can you back up and take a room pic? Is it staged to sell or to use? Because it looks to me like somebody would get poked in the bum by the table if they used the toilet!! LOL!

If the floral arrangement is on that table by the toilet, it's too big, but I can't tell where it is exactly. But IMO I don't like that floral arrangement next to the sink. It looks like I would knock it over. Are you able to post an overall pic or is it too small to get one?

I agree with annellis. The floral arrangement is too big. Maybe a candle on a decorative plate surrounded by floral or woodsy potpourri would work? Or a smaller floral arrangement.

Also agree that the table looks pretty close to the toilet, but if it's for looks, maybe that doesn't matter.

I noticed the tag on your towels. Cut that off, maybe?

Otherwise, I love the sink and the wall color.

I'm also a "less is more" person, and I think both the floral arrangement and table should be removed. They both take up too much space. I'd also eliminate the candle and call it good. Color combination is fine. Hope you find a look you can live with! Even if you don't love it, it's just for staging and is only temporary, right?

Yes, I'd take out the table and arrangement.

A simple glass shelf over the toilet can hold what's on the back of the toilet now, a candle or two, and your Aveeno bottle, which is taking up a lot of real estate on your sink (and heck, I'd decant the Aveeno into a prettier pump bottle while I was at it!)

Agreed, I would take out the table with the flowers and candle.

I agree that the table and flower arrangement don't need to be there. I'm also not loving the faux finish around the sink. It's just not working for me on my monitor but maybe it looks better in reality! Sorry... Everything else looks quite nice. It's just hard to get a visual of the whole room because the pics are of bits and pieces.

I'd eliminate the faux painting (the stencil and the sponging). It doesn't make sense (to me at least) to emphasize the wall bump-in. I also think all the metal should match. Right now the faucets and water supplies are chrome, but the TP holder, towel bar and soap dispenser are ORB.

Thank you for looking and giving me your opinions!!

Annellis: The room is really too small to get a good overall picture. IÂve uploaded a couple more pictures but I donÂt think theyÂll help much. ItÂs hilarious that you brought up the table being so close to toilet. My DH has poked his bum a few times sitting on the toilet and then I hear #!?## coming from the bathroom. Now a more mature and kind wife wouldnÂt laugh and get the giggles but thatÂs not me. IÂm so glad everyone agrees with me regarding the floral arrangement!! I feel vindicated. The floral arrangement gets put in the accessory cemetery where it will have many others of it kind to feel welcomed.

Randita: Thank you for your compliments. The floral arrangement is history.

Kimberlyrkb: IÂll remove the table and floral arrangement and IÂve included a picture of the bathroom without both. The staging was not temporary, weÂre not moving. I still need to figure out where I can store extra toilet paper rolls.

Housevixen: IÂve included a picture without the arrangement, Aveeno bottle and table. I really donÂt like the look of shelves over any toilet. IÂm pretty sure I live with 3 of the laziest, clumsiest, absentminded children in the world. The extra toilet paper rolls would eventually end up in the toilet. That would lead me to get to know my plumber on a much more personal level and then IÂd feel obligated to invite him over for the holidays.

Dd50: Take a look at the bathroom without the table and arrangement. Any suggestions other then above the toilet for storing extra toilet paper?

Sueb20: I completely agree with you about the faux finish!! It really looks a lot better in person but not a keeper.

Sue36: Ditto!! I really like your suggestion about the metal. I never thought of that just one more reason to love this forum.

How about wainscoting or bead board  chair rail height?

Once again thank you.
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I was in a house recently and they had a beautiful leather carry-all tucked behind the toilet. In the carry-all they had about five or six extra rolls of toilet paper. I don't know if that would work but I thought it looked great. I've also seen long handled stands for holding extra rolls that you can also tuck behind the toilet, in the corner, where your garbage can currently is. HTH

I agree with all the suggestions here with just a few more. I'd change the mirror to a white or chrome and I'd get a waste basket to match the mirror. I like the idea of bead board and maybe put up white accent piece on the wall over the toilet that is less formal that the one there now. It's a lovely color to accent with white. Show us the pictures when you finish please.

I think the mixed metals look fine. I love that it's not matchy matchy. Alo not crazy about the faux finish or that medallion thing above the mirror.

With the curves in the walls I think it would be very tough to do beadboard, but you may be able to paint the lower part of the wall white or off-white and put some wood trim above to mimic the look.

Other than the basket or a stand for the TP, you could buy a wall-mounted medicine cabinet with solid doors (or mirrored) to hang over the toilet. It only needs to be about 4-5 inches deep. I have seen them at Homegoods/Marshalls/etc. in different finishes. I had bought painted wood one from an antique store and used it in our similar size/pedestal sink powder room and it was great. I was able to store all the necessities out of sight. Restoration HArdware has something similar with their Cartwright med. cabinet, but I am pretty sure Lowes and HD have versions too for about $100. (mine cost maybe $30 but I repainted it.)

The wall color is ok, doesn't wow me but it's hard to tell on my monitor. I just think the accessories are too much. I am not wild about the print either. It's darkness to me fights with the mirror, which I actually DO like. For fun, once I removed a lot of the unnecessary accessories I might find a fun patterned rug instead of the solid one. Could be an animal print or a small oriental rug to pull in some color and pattern...these can be found inexpensively just about anywhere.

I think I'm going to be the lone dissenter here and say that I actually like the mirror, faux finish and the thingy above the mirror. I don't think it goes with the pedestal sink. Would it be possible to add an actual vanity cabinet below? That would solve the storage problem and then the table could be removed. I would also get rid of the tp stand and just mount a unit on the wall.

We have a vintage suitcase - one of those small square hard-sided ones. It's tallish and smallish - I think maybe people used them to carry their vanity stuff, because it's way to small for clothes. But anyway, we keep it closed and tucked under the corner of our pedestal sink. It's just the right size to hole 4 rolls of TP and a couple extra hand towels.

Only you know for sure about the size of the table, but I like the table itself - it looks like you could push it a couple inches closer to the sink to give more butt-clearance near the toilet. I think the floral arrangement was what was making it look too big. Maybe you could find some smaller stuff to put there - a pretty tray to hold bottles of lotion or hand sanitizer, a box of tissues in a pretty cover, something like that. Whatever you pick, I'd make at least some of it useful as well as beautiful, so it doesn't look like you just went to the local Hobby Lobby and picked up a bunch of "Useless Decorative Accessories" because I think that kind of thing just draws attention to itself and the fact that you're trying so hard.....

Less a decorative comment than one of function: the more stuff you have on the floor, the more complicated the cleaning process. I would wall mount the toilet paper holder and look for a wall mounted holder for extra paper. If you remove the table, that would leave only the waste can on the floor.

In the room this small I would severely limit the number of decorations and focus on either the walls, floor or ceiling for a dramatic effect.

I know you said you liked the pedistal sink, but the newer old fashion cabinet sinks are really quaint for a powder room and add the storage. Do you know what I am referring to? The cabinet looks like a piece of furniture. They usually come with a sink, granite top and antique finished faucet. I like the scroll above the mirror. It seems to me the mirror is a tad high, or not long enough. I love the faux and think it would look good around the whole room instead of just in the nook. I like the table too, but if you changed the sink for one of the furniture cabinets, I think it would be too much. I still think the room looks nice and probably would leave it as is:) Can you get the matching tissue holder to put on top of the tank. I think you need something on the toilet tank top.

With the new shots you just posted, I actually like the table in there. Without it it looks a little empty. I agree with lkplatow about possibly moving it to the left an inch or two. I would remove the floral arrangement as that seems too big and imposing. I also agree with her about accessories for the table. With the table in there I like the mirror - it moves that bronze color around the room. I'm not crazy about the picture above the toilet, but it's fine for now until you find something you like better. I don't think people walk in and say "that's terrible" or anything. One day you'll just run across something you love... good luck. I=

I get an overall Old World feel when looking at the room but the accessories just don't complete the look.
I think the mirror needs a heavy ornate antique gold/ bronze frame.
I'd change out the faucets to a bronze rubbed finish with arched handles.
If you can find a narrow demi-lune table with rounded corners, that would work better than the square table. You could even have a piece of marble or granite cut to that shape and add 2 legs to the front and have decorative support brackets to mount the back of the table to the wall.
A tray holding hand lotion and rolled hand towels and some pretty guest soaps would look nice on the table.
I think a smaller picture in an ornate frame would work better on the toilet wall than the large artwork there now.
And I would add 2 candles sconces, heavy and ornate scrolled wood or metal, on the wall above the table.
I would also invest in hand towels with a "luxury" feel... maybe some fringework or monograms. The ones you have look too masculine and utilitarian to me.
The faux paint treatment is lovely and I think it would look nice on all of the walls instead of just in the niche.

I really like the feel and size of the room..sorta like a cozy jewel...I would play up those features rather than try to disguise them.

IMO - The pedestal sink doesn't stand up w/the rest of the room.
My friend sent me some real estate listing and I saw this bathroom and I thought how this kind of sinktop/vanity would look sooo great in your alcove and compliment the mirror too!

Jim

I too like the faux finish and would like to see it throughout the room. If you can't replace the pedestal, what about a skirt in a fabulous material( nothing solid as it will show water marks). You will be able to tuck some small things underneath. A friend did this and also added a chandelier to her powder room. It's one of those powder rooms you just have to tell others about. How about a pretty chest-type box to sit on the back of the toilet just big enough for maybe 2 rolls of toilet paper at a time. I also like the idea of a leather carry all or box along side the toilet to put tissue in.

I think you have a conflict between light and dark going on here.

Your pedestal sink is light-color, slender and modern. Your mirror is heavy and dark-colored.

In general, "heavy" objects mounted over "light" objects create a sense of unease in the viewer.

A dark wood sink-base would solve your problem. It would also give you cabinet space to store your toiletries.

Alternatively (and less expensively, LOL) you could put a lighter mirror over the existing sink:

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... or even paint the frame of your current mirror.

I like the faux painting, but would carry it throughout the room. I also like the little table, but do not care for the large floral arrangement at all. It looks dated & overpowers the table. I can't really tell what your light fixture looks like, but I agree that something dramatic would be fantastic in there.

Ummm...could you move the reed diffuser to a different location? To me, in it's current spot, it screams "we have an odor problem here".

Maybe I missed this, can the table be moved to where the tissue holder is in the first photos? I'd get a smaller floral arrangement.

Could you find a small cabinet/TP storage? You could always spray paint something to match your metals.

My DD had the same problem with her bath, no storage, so she bought a fixture that hooks to the tank to hold tissue, magazines, etc. Not sure that's the look you're going for, but it helped her.

Here is a link that might be useful: toilet paper storage

I like the faux finish and the scroll above the mirror as well; however, to me, the wide-frame on the mirror has an overly heavy look and also seems too small for that space. I would go with an oblong rectangular mirror with a thinner frame and a lighter color - maybe a light to medium wood with subtle scrolling and burnished gold highlights. Not necessarily this one below, which I've PS'ed, but something that size and shape. What do you think? Or maybe I'm way off base, but I like to combine straight lines with curvy decorative features to create balance.

As others have mentioned, a vanity would definitely be the ideal choice in there, but if you don't want to go that route, changing the fixtures would help since chrome fixtures are more contemporary and your decor has more sort of that old world European feel.

Yes, the new pictures do help. I just think it needs warmth and a zap of color. Maybe a towel rack that will hold rolled towels in the same shades, but of sagey or rusty orange or something with a color punch. Definitely something more on top of the toilet to warm it up. Basket of....something that won't poke your bum! LOL!!!! Maybe a larger rug or one that isn't solid.

This one has a frame that is a bit wider.

I'm not normally a faux finish fan, but I really like it in your bathroom. I like the current mirror. I think moving the table and flower arrangement out was a good thing. The changes I would make are getting rid of the pedestal sink and adding the cabinet sink, mounting the toilet paper holder on the wall, and replace the faucet with ORB. To me your bathroom is Old World and I just don't see beadboard in there.

BTW, I'd love to see pictures of the rest of your house. I've never seen a house that was professionally staged before.

