DIY, Home Improvement, one room challenge, Renovating

one room challenge: week 5 – wainscoting

17 Comments

It’s week Five of the One Room Challenge! This is also the week where I realize there is only one week left to finish up – everything! Well, you know what they say, time really does fly when you’re having fun…errrrrr renovating a bathroom. Last week, for Week Four, we finished the wallpaper but we still don’t have ya know, a toilet, a sink or anything else that makes this space a proper bathroom. And just in case you need to do some catching up, here are links to Week Three, Week Two, and Week One. Also, here is my mood board that has been serving as a blue print and as sort of my inspiration for the space.

And now that we’re on the subject of the moodboard, I have made a few modifications since we are so close to finishing this thing up! The first change is small but the light that I originally had picked was actually more of a bronze in color and after I saw the black, black faucet and some other finishes in person, I knew it needed to be black. So the new one is black and just a single light, instead of the double that is pictured above. The other change is the rug. I had been eyeing a vintage rug for weeks and I finally went ahead and pulled the trigger. I am so excited to show you guys but I think I am going to save it for the reveal. Gotta have a couple surprises, right? And the third and final change is the mirror. I started feeling like the space needed some warmth in all that matte black so I changed my mind and went with a wood mirror. Again, you’re gonna have to wait to see that until next week!

Ok – now back to business. This week we focused on the wainscoting! Remember the inspiration photo I showed you all a couple weeks ago?

We’ve made a few modifications to the design, mostly just with the angles of the wood and a few pieces of trim that we added. I’m really proud of this wainscoting and really think it’s going to give the space some serious pizzazz.

My husband and I both thought that this process was going to be a lot more difficult than it actually was. We found this material at Lowe’s and we love it! We are going to be using it for another project in the future, I’m just not sure what, yet.

The first thing we decided on was how high we wanted the wainscoting to go up the wall. For us, we wanted it a bit higher than traditional wainscoting and opted for 54″ from the floor. We snapped a horizontal chalk line around the room at that 54″ mark. Next, we snapped a vertical chalk line at the mid-point of each wall. This would mark where we wanted the planking to meet. After those two things were done, we had another decision to make: at what angle do we want the planks? Once we held a few pieces up on the wall so that I could visually see the angles (cause I’m a visual person and that’s what makes it easiest for me to make decisions) we pretty quickly landed on a good ol’45 degree angle for the win! And then it’s slow and steady progress from there…plank by plank and cut by cut.

Since the wainscoting was going up, this meant that it was time for us to make the plumbing modifications for our new wall mount faucet. But, we are the luckiest people around because our neighbor happens to be a plumber! I know, I know, don’t be jealous. So, he was nice enough to donate his time and showed my husband the ropes and they got that new faucet installed and looking GOOD. Thank you, Phil!!

The wainscoting is almost completely done and that means that I’m going to be filling ALL those nail holes and then painting it. I can’t wait to see this all painted! Here’s a progress shot so you can see exactly just how many nail holes are in the planks. Holy moly…there’s a lot.

Also, I found a paint color and here’s a sneak peak for ya!

So that’s our progress report for this week! Can you believe we only have one week left??? I’m so excited to finish this project and I’m also giddy to see some of the other makeovers. I’ve been poking around on some other blogs to see how the progress is coming along and it’s looking like some pretty fabulous projects are in the works. Can’t wait!

Oh and here’s my final to-do list so I can finish this baby up:

  1. trim out wainscoting
  2. fill all nail holes and caulk and sand wainscoting
  3. paint wainscoting
  4. install toilet
  5. install sink
  6. clean the whole space – all that construction dust and mess
  7. accessory time – install mirror, toilet paper holder, and towel hook. Hang art!

So much to do in so little time! Think I can do it???

 

DIY, one room challenge, Renovating

One Room Challenge: Week Four – Wallpaper

6 Comments

Well…it’s that time again! It’s time for the weekly update for the One Room Challenge. Can you believe it’s already week four of my bathroom remodel? As a quick recap, I am redoing my bathroom over six weeks and am sharing the progress here, in real time, as part of the One Room Challenge. Here’s a link back to Week One, Week two, and Week Three. And just in case you need another refresh, here is the mood board that I put together as a sort of blue print and for inspiration.

This week was a fun one! We spent the last few days wallpapering the bathroom and although I was a little nervous about diving in, it was actually pretty fun once we got into a groove! When the wallpaper arrived, I was so delighted/excited that I couldn’t wait to get started.

