Please help me decorate my bathroom! (Thank you!)

13 years ago

PLEASE NOTE: This is a cross post -- I also posted in the Home Decorating Forum. I hope this is OK. Believe me, I need ALL of the help I can get!!! ;o) Thank you!

OK... so we just got done stripping the old wallpaper off in our small downstairs half bath. We painted the walls a lovely "coffee-with-milk" color (Pratt & Lambert "Muffin Tan").

The bathroom is small, only 4' x 8'. (Ceiling is low at just under 7') The vanity, mirror and toilet are all on one wall. The vanity and medicine cabinet/mirror and light above it were faux finished by me.

There is one window. One small ceiling light. The floor is neutral.

Our home is a 1500 SF Cape Cod (built in the 50's), and my decorating style is casual/country cottage.

Here are some pictures:

Standing in the hall looking into the bathroom:

The long "left" wall, as you look in:

The vanity base:

Vanity top:

Mirror and light above vanity:

Short window wall:

Long, empty right wall:

In the bathroom, looking at the (closed) door:

My main dilemmas are:

1. The long left wall is BUSY. Everything is on that wall. There is no changing that!

2. The long right wall is PLAIN and BLANK, and I just don't know what to do with it. I'm having a heck of a time finding wall art (pictures, etc.) One or two pictures on that whole long wall just won't seem to "cut it"... will it? I'd like to find a cute set of 4... and really try to *fill* that wall.

Here are two pictures that I already have, they are 13.5" x 16.5" each:

They're not very "bathroom-y" but I do like them. But again, I just don't think that's *enough* for the long, bare wall. Is it?!

I also like these from Sturbridge Yankee Workshop (they are each 13.5" square). (I don't own them already, I'd have to buy them:)

Not bathroom-y either, but I like them, and since there are 4 of them, they'd fill the wall better... no?

And then there's this little corner, and I mean little! Only 8.5" from corner to door trim. But IF I could find something VERY SMALL, maybe a wrought iron type stand or something... that might look nice, and it would be *something else* on the long bare wall! Any suggestions?

(And since you can kinda see him on the door, here's a close-up of the little mouse I stenciled!)

My husband is handy and can build anything... so if you can think of something interesting that could be added to that long right wall (that wouldn't protrude too far, as space is rather tight in there!), I could probably make it happen!

Also, I will include below the link to my finished kitchen thread, so you can see my "style"... plus in that thread are pictures of my other downstairs rooms, too... so maybe that will help you visualize things.

Thank you ALL very much! I am really looking forward to seeing what you talented GW'ers can come up with for me!

Lynn

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to pics of our finished kitchen, and other rooms downstairs

Comments (9)

marie_louise
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My first suggestion was going to be wallpaper, but if you just took it off I'm guessing you don't want to do that.

For my own guest bathroom (MUCH smaller than yours), I have a combination of signed art, posters and family photos. The frames and sizes are all different, similar to what you'd do going up a stairway. My walls are covered, and some of them are hung low enough so that you see them while you are sitting down. The photos are real conversation pieces, "Is that you???"

I'd also get a magazine rack and mount it on the wall, or preferably, the vanity.

You could build a recess into the wall, but personally, I wouldn't mess up your new paint job. Just hang pictures until it looks finished.
tiskers
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
ML,
Thank you for the post and the suggestions!
Please keep 'em comin' !!! ;o)
Lynn
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I feel your pain. It is just so hard to know what to do with this stuff. And in my bathroom, all the little extras are in that peachy pink color. Toilet paper holder, towel bar holder, toothbrush thingy.... Looks like we have the identical tub: and maybe toilet, too. Ours is American Standard: Different sink - yours looks like there might be storage somewhere under the sink. Instead of exposed plumbing. "You can't get a mud job like that these days" I tried to take closeup pictures of this weird paint job on the walls, but really the second to last picture in this post shows the colors best. Pink, peach, mint, and LAVENDER. I really detest this paint job, although I'm sure it took forever to do. So now I'll prowl through savethepinkbathrooms.com and elsewhere to get ideas about what to do with these walls. I'd love to know what you come up with! bean
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You must be in my neighborhood! Seriously, your baths are SO similar to ours in our 1964 house. Here's what we have done: Master bath--was Pepto Bismol pink. We had it reglazed in white and it's holding up well. We had the tiny tile floor ripped up and redone. Upstairs hall bath--was baby boy blue. DH tackled this one (very unusual!) by ripping out the floor and taking down the tile. He installed white beadboard and a new floor. The tub is the same exact style you have, which really is a high quality cast-iron tub. I hate the cliche that they "don't make things like they used to", but in this case, I really think it's true. This tub holds the heat like no other. It's worth saving, either as is, or having it professionally reglazed. First floor half-bath--DH painted the tiles with a latex paint in a beige and we then had the floor redone by a professional. We added another full bath in the basement area and used a one-unit tub/wall combo (not nearly as good at holding heat as the cast iron tub upstairs). We did tile on the walls and floors. Check out professional tile reglazing in your Yellow Pages. It will tide you over until you can tackle a reno. My advise is this: keep the cast iron tubs, but change out the faucets to a "mixer valve", which is fairly inexpensive. Good luck. I did all I could do to live w/ the pink and blue. No matter what I did it screamed "60's"!
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First, I do agree with @emilyam819 that it’s important to budget for the things you don’t see. The materials needed to properly build and waterproof the shower are not cheap and shouldn’t be skimped on. Also, shower and tub fixtures require parts that go behind the walls. Be sure any plumbing fixtures you buy include all that parts necessary for assembling them. For example, check to see if sink faucets include hoses and a drain. Often they don’t and you have to buy those items a la carte. Also, to help with suggestions, it would be helpful to know if you prefer wall mount, four hole, three hole, or single hole. Also don’t forget to budget for your sinks and countertops. I definitely would stick to tile only in the shower and on floor from a budget perspective. More tile looks gorgeous but adds up in terms of both labor and materials. Also, make sure you talk to your contractor about exactly how he installs and finishes tile (including the prep steps he does before he ever puts the first piece down). Read up on Houzz on proper tile installation - you won’t become an expert but you’ll learn enough to spit red flags. Just search the advice forums for tile questions - you’ll be horrified at what you see and it will help you be cautious and ask good questions. Love everything you’ve picked out and I agree that vanity is a steal. Personally I would choose all gold. Mixed metals can look great but I’d be uncomfortable attempting it without a pro advising me. As for the floor, I think it’s important to consider the other flooring in the house, especially in the area where the bathroom is. I wouldn’t do the wood look tile if you have hardwoods elsewhere. And if there are bathroom floors elsewhere that you plan to keep, I’d choose something relatively similar for this room. Or if you plan to rip up other bath floors later, consider something you’d be willing to use on those floors as well. The idea is to not have the floors in all the rooms of the house feel like a quilt - all different, with no relationship to each other.
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kitchenaddict
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
tiskers...I really like what you have going so far. The paint is very nice. It's all very neutral in there (just the way I like it!) I think with some nice hand towels, a pretty picture, and a throw rug you'll be all set. If you want to do more, I'll have to leave those suggestions to someone who is better at decorating...

