Bathroom Revisted

If you haven't been able to tell already, I'm a big fan of home projects. My problem is I start them and then my "15 minute break" turns into 3 weeks (or months) of half-finished projects. My goal for our bathroom was to start and finish in a week and let's just say I barely made the deadline.

Way back when we first moved into our house, the bathroom had aqua walls and a brown ceiling, which I quickly changed to all white. I have loved the simplicity but I was itching to add some color. When I saw these prints at Ikea the other week, I decided to use them as my inspiration for a little bathroom re-do.

To begin, I purchased some frames for $3 each at Goodwill with great shape and easy to spray paint. Even though the Ikea poster set came with 3 prints, I opted to just hang 2 in the bathroom as wall space is pretty limited. With the help of my dear friend Maggie, we wiped down and spray painted the frames using Rust-Oleum's Aged Copper. Next I had to cut down the posters to fit the size of the frame, but with their fake matting you could hardly tell and I think they came out really sharp!

Next came painting the lower half of the bathroom walls.The paint was on sale at Home Depot as a pre-mixed gallon of Behr's Premium Plus Ultra (a brand I trust and have used in almost every room of our house) for only $9.

The color isn't perfect, but you can't beat that price on a gallon of quality paint. Two coats later and the bathroom only needed a thorough cleaning and some art on the walls. Including all painting supplies, this whole project came out to less than $40.

It's funny how my original nautical inspiration has come full circle, but in an unexpected way through the Ikea prints. Here's to hoping this is the smallest bathroom we ever have after T is done with grad school!

A Mini Spa at Home

One of the things I love most about staying away at a fancy hotel (trips are in our very near future) is the simple fact that the bathroom is guaranteed to be nicer than ours at home; bigger tub, double sinks and luxury shampoos. After reading this article it seems like an at-home spa is not that hard to achieve if you get creative, invest a little money, and use natural elements.

// Image via Free People Blog //

touch of tinsel

My friend Anna was getting rid of this little toiletry rack when she moved earlier this summer and I gladly scooped it up. The plan was to give it a makeover right away since it blended in with our all white bathroom, but the task was delayed until yesterday.

While waiting on my spice jar project to dry, I started painting the shelf with leftover Silver Tinsel by Behr from our guest room. The quick touch up took no time at all and I like how it stands out more in the bathroom.

P.S. A chair makeover before and after.

house update : bathroom

I've read that if you only have time to tidy one room for unexpected guests, it should be the bathroom. With that in mind, I wanted our bathroom to have a clean, simple and relaxing look. We covered the aqua walls and brown ceiling with a fresh coat of Behr Premium Plus Ultra in Bleached Linen. The white actually makes the space feel larger and inviting!

The vintage wood cabinet was unused in my parent's basement and it's been the perfect way to display and store everyday necessities. I just need to install a piece of glass or metal for the door. Since taking these pictures, I've made a few updates - like removing the red stool (I think I'm going to repaint it the same color of the guest room) and adding brighter towels from Target.

I'm still in the process of incorporating nautical touches, but will definitely find a way to display the shells I collected last week at the beach!

// Also: before pictures and inspiration //

dream home {bathroom}

Our new bathroom will be pretty small, but with a fresh clean look the space will look larger. We will repaint the turquoise walls and brown ceiling (?!) white and bring in color through the shower curtain and accents. I love the idea of a nautical themed bathroom. It reminds me of summers at Cape Cod with my great aunt Carol and uncle Avril.

This gorgeous bathroom makeover was featured on Design*Sponge. The warm wood, clean tile and bright accents are calming without being too beach themed. My goals will be to find or make a gingham shower curtain and a rustic chair or stool for towels like in the photo below.

Flowers always look lovely in bathrooms, but I would want to use something that dries well. Simple flowers, like the billy balls above, add a bright pop of color. I also would love to incorporate rope accents.

For a subtle touch of the sea, I hope to find a lovely print online or in a vintage shop. Sailboats, anchors, and maps all make me think of New England vacations filled with swimming and exploring.

 And what hard-working girl would not want this stunning bath tub tray?

Sigh. Does your bathroom have a "theme"? Is it worth it for such a small space?

// Photo sources: 1. via Wit + Delight, 2. from Design*Sponge, 3. via Apartment Therapy, 4. via Design*Sponge, 5. from my home ideas 6. from Martha Stewart, 7. via Design* Sponge, 8. via Preppie Bettie, 9. from High Street Market, 10. from etsy, 11. from Martha Stewart, 12. from Pinterest //