Week Two | April 10 | Laundry Room Makeover
Week Two | April 10 | Laundry Room Makeover
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: the laundry room!
For the Spring 2024 One Room Challenge we are tackling our Laundry Room — it’s tiny and sad and needs help!
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Well, it’s been a busy week, and honestly, things don’t look all that different — well, except for the hole in the ceiling! Oh, and everything is cleared off. Ok. So there IS some actual progress to report!
Let’s get started!
The LAundry Chute
One of the goals for this project is to create a laundry chute from the hall upstairs into the laundry room, and we started that process this week by cutting holes in the ceiling of the laundry room and the floor in the closet above. I am not going to give you a tutorial on how to create a laundry chute. Every home is built differently, but if you want to install one, there are a few things you’ll need to consider:
Framing: figure out where your framing is within the walls. You don’t want to have to cut through any joists or framing to make this happen.
Systems: Consider where your electical and HVAC lines run as well as your plumbing, too. You don’t want your laundry chute to run into or to compromise those systems.
Path: The straighter your chute can be, the less likely things will get stuck!
Fortunately for us, there is a straight line from the bathroom cupboard to the laundry room. The laundry will drop down out of the ceiling into a laundry basket on the countertop. Easy!
The Laundry Room Before
Eek! We have a hole in the ceiling!
Oh, look! The inside of the ceiling!
We are lucky — as you can see in the photograph, our HVAC ducting runs in the same spot, but there is plenty of clearance to put the laundry chute in.
So, that project is in progress!
KonMari with Me
“Sort and evaluate all Laundry Room items using the KonMari method. ”
Of course, the KonMari method is SUPPOSED to be used on your entire home. And I have done that. Twice. It’s transformative.
But I have also applied Marie Kondo’s principles to individual rooms as needed, and they work just as well on a smaller scale as they do on a whole home — assuming you don’t have duplicates scattered over the entire house. And that’s really what has transformed our lives: every type of item in our home has a dedicated place. So when it is time to thank something and say “goodbye” I know there aren’t five more of that particular thing hiding elsewhere in the house.
Yesterday, I had a spare 45 minutes, and I decided to tackle the cupboards next to the laundry area. These two cupboards serve two purposes: storage of items for the guest bath and storage for the laundry area. And, frankly, they were FULL of bathroom items — largely shoved into the cupboards during construction.
For those of you just joining us, a brief refresher: on April 4, 2022 an unfortunate event forever known as Poopapalooza occurred in our home whereupon sewage from the upstairs bathroom overflowed and flooded both the up and downstairs bathrooms. Thus the last two ORC projects were the Guest Bath and Primary Bath — and our house was under construction at some level for 22 months (very, very slow contractors).
Ok. Now you are caught up!
So, honestly, cleaning out those cupboards had been on THE LIST for months. Well, with a spare 45 minutes, what could I accomplish?
Check it out — and seriously, I set a timer. I had to go do the school run at the end!
My goals for this week:
Finish the laundry chute
Install the countertop
Make decisions about shelving
Gardening News
This weekend we had hurricane-force winds for two days. Fortunately we didn’t have much damage at our house. Even the daffodils who are blooming their little hearts out right now were largely fine!
I am thankful that I have focused on bulbs for the last few years. I have planted a few hundred each fall, and I am finally achieving a critical mass so that they have a big impact! Here’s a peek:
Lots of seeds starting and I’ll be doing an update on the Grow Along soon, too. Be sure to follow along on Instagram and YouTube for more!
Here’s your April Gardening Checklist!
Your April Gardening Checklist is here!
Grow Along Essentials
Click here for all of the details!
Ok. I’m off to get more work done! Hope you are well, and as always, thanks for cheering me on!
Have a great week!
Cheers!
Angela
The Project Goals
I have several goals for this project — all with a goal to make this more functional AND more attractive.
Creating better, more usable storage spaces both above and around the washer and dryer.
Installing a countertop to create a more usable work surface — and prevent things from falling behind the machines.
Cleaning and revamping the hall cupboards and linen closet to create better usable space.
Installing a laundry chute for dirty laundry from the second floor.
Adding color and texture tying the Laundry Room into the surrounding spaces using leftover tile and/or wallpaper and other items.
Sort and evaluate all Laundry Room items using the KonMari method.
Adding an area for hanging clothes to dry.
Some of these goals are more achievable than others, and next week I will lay out the plans for it all.
This is the smallest ORC project I have ever taken on, but it will have a huge impact for me. I am the person who does most of the laundry since it is right outside my office door. I keep laundry going all day as needed, and having a neat and tidy place to do it will make all the difference in the end. I can’t wait!
Thanks to my sponsors
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week One | April 3 | Laundry Room Makeover
Week One | April 3 | Laundry Room Makeover
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: the laundry room!
For the Spring 2024 One Room Challenge we are tackling our Laundry Room — it’s tiny and sad and needs help!
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
The LAundry Room: Before
Here we are again: the One Room Challenge. And this time we are taking on a room I use every single day. Calling it a “room” is rather misleading, though. It’s really a wide spot in a hallway. But nonetheless, our Laundry Room is getting its own ORC treatment for this round.
Let’s take a look at some before photos:
It’s small and centralized.
So, you can see the laundry room is little more than a wide spot in a hallway — tucked under the stairs. It’s right outside my office, the guest room, and our guest bathroom — all of which have gotten the ORC treatment in the past. The carpeting is new courtesy of Poopapalooza II: the Revenge of the Sewer.
And a few years ago, I gave this whole area a mini-makeover. It was neat and tidy! But after the bathroom fiascos and construction dust, contractors, and mess — well, it needs help again. I’ve also shifted a few things to this area for storage, and now I need to come up with real storage options.
Quite attractive, don’t you think!
The sloping ceiling makes storage a bit of a challenge, but as I said before, this is tucked under the stairs, so there’s nothing to be done about that. And washing machines have gotten bigger since this house was built in 1958, so this area is a little undersized for the machines. But it’s what we have to work with. I can’t create more space here, so I just need to use this space as efficiently as possible.
The Project Goals
I have several goals for this project — all with a goal to make this more functional AND more attractive.
Creating better, more usable storage spaces both above and around the washer and dryer.
Installing a countertop to create a more usable work surface — and prevent things from falling behind the machines.
Cleaning and revamping the hall cupboards and linen closet to create better usable space.
Installing a laundry chute for dirty laundry from the second floor.
Adding color and texture tying the Laundry Room into the surrounding spaces using leftover tile and/or wallpaper and other items.
Sorting and evaluating all Laundry Room items using the KonMari method.
Adding an area for hanging clothes to dry.
Some of these goals are more achievable than others, and next week I will lay out the plans for it all.
This is the smallest ORC project I have ever taken on, but it will have a huge impact for me. I am the person who does most of the laundry since it is right outside my office door. I keep laundry going all day as needed, and having a neat and tidy place to do it will make all the difference in the end. I can’t wait!
Here’s a peek into my inspiration:
Gardening News
I’ll also be busy in the garden, so a small-ish ORC project was exactly what I needed for this round. Here’s your April Gardening Checklist!
Your April Gardening Checklist is here!
Grow Along Essentials
Click here for all of the details!
Ok. I’m off to get to work! Here’s to great fun and getting good work done, too!
Have a great week!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Eight | November 15 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Week Eight | November 15 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: our primary bathroom!
For the Fall 2023 One Room Challenge we are tackling our Primary Family Bath — fun and fabulous with an MCM flair.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
The Big Reveal
Here we are, and this time the Primary Bathroom is DONE! Well, done enough. There are still some small things for the contractors to finish and repair, but for our purposes, the bathroom is DONE!
Do you remember where we started?
Bland, boring, and horrid! Nothing matched. And it was the cheapest of the cheap.
Need proof? Here you go…
These were my Project Goals:
A beautiful, functional bathroom for our whole family
More light — both with upgraded lighting and more light from the window as well
Uplifting color scheme with playful touches and a balance of MCM style
More functional sink and cabinetry for the entire family’s use
Luxurious shower with modern fittings
We certainly hit some snags along the way. And this was NOT an 8 week project — we are well into month six. And I haven’t even showered in there yet, but here it is — the Mostly-Finished Primary Bathroom!
