I made some headway on the bathroom! Earlier this week I painted the ceiling, primed, and painted the walls. I also hung a new towel bar and medicine cabinet. Take a look!

I apologize for the dark & grainy pictures. I’m just so excited the moss green is gone! I think the new gray color compliments the warm tones in the tile and the dark hue adds some drama.

We installed the medicine cabinet in the cut-out that was already in the wall from the previous owners but the door just barely clears the light fixture. Eventually I’ll scoot the light fixture up a few inches, but for now it’s fine.

Onto the grout. Ugh. We never sealed it after our tile was installed and that was a big mistake. Over the last few years it turned dark and dingy. we have spent way more on grout cleaner than we would of on sealer. I’ve heard that baking soda and white vinegar work wonders for cleaning grout so I found a recipe online that called for 7 cups water, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup vinegar. I sprayed the mixture onto the grout, let it sit for a few hours, then scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed with a stiff bristled grout brush. It worked better than I expected! I wasn’t able to get all of it done so I’ll do another round this weekend. Once it’s all sparkly and clean, grout sealer is happening. Live and learn.

What’s left?

• Paint the ceiling.
• Prime & paint walls.
• Hang towel bar & tp holder.
• Replace cabinet hardware.
• Replace the toilet seat.
• Touch up scratches on the cabinet.
• Replace the switch covers.
• Scrub grout.
• Scrub grout again.
• Seal grout.
• Paint the door.
• Replace the door knob.
• Re-caulk around the tub.
• Cut, stain, and hang shelves (I bought these shelves and these brackets).
• Add cute stuff (rug, plants, art, candles, towels, etc).

I hope to get a big chunk of those remaining items done this weekend. Wish me luck!

Happy weekend to you!

When I bought my house ten years ago, the bathroom looked like this:

I’ll spare you close-ups of the black mold, the rusted faucet, and my revolted tears. The bath tub looks tan in that photo, but trust, it was Pepto Bismol pink.

As a naive first time home buyer, I planned to fix up the house quickly (hahahaha) and then flip the house for a MAJOR profit (hahahaha). So when I gutted the bathroom, I made choices that weren’t reflective of my personal style, but instead what I thought would be considered safe to a potential buyer. And so I went the cheap and dirty route: marbled ceramic tile, an off-the-shelf Home Depot vanity, and generic chrome fixtures. I know, I know, total snoozeville. SIGH. We live and we learn, right? Don’t get me wrong, it’s not terrible, and I certainly don’t hate it, but do I sometimes gaze longingly at this photo while caressing my monitor and whispering “someday we’ll be together, sexy bathroom of my dreams.”? Yes.

Ugh. The beauty. It pains my heart.

Anywho, it has been seven years since our bathroom has seen a new coat of paint, and I’m 100% over the moss green walls. I’m not planning a major overhaul, just a little face lift. Let’s hyper-scrutinize the room, shall we?

To do list:

 
1. Prime & paint the walls, ceiling, and door.
2. Re-caulk around the tub and sink.
3. Try out some DIY grout cleaning techniques and products. I’ve heard this product works really well. Have any of you tried it?
4. Replace the knobs on the vanity.
5. Replace the medicine cabinet? Maybe? I’m not sold on this. I love the look of open shelves but I need closed storage to hide our ugly products.
6. New wall art and accessories.
7. Replace the toilet paper holder and towel bar?
8. Replace the toilet seat with a plain white one.

Here’s a roundup of pretty things I put together for the new design. A mood board, if you will.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

I think dark gray walls will play nicely with the cream tones in the tile. I’ve been looking at paint swatches throughout different times of the day, and man, it’s hard to find a good gray that doesn’t turn blue, green, or purple at night. I have it narrowed down to 2-3 swatches, so I just need to jump the gun and pick one. I’d like to bring in some plants, either on the wall or on the window sill, and incorporate some warm textiles. I already picked up those drawer knobs and door hooks on clearance from Anthropologie a while back (looks like they’re sold out now), and though there’s nothing wrong with the towel bar that we have now,  I really like those acrylic ones from CB2. Hmmm…

Ok, I’m off to buy paint!

Just kidding, it’s 11:00pm. I’m going to clarisonic my face and watch Orange is the New Black. But, this weekend! Paint! (Hopefully).