and emotional benefits.
There’s been a peculiar debate within the National Football League this season about effeminate men joining cheerleading squads. What was initially thought to be a way to generate a new fan base has turned into a political message.
The MinnesotaVikings are aggressively promoting Louie Conn and Blaize Shiek, the newest members of the team’s cheerleading squad. Both men have been the focus of massive online criticism – especially after they filmed a video inside the ladies room.
The video, which you can watch below, shows the men shaking their pom-poms in a bathroom with two female cheerleaders.
Minnesota Vikings show off men cheerleaders in the women’s bathroom.
This is on purpose. They want to shove in your face how men are invading women’s spaces.
Critics accused the NFL of mocking parents and female athletes who have waged a fierce campaign to ban boys from girls locker rooms and bathrooms. Many are now wondering if the NFL is using male cheerleaders to send a political message of its own.
Former Vikings player Jack Brewer accused the team of attempting to manipulate and confuse children by including men on the cheer squads.
“This is purely an attempt to manipulate young children, to overtake the minds of young children with this spiritual evilness,” Brewer told Fox News. “The influence on kids is manipulating the mind of the children. They are teaching young boys that it’s okay to have pom-poms and cheer and act like women.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), the former head coach of the Auburn Tigers, told OutKick Sports that fans might begin to cancel season tickets as a result of the NFL’s gender-bending agenda.
“People will actually quit buying tickets because this is the narrative they’re trying to push. This is not just about a couple of people being men cheerleaders,” Tuberville said. “It is about pushing a narrative that you want to put gender into sports and let everyone know we’re trying to show, ‘Hey, we’re going to take the masculinity out of it a little bit.’”
On the plus side if any teams are hamstrung by injuries, at least some of the cheerleaders might be able to trade their pom-poms for shoulder pads. The chances are good they know a thing or two about handling balls.
Syndicated with permission from ToddStarnes.com – founded by best-selling author and journalist Todd Starnes. Starnes is the recipient of an RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award and the Associated Press Mark Twain Award for Storytelling.
ADAIR, Iowa — The blue-and-white highway sign for the eastbound rest stop near here displays more than the standard icon of a person in a wheelchair, indicating facilities are accessible to people who can’t walk. The sign also shows a person standing behind a horizontal rectangle, preparing to perform a task.
The second icon signals that this rest area along Interstate 80 in western Iowa has a bathroom equipped with a full-size changing table, making it an oasis for adults and older children who use diapers because of disabilities.
“It’s a beacon of hope,” said Nancy Baker Curtis, whose 9-year-old son, Charlie, has a disability that can leave him incontinent. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re finally there.’”
The white changing table is 6 feet long and can be lowered and raised with a handheld controller wired to an electric motor. When not in use, the table folds up against the wall.
The table was recently installed as part of a national effort to make public bathrooms more accessible in places like airports, parks, arenas and gas stations. Without such options, people with disabilities often wind up being changed on bathroom floors, in cars, or even on the ground outside.
Many families hesitate to go out because of the lack of accessible restrooms.
“We all know somebody who’s tethered to their home by bathroom needs,” Baker Curtis said. She doesn’t want her son’s life to be limited that way. “Charlie deserves to be out in the community.”
A sign outside a bathroom at a rest stop near Pacific Junction, Iowa, designating the presence of an adult-size changing table. Photo by Jenny Pohl.She said the need can be particularly acute when people are traveling in rural areas, where bathroom options are sparse.
Baker Curtis, who lives near Des Moines, leads the Iowa chapter of a national group called “Changing Spaces,” which advocates for adult-size changing tables. The group offers an online map showing scores of locations where they’ve been installed.
Advocates say such tables are not explicitly required by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. But a new federal law will mandate them in many airports in coming years, and states can adopt building codes that call for them.
California, for example, requires them in new or renovated auditoriums, arenas, amusement parks and similar facilities with capacities of at least 2,500 people. Ohio requires them in some settings, including large public facilities and highway rest stops. Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota and New Hampshire also have taken steps to require them in some public buildings.
