Master Bedroom/Bathroom Reveal

You! GUYS! I feel like I have been saying I'd post pictures of the bathroom in every post over the course of the last month... but the shower doors were finally installed yesterday and I can officially say that this project is complete! 

Although we've been living with this project 95% completed for about 6 weeks now, it still feels so new to us. Dustin and I now call this space the retreat. And it does feel that way, like we're staying in someone else's space. It's hard to believe that this is ours.

After all, this is what we'd been living with/in for the past 8 years. If you want to see the space in all of it's glorious carpet filled beginnings, begin your venture by clicking here. 

And now for a little tour of the space. Let's start here (again) at the door to our bedroom. One of the biggest wow factor changes we made was removing the horribly stained carpet and replacing it with the same wood laminate that runs up the stairs and in the landing. It now continues on through the master bedroom and in our master closet. I am SO glad we made the extra investment here. The floors made a huge difference and it totally completed the transformation. 

We also decided to paint the walls of both the bedroom and bathroom this bright white. Before the room was a light blue, which I never hated, but this white was a game changer. It makes the room so much lighter and brighter. 

The bedroom furniture remained the same. This set has seen better days. We purchased it off of Craigslist before we were married so it's been with us for ten years now. I painted the cherry colored wood black at the time and it really has served us well. While I began to lust after some upholstered headboards or rustic wood beds and furniture to match, I had to reign myself in. What we have is good for us for now. And so it stays. I did replace our bedding with a duvet we already had from our old guest room. I made it feel new to us by recovering some of our decorative pillows and purchasing new Euro sham covers on Overstock. I also swapped out the pictures in the frames above the headboard with a few pictures from our recent trip to Lake Tahoe. 

The rug was a new edition from Rugs USA. I feel like it was a score. It's an 8x10 that was about $150 during their Fourth of July sale. I like the neutral tones and how beachy it makes the room feel. 

Our little desk niche got a bit of updating, too. I took down the huge chalkboard and bulletin board and streamlined the space with these two simple pictures that used to hang on the wall directly across from this space.  

  

Oh man, this faux fiddle leaf tree. I know it's wrong to love things. But I can't help myself. I have wanted a real fiddle leaf for longer than I can remember. I eye them each and every time I make a trip to HD or Lowes but I just couldn't bring myself to pay for such an expensive plant knowing how finicky they can be. But the faux trees... they can do no wrong. Except for the price tag. Some of these babies can cost hundreds and I mean hundreds of dollars. I finally gave in and purchased this one from World Market and I LOVE it! It's super tall and adds so much needed green to this all white space. So my friends, if loving a faux fiddle leaf tree is wrong... I don't want to be right. 

And now the bathroom...

This could possibly be my favorite space in the entire house. The floor tile is obviously the boldest move we did here and I have no regrets about it. We not only love the pattern, but it's so soft on the feet, too. It cleans easily and to me, gives the look of expensive concrete tile at a very small fraction of the cost. I'm so happy with how it turned out. 

The subway tile with the pewter gray grout is also a win for me. It seems so much easier to clean than the light grout we used on the downstairs bathroom. The floating wood shelf here is from West Elm and the little side table tucked in next to the bath was found in our neighbors trash. Ha! No shame in my trash digging game.

This little potty nook is even a happier space now. 

And the big, moldy fiber-glass insert shower has not been missed one bit. 

The vanity was built by our contractor. I like that it adds a bit of natural wood color, like the floors in our bedroom and closet. He also cut down the large mirror into two smaller mirrors and framed them out with stained wood like the vanity. We chose to install tongue and groove boards behind the mirrors to give the space a little more character. 

Instead of purchasing new lighting, we spray painted the brushed nickel lighting we already had. 

And that my friends, is the end of a long, crazy, but so worth it project. We always kid that adding a new baby to the family was a piece of cake... but undergoing a double bathroom renovation just about did us in. (I will have to post pics of the kids bathroom in a post to follow) All in all... we have very few regrets. Now it's time to enjoy it. Can you believe I am yet to try the tub? That will be happening... soon! 

If anyone has any questions about the process, what we learned along the way, or wants links to products I can happily help with that. Let me know. 

Currently

Is it seriously almost JUNE? I apologize for the lack of posts. It's been a crazy few weeks around here as Dustin's baseball season wound down, Donovan's All Star season began which means 3 late night practices a week and 4 weekends in a row of tournaments. 

Also, the bathroom demolition started... TODAY! The two weeks leading up to this have been so crazy. Last minute online purchases are being tracked by the minute to make sure they arrive on time... unexpected delays on purchased items have lead to heated arguments and augmented stress levels between Dustin and I,  not to mention the late night painting we've been doing every night this week so far. Oh, and have you ever spent an entire Sunday toting three small kids through Home Depot AND Lowes. I would not advise it. It's a miracle that our marriage survived it, I tell you. Like I said, it's been CRAZY around here!

So currently, I am locked up in the family room downstairs listening to more crazy happening upstairs with great anticipation of the finished product to come. 

I am working on Emmerson's Shutterfly birthday book because her birthday is in one week! I can't believe our baby girl with be FOUR. Cue the tears. 

