Wood Bath Vanities & Floor Textiles

This is my new favorite combination in the bathroom: a wood vanity and an intricate Kilim or woven textile on the floor. I don't need a fluffy bath mat for my tootsies. Give me a real area rug every time. And for the vanities, I really love the modern floating style. Sure, they're susceptible to water stains, but I think its a beautiful look. Your thoughts?

Weren't you doing a bathroom remodel?

Remember THIS? And THIS? And then THIS? Yes, you remember... there were all sorts of updates along the way. The bathroom remodel project is now done! It's been done for a few weeks. I still have some painting to do in the laundry room area, but generally it's done.

However, I haven't shared any photos with you all because I'm stalling. We immediately began using the bathroom everyday and I haven't had a chance to clean up the dust and prepare the space for photos. I'm also going to be writing an article about it for Houzz.com, so the photos need to be good! So sorry for the long wait. To tide you over, here are two yellowy snapshots of the space.

Huge Vintage Lamp

This week, I bought an enormous vintage lamp from someone in my neighborhood. Really, this thing is over three feet tall! But I needed a big burst of light in my dark dining room and this lamp certainly fits the bill.

And as for my bathroom remodel, we are definitely in the final throes of this massive project. I'm so pleased with how it's turning out. A few more finishing touches and it will be ready for photos! Here's a little sneak peek. Thanks to the amazing people at Moen who donated this faucet fixture for the project. I think it  looks really sharp.

And finally...

Three random things you should know:

1)  THIS cashmere sweater from J.Jill, usually $249 is on sale today for $101.99. I got it for Christmas from my in-laws and it's my favorite thing ever. It also comes in petite and plus sizes. Go get yours.

2)  And for those of you who just thought to yourself, "Yes - I need plus size clothing that is stylish and doesn't look like a potato sack", I just found a beautiful collection of linen clothing in exactly my style for the more statuesque. (They also have misses styles). Check out Vivid Linen.

3)  There is still time to enter our Radical Homemaking giveaway. Click HERE for details and to enter!

Bathroom Remodel | Week 4

Hello dear readers! We're at the beginning of week 4 of our bathroom remodel. I'm so pleased with the work that has been done thus far. Today, the shower is being tiled with white subway tile. Once the tile is in place, we (meaning our contract team) can install our vanity, countertops and fixtures! I can't tell you what relief I feel from knowing that this bathroom will soon be up to wheelchair use standards. Here are the latest photos of the bathroom space with some "before" photos.

Here are the "before" photos:

The floor and shower tile is all white and the vanity is a beautiful walnut. Below is a sample of our countertop with some paint samples I'm considering for the walls. 

So that's the latest from our bathroom remodel. 

The next time I report back on the blog about this remodel will be when it's finished to stay tuned!

Bathroom Remodel | Week 3

We're at the beginning of week three for our bathroom remodel, which also includes bringing the converted garage up to speed with a new door, a new AC and heat unit and the removal of the old 1981 AC wall unit. Again, we're switching things up because we need a wheelchair accessible bathroom for my son, Charlie. Plus we had a slow growing mold issue in this spot that needed to be dealt with immediately. Things seem to be moving quickly! You can see last week's post HERE if you'd like to see the design inspiration and the the gory mold details.

This week, our team will finish the dry wall installation and begin tiling. I'm really excited to see the surfaces knowing that all of the plumbing, electrical and mold abatement are handled now. Here is the newest crop of process photos!

Looking into the bathroom from the new pocket door:

Before we tore out the old half bath and switched out the laundry area.

The new shower takes up the entirety of our old half bath.

Looking from the back of the bathroom out through the pocket door to the laundry units, 

which are now tucked under the window.

Looking from the converted garage through the new doorway into the laundry area.

The new AC and heating unit is installed and the old beastly one has been removed.

We'll be putting a window in that corner to allow for more natural light in the room.

And finally, a new door for the converted garage that let's in natural light and actually closes and locks!
Also, we installed a new can light at the entrance with a wall switch right by the door!

Stay tuned for tile photos!

Have a great Monday. xo

Bathroom Remodel Update

We're two weeks in to a bathroom remodel and things are going very well, despite some mold damage we discovered during the demolition process. I've never been a part of a remodel in my own home. Usually my interaction with this kind of work is more objective because it's happening in someone else's home. I had no idea how emotionally involved I'd become! I have loved designing this space and working with our wonderful contractor, Jeff Van Buskirk of Heritage Remodel and Construction.

Just a reminder, here is what it looked like before demo began. 

Here is the original mold damage. (Barf.) Luckily, it's all been remedied and rebuilt. The whole space is now framed out with new plumbing and electrical lines. 

As far as the cosmetic look of the space, here are two inspiration photos I'm using as we select surfaces and fixtures. Many of the materials I'm using are either second hand or donated to the project, so my level of choice is a bit limited. But we're building a custom vanity in the style of the photo below. The flooring will be a traditional 1 by 1 inch hexagon pattern and the shower will be white subway tile. Inexpensive and classic.

Below are the fixtures going into our sink and shower from the generous people at Moen.

THIS is the faucet going into our vanity sink.

I found the photo below on Pinterest. This is very much in line with the look of my shower-to-be. We're using the same Moen fixture, white subway tile grouted in light gray and the insets will be backed with the same hexagonal tile that's on the floor. 

I'm so excited to finally have a wheelchair accessible bathroom in our home. I can't emphasize how important this change will be for our family and for my son, Charlie.

Bath Remodel | Day 1

Hello dear readers! I have some exciting news today. After much planning and saving, we're embarking on a handicapped accessible bathroom remodel for my son, Charlie! As many of you know, Charlie has Cerebral Palsy due to stroke and is therefore in a wheelchair. Our two full baths are so tiny and so difficult to get to that we have been unable to begin potty training with Charlie (now four-years-old). We're also only able to bathe him once every couple of weeks. Stupid, right?

The answer? A new bathroom with a wide door, a walk in shower, an unobstructed toilet and room enough to turn around in a wheelchair. We've been planning for this remodel for a while now, but a mold issue in the existing half bath has created a situation whereby we must act now. So we've moved up our time line and there are currently two men in my laundry room stripping everything down to the studs. I've included the "before" photos below.

If you're interested in helping us create this bathroom for Charlie, please visit his website www.HelpCharlieHeal.com or you can contribute directly to his assistance fund via Paypal using the button below. As always, thank you so much for your support!

This bathroom remodel is going to create a much higher level of normalcy for Charlie 

and we couldn't be happier!

Patterns and Prints in the Bathroom

My bathroom is a serene blue and gray space with minimal pattern. It's a soothing place and I love the indigo color scheme. But sometimes I dream about putting a bold tile in the bath area or hanging a brightly patterned wallpaper. Here are some bathroom interiors that inspire my imagination:

source - photo by Rinne Allen

Ode to Blue-Green Tile Bathrooms

I spotted this aqua bath on Houzz.com yesterday. It's covered from floor-to-ceiling in aqua tile - a color I adore. I've seen so many gray and white bathrooms lately. While I love the look of tailored neutral hued bathrooms, this extraordinary punch of sea foam green is really invigorating. 

Here are some other bathroom spaces that shine in blue and green hued tile: