October 21, 2015 Bathrooms

One Room Challenge: Week Three

So here we are at week three in the One Room Challenge. A whole lot’s been happening around here, which is good since this is the halfway point. As you can see, the new brass faucet has arrived and it’s been installed. I’m thrilled with the way it looks. It’s even making the brownish stone counter top look better…but my heart’s still set on white.

 

I found a beautiful white marble remnant at a nearby stone showroom
(Stepping Stones Marble and Granite) and because it‘s a remnant (not a
full slab) the price was far less than I had expected. The stone company came and measured and then took away the existing counter. Bye!

Next,
I met with a wallpaper installer. Even though I hadn’t decided on the
actual paper yet, I wanted a professional in there to measure and
get an accurate number of rolls needed. This way, once I picked a paper, I could easily check on “in stock” amounts before I placed the
order.

This progress was all relatively easy, and then things got a little crazy…

As you know from last week, I had my heart set on this Martyn Lawrence Bullard print. Once the sample arrived from DecoratorsBest, it became clear that the print and colors were way too much to compete with the busy look of the existing wall tiles.
 
A few of you had mentioned that I could paint the tiles white as a way of dealing with them. I’d never heard of this before, so I consulted with a professional painter- he was dead set against this idea. The tiles are made of porous stone and there’s are a lot of different shapes and sizes involved. If I painted them there’d be no turning back if it didn’t look right and then I’d be forced to possibly pull them out. Since this is not in the time or money budget, I’m just going to work with the tiles.
 
That left my fall back option of ordering the gray grasscloth paper for the walls and having a shower curtain made with the MLB print that I love so much. I went ahead and placed the fabric order with Maddie G Designs, a consumer buying service for access to “to the trade only” products. The great thing about ordering with Maddie is that I could put in the order for the fabric and have her workroom do the shower curtain as well.
 
I was about to go ahead and order the grass cloth paper, but something in me decided to keep on looking – and of course, no sooner did I place the fabric order with Maddie that I found a fabulous wallpaper on Pinterest – Cole and Sons Palm print in gray and white! I rush order a sample from DecoratorsBest!
 
 image via House Beautiful / Gwen Driscoll
 
In love with the sample (below) I go ahead and place my order with DecoratorsBest (a sponsor of this challenge). It looks so promising and not too busy with the tiles. I think its the white background here that really saves it. At the last minute I decide that the gray grasscloth paper would look great on the ceiling! I love a papered ceiling. So I go ahead and order that too!
 
 
In a “stop the presses” moment of panic, I email Maddie to hold off on the Martin Lawrence Bullard fabric order and shower curtain production. I was too a tad too late as the fabric was already cut. I quickly come up with a NEW plan for the fabric. It’s going to be throw pillows for our bedroom’s sitting room! Only I could set out to re-do a bathroom in six weeks and end up with new pillows for our bedroom. Not gonna lie, pretty excited about the thought of these new designer throw pillows !
 
 
 one // two // three // four // five // six
 
Now that the sink, counter and wallpaper decisions have all been nailed down, I need to focus on a new brass flush mount light, a new brass round mirror and some new brass hardware for the vanity. Above are the lighting options that I’m considering. I’m going to let price and availability decide the outcome here…but right now I’m really leaning towards option number three. I’ll be getting in touch with Maddie on this later today!
 
If you’re new this week to “the challenge” catch up with weeks one and two and also be sure to check in on the week three progress at all the other participating blogs below!
 
Apartment 34 | Arianna Belle | Because It’s Awesome | Coco+Kelley | Design Darling | 
Design Indulgence |Design Manifest | Christine Dovey | The English Room | Vanessa Frances | 
Hi Sugarplum | Honey We’re Home | Jojotastic | The Pink Clutch | The Pink Pagoda | 
Simplified Bee | Style Your Senses | A Thoughtful Place | Kimberly Whitman  | TM by CIH
 
 
October 14, 2015 Bathrooms

One Room Challenge: The Second Week
 
Welcome to week two of the One Room Challenge! If your just clicking in for the first time, here’s what happened last week.
 