Beautiful & Functional
My first goal was: a beautiful, functional bathroom for our whole family. This is the primary bathroom where we all begin and end our days, so it needs to suit each of us and be truly functional. We didn’t gain any square footage, but the bathroom feels bigger, and it works better.
How?
The vanity is smaller and narrower. Even the original plan — a vintage dresser — would have accomplished this. But this vanity, the Hemnes cabinet from IKEA, has a small footprint which allows us to pass each other in the bathroom — something we couldn’t do before.
Additionally, replacing the shower curtain with glass makes the room feel so much bigger. From some angles the glass truly disappears.
But it’s the tile from Modwalls Tile — that’s where the bathroom design started. I wanted 1”x1” tiles for the floor — a classic, late 50’s look. Modwalls’ Brio Glass Mosiac in Palm Springs is perfection! And the wall tile is their Lush Subway tile in Peacock. It’s gorgeous! The color changes and deepens as the day passes — the reflective quality of glass is similar to water, so every time I walk in the bathroom, it feels a little different.
More Light
Goal 2: More light — both with upgraded lighting and more light from the window as well
I started by adding more light out in the hallway — upgrading our lighting to the Kichler Phix Wall Sconce. We have used this series of lighting in several places in our home including in the kitchen, and we LOVE them all!
Adding more light actually started in the hallway where we upgraded the lighting using Kichler’s
But seriously, it wasn’t hard to have more light in this room as the original was really dark! The glass shower maximizes the natural light in the bathroom. Additionally, we took out the two can lights and a soffit and replaced them with this fabulous light from Kichler. The Harlaw 4 Light Vanity fixture offers soft but significant light in a lovely white that just makes the whole room glow.
Oh, and did you notice the hole in the wall by the light fixture — yeah, the contractor has to fix that. One of a few things on the punch list yet.
I also installed a vintage bubble light (the mate for the light downstairs). It’s one of the vintage touches in this room — and I love that the Kichler fixture works beautifully with it! Blending vintage with new isn’t always easy.
Vintage Style
Goal 3: Uplifting color scheme with playful touches and a balance of MCM style
Since this is the room where we begin and end each day, it was important to me that this room be one of joy and cheer. We are also a family who loves color, so I can’t take full credit for the color choices here. It was very much a group effort down to the towels — hot pink and teal for the win!
These classic hooks from Emtek hold our towels securely and look fabulous doing it!
I bought a rainbow of washclothes to try out towel colors. The rainbow will serve us well, too!
As for the MCM style: the chrome mirror over the sink was a vintage find from the FBMP. After hours and hours of scrubbing, it came away clean and looks like it is original to the house. It very well could have been!
Here’s the BEFORE — cleaning up a grimy, disgusting mirror and medicine cabinet.
And here it is after! Significantly better. I painted the back of the sliding doors with the same white spray paint that I used on the interior — I just didn’t want to be able to see what is inside the medicine cabinet.
Additionally, the train rack and other chrome fixtures tip the room toward the late 1950s, too.
I love a good train rack!
And the wallpaper: well, that is part of the playfulness I was after. I love the wave pattern — Mare Teal Wave from A-Street Prints. It clearly references Japanese printmaking, something dear to my heart, but also brings an organic softness which balances the geometry of the tiles.
A Better Vanity
Goal 4: More functional sink and cabinetry for the entire family’s use
While I am terribly disappointed that the vintage dresser/mirror combination had to be scrapped, I’m growing to love this vanity from IKEA. I was able to choose a sink with two faucets — but one bowl which saves space and, frankly, just will work beautifully for us.
It also has deep drawers for functional storage — something our previous vanity lacked despite its larger size.
However, the Hemnes collection has a faux farmhouse vibe to it which I needed to dispatch as much as possible. I lined the drawers with scraps of wallpaper — replacing the gray ticking-stripes.
I also used these beautiful chrome pulls from Emtek. If you want to dress up a piece from IKEA, high-quality hardware is a great place to start. It’s like expensive jewelry with a budget-conscious suit — good hardware elevates everything.
In the same vein, I used Speakman’s Quinn Single Lever Faucet. A high-quality faucet elevates any sink.
I am thrilled to have two faucets in this tiny bathroom!
Luxurious Shower
The final goal was all for me: a luxurious shower with modern fittings. And while I haven’t actually showered here yet, I KNOW I hit the mark.
I used Speakman’s shower system which allowed me to choose exactly what I wanted for my luxurious shower — complete with a rain head! Here’s what I put together:
Here’s the brilliance of the Neo Diverter Waterslide Bar: you don’t have to replumb your bathroom to have a rain shower! It attaches to a standard shower, and provided your ceiling is tall enough, you can convert your standard shower to a rain shower!
Closing Thoughts
First and foremost, I need to thank my sponsors: Emtek, Speakman, A Street Prints, Modwalls Tile, and Kichler Lighting. Not only did they provide products which make this bathroom better, but they also were patient when the contractors did not work quickly. These are better bathrooms than our insurance company would ever have allowed, and our home and family are better for it. Thank you!
And thank you, faithful readers! Your support in so many ways makes projects like this more fun and more interesting as well. Thank you for chiming in, making comments, voting on Instagram, emailing questions, and everything else!
We have now done the One Room Challenge eight times: two bathrooms, two bedrooms, a home office, a mudroom, a front entry, and a greenhouse. I am so thankful for this community and the experience of renovation together, cheering each other on! If you haven’t done an ORC and are thinking about it, I highly encourage you to join!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Cheers and many thanks!
Angela
Gardening News
Here’s your November Gardening Checklist — what to do in your yard and garden during the month of November.
Here’s to a wonderful week for all of you — and a great week of finishing to those who are also doing the ORC!
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
I am thankful for your support and wholeheartedly recommend the products I used in this bathroom!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Seven | November 8 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Week Seven | November 8 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: our primary bathroom!
For the Fall 2023 One Room Challenge we are tackling our Primary Family Bath — fun and fabulous with an MCM flair.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
Progress: A New Vanity
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the disappointment of my vintage dresser. I’d chosen it almost a year ago with the intention of making it the star of the bathroom. But the plumbing was installed incorrectly, so that plan had to be scrapped.
Boo hoo!
After much cursing, I set about to find a reasonably-priced solution. Enter Ikea’s Hemnes vanity. Is it what I wanted? Nope. But it is functional, crisp, and clean. And we will have two faucets in a tiny space which is an unexpected bonus. I chose the 39” Braviken sink — one basin with two faucets. Since this is our primary family bathroom, I suspect those two faucets will be handy.
Oh, it is fine. Very functional. And fine. But I need to add a little vintage flair — I have plans!
I love the functionality of this vanity. It’s just a little too faux farmhouse for this house. So I have some work to do to make it sit more comfortably. But I have a plan!
Part of that plan involves pairing it with some vintage-appropriate fixtures. Since I also had to find a new mirror, I turned to my favorite source for vintage everything: FBMP. And after a few months of searching, I came upon this mirror:
Vintage mirror with medicine cabinet
It was DISGUSTING, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. It’s clear something sticky spilled inside the medicine compartment at some point. What looked like rust on the bottom and sides turned out to be mostly grime. Lots and lots of sticky grime. But with a lot of elbow grease and even more GooGone as well as a fresh coat of paint, it looks significantly better. I just need to get it up on the wall!
So the plumbing is all installed and the lighting is in, too. This bathroom is so bright — I realize how dark it used to be! What a delightful change, especially as we are headed toward the darkest time of the year. But it’s such a small room, that I am just going to save those details for the reveal which is NEXT WEEK!
So what’s left to do? All of the little details.
install shower glass (the pros will come to do this)
install all hardware, hooks, and towel bars
add new towels and accessories
hang the mirror
modernize the vanity
That’s not an insubstantial list, so I’d better get working!
Gardening News
Here’s your November Gardening Checklist — what to do in your yard and garden during the month of November.
Here’s to a wonderful week for all of you — and a great week of finishing to those who are also doing the ORC!
