To Do: Half Bath

Posted: January 13th, 2010 | Filed under: Our Projects, To Do List | Tags: half bath before | 6 Comments »

I warned you I had some heinous bathroom action going here…and I haven’t had the guts to show the master bathroom in detail yet…it may take some time to muster the courage. The best bathroom in the house by far, was the upstairs jack and jill used by the Minors.  Probably because no one used it for the past 10 years or so.

The half bath is actually our kind of project.  This will really happen this year, because we can do it ourselves, and do it inexpensively.  The Crafty Counterpart has some pretty good plumbing skills, so that always makes it easier/cheaper. The half bath will also take priority since it’s what our guests use, and its proximity to the playroom makes it the most used bathroom in the house.  The beige potty doesn’t flush unless you hold the handle down, etc..even the Minors have been asking when we’re going to “do something about that bathroom.”   The color in here is that shade of beige that looks dirty all the time.  No matter how many magic erasers I use on the walls, it still feels dirty.

I had debated keeping the floor in here.  It’s a groovy tile, but if I keep it, that means I have to keep the vanity cabinet.  The cabinet is actually decent, paint job, new countertop and sink/fixtures…it would look great, but since it’s such a small space, my vision was to have a floating countertop with freestanding storage underneath.  It will certainly be faster and simpler to rehab the cabinet. I’ve brought home about 30 swatches and can’t find a color that I like to use with that tile. At the end of the day, busy tile means no busy walls, so methinks the tile floor goes.

For the walls, I really wanted a groovy 70′s inspired wallpaper, but I have stripped too much wallpaper in my life and I can’t do it. It’s a shame, since there are SO many beautiful papers, but I refuse to put it up in my houses.  It’s too big a commitment. (I can hear the collective gasp of horror now…sorry.)

So, my plan has been to take a page from Kellie, who I saw featured on this Design Sponge post last year.  Brilliant!  All the wallpapers I had been eyeing were metallic patterns on a rich color, so I could do something like that in the half bath! If I screw up, I paint over it and start again.  My kind of project.

photo via Kellie/Scraplog

photo via Scraplog via Fossil catalog

Problem is, one day this summer, when it looked like we might get started on the half bath any day, I grabbed the paint pen and started doodling on the walls.  Just testing some ideas..you know…6 months later, it’s still there.  Kind of embarrassing when guests are over, but hey…it is what it is.

You know you’re jealous of my fancy hardware and faux marble laminate countertop.  So, should I rehab the cabinet or go floating like this one we built in our last house?

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