home decor

Scrape it Off, Scrape it Off {Master Bathroom Makeover – One Room Challenge Week 2}

April 13, 2017 by Bre 14 Comments

Putting a twist on the Taylor Swift classic right there in that title, folks. (Hey, I had to figure out a way to make this week’s One Room Challenge post kind of fun.) Last week I showed you the embarrassing “before” photos of my bathroom (my mom actually told me I was “brave” for sharing those with the world!), and the plans for how I am going to give it a makeover in just six weeks, and this week I have some progress to share and my to-do list for my first time as a linking participant in the One Room Challenge!

To give you a little reminder, here’s the design board for my master bathroom makeover. I’ve already made some changes to this plan, but nothing too drastic.

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Now, to get to the point of having these pretty finishes installed, I had to do quite a bit of dirty work over the last week. The first job that I tackled was fixing the hole in the wall that had been there for seven years! (YES. SEVEN YEARS.) I watched this video about 87 times before I worked up the courage to patch my own drywall. It wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but I didn’t totally ruin the wall. And hey, there’s no longer a hole in it, so it’s a definite improvement. I have to admit that I am really proud of myself for doing that job all by myself! I kept saying “girl power” really loudly so my kids would hear me and be like “yeah, my mom’s awesome.” (Note: they did not say that. Nor do they think that – I’m sure.)

Next up, I got down and dirty with the mildew on the ceiling. So nasty. Despite the fact that this master bathroom has two fans, it still has a big mildew problem.

I first washed the ceiling down with a solution of 1 part bleach, 3 parts water, but that wasn’t strong enough. When I took the Lysol mold and mildew remover and shot it all over the ceiling, the mildew disappeared in an instant!

Problem solved!

After it had sufficient time to dry, I then scraped the areas of the ceiling that were flaking off and patched those up. Then I used special mildew-resistant ceiling pant to repaint the entire bathroom ceiling. I really hate painting ceilings!

It definitely looks so much better now that it’s not flaking off and covered in mildew! And it’s about three shades brighter, which I love.

I feel like this was some good progress for Week One of the One Room Challenge, but there is still A LOT left to do. Here’s my to-do list:

~~Patch drywall~~
~~Scrape ceiling~~
~~Re-paint ceiling~~
Paint moulding
Paint windows
Paint walls
Paint pocket doors (or maybe replace these . . . )
Re-stain window sills
Change light fixtures
Paint vanity
Make cornice boards for over windows
Create art to replace mirror near toilet
Tailor shower curtain to fit non-standard shower entry
Shop for decor for bathroom

I am actually loving having a deadline for this bathroom makeover. Usually I let projects drag on forever, so this is good for me! I’m excited to show you my progress next week – hopefully there will be something a little prettier to show you.

Anyway, thanks for following along with me! Also, please make sure to see what other One Room Challenge linking participants accomplished this week!

-Bre

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO SEE WEEK ONE OF MY MASTER BATH MAKEOVER

Bright & Budget-Friendly Master Bathroom Makeover – One Room Challenge Week One

April 5, 2017 by Bre 14 Comments

You know those “skinny jeans” you’re hanging onto – those jeans you wore 12 years ago before you had two kids, a dog, a job, and reality TV to prevent you from actually wearing them buttoned? Those jeans are like my master bathroom.

See, for almost eight years (as long as my husband and I have owned our house), we’ve been thinking that we’re going to gut and remodel our master bathroom. Because of that, we kept it in a state unaltered from the time we bought it: beige, dark, mildewy, and just gross. We kept it like this because we were wishfully thinking that one day soon we would rip it all out and build a beautiful new bathroom of our dreams. Like those skinny jeans, we were hanging onto a dream that just wasn’t going to happen. But after eight years of this nonsense, I’m coming to my senses. A gut job is not going to happen anytime soon (and I’m not going to wear those “skinny jeans” anytime soon either!), so I’m going to embrace what I’ve got and get it to a place where I can at least not cringe every time I walk into it!

When I heard that the One Room Challenge was starting again, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to give my master bathroom a bright and budget-friendly makeover! To give you a little background, the One Room Challenge is a semi-annual design challenge hosted by Linda at Calling It Home, where twenty “real” designers completely re-do a space in just six weeks. They share their progress and advice all along the way. Then the rest of us wannabes with blogs join in on the fun and link up our own makeovers and progress, too! SO . . . for the next six weeks you’ll get to follow along with me as I give this space a new look!

