Sunday, October 12, 2008

Guest Bathroom Makeover

I have been thinking...(I know, it's a dangerous habit)...I have been thinking that I have posted very little about our house. Sure, you have seen the hallway, the office, the living room, my dressing room, and our bedroom (thanks to This Young House) - and the beginning of our basement project...wow, maybe I was wrong. You guys have seen a bunch.

I was super-pumped about letting you peer into some other rooms that haven't seen online action, but now I am not so sure that I wanna share. SIKE! I am still super pumped about letting you guys see our guest bathroom makeover.


The upstairs bathroom was one of the many projects we tackled in our first six months of owning our home. The previous owner 'updated' it by rewallpapering...with pink acid washed hideousness. I didn't even get a picture of the whole room because I was so eager to rip it all out. Also didn't get a photo of the retina-burning lights that were way too let-me-show-you-every-facial-imperfection-you-have-ever-popped-picked-or-pored-over. (get it? pored over?!)


When I tore off the wallpaper, a lot of the drywall came with it. It was a huge ordeal. I think it ended up needing four coats of joint compound till it looked remotely smooth. As you can see, the mirror was a decent size but was framed out with cheap 2 inch molding.
The stick-on tile floor, the matching vanity, toilet and bathtub all needed to stay. So I set to coming up with a color palette that would go with the here-to-stay green scheme. It also needed to go hand in hand with my nature inspired guest bedroom to give off a 'suite' feel.
And the grand reveal:
First thing to do was paint. The color is called Dried Grass...isn't the name perfect? The light fixture was a sale item at Lowe's and doesn't point out all my facial flaws. All accessories were oil-rubbed bronze wedding registry items (free for us!) and all we had to do was switch our the knobs on our vanity to match. I would say this room is 99% done (I would love to switch out the faucets with a bronze version).
Let's go over some of the great little bathroom items that make this room a bit more "finished".
No linen closet can be found in this restroom, so extra storage was a must. We found this little cabinet at Bed, Bath & Beyond and registered for it licketysplit. It was the perfect size and creates balance in the room by offsetting the toilet which resides on the opposite side of the vanity. It also is the perfect place to display our lotion squirter, candle, cup o cotton balls, and Jesus plate (which was also from our wedding).
I love closed lid trashcans in bathrooms. Seriously, nobody wants to see what is floating around in there. Another favorite detail in this shot is our art - 2 framed pieces found at TJMaxx for a grand total of $20. Not bad my friends, not bad at all. And lastly, the blinds from Ikea. It was an easy and $6 solution to tie in the cabinet and mirror frame. Speaking of the mirror...
I took some 2x4's and beat the crap outta them. I used chains, hammers, nails, and a chisel to make it look like some reclaimed wood. Then spread some cherry stain all over and beefed up our mirror for under $10. We didn't even bother trying to hide the exposed screw heads - Jeremy suggested just leavin em as is and I think they add some rustic bling :) The water reeds were leftover decorations from our wedding reception so we get a reminder of our big day each day we walk in to do our thing.

Last but not least is our long wall. I had no idea what to do with the emptiness across from the vanity. It was a puzzling space until I found these antique dragonfly wall hooks. Now I have a space to hang more towels or a plush bathrobe ready for guests. Because they are bronze, they tie in perfectly with my newer items.

Do you have any great makeovers you wanna brag about? Do you have any wedding decor you were able to reallocate in your home? Or how bout a cheap item you just can't believe you found? Share it with me in the comments or send me some photos (via email) and I can give you a Bower Power pat on the back.

15 comments:

Jen said...

WOW, WOW, WOW, I totally love it!! Absolutely beautiful. Taht mirror frame is genius. You = decorating rock star!

Kim @ NewlyWoodwards said...

Lovin' that wall color, friend... lovin' it.

And, I'm in total agreement about closed-top trash bins. That's all we have in our house. I don't ever wanna see garbage, and I don't want the dogs getting into it either. =)

Really lovely. Great job.

abby said...

That bathroom looks awesome! I LOVE the mirror, what a great {and inexpensive} idea!

Anonymous said...

OH MY WORD - it looks amazing!!! You did wonderful - I LOVE it!!!!

I love the warm look of it and the natural feel - way to go!

Hoffers said...

What? Reuse wedding decor to decorate your home? I would so NEVER do that! Let's just say I relive every blessed wedding moment daily...in the dining room, the kitchen, the bedroom, the living room. Maybe that's why my house looks like a Turkish bazaar on crack.

Christi said...

looks great katie!

Emily said...

Love it all. Looks beautiful - the mirror made a huge difference. We're talking about a similar frame for our giant bathroom mirrors, thanks for the inspiration!

Lindsey said...

GREAT JOB!!!! It looks incredible!

Katie said...

Oh Kim - good one with the animal tip. I don't have a pet so I didn't even think of that. It is so true.

It looks like the mirror was a hit! And that was probably the simplest fix in the room...just be sure you leave room for your light fixture and screw directly into your studs for a sturdy frame. GL and if you guys end up doing something similar, send me some pics - I die for that stuff.

XO - Katie

Karen At Home Blog said...

What an amazing transformation! I remember removing the wall paper in two bathrooms of our old home when we were getting it ready to sell. Not fun. You did such an excellent job! Love the paint color! Thank you for the compliment on my blog, I have been enjoying yours too via G&D.

Bayjb said...

Holy crap the bathroom is amazing. I want to hang out in there!

Freckles Chick said...

AH-MAZING! Love the colors, the light, decor, and that you did it all yourselves.
I have a major crush on that mirror. Put a restraining order on me, b/c I am obesessed with it.

Jennie said...

I love the idea of framing the miror... great idea on how to diage it.. love it!

Michael said...

STUNNING!!!!! Really beautiful job!

fittingbackin said...

So I found your blog today and i'm obsessed! You have such great ideas and i'm SO inspired by you! We plan to "steal" this idea for some mirrors! Thanks so much for sharing - keep it up!