Justin Boatner of Arlington, Virginia, advocates for more full-size changing tables in the Washington, D.C., area. Boatner, 26, uses a wheelchair because of a disability similar to muscular dystrophy. He uses diapers, which he often changes himself.
He can lower an adjustable changing table to the height of his wheelchair, then pull himself onto it. Doing that is much easier and more hygienic than getting down on the floor, changing himself, and then crawling back into the wheelchair, he said.
Boatner said it’s important to talk about incontinence, even though it can be embarrassing. “There’s so much stigma around it,” he said.
He said adult changing tables are still scarce, including in health care facilities, but he’s optimistic that more will be installed. Without them, he sometimes delays changing his diaper for hours until he can get home. That has led to serious rashes, he said. “It’s extremely uncomfortable.”
Iowa legislators in recent years have considered requiring adult changing tables in some public restrooms. They declined to pass such a bill, but the discussion made Iowa Department of Transportation leaders aware of the problem.
“I’m sorry to say, it was one of those things we’d just never thought of,” said Michael Kennerly, director of the department’s design bureau.
A rest stop along Interstate 80 near Adair, Iowa, was one of the state’s first with an adult-size changing table. Without such tables, many travelers who wear diapers wind up being changed on bathroom floors, in cars, or even on the ground. (Tony Leys/KFF Health News)Kennerly oversees planning for rest stops. He recalls an Iowan telling him about changing a family member outside in the rain, with only an umbrella for shelter. Others told him how they changed their loved ones on bathroom floors.
“It was just appalling,” he said.
Iowa began installing adult changing tables in rest stops in 2022, and it has committed to including them in new or remodeled facilities. So far, nine have been installed or are in the process of being added. Nine others are planned, with more to come, Kennerly said. Iowa has 38 rest areas equipped with bathrooms.
Kennerly estimated it costs up to $14,000 to remodel an existing rest-stop bathroom to include a height-adjustable adult changing table. Incorporating adult changing tables into a new rest stop building should cost less than that, he said.
Several organizations offer portable changing tables that can be set up at public events. Some are included in mobile, accessible bathrooms carried on trailers or trucks. Most permanent adult changing tables are set up in “family restrooms,” which have one toilet and are open to people of any gender.
That’s good, because the act of changing an adult is “very intimate and private,” Baker Curtis said. It’s also important for the tables to be height-adjustable because it’s difficult to lift an adult onto a fixed-height table, she said.
Advocates hope adult changing tables will become nearly as common as infant changing tables, which once were rare in public bathrooms.
Jennifer Corcoran, who lives near Dayton, Ohio, has been advocating for adult changing tables for a decade and has seen interest rise in recent years.
The adult-size changing table at a rest stop near Adair, Iowa, is 6 feet long and 32 inches wide. It can be raised and lowered and has a guardrail and safety strap to keep people from rolling off. It folds up to save space. (Tony Leys/KFF Health News)Corcoran’s 24-year-old son, Matthew, was born with brain development issues. He uses a wheelchair and is unable to speak, but he accompanies her when she lobbies for improved services.
Corcoran said Ohio leaders this year designated $4.4 million in federal pandemic relief money to be distributed as grants for changing-table projects. The program has led to installations at Dayton’s airport and art museum, plus libraries and entertainment venues, she said.
Ohio also is adding adult changing tables to rest stops. Corcoran said those tables are priceless because they make it easier for people with disabilities to travel.
“Matthew hasn’t been on a vacation outside of Ohio for more than five years,” she said.
Kaylan Dunlap serves on a committee that has worked to add changing-table requirements to the International Building Code, which state and local officials often use as a model for their rules.
Dunlap, who lives in Alabama, works for an architecture firm and reviews building projects to ensure they comply with access standards. She expects more public agencies and companies will voluntarily install changing tables.
Maybe someday they will be a routine part of public bathrooms, she said. “But I think that’s a long way out in the future, unfortunately.”
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
Marble – a stone of luxury, opulence, and elegance – has been a symbol of elite taste for centuries. In the context of modern interior design, the allure of marble continues to captivate us, offering a timeless and versatile material that can elevate your living space.
Bathroom vanity units are one of the most popular choices when it comes to incorporating marble in the home. Vanities are a key element of bathroom design; choosing the right material is crucial not just for the vanity’s longevity, but also for the finished look you’re going for.