I’ll give you the general rundown on the actual process of wallpapering so you can get the jist. The process is pretty simple and if I can do it, you can do it, too! It’s all about paying attention to details and making sure your lines are straight. Once you have straight lines, the process starts cruising. Measure first, and pre-cut your strips of wallpaper so that you aren’t measuring and trying to cut the paper when the adhesive is on the wall. Because we found that it starts drying really fast. We used a chalk line to mark straight lines and used that as a guide to line the individual pieces of paper to. The adhesive goes into the wall with a roller, and the sheet just sticks right onto the wall. Start smoothing with your flat edge to get all the bubbles out and use a SHARP razor to make your cuts at the ceiling. Done and done! Like I said, this is a very short summary of the process.

We decided we were going to st0p half way down the wall as we are installing wainscoting on the lower portion of the walls to really give this tiny space some pizzazz. The light fixture arrived yesterday and I’m smitten. It’s just perfect and looks so sharp next to all those black ostriches.

Now that the wallpaper is up, next on the to-do list is the plumbing. We are changing the plumbing so that it can accommodate a faucet that comes directly out of the wall. Once this is done, then we can start installing the wainscoting. My hubby started on one of the walls so I will give you a sneaky peaky. I will have to fill in all the knots and nail holes with wood filler and then all of the wood will be painted black. Or a color that’s very close to black.

So that’s where we’re at! What do you think of the ostriches? Do  you love them as much as I do? Anybody have any wallpapering horror stories they want to share? I sure read about some doozies online when I was doing research before we started. Only two weeks to go so I’ll be back next week with lots (hopefully) to report on!

 

 

DIY, one room challenge, Renovating

one room challenge: week three – DEMO!

5 Comments

Hi all! It’s week three of our funky tiny half-bath remodel! Time is flying! As a quick catch up, I am redoing our half-bath as part of the One Room Challenge. If you need to refresh your memory or maybe you’re new here (WELCOME!), here is Week One with my mood board and Week Two with even more deets, and some very fancy wainscoting plans.

So the biggest change this week is that we finally have a freshly demo’d space! I love this part so much. Taking out all the old helps me envision the new! Goodbye tiny toilet! Goodbye boring sink!

The most exciting part of this process is that some of the items that we chose for the bathroom have started to arrive! My wallpaper came (it’s amazing) and it’s going in this weekend. My sister has graciously volunteered to come over for the weekend and we are gonna get our wallpaper ONNNNNN. Love you, Collin! Also, a few of the accessories have arrived and seeing them in person is an absolute delight!

Here’s the to-do list (in order):

  1. Decide whether or not to paint the ceiling
  2. Install wallpaper
  3. Change the plumbing to accomodate a wall mounted faucet
  4. Wainscoting construction and install
  5. New toilet install
  6. Sink install
  7. Light fixture, mirror and accessories

Now the fun really begins! I’ll be back next week with some good progress for ya! Now…does anyone have any wallpaper tips for me? Or maybe what NOT to do? This is my first time! Wish me luck!

Decorating, Home Improvement

Mission accomplished: the perfect entryway rug

2 Comments

This post is sponsored by Magic Rugs

Hi guys! It’s Monday and the sun is out in Oregon! Seems like the perfect time to show you a little refresh that I’ve been working on to give my house some more fall vibes. First of all, does anyone else decorate for the Holidays? I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about decorating in a more subtle way (i.e. introducing rich colors with pillows and layering up cozy throws for added texture) rather than flooding your house with pumpkins, ghosts, and goblins. I’m kind of riding the fence on this because I love a good excuse to add a pillow or a throw, but I also enjoy the occasional corny decoration. All in moderation, right? And why not? Anyways…feast your eyes on my fall entryway!

I have been searching and searching for the right vintage rug and I finally found her, ain’t she a beaut? I was sold on a vintage rug for this space as its a high traffic zone and vintage rugs are made to LAST. I have purchased many a rug from big box stores and always found myself replacing them once a year (or even a couple times a year). WHAAAAAA? Eventually, I began to realize that with all the money I was spending on disposable rugs, I could buy a better quality rug and clean them myself or take them to have them cleaned when needed. With all this being said, I am not opposed to buying a rug from a big box store, but I really appreciate a rug that’s made with materials that are meant to last, year after year.

For my entryway, I was lucky enough to work with Magic Rugs and am so excited to share this source with all of you because if you are like me, and cannot resist the charms of a vintage rug, I gotcha covered. Magic Rugs has over four thousand rugs in stock and you can call them any time with questions that they will be happy to answer for you. And….wanna know the best part? Their prices are actually affordable! So let’s go shopping! I thought I would share a few of my favorites that I found on their site. The first and second rugs would be perfect in a kitchen or a bathroom (adds tons of patina and warmth to a room full of hard surfaces) and I like the third one for a living/family room type situation…maybe layered on top of a jute rug if you’re feeling fancy. Ps. If you like any of these rugs, just click the images for links to see each rug in closer detail.