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
I am thankful for your support and wholeheartedly recommend the products I used in this bathroom!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to another great project and all of the DIY energy that the ORC inspires!
Cheers!
Angela
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Six | November 1 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Week Six | November 1 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: our primary bathroom!
For the Fall 2023 One Room Challenge we are tackling our Primary Family Bath — fun and fabulous with an MCM flair.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
Progress: Wallpaper
A few weeks ago, I posted some of the wallpaper samples I was choosing from on Instagram and asked which you would choose. This one choice came in second, but I am absolutely loving it!
This paper is Mare Teal Waves from A-Street Prints, one of the sponsors for this project, and it is glorious! I love the contrast between the very organic waves and the geometry of both tiles. I needed something to soften the room, and this paper does just that!
This is a tiny room, and that’s a large-scale print, but I think it works very well. I’m so pleased!
Wallpaper!
As I wrote last week, we are nearly caught up to real time on this project. We have been plagued with supply issues and the chronic skilled labor shortage here in Colorado which has meant a project that could have been done in 4 weeks is now entering MONTH 5. We are truly just a few working days from being done, but I am praying we will actually be done by the end of the ORC. Once the plumber is done, the rest we can do on our own, so I’m sure that’s what will happen.
One of the big delays: the sink and mirror. People, this has been a true trial. In January, I bought a fantastic vintage dresser on FBMP. It has been sitting in my living room since then waiting to be refinished and installed as the vanity. I also have a vintage mirror which we had hung in the bathroom a few years ago. It was perfect to go over the dresser. Lots of vintage style!
This dresser with its cool, curved front would make such a great vanity!
I love this fin-shaped mirror, too!
But alas.
You knew that was coming, didn’t you.
A few days after the wallpaper was installed, we realized that the drywall installer moved the location of the light fixture so that it is centered between the shower and the wall — not between the toilet and the wall. Why, you may ask? Who the F@*K knows! And the plumbing for the sink is also not where we specified it to be either. So unless we wanted to rip out the drywall and the wallpaper and relocate the fixtures, we had to choose a different, smaller vanity and a smaller mirror.
I am heartbroken.
But at this point I had to take the course of least resistance. So, the vintage vanity and mirror were out. And now I need to sell them. And I had to come up with a new vanity and mirror solution.
More on that next week.
All shall be well. And all shall be well. And all manner of things shall be well. They just won’t be vintage and cool and what I wanted from the beginning. Le sigh.
Hardware
No matter what vanity I choose, it will be gorgeously dressed because I have knobs from Emtek which will look like jewels. This is a design trick — choose high-quality knobs and even a less-than-optimal vanity will look better! Emtek’s hardware is heavy, substantial, and gorgeous! They were also a sponsor for two my Mudroom Makeover and the Mid Modern Curb Appeal makeover, and their door hardware is exceptional.
With knobs and hooks and all of the gleaming chrome accessories we need, this bathroom will be both beautiful and functional. I’m excited to get it all installed when the time comes!
Gardening News
This isn’t the only project we have happening at our house. I know. Big surprise! Check out the new garden transformation in our front yard. It’s soooo much better, and I already have seedlings growing here, too!
Two more weeks to go! Thanks for all of your love and support as we bring this bathroom across the finish line at long last!
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
I am thankful for your support and wholeheartedly recommend the products I used in this bathroom!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to another great project and all of the DIY energy that the ORC inspires!
Cheers!
Angela
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Five | October 25 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Week Five | October 25 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: our primary bathroom!
For the Fall 2023 One Room Challenge we are tackling our Primary Family Bath — fun and fabulous with an MCM flair.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
Progress: Tile
Ok. So I have a confession to make: this project is not unfolding in real time. We started on this bathroom in June — June 12, to be precise. And I hoped it would be done before the ORC even started. Nope. We are ALMOST caught up to real time. So here we are at tile installation. The tile is in and it is GORGEOUS! This tile is from Modwalls — just like our Guest Bathroom.
And I am going to tell you something about glass tile: a good installation is CRITICAL. The tile in the guest bathroom was also glass, but the tile people installed it while we were out of town. I wasn’t able to supervise it, and they did not follow the manufacturer’s instructions (which, I absolutely provided them). Critical to glass tile is to WAIT BEFORE GROUTING — at least 48 hours. This gives the adhesive behind the tiles time to dry before the grout goes in.
We have had to have several tiles downstairs replaced — and another is cracked now — because they didn’t follow those instructions. So, for this bathroom, I was VERY careful about the installation. And I made them wait a week between installation and grouting. The tile guys were not happy about this, but if you do it right the first time, you don’t have to redo the work. It’s that simple.
So if you are considering a bathroom renovation, be sure YOU read all of the instructions even if a contractor is doing some or all of the work.
Anyway… the tile is up, and I LOVE it!
Floor tile — note the plug in the sewer line, too.
Wall and floor tile — pre-grout.
The tile choices are:
Flooring: Brio Glass Mosiac Tile in Palm Springs
Walls: Lush Glass Subway Tile in Peacock (3”x6”)
Both are from Modwalls Tile, one of the sponsors for this project.
At the risk of repeating myself: my inspiration for this bathroom was the bathrooms in my elementary school. I know that’s a little strange, but I remember those 1x1 inch tiles on the floors and walls with a random color pattern. They were so pretty in my 8 year old head, and for some reason it’s that image that started this design. Those bathrooms also had these super-cool sinks with foot pedals that were like fountains. I loved them — but there’s no room for that in this bathroom.
So the tile is in, and the next step is wallpaper! Very exciting!
Lighting
We aren’t there yet, but I want to show you the lighting I chose for this room. Le sigh! First, I have another of the vintage bubble fixtures like the one I used in the Guest Bathroom. I bought it several years ago on Etsy — really cheap because I loved it, and there were two of them. Originally, I was going to use them as wall sconces, but I love them in the bathrooms! It is unmarked, but I think it was designed by Helena Tynell, a Finnish designer, for the German glassmaker, Glashütte Limburg, in the early 1960s. All I had to do was rewire it.
This Waterslide Bar allows me to convert our standard shower into one with a rain head very easily.
Just add the rainhead to the Waterslide Bar, and I will have a spa shower at home!
To compliment the bubble light, I chose Kichler’s Harlaw Vanity Light. The circles echo the bubbles on the ceiling fixture, and with 4 LED lights, it will be both bright and flattering. It’s a more modern take on a makeup light that still nods to the 1950s. Kichler is one of the sponsors for this project for which I am so thankful.
Gardening News
We STILL haven’t had frost here! But it is coming this week. We will go from highs of 80 to lows of 10 within 6 days. That’s what we call “weather whiplash” here in Colorado! So I’ve been watering everything relentlessly and prepping for snow. That’s part of why I grow so many native plants, though. They can take these more extreme weather conditions without much preparation — and some even thrive on them.
I’ll remind you as fall creeps along: leave the leaves! And make some leaf mould if you need to rake them up. I have a whole guide for doing that here. It’s free and easy!
I will miss these nasturtiums! They have been glorious this summer!
Coming next week: wallpaper! Until then, be well my friends!
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
I am thankful for your support and wholeheartedly recommend the products I used in this bathroom!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to another great project and all of the DIY energy that the ORC inspires!
Cheers!
Angela
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Four | October 18 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Week Four | October 18 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: our primary bathroom!
For the Fall 2023 One Room Challenge we are tackling our Primary Family Bath — fun and fabulous with an MCM flair.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
Progress: Drywall
This week the drywall went up at last! So nice to have that dusty, dirty part done. Ugh.
Speaking of dust: our whole family has moved downstairs for this project. We are camping out in the guest room (ORC #1) and using our lovely new green bathroom (ORC #8) through this process. I’m thankful we have that option, and while it feels like the whole house has been in chaos for a long time, at least we have a space where we can retreat.
You can see in the photos that the tub is gone. We are replacing it with a shower instead which feels very small… it’s the same footprint, but right now it feels very, very small. But there’s nothing to be done. This is a small bathroom. Sadly, it isn’t getting any bigger. And I’m sure it will feel bigger once it is finished.
Drywall is up!