In this article, we’ll explore the art of integrating marble vanities into modern bathroom designs, providing you with inspiration and practical advice to transform your bathroom into a sanctuary of sophistication.
The timeless elegance of marble
Steeped in the traditions of art and architecture, marble has graced the palaces, temples, and sculptures of ancient civilisations. Fast forward to the modern age, and it’s still prized for its beauty, texture, and the sense of luxury it imparts.
In modern design, a marble bathroom vanity is not just a functional unit, but also a statement of refined taste. Its natural vein patterns create a one-of-a-kind look that stands the test of time, thanks to the stone’s durability and resistance to heat and moisture. When integrated into contemporary bathrooms, marble vanities bring a touch of classical beauty that can complement a variety of styles, from minimalist to eclectic.
Selecting the right marble for your modern bathroom
Choosing the type of marble is the first step in the process. Carrara marble, renowned for its bluish-grey hue and soft, feathery veining, is a popular choice for a modern marble bathroom vanity due to its classic appeal and widespread availability. Statuario marble, with its rich contrast of white background and bold grey veining, is a bolder but equally elegant option. Other types, like Calacatta or Nero Marquina, offer a unique palette of colours and patterns.
The next thing to consider is the finish of the marble. Polished marble surfaces accentuate the stone’s natural lustre, creating a mirror-like effect that can brighten up a bathroom. Honed or matte finishes are less reflective, offering a softer, more velvety appearance that feels contemporary and understated.
Pairing marble vanities with modern fixtures
To keep the look cohesive, it’s essential to pair your marble bathroom vanity with fixtures and fittings that complement its elegance.
Modern taps and handles in finishes like brushed nickel, chrome, or even matte black will strike a balance between the rich texture of the marble and the sleekness of contemporary design.
Consider undermount sinks for a seamless transition between the sink and the marble countertop. Vessel sinks, although often associated with more traditional settings, can be selected in minimalist designs and materials to blend well with marble vanities in a modern context.
Illumination and ambience
The right lighting can accentuate the beauty of a marble bathroom vanity, enhancing its natural veining and highlighting its surface texture.
LED strips along the underside of the vanity overhang, or a pair of sconces flanking the mirror, can create a warm, inviting glow. In larger bathrooms, a statement chandelier or pendant lighting directly above the vanity can add drama and sophistication.
Beyond the vanity area, layering different light sources can help create a serene, spa-like atmosphere. Natural light is an invaluable asset in any bathroom, so consider window treatments that allow light to filter through while maintaining privacy.
Designing around the vanity
The marble vanity will often be the centrepiece of your bathroom design, so the surrounding elements need to complement it. Consider the wall colour, tile choices for the floor and shower, and the style of cabinetry. Neutral colours like crisp whites, soft greys, or pale blues can provide a calming backdrop to the drama of a marble vanity.
For the floor, large-format tiles in a polished or matte finish can continue the modern aesthetic, while intricate mosaics or hexagonal tiles offer a more unique look. The same principle applies to the shower: choose a tile that harmonises with the overall design of the bathroom, ensuring that all elements work together cohesively.
Maintenance and longevity
Marble is a porous stone, which means it requires a bit of care to maintain its pristine appearance. To protect your investment, it’s essential to seal your marble bathroom vanity regularly, especially in high-traffic areas.
When it comes to cleaning, use mild, pH-neutral cleaners to avoid etching the surface of the marble. Wipe spills promptly to prevent staining. With proper maintenance, a marble vanity can last a lifetime and continue to look as beautiful as the day it was installed.
Personalising your marble vanity
Modern design is all about personalisation, and your marble bathroom vanity is no exception. Add a touch of your personality with decorative elements like potted plants, scented candles, or curated artwork. Incorporating open shelving into the vanity design can provide a space to display items that reflect your style and interests.
The choice of mirrors or mirror designs also contributes to the personalisation of your space. Whether you opt for a simple, frameless mirror for a minimalist look, or a statement piece with an ornate frame for a touch of grandeur, the mirror above your marble vanity can be an artful extension of your style.
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