Before I jump into my plan for this space, I’m going to get really real here and show you this master bathroom of mine. Ladies and gentlemen, it is not a pretty sight. It has been totally neglected, and while the previous owners who DIY’ed it used nice materials, they did a terrible job putting it all together! (Sorry if you happen to read this previous owners, but you should’ve hired out this job!) The tile work is probably the WORST you will ever see in your life, the plumbing barely functions, and the overall construction is just shoddy as can be. There’s not much I can do about these issues in this makeover, but at least I can make it “pretty” until a real renovation is in the budget!

Anyway, here is my “favorite” spot in the room – the area that’s had a hole in the wall for seven years (I distinctly remember the plumber cutting this hole in the wall two days before my daughter was born). Somehow we just haven’t gotten around to patching this hole. I guess we’ve been over-scheduled for seven years.

Are you so bored already? There is NOTHING interesting happening in here. Well, except for that nice pendant light that illuminates the toilet like it’s a sacred spot.

Wow. I am really embarrassed posting these photos. Isn’t it crazy how you can have some really awesome spots in your house and others that are just plain bad?

Another problem with this bathroom is that because of the poor ventilation, the ceiling has started to peel. And in the actual shower, it gets covered in mildew all the time. Puke.

On the other side of the room, we have a prissy vanity with a copper vessel sink that I HATE. Unfortunately I am going to keep this vanity because if we really do get around to renovating the bathroom we will be replacing the vanity, so I don’t want to spend money on that now. (Hi! That’s me in the mirror.)

Here’s a better view of the vanity with its missing hardware and stupid faucet that makes me think I’m pumping water from a well in the 1800’s.

Okay, so you can see how this space could use some TLC. And now that I feel like I’ve shown you one of the deepest, darkest secrets of my home, I’m ready to show you my rough plan for giving my master bathroom a makeover that my husband and I can feel proud of.

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

So what I’m thinking is to really brighten up the space with new paint on the ceiling and walls, and on the window trim. The window trim in my master bedroom was already painted white when we moved in, so I don’t feel guilty about painting the trim in the master bathroom to match. Oh . . . and in order to accomplish this, I will finally patch that hole in the wall.

I’m also going to add some color to the room with cornice boards over the windows. This will also help hide the uneven tile near the vanity. New light fixtures and decorative accessories will also help the space feel more cohesive and like less of an afterthought!

Now that I’ve got a plan, I just have to make it happen! And of course, I’m sure some of this plan will change along the way. I never really operate this way when it comes to decorating. I usually go with the flow as I find things I like. So don’t be surprised to see some of this changing up along the way!

I’m excited to hear what you think about my plan (and about how awful we let our master bathroom become)! Please make sure to check back here each week to see my progress. Next week I plan to show you my to-do list and what I was able to accomplish in week one of the One Room Challenge! Also, please make sure to stop over to the ORC Linking Participant Page to see what the other challenge guests have up their sleeves!

Wish me luck!

Bre

Spring Mantel Decorating Ideas

March 14, 2017 by Bre 34 Comments

In the past I only decorated my mantel for Christmas. But this year I had so much fun changing things up with my winter mantel decor that I couldn’t resist changing it over for spring, too. I’m excited to share my spring mantel decorating ideas, because you might find some ideas to inspire a spring-themed mantel in your home, too!

This post contains some affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

I went really green and really simple for my spring mantel, and I think it works!

Spring Mantel Idea No. 1 – Use What You’ve Got

I tried hard to use things I already had, like moss-covered balls, white ceramic decor accents (like a bunny candy dish (here’s a similar one) and bird), a candlestick, and flowering cherry branches . . . and thankfully it all came together.

Spring Mantel Idea No. 2 – Add Greenery and Florals

One new purchase was the long planter box in the middle, which I filled with faux grass that I cut to size, and trimmings from the flowering cherry branches in the large vase.

I also used some of those cherry blossom trimmings and a ribbon scrap to add a pop of spring to a plain candle.

Spring Mantel Idea No. 3 – Use Free Printables in Bare Spots

I think my favorite thing about my spring mantel is the vintage seed packet bunting that I made for over the window mirror.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret . . . they’re not actually seed packets at all! They’re just some free printables that I downloaded from Knick of Time (THANK YOU, Angie!), and resized to be smaller like seed packets. I glued them onto twine and had an adorable and “springy” bunting for my mirror!

Spring Mantel Idea No. 4 – Throw in a Cute Puppy (ha!)

Now, this has nothing to do with my mantel, but when I was taking pictures I moved my coffee table out of the way . . . and my NEW little puppy decided to plop himself right in the middle of my workspace. I guess he wants you all to be formally introduced! So please meet Jasper, my 13 week old Labradoodle!

Isn’t he a cutie?

He told me he approves of my spring mantel decorating ideas, so I hope you do, too!

Hey, and since you’re in the mood for spring decorating posts, why not check out this other post of mine with different spring mantel decor ideas?

-Bre

How to Upgrade a Bookcase with Wrapping Paper {IKEA Gersby Hack}

January 18, 2017 by Bre 14 Comments

Last November, I shared my Office Space Makeover with you. I’m happy to report that I am 100% in love with this space, and since I’m working from home now, the timing of that makeover could not have been better!

Part of that makeover involved me adding bookcases to flank the window on the west side of the room. We needed some additional storage in there and thought bookcases seemed like the right choice. Smart people seem to have a lot of bookcases in their homes. Before these, we had one . . . in my son’s room. So yeah, read between the lines . . . we needed some bookcases.

Anyway, I found the perfect-sized bookcases at IKEA. The IKEA Gersby bookcase is almost too good to be true! Now I’m not going to pretend like these are pretty bookcases. They are not. There is nothing interesting about them; the screws are exposed on the sides, and the bookcase backing is cardboard that has big seams running down it.

But they’re a good value, so I decided to upgrade them a little bit by doing the easiest IKEA hack ever – adding wrapping paper to the backing to hide those seams and bring up the style on the Gersby bookcases. If you have plain Jane bookcases in need of some style (Gersby or not), this idea will be perfect for you!

Supplies Needed to Upgrade the Gersby Bookcase

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Wrapping paper (make sure the wrapping paper you choose is thick, and wide enough and long enough to cover the entire backing of the bookcase)
Spray adhesive
Rotary cutter
Self-healing mat
Dropcloth

How to Line a Bookcase with Wrapping Paper

These instructions assume you’re adding the wrapping paper to the bookcase during the assembly process. If you’ve already assembled your bookcase, search on Pinterest for tutorials that deal with after-the-fact upgrades. There are great ways to do that with paper that’s been mounted to poster board.

Anyway . . . moving right along. Protect your workspace and lay the wrapping paper face down. Once it’s as flat as you can get it, spray the first third of it with spray adhesive.

Starting at the top, carefully place the unrolled end of the wrapping paper onto the bookcase backing. Then slowly roll it down the first third of the bookcase backing where you’ve applied the spray adhesive.

If you go slowly, you will minimize any bubbling or wrinkling. Also, the thicker the wrapping paper, the easier this will be.

Once you’ve reached the end of the first spray adhesive application, gently lift the wrapping paper roll and spray the next part of the bookcase backing. Gently roll the paper down the bookcase backing. Repeat this process until you get to the end of the bookcase backing.

Once you’ve covered the entire bookcase backing, flip the backing over. Use the rotary cutter on the self-healing mat to remove the excess paper from all sides of the backing.

You could try to do this with scissors, but I think it would be pretty difficult, and I’d be worried about pulling the paper up from the backing. The rotary cutter makes removing the excess paper really easy!

Once all the excess paper has been removed, you can attach the bookcase backing to the assembled bookcase per IKEA’s instructions. Add your bookcase essentials and enjoy your pretty new bookcase!

And that is just how easy it is to give a bookcase a pretty new look with wrapping paper! Can you believe it?

I bet you have a plain bookcase in your home that is waiting for some wrapping paper attention, am I right? Get to it!

-Bre

Also Try Updating Built-Ins with Peel and Stick Wallpaper!

My Winter Mantel {Post-Christmas Decor Ideas}

January 9, 2017 by Bre 2 Comments

Looking for winter mantel decorating ideas? Here are some wonderful ways to decorate your fireplace mantel for winter.

Decorating my mantel for winter is not something that I typically do. Usually the Christmas decor gets boxed up and the “regular” decor comes right back out.

Seeing as I am sick to death of my “regular” decor, however, I decided to extend the seasonal mantel theme and create a winter mantel with items I already had, and a few wintry floral stems and branches that were 70% off at Michaels.

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

I was amazed at how quickly it all came together, and how easy it was to create a pretty, new look with things I already had!

I started with the weird window/mirror that you saw in my 2015 Christmas mantel. (It’s now COMPLETELY mirror, thanks to some peel and stick mirror adhesive!)

Then, I added some large snowflake ornaments…

and mercury glass votive holders from my Christmas Dining Room.

Looking for More Winter Decor Inspiration? Check Out These Posts!

I originally had the DIY Reversible Christmas to Winter sign displayed as I showed you in that post, but I decided that the blue was all wrong for, well, just about everything. Plus, I was a little bit tired of the distressed look.

So I removed the snowflakes, painted the entire thing black, and then cut out this cute “Let’s Snuggle” on white vinyl with my Silhouette machine. That makeover took a total of 30 minutes and I LOVE the new sign!

But here’s the funny thing . . . when my husband came home from work and saw this new sign, he burst out laughing and said, “give me a break.”

Not gonna lie – I am not a fan of snuggling. I like to grab my kids and snuggle them up for a minute or two here and there, but otherwise, snuggling is not my thing. I get too hot, feel too restricted . . . aaaaah! Give me my space, people!

Anyway . . . to top it all off, I popped my craft store sled that I decorated with removable snowflake decals right up there, and I called it a day.

I think it’s a pretty way to bridge the gap between Christmas and plain-old-boring-regular-life-mantel-decor, and it makes me happy to look at it.

The “let’s snuggle” sign also makes me feel like less of a frigid bi**ch, as they say, since I’m at least pretending to enjoy extreme hugging.

If you’re feeling like your house needs a little pick me up now that the Christmas decor is packed away, see if you can come up with an easy and inexpensive winter mantel of your own!

Look for some wintry-themed decor you already have, or scoop up some clearance finds in the stores before they’re gone. You might surprise yourself with what you can come up with!

My Shared Office Space Makeover

November 2, 2016 by Bre 7 Comments

Oh my gosh. It feels like I have been talking about this makeover F-O-R-E-V-E-R! I mean, I guess it’s only been around three months or so, but it feels so much longer because it’s been on my project to do list for years. But now my forgotten playroom to shared office space makeover is complete, and I could not be happier to show you around!

That’s just a peek of what’s to come. Of course this wouldn’t be a true room reveal if I didn’t show you the horrendous “BEFORE” photos, right? These are flat out embarrassing. When I say that this room was a forgotten playroom, I am not exaggerating. It was the room where toys went to die (and eventually be donated to Goodwill). A mess and a total disaster. This photo is the exact same view as the above photo.

And here’s the opposite side of the room. Insane, right?

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It’s probably no surprise that it took me a while to get it cleaned out. Once I did, I painted the walls, refinished the antique ceiling light in the room, and added a gorgeous new area rug that Rug Expedition gave me.

And then it just took months of scouring the end caps at Target, Marshalls, and Homegoods for clearance finds, (and also snagging some great deals online), and the room was done! 😉

I am beyond ecstatic with the way it all came together! I ordered two of these cool industrial-type desks from Home Decorators Collection. They’re no longer in stock because they were clearance items. I got them for under $100 a piece. SCORE!

My daughter usually sits and does her homework at this one, which faces the wall, and I do my work at the one facing the window. Someday my son will probably claim the other desk as his own, but for now, it’s all mine.

The chairs are IKEA Kullaberg swivel chairs, and the bookshelves are IKEA Gersby. I added some fun paper to the backs of the bookshelves to give them a little pop.

I think my favorite purchase for the whole room was this awesome lightbox. I cannot wait to leave little notes to my kids on there! My daughter promptly rolled her eyes at this message.

I filled the bookshelves with other fun finds, like a big clock, and other functional things, too, like storage, a printer, my internet stuff (that’s a technical term), and more.

On the other side of the room, I created a little reading nook area. I slipcovered the huge chair-and-a-half that was already in the room because it was in too good of condition to get rid of. I would definitely prefer a smaller scale chair, but it’s just not going to happen. This was a budget makeover, people!

The little floor cushions are perfect for my kids to sit on while reading them stories at night.

For the wall next to the chair, I printed out inspirational quotes from some of our favorite children’s books. I put them on clipboards so we can change them out as we want!

The room is so bright, clean, and awesome! I absolutely love working in here and even my daughter is excited about doing her homework at her desk!

I feel like my slow speed in doing this makeover paid off, because I got great things for the room that I really love. I know this shared office space is going to be so awesome for my family for years to come!

-Bre

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