Shower Fittings
I’m really excited about this shower, though, because we have a gorgeous chrome rainhead shower and fabulous fittings all from Speakman, one of this project’s sponsors. Actually, this showerhead was supposed to go in the bathroom downstairs, but the plumber messed up his measurements, so we weren’t able to use it. Too bad! I use the Primary Bathroom a lot more often anyway, so I will get to use the rainhead rather than saving it for our guests. Probably a big win in the end for me!
This Waterslide Bar allows me to convert our standard shower into one with a rain head very easily.
Just add the rainhead to the Waterslide Bar, and I will have a spa shower at home!
I chose the Speakman Neo WS-3010 Diverter Waterslide Bar because you can retrofit a standard shower to a rainshower with a handheld attachment without replumbing most of the time — and that was true for this bathroom. So I will have a hotel spa shower in my very own bathroom. I can’t wait!
Next week: tile installation begins. And things get very real around here!
Gardening News
We STILL haven’t had frost here! We had a big freeze warning last week, and I got everything ready — cut all kinds of flowers and cleared everything away. But nope. It didn’t even frost. So I am still living into the beauty of this lingering fall with roses blooming everywhere! And I’m not complaining — the snow will be flying soon, we know.
What I thought would be the last bouquets of summer… but I’ll probably have a few more!
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
I am thankful for your support and wholeheartedly recommend the products I used in this bathroom!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to another great project and all of the DIY energy that the ORC inspires!
Cheers!
Angela
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Three | October 11 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Week Three | October 11 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: our primary bathroom!
For the Fall 2023 One Room Challenge we are tackling our Primary Family Bath — fun and fabulous with an MCM flair.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
Progress: Electrical & Plumbing
So I would love to show you a bunch of pretty pictures, but electrical work isn’t pretty. We had some done. It is done — by an electrician. Phew!
When we removed the soffit which, as it turns out was completely unnecessary, we had to relocate the light fixture. So that’s now done.
The plumber also came to do the work converting the tub area into a shower. Again, nothing photo-worthy, but certainly necessary.
Additionally: the plumber installed a toilet plug. Phew!
Now we are ready for drywall!
Electrical work underway
PSA: if you are having work done on a bathroom and have your toilet removed for any length of time, INSIST that your plumbers install a toilet plug. It’s REALLY cheap and can save you a lot of heartache in case of a sewage issue. Trust me!
The Fun Stuff: Wallpaper
Last week we talked about tile choices. This week is all about wallpaper! A Street Prints sent a huge range of samples to choose from, and the choice is NOT easy! Since we already have the shower and floor tile, I am trying to decide which print works best with the tile. What do you think?
I know my favorite, but I’m curious to hear what you think!
Gardening News
Do you know your first frost date? Or why it matters? Let me explain…
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
I am thankful for your support and wholeheartedly recommend the products I used in this bathroom!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to another great project and all of the DIY energy that the ORC inspires!
Cheers!
Angela
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Two | October 4 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Week Two | October 4 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: our primary bathroom!
For the Fall 2023 One Room Challenge we are tackling our Primary Family Bath — fun and fabulous with an MCM flair.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
Progress: Down to the Studs
If you’ve been around awhile, you’ll remember Poopapalooza I (there was also Poopapalooza II) — the event which lead to this entire two-bathroom saga in the first place. Well, this is the bathroom where it all began — a plugged toilet and sewage overflow plus a toilet shutoff valve that failed leading to hours of water damage before anyone came home to discover it all.
Icky.
And while this is the room where the trouble started, it suffered arguably less damage because the ceiling and walls were relatively less damaged than the downstairs bathroom. So we really didn’t know what we would find when they pulled everything up in here.
Now we know.
So there’s a lot of water damage. A lot.
You can see how the water pooled around the walls — and then wicked up into the drywall. It was also very, very wet under the toilet. Oh, and notice they haven’t truly plugged that toilet — that WILL be fixed ASAP.
Take a look inside our bathroom now that it is stripped to the suds.
PSA: if you are having work done on a bathroom and have your toilet removed for any length of time, INSIST that your plumbers install a toilet plug. It’s REALLY cheap and can save you a lot of heartache in case of a sewage issue. Trust me!
Our plumbers didn’t use one in the downstairs bathroom which lead to Poopapalooza II: the Sequal (which almost cost me my sanity last December).
I just calculated: it has now been 549 days since Poopapalooza I, and I still only have one functional bathroom. Where’s the blame for this: partly a battle with my insurance company and partly a contractor who has not made these projects a priority — oh, and a labor shortage because 1100 homes were destroyed in the Marshall Fire just before Poopapalooza I. But seriously!
Ok. Let’s talk about pretty stuff! Tile! The tile for the Primary Bathroom is also from Modwalls.
Here’s a look back at the day the shipment arrived:
The tile for the Primary Bathroom is from Modwalls.
The tile choices are:
Flooring: Brio Glass Mosiac Tile in Palm Springs
Walls: Lush Glass Subway Tile in Peacock (3”x6”)
There are two points of inspiration for this bathroom. First, my family loves to swim, and I have a collection of photographs for this bathroom of us swimming and snorkeling together. And secondly: my elementary school bathroom. I know that sounds strange, but that floor tile looks JUST like my elementary school bathroom’s floor — and it had the coolest sink operated with a foot pedal… it was a school built in the 50’s and there’s just something about that which works in this room. So we are going for it!
This week: electrician and plumbers come. Hopefully we will have some good progress for next week.
Gardening News
The season is winding down, and I am taking stock of what worked and what didn’t this year. Here’s my tomato check-in — a few problems and some things that went well, too.
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
I am thankful for your support and wholeheartedly recommend the products I used in this bathroom!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to another great project and all of the DIY energy that the ORC inspires!
Cheers!
Angela
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week One | September 27 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Week One | September 27 | Mid Modern Primary Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: our primary bathroom!
For the Fall 2023 One Room Challenge we are tackling our Primary Family Bath — fun and fabulous with an MCM flair.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
Our Primary Bath
If you have been around for awhile, this will not be a surprise: we are taking on our primary bathroom. This project was supposed to be part of the last ORC round, but we are working with a contractor on this work (it’s an insurance claim), and we don’t control the schedule. So here we are!
Ta dah! Our primary bathroom…
Nothing matches. And everything is cheaper than cheap.
Nope. Not stone. Bad laminate topping the worst bathroom cabinet.
This is the bathroom our family uses the most. It is adjacent to our bedrooms and is in heavy rotation — particularly in the mornings and evenings. It is also small. And while it would be nice to have a bigger space, that’s not in the cards. So, we will make the most of the space we have!
While the space isn’t attractive — it has been largely functional for the last six years. However, our flood in the spring of 2022 originated in this bathroom from a toilet that has since been replaced. The flooring was saturated with sewage water which also wicked up into the drywall and under the bathtub. So it’s time to gut the whole room and start fresh.
I hate this floor with a passion matched only by my hatred for the cheap cabinetry.
Unlike in our Guest/Studio Bathroom, the bathtub here isn’t one to be preserved. It is vintage, but it is brown — not a color I love. And there is water damage underneath the bathtub from the original flood, so it will be coming out.
I’m drawing on these vintage catalogue illustrations for inspiration for this bathroom. Our house was built in 1958 and was outfitted with American Standard bath fittings. The only thing left is the brown tub, but I can use these ideas to create an updated look with 1958 style.
Aren’t those images fab! I just love what you can find in a library!
Project Goals:
A beautiful, functional bathroom for our whole family
More light — both with upgraded lighting and more light from the window as well
Uplifting color scheme with playful touches and a balance of MCM style
More functional sink and cabinetry for the entire family’s use
Luxurious shower with modern fittings
Next week I will show you some of the materials I have chosen and give you a peek at the demolition! Be sure to follow along on Instagram where I’ll be posting updates to my stories, too.
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
I am thankful for your support and wholeheartedly recommend the products I used in this bathroom!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to another great project and all of the DIY energy that the ORC inspires!
Cheers!
Angela
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Eight | May 24 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Week Eight | May 24 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: two bathroom renos at once!
