BEFORE: The $1,000. (or so) Bathroom Makeover

It is ON!

If you, like us, have more creativity to spare than unlimited funds, read on. After reviewing some landscaping projects we'd like to accomplish in the coming years, and an impending condo roof project (oh, joy), I thought we'd never, EVER be able to update our master bathroom. I thought we'd have to spend at least 20K to do it. So, defeated, I had decided that, for now, I'd just clean the heck out of the bathroom. Maybe I'd put some contact paper inside the horrible sink cabinet. Or, hey, maybe paint the walls, too...then, bang! I came up with a better solution than contact paper that is much more palatable than 20K!

Here is a tour of the "before":

Entrance to the master bath shown from a small alcove off of bedroom. The glass blocks let light pass through the shower and the alcove.

These are the original fixtures (and color) when we purchased our home. We'll be replacing the light fixture, the mirror (with a medicine cabinet), the sink, sink cabinet, faucet and hardware.

I don't need to point out the obvious, but: this cracked sink has got to go. And the chipped, flat mirror is pretty sad.

This happens to everyone: something temporary when you move in becomes permanent. This will change, too.

To save money, we're going to forgo a rebuild of this entry space. Instead, we'll sand, water-seal, prime and paint. We'll also add a light cover to the recessed canister light.

We'll be placing some potted plants, likely succulents, on the window ledge. They are so lush and tropical, yet modern:

photo by davitydave http://tinyurl.com/42had22

This pipe may become a "birch trunk".

Luckily, the floor and tub tile is in good shape and we like it.

This robe hook has been hanging out of the wall for over 3 years. Some much needed patching, painting, and new brushed nickel hardware should do the trick.

Speaking of painting...

So what's in a makeover?
Admittedly, this type of update works well financially because it is mostly cosmetic. Having to do significant demolition and construction, or moving plumbing, adds expense, unfortunately.

The "Pros" of our refresh
-- Tiles are in superb condition and a nice neutral stone color that we like.
-- We can get away without any major demolition and construction for now.
-- The tub is in perfect shape. We just don't like it. It is a jacuzzi tub. Gross. We want to replace it with a glass-enclosed standing shower when we can.
-- We don't have to move any plumbing

Stay tuned on the progress! I'll be posting inspiration boards, tips, a list of what we purchased, and resources. You can now read Part 2 "Progress and Purchases" here.

Organization Procrastination

...with beautiful results. Done by Sean Ohlenkamp and Lisa Blonder Ohlenkamp.

Recommended Reading

ourhaus is thrilled to welcome our new arrival: The Nelson Platform Bench. Another member of the lust list has made it into our home—to round out a library area occupying a long wall that faces into an open area of our living space.

View from the kitchen toward the living room.

View of library from living room. Shelves: 2 5x5 Expedit bookshelves from IKEA. Runner: Angela Adams "Munjoy" hand-tufted wool.

Living with books is a pleasure, but the "where and how" seems to be a consistently perplexing home storage issue, especially in square-foot deprived spaces. But who wants to relegate their favorite books to storage? We took advantage of this big, exposed wall to function as a browsing library. (Any books that we can't part with, but are not in rotation, do go into storage/attic). We are happy to see that our guests enjoy perusing it, too. It becomes a living wall that invites interaction and discussion, and I love that.

Various views of our book shelf: Brownie Hawkeye camera body found at a Cape Cod flea market; C & J aluminum letters were our wedding cake topper; various Kikkerland wind up toys are gifts from my father-in-law; wooden drawing figure from IKEA; seltzer bottle bought from a street vendor in NYC.

So, if you do make the decision to invest in a piece of furniture that will be with you and your family for decades, I strongly recommend investing in authenticity. We have been down the road of copies and handmade versions of mid-century pieces. Let's just say the inherent issues in their cheap production and the need to replace them so frequently quickly added up in cost and frustration.

Beautiful, solid craftsmanship. Small wooden dowels also reinforce joints.

Designer's mark.

It lasts and retains its value.

The customer service at our Cambridge, MA Design Within Reach store is always friendly, thorough and professional. And there's nothing better than a handwritten note from your retailer