champion of the sun. [photos]

03/09/2014

PROJECT BATHROOM REVAMP IS COMPLETE!! hoorah!!
when we bought our house, it was move-in ready. it is not a fixer-upper by any real standard, but of course there are some aesthetic changes we'd like to make. the first thing we did was paint the basement, from yellow to a blueish grey. since then, i've had my sights set on the bathroom, which was painted an insipid non-colour in the very pale blue family. after months of back-burner thoughts about colour and how to arrange the most storage bang for our buck with limited wall space, i decided 2 weeks ago to really go for it. finding a paint colour was challenge, because i had an idea of what i wanted, but everything i liked in-store was totally wrong when i brought swatches home. finally, frustrated and half-joking, i picked a swatch that seemed too bright and too blue, brought it home, and it was perfect!
once i had a colour chosen, things moved quickly. mom and i took a trip to ikea for supplies, i bought paint, and put some sweat equity into the cabinet i'd bought on clearance months ago and had been waiting to refinish. boom! in a week and a half i went from an idea to having a bathroom i absolutely love.
here's the proof:


[before and after - panorama, standing in my bathtub]


[before and after - that vertical towel rack is pretty much my favourite thing in life right now]


[before and after of the cabinet - well "before" taken from the box, but it was oak with bronzey handles; i painted it white, switched the handles for brushed nickel (to match the vanity), and added a towel bar to the underside]


[before and after - amazing what some pant can do]


[i realized i'd actually have a little open wall space to work with, so we bought these frames and had black and white 8x10 prints made of a couple of snaps josh had on his phone from his family's cottage on the lake. for $40 total, it was cheaper than most artwork, and it's even better because it's personal]


[i couldn't get a picture of them without glare or reflection, but i really love the way these turned out]


[from the hall door]

best of all, including all new linens, and the last-minute addition photos, this revamp came in around $290 (and about $60 of that was paid for with a christmas gift card). granted, we didn't change any fixtures, but i think most people will agree that a "new" bathroom for under $300 is a steal.