For the Spring 2023 One Room Challenge we are working on TWO bathrooms: finishing our Guest/Studio Bathroom and then tackling our Primary Family Bath.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
The Studio/Guest Bath
And here we are… the Big Reveal! This reveal is a LONG time in coming. If you are just joining me, I started this bathroom for the Fall 2022 ORC, but after an unreliable contractor AND Poop-a-palooza derailed the entire project, we are finally at the end. Huzzah!
So just a quick reminder of how this project began: we had a flood from the upstairs bathroom into our downstairs bath. This is the downstairs bath, and at some point we will talk about the upstairs, but for now we will give the Guest/Studio Bath its day in the sun!
When we bought this house, the bathroom was a hodgepodge of leftover tile and the cheapest of fittings. The bathtub had been “refinished” but was peeling within a year — revealing a gorgeous 1958 “Ming green” American Standard bathtub.
Before the flood: nondescript, boring, and cheap. The cheapest of the cheap.
After the flood and the demolition. Ready to get pretty!
I spent two weeks stripping the white finish off the tub — eventually getting to the point that I was scrubbing with a toothbrush. But it came clean at last, and I absolutely LOVE this bathtub! It is gorgeous!
My glamorous bathtub emerged from the ashes like a phoenix. I love her!
The bathtub was the starting point for this room. I did some research finding images from a 1958 American Standard catalogue. Our home is not a museum, but I wanted this bathroom to be rooted in the era in which the home was built with modern sensibilities — vintage style, not vintage values.
Oh, and I needed some flamingo-flair without being too kitchy. So here it is… my Flamingo-Chic Bathroom!
Flamingo-Chic
First things first: flamingos. I wanted to use flamingos in here, but I wasn’t ready to go Florida-kitch which would have been very easy. So I chose carefully.
In my fabric stash I had a fat quarter of Tula Pink’s flamingo print, Pretty in Pink, from her Daydreamer collection in each of two colorways. They are perfect for this bathroom, so I used both colorways to make a tissue box cover, a tieback for the shower curtain, and a bin to hold essentials on the back of the toilet.
I also framed some flamingo art — photographs I took on a recent trip to the Denver Zoo as well as a vintage book plate from a French book and a print from an Etsy shop.
And while the towels are technically called “coral” that color is absolutely the color of flamingo feathers.
Tile & Wallpaper
Taking inspiration from the gorgeous tub, I looked for tile that would give that period-appropriate monochromatic look but with a modern twist. I went back to one of my favorite tile sources: Modwalls. Modwalls specializes in retro and Mid Century tiles, and I have loved them for years.
The shower surround is their Lush Glass Subway Tile in Surf (4”x12”). I actually used a smaller version of this tile in our kitchen in The 1948 Subdivision Sweetheart, and I loved it so much I used it again here. It’s the perfect color — but the larger glass tiles give it a more modern look.
The floor tile is also from Modwalls — it’s their PopDotz penny round tile in the Spearmint colorway. There are so many lovely shades mixed in this tile. It was an easy choice!
And let’s talk about that wallpaper! A-Street Prints’ Alfresco Green Palm Leaf print is so cheerful with all the retro vibes you could ever want. Even on the gloomiest, snowiest days, this room is a Palm Springs getaway that cheers this Master Gardener’s heart! It has so many shades of green and blue in it, too, which made the flamingos and pops of coral work beautifully.
The Sink & Shower
Since this room functions as our guest bathroom, the bathroom by my office, and the laundry sink, I chose a deep kitchen sink. That seems like a strange choice in this tiny room, but it is SOOO functional! It’s deep enough for soaking and handwashing linens and delicates. It’s perfect for washing out paint brushes. And it’s a pretty porcelain sink, too.
In order to accommodate such a big sink, I had to have a wall-mounted faucet, and the Proper High Rise Wall Mount Faucet looks just like many of the hardware samples in the 1958 American Standard catalogue. I love its pivoting neck, too! It’s such a good function when handwashing here.
The mirror was a bargain find on FBMP, but it’s from Rejuvenation. I will tell you, however, it was very difficult to hang. You need to plan to have blocking inside the wall or to have your studs located in exactly the right place. So be warned!
Lura Hand Towel Bar: Speakman
And after the plumbing disasters in this bathroom, I needed a shower that was beautiful, functional, AND allowed me to wash the dogs here. Again, Speakman answered the call with a gorgeous set of chrome plumbing fittings.
Lighting
This bathroom needed better lighting as it used to be dark and dreary. The light above the mirror is from another sponsor, Kichler. It is almost an exact match to one of the fixtures in the vintage catalogue — and it’s just an elegant touch.
I love the vintage feel of Kichler’s Traverso LED Vanity Light.
In the center of the room, I used a vintage bubble light that I bought several years ago for a song on Etsy. It is unmarked, but I think it was designed by Helena Tynell, a Finnish designer, for the German glassmaker, Glashütte Limburg, in the early 1960s. All I had to do was rewire it, and I have another one for the upstairs bathroom, too.
Kichler also sent me the Phix Sconce from their new Modern Collection for just outside the bathroom in the laundry area. I can’t tell you what a difference this lovely light makes! It was nearly impossible to do laundry after dark down here before, and now with proper lighting, I can do laundry all night long. I don’t. But I could.
Accessories
Finishing touches are critical to a lovely space — particularly when every inch counts. In this room, those finishing details largely came in the form of beautiful chrome accessories which sparkle and lend a little retro glam while also being completely functional. The glass shelf and towel rack are fantastic storage for my guests. The hooks are solid and beautiful — I even used one for the tieback on the shower curtain. Personally, I hate towel racks — they are inefficient in a small space. So I have hooks for four towels inside the bathroom, and two more hooks in the laundry area outside, too. With glass knobs from Emtek and yummy lotion and soap from Malie, this bathroom feels like a spa.
A few more photos…
I was supposed to have two completed bathrooms for this ORC. That didn’t happen, so I hope you’ll stick around for the second project coming soon!
A HUGE thank you to my sponsors for this project:
I am thankful for your support and wholeheartedly recommend the products I used in this bathroom!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to another great project and all of the DIY energy that the ORC inspires!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor for a future project? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
Pin it!
Week Seven | May 16 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Week Seven | May 16 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: two bathroom renos at once!
For the Spring 2023 One Room Challenge we are working on TWO bathrooms: finishing our Guest/Studio Bathroom and then tackling our Primary Family Bath.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Ah, the penultimate week of the ORC! That festive time when DIY’ers must photograph carefully so as not to give away the whole surprise — or are panicking because their project isn’t even close to being done.
Well, I’m photographing carefully in the Studio/Guest Bath, but as for the Primary Bathroom — well, read on.
My first peony of the year: Claire de Lune
Because we have two rooms in two very different states of work, I’ll divide the updates into two sections each week.
The Studio/Guest Bath
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
We are down to the punchlist which is long but absolutely doable. One of the easy projects on that list was to swap out the vent cover for HVAC vent.
Before: a standard, contractor-grade vent cover which had probably been in place for decades.
After: a vent cover that is sleeker, clean, and nicer to look at since the vent is almost centered in the room
Before: meh
After: much better
It’s the little things like this that make a big difference! Those details make photography easier, but while we don’t pay overt attention to our vent covers, they are always there. And when they look cleaner, it’s more visually appealing. Honestly, I’m thinking I need to replace one vent cover per month until the whole house has been cleaned up!
This is such an easy swap, too! You just measure your existing opening and order the right size. Then when it comes, take off the old one and insert the new cover. It’s held in place with four discreet screws. It took me all of ten minutes!
Just look at that gorgeous doorstop! Thanks, Emtek!
The remainder of the punch list includes things like installing a gorgeous, magnetic doorstop from Emtek, one of this project’s sponsors. This will protect the wallpaper from being damaged by the doorknob — another little detail that’s so important in the long run, especially in a house with a child and dogs.
Also included: doors for the cabinet under the sink, hanging artwork, and coming up with a tieback for the shower curtain, but by this time next week, all of that will be behind me.
This cupboard has been fantastic for tool storage, but it needs some doors!