I have been obsessing over this blog that I stumbled upon recently. Her style is spot on with everything I love and I have found so much inspiration in her posts. 

My mom, Taylor, and I went shopping and stopped off at Madewell last week and I purchased these which are oddly reminiscent of the pair I used to wear 20 years ago.  Can I tell you how much I love Madewell? I have been living in these since I had Taylor. Seriously, on constant rotation. Madewell offers 15% off for teachers all the time and gives you a $20 voucher to spend on denim when you bring in any old pair of jeans in that you want to donate/recycle. 

I keep going back and forth about wanting to get my hair cut. I haven't had it done since December and it is due time. My hair is falling out like crazy right now... thanks postpartum hair loss. Do I spend the $ to style it up now, or wait until summer is over and the hair loss slows down? 

Dustin and I visited a potential daycare for Taylor for next school year. I may have cried... a lot... after we left. It was a great spot and she will most likely go there but the reality that my stay at home mommy days are numbered just about slapped me in the face. This is the first and only time in as long as I can remember that I am not counting down the days until the end of the school year. I keep reminding myself over and over again that God will provide exactly what I need, as I need it. Putting my hope in that truth. 

I really want to read a good book. Not sure what kind but it has been ages since I've read a book I couldn't put down. Any suggestions? 

That's all for now, I guess. I hope you are all having a great week so far. 

xo

Our Bathroom Renovation-Time to Shop

So just as a reminder, here is the space we are working with. 

First and foremost we did not want this to be a crazy, huge, expensive renovation. No breaking through walls over here. We are keeping the footprint of the bathroom identical to what we already have. This will save lots of money and make the job a whole lot faster and easier for our contractor. 

 So, let's start with a statement. After much debate, this if the floor tile we have decided on. It is the Forties Ceramic Field Tile in Black found here. I knew I wanted pattern so I initially searched for cement tile and quickly realized what an expense it would be. Not in the budget. From my research I realized that ceramic tile has similar patterns but at a fraction of the cost. Reason being that the ceramic tile has a thin layer of the ceramic pattern on the top of the tile piece, while the cement tile pattern runs throughout the entire tile piece. I assume this is an important detail if the tile is chipped or damaged over time. But for the cost difference I am willing to take that risk. 

This pattern is definitely bold, but among other patterned tiles it is one of the most simplistic that we found. For starters there are only two colors and the pattern itself is pretty large. In the small floor space that we are using it on, I don't think it will be too overwhelming. I liked the traditional look of the tile and I think it will go perfectly with everything else we have in the room. 

Next to the tiled floor we have chosen this Kohler bath tub. The bathtub search was quite tricky. We are used to a pretty bulky bath insert that runs 42 inches wide. But when you're searching for a stand alone tub that will still fit in the 60" length spot most of them run 30" wide... similar to the kind of baths you see in a shower/bath combo. This was one of the very few bath tubs that I found with an extended width. It is still smaller than what we have at 38" wide but I think it will be a nice, clean replacement for what we have now. I also liked the simple apron front to the tub. We found the tub here. 

 The shower will be pretty simple as well. We have selected plain 3" x  6"subway tile that will run from floor to ceiling to help make the space look taller. Although we plan on using a medium gray grout. 

For the shower floor and niche tile we will use a small hexagon design with the same gray grout. I debated and debated about the shower floor. I actually loved the idea of using the same Forties black and white patterned floor tile inside of the shower but that would mean it would also be in the niche and then I think it's just a little too much. So instead we will use this simple, white hexagon tile instead. Found here. 

This is the faucet trim kit we have chosen for the shower and bath.  Do you like the black? I think I do. 

Now onto the vanity. This is not the exact vanity we will purchase. Our contractor specializes in building furniture so he is going to make our vanity. But the main thing I wanted in this space was a wood vanity stained to match the wood laminate floors in our bedroom. This version is a little more rustic than what I think ours will turn out like. But I do love this one. Ours will also have black hardware door pulls. I found this vanity here on Etsy. 

We still have to shop for our vanity counter top. We are looking for a plain white quartz pre-fabbed top. The sinks have also not been selected although we have agreed on a white under mount sink in a rectangular shape. Similar to the one found here. The fixtures we have chosen are also black to match the vanity hardware. This wide spread one can be found here. 

To save on cost, our contractor is going to cut down the mirror that we already have into two separate squares and frame it out with wood and stain to match the vanity. This is just an example of the look we're going for. 

 And finally behind the vanity and the two wooden mirrors we are going to run white tongue and groove planks horizontally along the wall. These planks have found their way into our kitchen and both kids' bedrooms... why not our bathroom too? I blame my love for these white panels on good ol' JoJo. #shiplapforlife #orfakeshiplap #givemeallthewannabeshiplap

We also plan to paint the door that runs into the closet black and the wall color is still up for debate... white or gray? I would also like to paint our entire master bedroom a bright white once the bathroom is completed. 

And that's it in a nutshell. Any other ideas? Advice? Do you think the floor tile is crazy? Good crazy? Or just straight crazy? We are so excited to get started. I can't wait to share updates when this thing kicks off. 

