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Sunday, January 6, 2013

Bathroom makeover

Once the holidays settled down, I was ready to tackle a big project that I have been thinking about for a while.  

The hall bathroom that my kids who are 18 and 21 use was in dire need of updating.  When my husband and I built the house in 2000, I wanted to have a clean palette to work with, so henceforth, white cabinets and white tile on the floor.  It's hard making so many decisions during a selection meeting when building.  Over time I have grown tired of all the whiteness, if that is such a word.  The bathroom needed some color for warmth.

Here are some before pictures.

Sand colored walls with a blue checked shower curtain from Pottery Barn Kids needed to go.


I removed the large mirror 2 years ago and had the mirror cut at a local glass shop to fit in these 2 frames.






Having seen so many beautiful rooms with gray walls, I set out on a search for the right shade for my bathroom.  It gets morning sun and some light from a skylight just outside the bathroom in the hallway, so in other words, it is not flooded with lots of natural light.  

I decided on Chinchilla by Martha Stewart at Home Depot.  Then off I went in search of a rug and shower curtain.  I had seen a rug at Target that caught my eye so to my amazement, they still had it.  Next I took the rug to the shower curtain isle and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a perfect curtain with gray and more.  

Here is what I am working with including the picture I made of our dog, Molly!


Now the fun begins!  To start off, I removed all the caulking in the tub area ~ it needed to be replaced.  Because it could be paintable in 30 minutes, the task of painting began.  I gathered all of the tools I needed to prep and paint.

Paint  - gallon of Chinchilla by Martha Stewart
roller and tray
Wooster Shortcut 2 in. Nylon/Polyester Angle Sash Brush - love this brush!
paint stirrer
screwdrivers to remove towel bar, switch and outlet plates
painter's tape
newspaper to sit open can of paint on
straight edge knife
paper towels for clean ups!
sandpaper
not pictured: spackling paste and putty knife; paint edger for ceiling line


Now the fun began!  I edged the entire room with my brush and used the edger tool to edge out the ceiling. I prefer to not use painter's tape to edge ~ I just go slow with a steady hand. I emptied the closet to paint it as well.  Next I rolled the rest of the walls.

The contents of the closet are now in the hall waiting to be gone through.


Painted and fresh.

Now all is organized.
The next morning, I began the task of "polishing" the room ~ adding the finishing touches to the room. Painting the closet also made me go through everything prior to putting things back. As a result I now have a pile for Goodwill and a pile to post on hanoverfreecycle.com.  Everything in the closet has its own space.  

Now here is the finale!









The bathroom came together better than I could have ever imagined.  My son says he will try harder to keep it clean ~ thanks Ian!  I was able to reuse the framed print, baskets, and towel rack to help keep cost down. I did pick up a ceramic flower pot for $2.25 at Goodwill that I spray painted "granite gray" to hold my son's toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss.

I am very pleased with the final product, yet I have 2 more things I wish to accomplish.  The door knobs are brass so I want to replace the closet and the knob on the back of the door with chrome ones.  Also, I am toying around with the idea of painting the cabinets a warm brown color.   Hmmm... snow day????

Do you have a project that you are anxious to start?  Do you have an inspiration piece to get you started on a project?  Go for it!

:)


2 comments:

  1. The bathroom looks amazing! I can't wait to see that shower curtain up close! great job.

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  2. It really is great to work on white canvass since it allows the owner to be more creative during makeover. On the other hand, I love that you didn’t stray too far away and decided to use gray. The bathroom still looks hygienic, but with more character. Great job!

    Regards,
    Lida Swisher

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