This week has been all about quick decisions and lead times. Those fabulous sconces in the image above helped me realize this reality check since they are on back order until December. As quickly as I was inspired by the idea of creating the look above in our bathroom, I had to immediately reject it and focus on getting what I need for this challenge in the time period that I need it.
This has become my motto for this challenge. Also, price and availability are weighing heavy into the decision making process here and I find it very helpful.
 
I also quickly realize that there needs to be an order in which things need to get done. First off will be replacing the sink faucet. Once the new faucet is in and installed I’ll have the stone people measure for a new counter top. It might seem silly to have the faucet installed only to have it re-installed once the new counter is in, but I need to know this will fit right, and this is the most assuring way I can think of.
 
 
I’ve narrowed down my brass faucet choices to these three beauties. The top one by Waterworks is truly my favorite, but the price seems a bit too extravagant for a guest bathroom (as part of our guest bedroom). I also love the third option by Newport Brass, the price is great, but I’m having trouble nailing down an actual ship date for this piece. In a goldi-locks moment, I settle on the middle faucet. The price is also right in the middle, I like it a lot and equally important – I’m able to speak with customer service at Rejuvenation Hardware and they assure me on the phone (several times) that it’s in the warehouse in nearby Brooklyn and I’ll have it within the week. Done!
 
Next I went to consult within a demo contractor about taking down the stone tiles on the walls in this bathroom, as this will allow me to go with whatever wallpaper I choose. I like the idea of not having to worry about the busy tiles. It turns out that demo is expensive (and messy) and I opt to leave them and work with it…say it with me “constraint breeds creativity!”
 
 
More wallpaper samples have been ordered from DecoratorsBest (a participating sponsor) including some very plain yet chic gray grasscloth papers. However, I’ve got my eye on this Darya Ikat Sidewall by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, as it incorporates all of the colors of the tiles – maybe I could even leave the brown sink counter top with this one?
 
 
Here it is “in situ” and I see that there’s also a coordinating fabric! I’m in so in love with this print, I want this work so bad. I decide as sort of a “fall back option” that I might go ahead with the gray grasscloth wallpaper and order this print in a fabric to use as a shower curtain.
 
Finally, I consulted with our electrician on moving the light in the bathroom and installing a simple high hat where the current pendant is. He has given me the go ahead!
 
As I await the faucet and the wallpaper samples, I’ll be looking for brass flush mounts, hardware for the cabinet and a round brass mirror. I’m also going to be looking into sourcing a new white stone counter top this week.
 
I finally got around to checking in on all the other participants in this challenge (that’s a big part of the fun) and it’s all pretty inspiring! Be sure to see what these bloggers and designers have all been up to this week:
 
Apartment 34
 
Arianna Belle

Because it’s Awesome

Coco+Kelley

Design Darling

Design Indulgence

Design Manifest

Christine Dovey

The English Room

Vanessa Francis

Hi Sugarplum

Honey We’re Home

Jojotastic

The Pink Clutch

The Pink Pagoda

Simplified Bee

Style Your Senses

A Thoughtful Place 
 
Kimberly Whitman 
 
TM by CIH
 

Interior Inspiration

Tour Sue’s Home

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October 7, 2015 Bathrooms

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE: WEEK ONE
inspiration image via: Erin Williamson // Design Crisis
 
Well, even though I vowed never to do this again…I’m doing it again! What am I talking about? The One Room Challenge and it starts up today. If you’re not familiar with this, in a nutshell, the ORC was started a few years ago by Linda from Calling It Home. This six week challenge consists of twenty design bloggers who will attempt to do re-do a room in six weeks.
 
Last year I crazily agreed to participate in this while moving, literally. The room that I chose was the kitchen… #nbd. . The added stress of the whole experience almost broke me, but I did end up (eventually, not exactly within the 6 weeks) with an awesome kitchen. Fast forward to this year, I’ve learned a few things. First – not moving. Second – small, small room (aka K.I.S.S. keep it simple Sue)
 
So, the room that I’m hoping to transform in six weeks is our guest bathroom. Above is my inspiration. In a full circle moment, this beauty of a bath is the product of an ORC past. If you followDesign Crisis than you’re already familiar with the amazing job Erin did with this space…and if you don’t follow her, your‘e missing out.
 

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