Bathroom Projects

I've been spending a lot of time in the bathroom lately. Not just at my home, but at the homes of neighbors, friends and clients, too.

Thankfully, it's not because I'm suffering from incontinence. I just happen to be working on several bathroom remodeling projects.

This is one of the design boards I created for a client.

Her bathtub currently looks like this...

I want to replace the current tub, and install a new surround and tub deck. I'm envisioning a paneled wall treatment combined with a mosaic tile, similar to this...

houzz.com

The tub area will be the focal point of the room, so I want to make it special. While my client would love to have a freestanding tub, space does not allow for it.

But, as these inspiration photos prove, a built-in tub can be just as charming...

Source: homemadeinheaven.blogspot.com via Carolyn Loub {Sweet Chaos} on Pinterest

indulgy.com

houzz.com

Source: cococozy.com via Carolyn Loub {Sweet Chaos} on Pinterest

I don't know about you, but I'd be more than happy to soak in any of these tubs!

I'll be sharing some more of the design plans for this bathroom and another one in the coming weeks. I also have a couple of completed bathrooms that I need to photograph so I can share them with you. So, if you need to use a bathroom (for inspiration, that is), check back in! You can also follow me on Pinterest to see what's inspiring me.

I apologize for the inconsistent blogging lately. School is almost out (2 more days!), which always involves a flurry of activities... field trips, programs, concerts, etc. Also, I'm busy packing and prepping for my trip to Germany one week from tomorrow! Trying to spend all my free time with my kiddos, as I'll be away from them for 11 days ... yikes!!

In the meantime, if you don't see me around, it's a safe bet I'm in the bathroom :)

Decorating for the Dogs

Ever since we adopted our dog, Lucky, I've been thinking about decor for dogs.

carlaaston.com

I think Lucky would appreciate having a dog "nook."

RLH Studio via Houzz

Perhaps under a staircase...

via Pinterest

indulgy.com

or under a bookcase.

houzz.com

You see, Lucky likes to curl up in small spaces. At the first sound of thunder, he can be found in the closet.

Pay no attention to my messy closet :)

Or, if he's afraid you're leaving without him, he jumps in the car and plops himself down under the driver's seat.

He seems to feel safe in small, cozy places.

houseandhome.com

So perhaps a designated dog nook is in Lucky's future.

He won't be as pampered as these pooches...

houzz.com

But, I could at least clean up the closet for him :)


Does your four-legged friend have a designated nook?

Going to Germany

via Independenttraveler.com

Guten Tag! (Good Day!) I'm trying to learn some basic German phrases, because next month I will be vacationing in beautiful Germany!!

I am so excited about this trip. I haven't been to Europe since before I had kids, and I have never been to Germany. I will be traveling with my brother and my 12 year old son. My brother was planning to travel there by himself, and my husband suggested (apparently, in a moment of temporary insanity) that I join him.

It felt strange to take a vacation without any of my boys, so I invited my two oldest sons to join me. The 12 year old jumped at the chance. The 11 year old was lukewarm. He thought going to a lake house in New Hampshire with my sister's family sounded more appealing. My pocketbook agreed.

So, it will be a nice opportunity for some bonding time with my middle schooler. And, traveling with my brother makes it easy for us. He speaks some German, is a total history buff, and is well-traveled. We couldn't ask for a better travel guide/companion.

Our itinerary includes stops in Berlin, Munich, Dresden, Nuremberg, Berchtesgaden and Strasbourg. I'm expecting a Zappos package of comfort shoes to arrive this afternoon :)

Have you been to Germany? Any suggestions on things to see and do or places to dine? Would love to get your recommendations!

Danke :)

Kids' Bathroom Reveal

The kids' bathroom makeover is officially complete. 

Today I switched out the brass door hardware with oil rubbed bronze knobs and hinges. I think it helps complete the vintage, cottage look I was trying to achieve.

The nasty shower faucet was replaced with a satin nickel one. This was a huge undertaking, requiring several trips to Home Depot and Lowe's.  The original Kohler faucet was over 20 years old, and there are no trim kits on the market today that work with the old fittings. So instead of swapping out the pieces easily, a hole had to be cut in the wall of my son's bedroom to access the plumbing and replace everything. Thank you, Kohler.

Out of spite, I went with a Delta faucet :) Truthfully, it isn't the most attractive one, but it's fine. It's a boys' bathroom. And as long as there's hot water coming out of it, they're happy campers.

And, I am a happy camper now that this room is done! Let's take a look at where it all began, shall we?

BEFORE

The makeover began when a broken towel bar caused the wallpaper to tear.

I swear I had nothing to do with it! Even if I secretly wanted to get rid of the wallpaper. But, really, at this point what choice did I have? The wallpaper had to be taken down. 

Since I had a bad case of tennis elbow, I hired someone to remove the wallpaper and paint the walls. Or so I thought.

When I was replacing the tp holder, I discovered the wallpaper hadn't actually been removed, but was instead, just painted over. As you can tell by the torn up walls, I may have been slightly annoyed by that :)

In the meantime... I was busy removing the ugly shower door, which you see below.

When the door and track were removed, I had to patch some screw holes in the tile.

Then I was able to hang the new shower curtain.

Back to the walls... it didn't take long to realize that it would be impossible to remove the painted wallpaper without killing myself in the process. I decided this would be a great time to try the planked walls I'd been wanting for a long time.

After lots of priming and painting and caulking and sanding, the walls were complete. Then, I just added a few accessories.

And, finally, the new door hardware...

For such a small room, there were some BIG headaches involved in this project. 

But, all's well that ends well :)

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Kids' Bathroom Update

Since I've been away from my blog for awhile, I figure I owe it to you to at least return with a completed project!

So here ya go...

The walls in the kids bathroom were planked, primed and painted.

The room is tiny, so I thought it would be a relatively quick process. Silly me. The planks had a lot of holes that had to be filled and sanded, and then it took two coats of primer and two coats of paint. And, then there was more caulking to be done.

It didn't help that our upstairs A/C unit bit the dust in the middle of the project. It is hot in that little room! 

Of course, as soon as the walls were dry, I was chomping at the bit to get a couple of accessories hung up.

The porthole mirror came from Home Goods.

The hooks are from Anthropologie. I'm digging a little nautical vibe, without being too cutesy.

The vintage gas station number offers a pop of red and represents the 4 little men who share this room.

This may very well be the last time the toilet seat is in the down position. But, at least the plant might get watered. Sorry. I couldn't resist. Little boys don't always aim to please.

I am pleased with the planked walls, though. They add a lot of character to what otherwise could be a pretty bland space.

In case you've forgotten, this is what we started with...

BEFORE

There's still some work to be done. A nasty shower faucet will be replaced tomorrow (hopefully!), and I am in the process of changing out the door hardware.

I've removed one of the door handles. Now I need to get rid of the rest of the worn out brass handles and hinges and put the final touches on this room.

Have a great day!!


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