We're Making Progress!

Last time you saw our bathroom, it looked something like this:

Well, we've been busy around here, and our bathroom now looks like this:

We have a few minor touches to finish (the baseboard trim and adding a little decor), but we are so, so close!

A couple things I learned on this project:

1. Hire a plumber and save yourself the headache.  We had a plumber come around when we first bought the house about 5 years ago to prep everything, and then brought him back to hook everything up.  It only took him about an hour and a half, and it probably would have taken us 4-6 hours to figure out what we were doing.


2. We bought the shower before finishing off the rest of the basement so we could buy a one piece shower instead of a three-piece.  It pretty much means that maintenance will be a piece of cake.

Now this is my son's favorite bathroom.  For a newly potty trained boy it doesn't take much for us to get excited around here!

Color!

Yep, it's another color post!  I just can't help but love color.  I think that I would have no problem getting ready in the morning if my shower head was as colorful as this one from Grohe:

It comes in some great bold colors as well as some awesome neutrals.  I love how many companies lately are adding more color to their product lines.  Many times this isn't considered a safe move for companies as colors can invoke strong reactions from some people, whether good or bad.  It's nice to know that they are listening to those of us who love color and want to add it to rooms in ways other than paint and accessories.

DIY Tile Floor

Did your weekend zoom by as fast as mine did?  I'm happy Thanksgiving is this week... I'm looking forward to a long weekend and time with family.  And good food too.  And maybe a nap or two.

We spent our weekend finishing up our tile floor in the bathroom downstairs.  And by we I mean my husband and my brother-in-law, Corey.  All I did was keep the kids fed and happy.  {Which is no small chore these days!}

Here's what our floor looked like before the tile was laid.

Nothing fancy.  It's just a concrete floor.

And here's the start of the layout of tile.a

Now we're getting somewhere.

And here is the final picture of the floor, with grout and sealed.

{I apologize for the poor image quality.... as you can see we have little lighting down there right now - the dark patches on the side of the last picture are due to poor lighting- they really aren't there}.

You will notice in newer homes, many builders put a lighter grout color because the high contrast looks really nice.  But after they have an open house or two, you might start to see it picking up dirt, or traffic patterns.  That's why we went with a middle of the road grout color {mocha}.  It's so much easier to keep looking clean.

Next up in the bathroom: A final coat of paint and everything else.  This is what we call one of our nickel and dime projects.  We like to pay cold hard cash for our home projects and since finishing a bathroom isn't really a cheap project, we have to do a little bit here, a little bit there so we can pay as we go.  Luckily we are able to do most everything ourselves {we hired a plumber to get everything ready, but we can handle everything else} and that saves us a lot of dough.

Have you finished projects like this in your home?  Or are there things on your list that you have to work on?

Before & After: Bathroom & Kitchen

Totty and Dave sent over their most recent transformations of their home.  It all started out in the bathroom.  They purchased the house about 5 years ago, and remodeled the bathroom shortly after moving in.  Unfortunately, they hired a bad tile worker, and ended up having to redo the entire bathroom a couple years later.  Here is a before picture of the bathroom- this is what it looked like when they moved in.

And the after pictures:

Lovely, right?  I especially like the benched seating, the sinks and the wallpaper.  You can find more details and pictures of the transformation on their blog.

As if tackling the bathroom wasn't enough, Totty and Dave moved right along to the kitchen.  And just like the bathroom, they redid it shortly after moving in.  This is their second time redoing it in 5 years!  Oh, the patience they must have for dust!!  Here is what the kitchen looked like when they moved in.

And the after pictures:

I love the shelving underneath the cabinets, and the beautiful wood floors.  Isn't it an amazing transformation?  You can view more pictures and details over on their blog.  Thanks so much for sharing, Totty and Dave!

Before & After: Bathroom

I spotted this before & after bathroom on bonjour! and couldn't help but share it with all of you.

Before:

After:

Breathtaking, I think.  It's so light and airy, and peaceful.  I say: bring on the bubble bath!  You can see more of the details over on bonjour!

On that note, vive le weekend!