                 

The rug that I chose for my entryway is so beautiful and I am SO happy with the quality. It is soft underfoot and fits my entryway like a glove. It was exactly as pictured on their website which I think is really important. There’s nothing worse than ordering something online, only to be disappointed that the pictures didn’t accurately represent what you thought you were buying. amiright? The colors are perfect for my house with deep reds (I can’t seem to stop using reds lately. Who am I???), blues, and pops of orange. I’m in love!

I think it really makes a big impact to my entryway while adding lots of texture. And I am getting all the cozy vibes now!

So there you have it! My entryway is looking all Fall-y and cozy with its beautiful new rug! We are busy planning Halloween costumes over here and as of right now, I have a zombie, a vampire, and a bumblebee! Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Oh and I’ll be back on Wednesday with my One Room Challenge update for week three…gulp.

 

 

 

Decorating, DIY, one room challenge, Renovating

one room challenge: week two

2 Comments

Well that was fast! This week FLEW BY. I can’t believe we are already in the second week for the ORC. Last week, I let you in on my exciting plans to update our tiny powder room as a part of the One Room Challenge. Let’s have another looky at ye ol’moodboard:

1. // 2. // 3. // 4. // 5. // 6. //

This week is still slow moving and I am still finalizing all the plans and waiting for items to start arriving. The biggest change this week from last week is that I decided on a style of wainscoting that will go on the bottom half of the wall – underneath the most fabulous wallpaper that has ever existed. I was scrolling for inspiration for a modern style of wainscoting online because I was sure I didn’t want to go with the traditional look when I found this little beauty. I showed my husband and he is game (albeit a tincy bit scared) to give it a try! Wish us ALLLLLLLLL the luck.

Source Unknown – but if you know, let me know and I’d be happy to credit them. 

It will definitely be painted. I’m thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of a charcoal – but I will have to wait and see the wallpaper in person before I can make a final decision. We went toilet shopping this week (I know what you’re thinking…yes, we know how to have a good time) and selected a new toilet which is something that we have been wanting to replace in all of our bathrooms – the current ones are really small and low to the floor. Weird, right?

Our next mission is remove the current sink. We will have to move the plumbing to accommodate a wall mounted faucet because of the sink we chose. We originally found the sink with a navy border from Rejuvenation, but the navy was making things hard to coordinate. After a bit more googling, we ended up finding it in black at a few other spots, and for a bit cheaper, too. Easier to incorporate and less money? Sounds like a win-win to me! Here’s a little refresher in case you forgot what that looks like.

So that’s where we’re at after our first week. I know that’s not too much of an update, but just wait until next week after demo has been completed! That is going to be fun, but we will also be down one bathroom which I hadn’t really thought of until…..well, just now. The wallpaper, and a fun addition to be hung on the wall are both supposed to be arriving in the next week, so those will be fun to share as well. Hit me up with any questions! Until next week!

Decorating, DIY, Home Improvement, Renovating

tiny funky half bath – one room challenge: week one

11 Comments

I’m coming at ya today with some very exciting news! I’m officially taking part in my first One Room Challenge! What’s that, you ask? Well….lemme fill you in. The One Room Challenge is a bi-annual design event where participants completely renovate a room in six weeks. Everyone checks in once a week with a progress report (or lack thereof) and spills the beans about the good, the bad, and the ugly. This event is designed to encourage and inspire, which is totally my cup of tea.

The space that I’m going to focus on is our teeny tiny downstairs half-bath. It’s small and since this is my first go-around with the ORC – I figured it was kinda the perfect fit. So, here’s my vision. And I’m going to give myself permission to change my mind at any point. Mmmmmmkay?

1. // 2. // 3. // 4. // 5. // 6.

This lil’baby of a bathroom is located just off of our front entrway. Soooooo, it makes sense to me that it should be pretty as guests see this room right as they walk into the house. Also, weighing in at just 23 square feet, I feel like I can manage her.

As far as the game plan goes, it’s pretty simple. The floors will stay the same as they are the same wood that carries throughout the entire lower level. I’m thinking about some kind of wainscoting to wrap around the entire room – but modern. Still working out the details on that so we’ll see what I can come up with. And then my crown jewel of the entire room is going to be my ostrich wallpaper from Milton & King. It’s so fun and quirky and I’m in love. I think I’m going to give it a big hug when it’s finally installed.

Alright!!! Here we go! I will be back next week with all the updates!!!!