Laurie

Thank you to all you for taking the time to give me your suggestions. I wish IÂd known about this website a few years back. IÂd have saved a lot of money! I included a picture with table minus the arrangement or accessories.

The faux finish was originally through out the room. The walls needed to be painted when I had crown molding installed 6 months ago. I wanted all my walls painted the same color but the painter (loser) chose to only paint the surrounding walls. To make a long story short I just needed to get him out of house!!

IÂm removing the faux finish and havenÂt decided yet if IÂm sticking with this color. It is a very pretty color that probably doesnÂt show well on a computer screen. I have it in my dining room and master bathroom.

I canÂt change the pedestal sink my DH would have a minor stroke. I really like it and I wasnÂt going for an old world look. IÂm not a huge fan of ornate furniture or accessories. The table, mirror, picture and arrangement were the stagerÂs idea. I think she put this bathroom together as an after thought. I like a less is more look.

The table is as far left as it can go. The oil diffuser behind the toilet was just put there to please my 9 year old. She picked it out and used her own money for MotherÂs Day once the oilÂs dried up bye-bye. IÂve never been too happy with the picture behind the frame. IÂll include the pictures and mirror I had up originally. The table would not fit in front of the toilet. ThereÂs just not enough legroom.

Soshh you suggested a Restoration Hardware Cartwright medicine cabinet, which finish?

Rosewind I loved the photo shop editing you did!! Could you photo shop this room with wainscoting or a medicine cabinet or shelf above the toilet? Is this an expensive program to purchase?

Mrose (Laurie) IÂd rather change my accessories then replace my pedestal sink. I like my sink and I prefer a clean look for a room this size. It was really fun having a professional stager come in and move all my things around. I moved a few things around that I wasnÂt pleased with but overall I loved the changes she made. I promise IÂll upload those pictures soon. I need to find some before pictures so you can the difference.

IÂll have to take a picture of my accessory cemetery to post. That will get a good laugh or two. My DH doesnÂt think itÂs comical as I do.

Thanks to all.
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I hope you don't change the color. That's my favorite part of the room! I love the flower pictures. Are you thinking about putting those in the bathroom?

Laurie

I don't know if someone has suggested this, but is the basket on the table's shelf holding the extra TP? Why not just put the basket, turned 90 degrees, directly on the floor in place of the table?

mldao- thank you! I'm using Photoshop Elements. When I bought it, it was just under a hundred dollars. I love it and use it all the time.

I'd be happy to do another mockup for you, though I may not be able to get to it until tomorrow evening. Is that okay? If you find me a cabinet and/or shelves you like and some wainescoating, post the links here and I'll give it a shot. Either that or if you can define what style you like, I'll see what I can find. Looking at the things you posted, I'm thinking you might like cottage and/or vintage decor?

Just don't know how you'd get wainscoting on a curved wall like that, or the chair rail above????

Hi Rosewind,
IÂm not sure what my style is (is impulsive a style?) but cottage/and or vintage must be the look IÂm trying to achieve. I'll try to find pictures of wainscoting or bead board and link it to this post. What do you think of taking the current oval mirror and giving it a silver metallic paint and changing the paint to a silvery sage or grayish, Smokey color? Do you think a small-mirrored table/and or nightstand would look good in the room? I saw one at Z Gallerie but IÂm pretty sure it was too wide for my bathroom. On another subject is Photoshop Elements pretty user friendly? This program could save me a lot time and money on purchases and returns. Are you able to remove people from pictures?

Nanny22: My house has 7-8 rounded walls. When I had crown molding installed our contractor used a flexible rubber like molding to install on the curved walls. They come in many different shapes and sizes and there're made to match and sit flush with your wall and or/ceiling. Once painted you canÂt tell the difference between the wood and the flexible stuff. I've included a couple of pictures of my curved walls with crown molding.

A huge thanks to all of you and I promise to post pictures when it's finished. This will be a slow process since school's almost out for my children. They have so many end-of-year activities it really puts a cramp on completing home projects.