Bathroom Remodel by Guest Designer Jessica McKay

Thanks to Jessica McKay, our Guest Designer this week from Birdhouse Interior Design for sharing tips with us!  We love your talent for working with what you have and designing in any budget.

Here is a bathroom remodel from the Birdhouse portfolio. We wanted something a little bolder and updated but didn’t have a huge budget to work with so we mixed both local retail sources and major chain store items in order to get a custom look for a reasonable price.

Beautiful, right?  Here's where we found the goodies:

• Vanity - Home Depot


• Light - Lowe’s


• Floor tile - Lowe’s


• Wall tile - McKean’s


• Mirror - Target (on sale!)


• Paint - Valspar Semi-Sweet

I think it is more important to design an appealing space with nice lines and comfortable layouts than focus entirely on sourcing everything through obscure vendors that can be extremely pricey. I believe in mixing high and low priced items and doing the most with what you have. There is no need to be snobby since there are stylish and chic pieces everywhere.  If you find something amaing that really speaks to you then that may be worth splurging on.

Monday Redesign: Bathroom

Need help with your bathroom redesign? Here's a a great start if you like greens and browns!  {Which as you can tell by our logo-- we love those colors!}

Don't you just love the richness of this room?  Here's a breakdown of the goodies I found.

1. The inspiration for this room all started with the shower curtain.  I love the green color and the pop that creates.  It's a definite foundation to any bathroom.


2. I wanted something that played off the shower curtain for the bath mat.  I found this lovely mat at Anthropologie.  Don't you love it?  I think it works perfectly.


3. I found these towels and thought they were a perfect fit for the room.  I was so close to going with a solid color towel, but I like the texture these towels give the bathroom.


4. In keeping with the darker brown tones, I found this espresso vanity for the bathroom.  It is so simple and modern.  I love it.  By the way, if you are looking for a way to DIY your own vanity, check out this great tutorial over at Young House Love.  Amazing!


5. This wall art fits right into this bathroom, don't you think?  I envision three of them hung in a vertical strip above the toilet.  And good news, they're budget friendly!

I hope you've enjoyed this bathroom redesign.  I had a lot of fun creating it.

If you need help with your home designs, check out our services here.

Monday Redesign: Amy's Bathroom

Remember Amy's bathroom that we reviewed on Friday? Well I'm here to start this Monday off with a Redesign for her. And I'm pretty excited too, because I really love this color palette. Here's a mood board of the goodies:

And now for a breakdown:

1. The wall color I choose is Nomadic Desert SW6107 by Sherwin Williams.  It should be light enough that you don't see any streaks on the walls after the children have taken a bath.
   


2. This vinyl flooring is from Armstrong and I love the deep and rich colors.  Doesn't it give such a great foundation to the room?  It can be found at Home Depot or Lowe's.


3. I love this shower curtain from Walmart and how it ties the whole color palette together.  I know what you're thinking.... "but we don't even have a shower".  I know, I know, but stick with me on this one.  It will help tie the room together and make it look more polished.  And nothing is easier than closing the curtain and leaving all the children's toys in the tub rather than cleaning them up.


4. I recommend getting a new clean white top for your vanity.  But before you put it on, I recommend stripping the vanity cabinet and mirror and staining it in a darker color to give the bathroom a more modern feel.


5. Then add some modern lighting like this from Target.  This will make the entire bathroom feel different.


6. Who doesn't love new, plush towels?  Well, I am adding some chocolate brown towels to accent the new look of the bathroom.


7. Above the toilet, I would add some boxes.  You can either get them at cb2 or make your own by purchasing some blocks from your local craft store and painting them.

Amy, I hope you enjoy your redesign and the look of your new bathroom!  Thanks for giving me the opportunity to help you out.



If you need help redesigning your space and would like us to help, get started here!

Bathroom Makeover

Isn't this redesigned bathroom just breath taking?  Diane Hamilton of Hamilton Concepts remodeled this bathroom.  I wonder if I asked the owners if I could take a quick bubble bath if they would mind.  Great job, Diane!