Renovating our Bathroom

Where do I begin? Dustin and I have lived in our home for almost 8 years now. We have fallen more and more in love with it with each passing year. Amazingly enough we lived in it for about 6 years without doing much more than adding a bit of paint here and there and a few tiny little touchups throughout. But my mind has always been full of ideas. I dreamed of turning our cookie cutter home into a space that better reflected our style. 

And so the projects began. 

First it was the kitchen and I swear, the painting of the cabinets may still be the very best decision we've ever made for our home. 

Our biggest change came when we added the downstairs addition which we use as a family room/guest room and alternate bathroom. So incredibly grateful for this added space that we use ALL the time. 

But the one thing that has been on our to do list from the very beginning that has yet to be done is our master bathroom. 

Since I was terrible about documenting the major changes of the addition we did over a year ago, I thought it'd be fun to dedicate more time to the process of this renovation.

First up a tour of the space as it is along with our plans and some of my favorite inspiration pictures. 

I can't just throw you right into the bathroom... let me begin here at the entrance to our room. After the addition was put on, we had laminate wood flooring installed throughout the downstairs, up the stairs, and through the upstairs landing. We opted to leave carpet in the bedrooms upstairs. I think that was a mistake. Take a little looksy at the stains that greet you by the door. Remnants of Emmerson's stomach flu... how awful is that? We tried just about everything to get those stains out. But they only disappear temporarily before dirt gets tracked on top and they reappear. When the bathroom is finished, we want to tear this carpet up and run the same laminate wood flooring throughout our bedroom. 

Here's a shot of the bed and Taylor's little bassinet. :)

This room actually gets pretty great lighting as it has a sliding glass door that leads out to the upstairs balcony as well as a window next to the bed. P.S. The frames above the bed are a recent purchase from Target. Budget friendly for sure and yet I think the large mat around them makes it look more expensive. You can find them here. 

Next to my side of the bed we have a tiny little alcove that became our desk/workspace. We used to have a dedicated office space but then... kids. 

In front of the bed is this small dresser which reminds me of two things. This is actually a furniture set that I got off of Craigslist before we were married and I hand painted it black. This set is now 10 plus years old and has probably seen better days but for now, it works so we're keeping it. Also, a month ago, there was actually a huge hutch in the place of this dresser that held a gigantic, old school television. We finally upgraded to a smaller flat screen and ditched the huge piece of furniture to open up the space a bit. 

And now the bathroom. In all of its carpeted glory. 

When you walk in the hall and turn to your immediate left, there is the little potty nook. This tile is so not my favorite but I didn't hate it enough to want to change it immediately when we moved in. 

The shower and bath are your standard cookie cutter, fiberglass insert. They are so gross. Like... gross! Moldy, dingy, yuck. I must also tell you that the second the downstairs addition wrapped up, I promptly moved my things downstairs and have never used this shower since. Ha! 

The bath tub is nice and roomy but I don't think I have used it for myself since we had kids. This bath is their bath... hence the toys. It is much easier to bathe the kids in here than in the bathtub/shower in their bathroom because of the shower doors that cover it. So this is where the kid baths go down every night. 

This my friends, is a hole in the fiberglass bathtub. I have no clue how it happened. We fixed it by MacGyvering it with scotch tape. Wait, does saying MacGyver prove that I am getting old? I'm old. 

And don't be alarmed. Here I am in my sweats. I just couldn't get myself out of this picture. Directly across from the tub is the small double vanity. It's a real show stopper let me tell you. 

A few years ago I tried my best to paint these cabinets out. The paint that I used was thick and I have hated the way they turned out from the second they dried. 

Not to mention this. The Pinterest failed framed bathroom mirror. We got three sides of the mirror framed and then realized that we did it wrong because the top piece wouldn't fit... and it has stayed like this... for years. 

Did I mention that the bathroom has carpet throughout? I did? Ya, I think I hate that the most! 

So enough about that... let's talk about these. Inspiration pictures to drool over. 

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Are you noticing any common themes? Bright, light and I am loving the patterned floor! Is that crazy? I particularly love cement tile but am quickly realizing that it is not in our budget. So instead I have been looking into ceramic tiles that offer the same look with a much smaller price tag. 

I know the cement tile look is a trend, and I want this bathroom to have lasting finishes... but I think my common sense is going to get vetoed on this because I just love the look of a statement floor. Plus we're not going anywhere any time soon. If this house is ours for the long haul, I want to make it what WE love... trendy or not. Any thoughts, wisdom, or insight on that? Please share. 

For the shower, we are definitely going for subway tile. We did that downstairs as well. However, this time I definitely want to go with a darker grout. I am learning that the hard way in our downstairs shower. Light grout is so hard to keep pristine. High maintenance cleaning is not my thing. 

The colors we are looking to capture are white, black, and natural wood. As it is with most everything that we've done downstairs. 

I'm excited to share more as we get closer to the project. We are slated to begin at the end of the month! 

Any tips, ideas, or insights are sooo welcome!