Once again thank you.
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Silver and gray are very popular colors to use right now, as are mirrored tables, vanities, chests, etc. I wouldn't necessarily consider the mirrored furnishings to be cottage or vintage though. This a style more popularly called lux or glam. If you want to go for that look though, I think it'd look great! You can still use the grays and silvers with cottage style.

I like the idea of painting the frame on the mirror and going for a smokey color on the walls. With silver/pewter frames (and with or without the mirrored table), I like either a light smokey blue or a dove gray over sage, but that's just me.

IMO, you need an inspiration picture of a room - any room - that you love and want to copy that style of decor. Have you checked out the wonderful eye candy photos in the Gallery Forum posted by Oceana? There is a bathroom thread that you might want to look at.

About your Photoshop questions: yes, it's fairly user friendly but there is a learning curve. You will need to take some time to figure it out and experiment. There are some excellent free tutorials on the Internet that PS Elements users have shared but I would also recommend buying a book. I have an older book entitled "Photoshop Elements Solutions" by Mikkel Aaland but I think the last one he did was for PS Elements 4. The latest PSE is what, 6? You also asked if you can take people out of photos, and the answer is yes, you can.

Back to the decorating... Don't rush into anything with regard to your bathroom decor. Figure out what kind of "vibe" you want in there. Take your time and develop a plan and stick to it. And most importantly, have fun. A bathroom is a space you can go all out on get really creative with.

Re: the Cartwright medicine cabinet above the toilet, since your trim is white I would probably get the white. You could even use it in the alcove instead of your existing mirror to simplify the space.

And I am with you, I think all the room really needs is to be simplified regarding accessories, and made more functional with some storage.

(That and a funky rug.)

For that cottage/vintage feel, I think you have the right shapes but not the right colors. I think if you change the colors, the space would look more unified. I'd replace/paint the mirror to something lighter (or I think the silver would look good, too) change the wall color to something creamier, paint/replace the table with something light (or a light natural wood), and light towels as well (with some soft details like lace). Keep your end result feel in mind and I think it will get easier.

I agree with canobeans why not just put the basket by itself on the floor and remove the table (looks like it is crowding too much) and then hang something on the wall. Maybe some stacked prints.

If you are worried about a shelf above the toilet, how about a cabinet to hold things?

I'm just curious about this stager you used. Is she someone who usually stages houses to sell, or to live in? Does she call herself a stager or a designer/decorator?

I ask because when you're staging to sell, you might do things that look good on a walk through, but that wouldn't necessarily work for day to day living. I think what your stager did is lovely, but to me, they don't really work for a small room you actually use - e.g. the table crowding the toilet, the oversize flowers.

This is not at all a criticism of the stager - as I said, what she did is lovely. I'm just curious because I haven't heard the term "stager" applied to a designer/decorator before and I find it fascinating. I love learning about these things!

(I also really like the rectangle mirror that rosewind did in Photoshop. It echoes the shape of the niche, which I really like.)

To me, the room looks inconsistent: different styles, different metals, etc. The faux finishing and painted(?) scroll look "old world," yet the shape of the pedestal sink is almost aggressively modern. You have a mixture of chrome and oil rubbed bronze, which are two metals that don't play well together, imo, and the table looks superfluous, although I realize it provides the only storage you have in the room.

The shape of the room is interesting, and your pedestal sink has a strong, clean form. Why don't you eschew the frilly things like prints, furniture, flowers, etc., pick one metal for everything, and choose a beautiful wallpaper you like? Do you really need storage in this powder room other than one extra roll of tp?

Paint the room first and then go from there. I like the direction you're going since you want to keep the pedestal sink. The faux paint throws everything off since it makes one focus on that tall, narrow area. Plus, IMO, the mirror really overpowers the sink!

Remove the table and look at adding some stackable baskets and a larger patterned rug.

