Tuesday, March 22, 2016

a bathroom refresh


Alternate title: How to Love Your Bathroom, Even if it Doesn't Have Subway Tile.
Secondary alternate tile: No-one Cares What Your Bathroom Looks Like, Stephanie.

Our master bathroom is a teeny little space right off our bedroom. It was furnished when our home was built, in the dark ages of home decor, 1979. I have hated it since the day we moved in. And for some reason that I can't quite understand, in an effort to "improve" it, I had painted it the worst, most unflattering shade of green.

Ten years later, I finally realized that the remodel of my dreams wasn't going to happen any time soon and that I needed to learn to love this little room--shell-shaped sink, beige shower tiles, and gold linoleum floor and all. (Well, the gold linoleum floor will soon be painted a nice, warm gray, I think. Paint can cure all sorts of ails, I've learned.)

I've always heard that if there is something in your room you don't love, but can't change, try to make it look deliberate. So I chose a pretty, pinkish-peach paint color to blend with the beige shower tiles that even after 36 years are in really great condition. I had always wanted to install paneling or white tile (to match the new tile in the shower that I had dreamed about) on the lower two-thirds of the walls, but decided to make it easy on myself and just paint it a bright white to match the vanity and trim instead. This room gets really great light first thing in the morning, and now it beams. The break in the paint colors makes the ceiling seem ten feet tall, and I really don't mind the lack of paneling or tile.

Another thing that made a big difference: decluttering. I threw everything away that we don't use everyday and stuck in the cabinet instead of on top of the vanity.

I think I can live with it now. And I might even love it a little bit.



Prettiest little cactus painting by Beth Allen. Should I wash my hair today? print by chipper things, can be purchased here.

3 comments:

  1. I think it's a great idea to make even those little places in your house happy places. You did a great job sprucing it up. ps I love to see your house posts because instead of being like "Most bathroom renos cost $20 grand but I did mine for $10 grand!" you put the amount of time and money into these things that are much more realistic (for me). And they always look great!

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  2. It's a functioning bathroom with storage, that's more than enough in my book! To add some more 'oomph' to your bathroom why not try adding a fun colorful shower curtain from inexpensive stores like TJMaxx or Home Goods. I recently purchased one and it instantly made my bathroom look 10x's prettier.

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  3. Great blog. Similar to you, I hate our bathroom, but my husband and I do not have the funds nor the time to make changes anytime soon. Choosing a different color is a great idea, and goes a long way to improving the situation. The pinkish-peach paint that you used is absolutely fantastic, great choice!

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