What HGTV Has Wrought!

Well, I had planned on posting about this months ago, but I didn't get started on the project right away...

Here's a small part of my even smaller bathroom before I started my redecorating. (I wish I could say renovating, but after having my new laminate flooring installed upstairs any big changes must wait)

So here it is... er... was... I was going for a calm, seashore feeling, but it didn't work out quite as I'd planned and I never really liked going in there. You might also notice in the picture that I removed the "make-up mirror"-style light fixture that is ubiquitous in all new (cheap) construction. Boy, is that ever a tale! But I'll leave that for another time when I can complain about crappy contractors in full! lol!

So, blue walls... dark lavender shower curtain... sea-green trim (be thankful you can't see it in the photo! Oh, wait... there it is... my condolences! Not one of my finer design moments, I fear! lol!)... oak vanity and lots of clutter! (Clutter is another topic I may have to tackle soon!)

I first found the fabric, which I love, to make a new shower curtain -- a black and white toile -- and everything else took off from there. I didn't want a completely black and white room, so took my time deciding on a good color to play off the pattern. I saw a yellow room in a magazine with the B&W toile and silhouettes as artwork and decided that was the look I wanted, especially since I had found some pretty golden yellow beading that would work well on the curtain.

Now, yellow isn't really one of my favorite colors, but it's such a happy, cheerful look that I couldn't resist trying it in the bathroom as a way to start my day with a perky attitude -- particularly because living in an interior condo unit there is very little natural light, and there's absolutely none in the the bathrooms!

So... then I saw that photo of the bathroom with the tone-on-tone striping (see photo in a previous post) and knew I had to try it! First I went to Lowe's to pick up paint chips to decide on the right color (dutifully paying my $50 cover charge, as friend Murchie calls it!). The tone was going to be important because I had a yellow bedroom as a teen -- banana yellow, as a matter of fact, and grew to dislike it. I had a west-facing bedroom and that dark yellow in the setting sun made it even darker -- I never had the benefit of the rising eastern sun to make it bright. And, of course, as I'm writing this I don't have the paint chip winners with me, so I can't report the color names at the moment... anyway... I went with a pale, almost creamy yellow as a base then striped it with the next shade darker.

Striping, while not difficult, didn't turn out quite as I planned. I'm not really mathematical despite my number-crunching job -- or I guess I should say I'm not geometrical or spatial. I measured out the stripes, believing that I had accounted for the tape. Of course, I didn't account for it properly. However, it just means that the lighter stripe is a different width then the darker one. The difference is not all that great -- and I can live with it! lol! (Subsequently my father gave me a tip that I should start measuring from the middle of the room instead of the edge... I'll remember that next time... if there ever IS a next time! lol!)

I'm still not quite finished with the project. The stripes look like they're floating with nothing to hold them in place, so chair rail must be installed. It also fits the look of the style I'm going for anyway. I've purchased the chair rail and have painted it with the Du Jour white as the rest of the trim (thank goodness the green is gone, gone, gone!). I just need to wait for someone with a miter box, hand-saw and nail-gun to be available to put it up!

In the meantime, I'm tackling painting the vanity. The standard oak cabinetry is just too casual for my tastes, which tend toward classic and European, not contemporary and country. I primed it with Kilz (which smells nasty, btw!) and have now two coats of the Du Jour white on it -- and it still needs at least another coat! I should've put another coat of primer on it before putting the good stuff on -- I'll know better next time (look out kitchen cabinets!). I need to get that done tonight or tomorrow because I want to put up all the paint paraphenalia before the housekeepers come on Saturday.

I've also started to put in a few of the accessories (which I'm endeavoring to keep at the bare minumum!). The toile vase, I found months ago and I've put in some leftover yellow flowers I had around. I'm not completely satisfied with the arrangement, but it'll do for now. I also have a little soap in a box that is a fleur de lis (my favorite!) and the little toile-ish dress-form that holds jewelry came from friend Sofia (thanks!). I'm going to create silhouettes of my nieces and nephews and am about ready to start that project when I get a couple more pix, but I think it will be fun and easy. I looked up instructions on the web and found some ideas how to make them still have that 18th-19th century look, but still be hip and modern, so I'm eager to get started on that! I also bought the yellow bath mats some time ago...

The floor... I'm in denial about the floor...

That's where it stands for now. I'll update more when I've got a few more things done!