And now for the other bathroom…
Primary Family Bathroom
Well, here’s the bad news: the Primary Bathroom has not even started yet. Sigh. It will not be crossing this finish line, but I will keep you posted to be sure. And thankfully every single one of my wonderful sponsors has been gracious and understanding about the delay. Construction is simply an unpredictable process full of surprises and delays — particularly when you aren’t doing the work yourself.
So stayed tuned for that project to be completed sometime in the next decade… we laugh so we don’t cry, right?
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to a week of finishing it all up!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
Pin it!
Week Six | May 10 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Week Six | May 10 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: two bathroom renos at once!
For the Spring 2023 One Room Challenge we are working on TWO bathrooms: finishing our Guest/Studio Bathroom and then tackling our Primary Family Bath.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Here we are at Week 6. So I had this funny observation this morning… in the Before Times (pre-pandemic) the ORC was 6 weeks long. We would be doing the big reveal this week, which would be just about right for our Studio/Guest Bathroom. Of course, that project started last SEPTEMBER, so in no way was it a 6 week project, but here we are.
In other news, I can’t tell you more, but we are beginning a HUGE project next week — because, yes, I needed another project to do. But garden lovers and pollinator friends: stay tuned. This one is going to be amazeballs!
Ok. Back to the projects at hand…
Seriously. These daffodils!
Because we have two rooms in two very different states of work, I’ll divide the updates into two sections each week.
The Studio/Guest Bath
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
This week was all about light and lighting — so much fun! One of this project’s sponsors, Kichler, sent me some of their new Phix Wall Sconce from their Modern Collection, and they are gorgeous! I installed one just outside the bathroom in the hallway. Now, this area is also my laundry area, and it used to be DISMAL. I hated the wall fixture that was there, but replacing it wasn’t a high priority. I’m so happy with the new sconces! They have both an uplight and a downlight — so already they are twice as bright as the old fixtures. And they are so much more stylish!
This light comes in three different color/metal combinations, but I am a huge fan of this white and gold look. It’s perfection!
This is just a quick snapshot right after I installed the light. But it makes a HUGE difference!
I had several other small projects this week, but the biggest was rewiring the vintage bubble fixture and installing it in the bathroom. If you have never rewired a fixture before: honestly, it sounds much harder than it is. A ceiling mount light like this one is particularly easy. I used a kit which made it a quick project, and it looks fabulous in the bathroom. I’ll use the second one upstairs when the time comes. It is rewired and ready to go.
Last week we talked flamingo art, and then I took my son to the zoo. What did we see? Flamingos! I got some fun photos of them in their glory, and I will probably print and frame one. Do you have a favorite?
We are near the end of this project. Somehow I keep writing that and then find more things to do! But truly, we are near the end!
Primary Family Bathroom
Last week we got the greenlight from the insurance company to begin, but were my contractors prepared? Nope. They offered to start demolition, but did they have a path forward? Nope.
Stay tuned. I’m not sure where we are going from here, but it’s not good.
Lots of fun things on the horizon, and only 2 more weeks to wrap up this ORC. Thanks for following along! If you are doing the One Room Challenge, let me know, so I can follow your project, too. And if you need some inspiration, check out #orcat on Instagram where you’ll find all of the ORC projects. So many cool transformations under way!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to a week of work and progress! More next week!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Five | May 3 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Week Five | May 3 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: two bathroom renos at once!
For the Spring 2023 One Room Challenge we are working on TWO bathrooms: finishing our Guest/Studio Bathroom and then tackling our Primary Family Bath.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
I am still not over the joy and delight of the new carpet downstairs. That seems rather silly at times, but the fact is: having the entire lower level of our home in chaos for over a year has been exhausting. Completely exhausting. It’s been so dirty and cluttered and felt completely beyond my control. For a year. And I don’t think I really realized how much of a strain that has been.
Now, let’s be clear: this is written from a point of privilege. This is not the chaos that war or poverty or a natural disaster incurs. We have insurance. We didn't lose anything valuable in the flooding incidents. And we will be ok in the end. But even this relatively minor disruption of the sanctity of home has caused a great deal of turmoil, stress, and anxiety. And I know many of you have experienced the same – or worse. Loss of home. Loss of valued possessions. Loss of important people in your lives. Loss of community.
When I was teaching in Minnesota, long ago, a HUGE tornado demolished much of the town of St. Peter, Minnesota. The Red Cross called for volunteers in the days just after the storm, and I loaded a van full of young women to go help. Armed with trash bags and work gloves and work boots, we formed a chain – walking through people's yards looking for personal items and clearing out trash. We picked up anything that was salvageable or identifiable and placed it on the front porch of the home. We saw knitting needles driven through trees and yarn – the remains of a yard store – wound around tree branches. We found bikes and dolls and a roller skate. But what I remember most was the glass – so much glass in every yard. How many years did it take for people to be able to safely walk through their yards again? I don't know.
So our small incident was nothing on that scale, but I know how stressful it is to even have part of your home damaged. To have that sanctity of home violated and destroyed. Homes and home life is so important for us all. Our environment shapes each of us, and when that environment feels out of control or unpleasant or unsafe those effects flow into the rest of our lives, too. If that is you, I'm extending you a virtual hug today. Truly.
Even my tulips are flamingo-colored right now!
Because we have two rooms in two very different states of work, I’ll divide the updates into two sections each week.
The Studio/Guest Bath
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
Let's talk flamingos. My original vision for this bathroom was a room filled with flamingos. As we don't live in the tropics and that seemed a little overboard, I scaled that vision back. But I still need some flamingos in here – a bit of the tropics on a cold snowy day here in Colorado not to mention a perfect nod to the Atomic Ranch vibe in our house.
So… bring on the flamingos!
I have two framed flamingo prints. One is a line drawing by Picasso. This is a reproduction of a fictional museum poster. But it's the right colors and the right idea.
The second print is an antique plate from a French book. I love this little flamingo family!
This print is from Tula Pink’s True Colors collection.
It comes in two colorways — and I decided to use both in the room.
And I have done some sewing for this bathroom. First I hemmed the shower curtain – not exciting, but it needed to be done. Then I made a few flamingo accessories. I have had this Tula Pink fabric for years, and this seems like exactly the right place to use it! So I made a little tissue box cover and a little bin to hold a few necessities for guests. This room is so small I can't have many accessories, so what I use needs to pack a punch!
Anyway, the Guest/Studio Bath is nearly done, and I'm going to save the big ta-da for the end. That seems coy, and I don't usually do that, but I feel like this bathroom deserves a big ta-da!
Primary Family Bathroom
The big news this week came Monday: we have the greenlight from the insurance company to start demolition. As soon as the contractor can get a crew here to begin demolition, it will begin. I'll keep you posted! Will we finish in time? If they have their act together – and they assure me they do – then yes, we will.
Stay tuned!
In the meantime, let me tell you about this tile. These are the two tiles for the upstairs bathroom. The teal will be the wall tile in the shower area. And the squares will be the floor tile throughout. The tile is from Modwalls, and it is absolutely dreamy!
The tile is from Modwalls. The smaller tile is for the floor, and the larger glass tile will be in the shower and tub.
I'm in the process of choosing wallpaper from A-Street Prints who are sponsoring this bathroom, too. There are so many good choices, and I have it narrowed down, but I am still waiting for one more set of samples, before I make a final decision.
I have a new sponsor for this bathroom, too. Emtek sent a box of bathroom goodies which I’ll share soon. So many beautiful pieces as this bathroom is coming together! Thank you, Emtek!
I rewired the vintage bubble fixtures this week, too. So they are ready to hang when the time comes. I absolutely love them!
Now it is time to get back to work! I have a lot to do! If you are doing the One Room Challenge, let me know, so I can follow your project, too. And if you need some inspiration, check out #orcat on Instagram where you’ll find all of the ORC projects. So many cool transformations under way!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to a week of work and progress! More next week!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Four | April 25 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Week Four | April 25 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: two bathroom renos at once!
For the Spring 2023 One Room Challenge we are working on TWO bathrooms: finishing our Guest/Studio Bathroom and then tackling our Primary Family Bath.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Because we have two rooms in two very different states of work, I’ll divide the updates into two sections each week.