I did want to say that I checked out your kitchen and it's really nice. (Love your cat). I noticed you have the GE Profile Range. I just got mine last month. How has it been for you? Do you like the Stainless Steel cooktop? That is the main reason I chose it, and I'm hoping that it always looks as good as it does now...

Okay...back to your bathroom..

KA:)
lazy_gardens
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I like it the way it is ... a nice, low-key powder room.

I would put shelves over the toilet, with some tan or brown and white hand towels, add a rug that goes with the towels and quit.
tiskers
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
KA,

Thanks for the reply and the kind words; I appreciate it!

Yes, I love the GE Profile range w/ the SS cooktop. It sees A LOT of use and is VERY easy to clean. Still looks nearly brand new, too. I think you'll be thrilled! After using it for well over a year I will say that I have become a little less obsessive ;o) about keeping the top *PERFECT*... I don't wipe up every crumb immediately anymore, or every little water spot left behind by the sponge!!! haha!

And oh... if you like Boo (the cat) you should see his new little brother Bentley!!! He's a blue lynx mitted Ragdoll and we are quite smitten with him, too! If you're interested, you can see his picture in my cross-post of this thread over in the Home Decorating forum! ;o)

Thanks again for the reply!

--Lynn
tiskers
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
LG,
Thanks for the post. (I just now saw it, even though it's before KA's... ???!)

Well, you are a woman after my own DH's heart -- he'd LOVE it to be *done* very soon, too!!! ;o)

I like the idea of keeping it plain and simple ("low key") but still feel like the long wall needs *something*... but not just anything... I feel like it needs to be something *juuuuuust right* for the space. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks!
Lynn
pinch_me
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That looks like a room I would have. I'd go with hershey bar chocolate brown and werther's butterscotch gold and maybe some off white. Maybe stripe or figured towels? I didn't see a shower. Maybe a mirror on that long wall? There are lots of oval stenciled ones around. I know. I've been looking at mirrors. I like yours a lot. Tell me about it. Maybe another one with a similar frame hung the long way? It looks like your medicine cabinet is about half way of the long wall? Then build your art work around the mirror? It might add some depth, too. I drag home 3 or 4 times as many things as I think I will use, hold them up and return the ones that don't cut it. I'll be doing that real soon. I want to have my paper up first. Yup. Papering. There's something about paper that speaks to me.
tiskers
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Pinch Me, thanks for the note! I should have probably clarified in my first post, this is the half-bath downstairs; the full bath with tub and shower is upstairs.

What would you like to know about the mirror? It's just a very inexpensive oak medicine cabinet that I faux finished.

I like wallpaper, too, but slowly I've been stripping it from our home, and that bathroom was the last room to have it. I must admit, I do enjoy the simple, low-key look of neutrally painted walls, though. Although I'll never say I won't re-paper again!!! ;o)

Anyone with any more ideas/suggestions for me, please??!! THANK YOU!

Lynn
teamtdc
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What about herbal Prints, lavender, rosemary, chamomile are herbs that one thinks of using outside the kitchen.

These are just an idea not sure if they would work with the colors, may others can help with that if you think it's a good idea.

Please help me decorate my bathroom! (Thank you!)

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Please help me decorate my bathroom! (Thank you!)

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