Hi extremely patient GW virtual decorators,

I took rosewindÂs advice and found a few inspirational bathrooms and/or powder rooms.
I love the last two bathrooms the best!! I found them on Rate My Space and what I like about them is their simplicity and clean lines. I included bathrooms with pedestal sinks and/or bead board with the same clean lines. This is my dilemma, aesthetically speaking, should your home be decorated in a cohesive manner? Can I paint and decorate this room as a separate entity of its own or should it blend with the rest of my home? What IÂd like to do is paint it either grayish blue or grayish green so that the molding and baseboards pop. IÂd then paint the mirror frame metallic silver and change the toilet paper dispenser and towel ring to match the mirror. IÂm still not sure what to use to store extra toilet paper. IÂve included pictures of my entry, dining and living room since theyÂre the rooms surrounding this one. The powder room is to the left of the stairs if youÂre facing it from the outside.

All this trouble for one teeny tiny room.

Thanks

I know you said you didn't want an Old World look, but IMHO that's what would go well with the decor of the rest of your home. Personally, I think all of these bathrooms are too different from the rest of your home. They are lovely, but too simple for your home and not right off the foyer.

Monablair,
Thanks for your input. Maybe if I changed the faucet to a rubbed bronze finish the room will look more pulled together. Do you think if I changed the decoration style to a more clean and simple look it would stand out too much? I could paint it gray-green like BM Storm Cloud Gray or Behr Valley Hills and keep it in the same greenish color group? I can change out the faucet with a rubbed bronze one and go from there. What about the tiered basket in bathroom one for storage? I'm really trying to steer clear of ornate.

I agree with Monablair. What you have now matches the rest of your house and it truly is a beautiful bathroom.
Can you tell me what paint color you used in your entryway?

Laurie

I'll be the odd one here and say I see nothing wrong with painting the room as you suggested, especially if it has a greenish cast. It's just paint and if you don't like it afterward, you can always paint again! I love the silver mirror in the brown bathroom and think it would look great with your fixtures. Or, you could go with a black frame since you have black in the other rooms and you can always add accessories/towels/rug to pick up colors from the other rooms.

I see you have some blue/gray in the prints above the sofa. You could always add more of that color to your LR w/pillows and carry it into the bathroom.

You already have a lot of gold in your home........why add more in the bathroom! ;)

BTW, I wouldn't worry about storage just for toilet paper. How often would you really run out of paper in there?! Anyway, a decorative box on the back of the toilet could hold an extra roll.

mrose: The color is Mushroom Cream by Vista. It's one of by absolute favorite colors. I've had over 20 people tell me they painted their interior this color once they saw it on my walls. Thank you for your sweet complement about my bathroom.

annz: I like your thinking!! It's just paint. The silver mirror is very pretty with the brown. I'll put up a few paint swatches and post them for opinions. The prints above my sofa are more greenish/teal then blue. I took these pictures at night and my flash probably changed the hue on them. Decorative box on the back of the toilet, brillant idea. This bathroom gets the most use in our home so we go through a lot of toilet paper in this room. All of the bathrooms are on one side of the house and this one is the closest to the family room. Thanks for your help.

I've never even heard of Vista. Is that the name of the brand?

Laurie

Laurie,
I live in Orange County, CA and never realized Vista wasn't a national chain. I googled them and they have locations here and Nevada. The color falls somewhere between BM Pittsfild Buff, Dunmore Cream and Powell Buff. My neighbor picked this color along with Vista's Beach Sand for my kitchen. No one on our street second guesses his choices(especially when the advice is free), he's truly a color guru. He charges $500.00 an hour for his services and his home has been on the Philharmonic Home Tour it also has been featured in many different magazines. He's done a few HGTV episodes. I'm not sure what the name of the series was or if it's still on the air. The series was about homeowners getting 3 different ideas from 3 different designers and they picked their favorite one. He was one of the designers summiting their ideas.

Thanks, mldao. I sure wish I knew someone like that. I bought about 30 samples of paint when I was trying to decide on a color for my entryway :)

Laurie

Laurie,
I have entire shelves in my garages with on the very least 25 different colors of paint. My designer neighbor moved 4 years ago and so my paint sample supply is once again growing. A couple more years and I'll have every BM Historical Color on their fan deck in my garage. Hey, maybe I could start selling them on Craigslist or start some sort of trade with others like myself who are color challenged. While I'm at it I might as well start a local support group for people like me who impulsively buy accessories, furniture, paint, etc...