The Studio/Guest Bath
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
Ok. First things first: the new carpet is in and is so nice! Of course, this means that the entire downstairs was emptied last week. We had a crew that moved everything out, put it in a shipping container on our driveway, and then moved it all back when the carpet was installed. I’m still settling back in, but having carpet and a somewhat tidy room again after over a year of chaos — well, it is an amazing feeling, frankly!
The Guest Room was even fit for hosting a guest this weekend!
My office and creative space — now with fresh carpet again. Is it beige? Yep.
In the bathroom, my husband finally was able to figure out how to hang the mirror. I found it on FBMP, but it is originally from Restoration Hardware. It’s sooo heavy and hangs on two pivots, but they didn’t line up with the studs in the wall. So Romano had to get creative. But it is up, and I do love it!
So many necessities to install! But we are making progress!
You can see that the mirror tilts. Because we had to change faucets (long story of a plumber whose negligence almost cost me my sanity), the mirror can’t pivot anymore. But I’m ok with that. It still looks the part, and is very functional. That’s what matters!
We also have installed almost all of the accessories from Speakman. I absolutely love how substantial they are — and such a beautiful chrome finish. The little glass shelf will be perfect for a guest’s toothbrush and glasses since we don’t have a countertop in here.
And that hand towel bar! I HATE towel rings. They take up too much space and always look a little off to me. But this small towel bar is part of Speakman’s Lura collection, and it’s perfect. And shall we have a train rack appreciation moment? I mean — not only does it look glamorous, it also holds a full collection of clamps with ease! Seriously, that will be the perfect place for extra towels and toiletry bags.
All of this chrome just brings the retro glam, and I am here for it!
Speaking of retro glam: this light is from Kichler, and it is perfection over this mirror. That’s always a bit of a risk, frankly. Will it all work together the way I see it in my head? In this case, the answer was YES! It’s almost exactly the same width as the mirror and brings those late 50’s vibes that I was hoping for.
Just check out this photo from the 1958 American Standard catalogue. That light fixture and mirror combination… it’s so close!
This might be the last peek I’ll give you of this bathroom. Otherwise, there won’t be much left for the big reveal. But fear not: there’s a whole other bathroom to discuss…
Primary Family Bathroom
We are still waiting for the final OKs from the insurance company. I call and email daily. I’m not sure what the hold up is, but it is infuriating. However, even given that, we still SHOULD be able to finish this little room on time. Fingers crossed!
But I’m using this time to work on another project: lighting. I bought these bubble lights about five years ago knowing I wanted to use them in these bathrooms one day. I have two, so they will be the overhead fixtures in each bathroom.
They are unmarked, but I think they were designed by Helena Tynell, a Finnish designer, for the German glassmaker, Glashütte Limburg, in the early 1960s. I got them for a song and have been dreaming about installing them for years. So hooray! I just need to rewire them so they can be installed.
I’ll be wallpapering this room as well. Wallpaper is back! I’m still waiting for a few samples to arrive, before I make the final choice, but I have it narrowed down to a few fabulous prints.
Hopefully I’ll have more news on this room in the coming days. Check in on Instagram for the latest updates.
Now it is time to get back to work! I have a lot to do! If you are doing the One Room Challenge, let me know, so I can follow your project, too. And if you need some inspiration, check out #orcat on Instagram where you’ll find all of the ORC projects. So many cool transformations under way!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to a week of work and progress! More next week!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Three | April 19 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Week Three | April 19 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: two bathroom renos at once!
For the Spring 2023 One Room Challenge we are working on TWO bathrooms: finishing our Guest/Studio Bathroom and then tackling our Primary Family Bath.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Because we have two rooms in two very different states of work, I’ll divide the updates into two sections each week.
The Studio/Guest Bath
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
Now that the glass is installed, we are down to finishing projects in this bathroom. That includes installing all of the fittings that complete a bathroom — hooks, toilet paper holders, towel bars, and the like. Most of these items were given to us by Speakman, and they are gorgeous!
Here’s just one lovely example with many more to come:
This Speakman towel rack will be a great place for guests to keep their toiletry kits as well as for hanging towels. I love the vintage train rack feel!
The mirror — a FBMP find — is giving my husband fits. It’s really heavy and has been difficult to hang as the spacing it wrong for it to hit two studs. But he has a plan, and hopefully it will be up soon. That’s the last major piece to go.
So many necessities to install! But we are making progress!
Our whole house has been in an upheaval this week, though, because we finally are getting new carpet in the downstairs. When the second flood, Poop-a-Palooza, happened in December, not only did the sewer water saturate the new bathroom floor. It also flooded out into the hallway and into the guest room as well. This meant we needed new carpet in the entire downstairs. Ironically, this means that this week we completely dismantled the first TWO rooms I did for the One Room Challenge! So as I write, the contents of the Guest Room and my office are in a storage container on the driveway, and new carpet was installed today.
So the next few days will involve unpacking and resettling those two rooms. Not a small feat, honestly. But they have been the dumping ground for construction materials and debris of all kinds because of the bathroom project, so it will be nice to have them put back together for real after a year of chaos.
Here are a few photos of the rooms before — and then with the new carpet. It isn’t a big change, but it is nice not to have bare concrete on the floor anymore!
Primary Family Bathroom
As soon as the downstairs is habitable — which is almost true — we will be able to start on the upstairs.
Our big news for this week: we cut a hole in the soffit over the sink to see if it can be removed. Hooray! It can! So that will definitely be coming out which makes me so very happy!
I am making design choices for this room and finalizing details. I have already made the tile choices, and I’ll snap a photo of that gorgeousness for next week’s update. So many exciting things ahead! If you follow me on Pinterest and want a peek at what I’m considering, check out my Bathroom Renovations board — and the other bathroom boards as well.
But I’ll leave you with one sneak peek… the floor tile is inspired by the tile in my elementary school bathroom. I know. It’s weird. But this school was built in the 1950’s and had 1x1” tile on the bathroom floor in a delightful mix of colors. It also had a foot-activated sink that was REALLY fun! So this Primary Bath will be an homage to elementary school in all the best ways! When I saw this tile from Modwalls… well, I knew it needed to be part of this project. Isn’t it fun?!
The floor tile! Modwalls’ Brio Glass Mosaic Tile in the Palm Springs blend. It’s sooo yummy!
Now it is time to get back to work! I have a lot to do! If you are doing the One Room Challenge, let me know, so I can follow your project, too. And if you need some inspiration, check out #orcat on Instagram where you’ll find all of the ORC projects. So many cool transformations under way!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to a week of work and progress! More next week!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Two | April 12 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Week Two | April 12 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: two bathroom renos at once!
For the Spring 2023 One Room Challenge we are working on TWO bathrooms: finishing our Guest/Studio Bathroom and then tackling our Primary Family Bath.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Shockingly, there was progress this week! Because we have two rooms in two very different states of work, I’ll divide the updates into two sections each week.
The Studio/Guest Bath
Some before photos as well as some images of the inspiration for this project.
We have been waiting for 6 weeks for the glass for the shower to arrive and to be installed. And it is finally here! The Studio/Guest Bathroom has been at a standstill waiting for the glass to arrive, but now that it is installed, we can move toward the big finish! I am so excited!
New glass installed to solve my crazy soffit problem. Honestly, I can’t even believe this is my bathroom!
You may be wondering, “Angela, that is a really small piece of glass. What’s up?” Well, my friend, you are correct. But it solves a BIG problem in this shower. The soffit from the ceiling contains HVAC ducting which can’t be relocated easily. But it also keeps the showerhead at a pretty low level. We are tall people. So when I hang a shower curtain under the soffit, water hits my head and splashes over the shower curtain. It’s a strange little problem, but it is annoying enough that it needed to be fixed.
I wanted to put a shower curtain in this bathroom both because it is MUCH less expensive than custom glass doors and also because it is a softer, more historically-appropriate look. BUT I want to hang the shower curtain higher — from the soffit to the wall. Now that’s exactly what will happen. And there shouldn’t be any more splashing!
We met with the contractors and told them we would be finishing this bathroom ourselves with the exception of two minor repairs their tile person will do when they are tiling the bathroom upstairs.
So now it is on us to finish, and I am so excited about this bathroom. I did a lot of research into bathroom styles from 1958 — the year our home was built. And I’m hopeful that the final rooms represent that era’s best while still being forward looking.
Primary Family Bathroom
We had a meeting with our contractor last week about the upstairs bathroom. Why, do you ask, would we continue to use these contractors?
Well, there are two reasons:
Part of this project is an insurance claim from the flood. Switching gears at this point makes that so much more complicated. Despite that, I have called multiple contractors because we are now over a year into this project, and only one bathroom is done. But that leads me to reason 2…
A little over a year ago, 1100 homes burned to the ground in the Marshall Fire — just a few miles from our house. That means in addition to any other work people are doing on their homes, there are 1100 new homes being rebuilt. Every contractor around has more work than they can handle. I can’t even get other contractors to return my calls — our project is too small and the profit margin is too low. And I am not sure anyone else would be better.
So, unless I can come up with someone new in the next few weeks, we will be working with the same contractor. I will also be insisting that they use a toilet plug so we don’t have any other complications like we had downstairs.
I have made most of the design decisions for this room already. We just have a few unresolved questions which we will clarify in the next few weeks. One involves the soffit over the sink area. Is it necessary? If not, it’s coming out. So, I’ll be cutting a hole in the drywall in the next few days to explore!
Now it is time to get back to work! I have a lot to do! If you are doing the One Room Challenge, let me know, so I can follow your project, too. And if you need some inspiration, check out #orcat on Instagram where you’ll find all of the ORC projects. So many cool transformations under way!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to a week of work and progress! More next week!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week One | April 5 | Mid Modern Bathrooms Two Ways
Week One | April 5, 2023 | Mid Modern Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: two bathroom renos at once!
For the Spring 2023 One Room Challenge we are working on TWO bathrooms: finishing our Guest/Studio Bathroom and then tackling our Primary Family Bath.
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
One year ago yesterday I came home to find water pouring through the ceiling of our downstairs bathroom. The toilet in the upstairs bath had overflowed and the shutoff valve failed, so water ran and ran and ran for more than four hours flooding both bathrooms. Here we are a year later, and the bathrooms aren’t finished yet. In fact, one isn’t even started.
But we are going to fix that!
After battling our insurance company, a contractor who didn’t put our bathroom at the top of their to-do list, and a second flood — caused by the contractor’s negligence — which meant we had to start over again, we are finally ready to finish the downstairs bathroom, and then get to work upstairs.
Some of this project will be completed by the contractor. Some of it will be DIY. But hopefully at the end of the 8 week period, both of these bathrooms will be finished at long last!
The Studio/Guest Bath
Inspiration Board
The Studio/Guest Bath before
Studio/Guest Bath now
Studio/Guest Bath now
As I said before, the Studio/Guest bath is nearly done. We are waiting for one last big installation and the finishing touches — hooks, artwork, a mirror, and towel bars. There are a few punchlist items for the contractor to finish, too. But we are close.
I stripped and refinished this tub. It took hours, but it was absolutely worth it!
Wallpaper from A Street Prints with tile samples from Modwalls. They are all layed out inside the bathtub. I love how the greens work together!
Once that room is done and functional, we will turn our attention to the Primary Family Bath upstairs. We will also be taking this bathroom down to the studs.
Primary Family Bathroom
To date the Primary Family Bath is ugly but functional. It was clearly renovated in the past with the cheapest materials and hasn’t aged well.
For this room I’m taking inspiration from our family’s favorite activity: swimming. This room with be a watery oasis with some Mid Modern character when we are done — not a watery flood zone. And I can’t wait!
So now it is time to get to work! If you are doing the One Room Challenge, let me know, so I can follow your project, too. And if you need some inspiration, check out #orcat on Instagram where you’ll find all of the ORC projects. So many cool transformations under way!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to a week of work and progress! More next week!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Something | January 13 | Mid Modern Bathroom
Week Something | January 13 | Mid Modern Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: our Guest Bathroom
For the Fall 2022 One Room Challenge we are taking our guest bathroom down to the studs and starting over. This project is LONG overdue, and we can’t wait to get started!
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
So here it is: mid-January. Is the bathroom that started in April done yet? No. No, it is not.
We were sooooo close when I last updated you. There was floor tile and wall tile. And then after that: wallpaper went up!
And then, on December 4: another disaster. So, I had spoken with our contractor several times about the fact that the hole in the floor where the toilet usually sits was just stuffed with a rag. I was reassured over and over that it was no big deal — nothing was going to happen.
Well, on December 4 I came downstairs to find inches of water and sewage which covered the brand new tile floor, saturated the drywall, and saturated the carpet in two adjacent rooms. I can’t even begin to describe my horror.
So, the remediation team came again to rip out the drywall, the floor tile, and now carpet, too.
All for want of a very inexpensive plug.
So, what’s going on with our sewer line that this keeps happening? I’ll have a whole guide to write when this is done, but after a LOT of investigation, it comes down to some tree roots and lazy rooter companies who aren’t using the right size tool to clear out the tree roots. We got a good recommendation for how to handle it and who to call. But the bottom line: had there been a plug on the toilet, this WOULD NOT have happened.
Lesson: If you are doing a bathroom renovation or are ever having one done, INSIST on that plug (it’s under $15).
Because it was the holiday season, we got the drywall replaced and the walls prepped for wallpaper, and then I just walked away. We needed some time and space without workers in our home.
Now we are back. The Modwalls floor tile was installed again this week. It still looks amazing! Wallpaper (from A Street Prints) will go in again next week. And then we really are VERY close to being done.
I can’t even believe we are still in this situation, but oh well! This is how it goes.
More soon — I hope!
Cheers!
Angela
And here it is! Cleaned, shined, and sealed. I am in love!
Wallpaper from A Street Prints with tile samples from Modwalls. They are all layed out inside the bathtub. I love how the greens work together!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to a week of work and progress! More next week!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!
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Week Eight | November 16 | Mid Modern Bathroom
Week Eight | November 16 | Mid Modern Bathroom
Take a peek into my latest One Room Challenge project: our Guest Bathroom
For the Fall 2022 One Room Challenge we are taking our guest bathroom down to the studs and starting over. This project is LONG overdue, and we can’t wait to get started!
Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
Is the room done? Nope.
Does it look any different than it did last week? Also nope.
Are there contractors coming this week. Yes.
Will it be done soon? Who know! But it will be done right — and that is what matters.
When it is done, you’ll be the first to know about it — that’s for sure! But nothing is under my control at this point, so I’m working very hard to be patient.
Update!
In the days since I drafted this, we now have tile! It’s not quite done, but I thought I would add a few photos! Hurray for progress! Even in these terrible photos you can see how gorgeous this Modwalls tile will be!
In the meantime, may I recommend that you take a moment to check out The Nice List — my holiday season planner and Thoughtful Giving Guide! Both will help make your holiday season more intentional and thoughtful, no matter how you celebrate!
And here it is! Cleaned, shined, and sealed. I am in love!
Wallpaper from A Street Prints with tile samples from Modwalls. They are all layed out inside the bathtub. I love how the greens work together!
To Linda Weinstein, the creator of the One Room Challenge, I offer my most sincere thanks. Thank you for offering this kind of opportunity and for opening it up to anyone. And to Apartment Therapy, the ORC media sponsor: thank you for making this possible! And to all of the other ORC participants: I’ll be sure to stop by to admire your work! It is always fun to do this together!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for updates as the seasons change. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my newsletter below so the weekly updates will pop right into your inbox.
Here’s to a week of work and progress! More next week!
Cheers!
Angela
Thanks to my sponsors for this project!
Interested in being a sponsor? Let me know!
Don’t miss a single update!
Sign up and each installment of the One Room Challenge will come directly to your email on Thursdays! And be sure to stop by the One Room Challenge Blog to check out the other creative renovations happening across the country. You can also follow #oneroomchallenge and #orcat on Instagram for more inspiration! Be sure to follow me as well!