One Room Challenge: Vanity Project

Round 8 of The One Room Challenge!
(Need to catch up? Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6)
Pssst: Wondering if you missed Week 7? Nope! We just skipped right over that. June was jammed packed full of celebrations over here at Casa de Bowden, so our home improvement project(s) took a slight pause in favor of a different/sweeter version of DIY: cakes.

So this is it! Today is the BIG REVEAL of the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE.

And because I am fully convinced that the secret to life is managing expectations...allow me to suggest that you lower yours. That's right, folks....prepare to be underwhelmed.

Ta da!

OK- it's not that it's a bad end result...actually it's quite lovely in my opinion. But I've already shared so much of the room that this last piece- a painted vanity- doesn't feel quite as dramatic as it could. It seems a little "been there, seen that". BUT- Dustin did work really hard on the vanity, and it turned out beautiful, so enough talking it down, let's check it out!

 

Because of the lighting, it's a little tough to get a true color representation in photos, but the paint is Behr Dark Everglade (semi-gloss finish)-a deep kelly green with a bit bluey-teal. It coordinates beautifully with the green in the shower curtain, and is dark enough to feel nice and rich but with enough saturation to still feel fun. I'm always nervous about paint color selection but this one feels really right in this space, so I'm thrilled. There are a couple tiny areas that still need to be touched up, but after skipping last week, I wanted to share something this week, so I forced Dustin to get everything photo-ready, if not picture perfect. 

And quick reminder- the cabinets before were plain oak, no hardware:

So this change is actually pretty dramatic, even for being pretty simple upgrades.

The new hardware is from Hobby Lobby- clear lucite with metal "collars". I decided I wanted the metal to be silver, to coordinate with the faucet (which I don't hate enough to bother replacing) so we spray painted those "chrome" to match. I really love them- they're elegant without being too fussy.

 

And that's....it! 

You may have noticed that there's one pretty major change we didn't make to this space: the floor. Honestly...we just didn't get to it. But I'm almost glad we didn't, because now I'm rethinking our tile choice a bit. We had planned on doing a medium grey peel and stick vinyl (groutable, to make it look more like tile), but now I'm not sure. I'm worried it will all feel a little dark when paired the vanity color, and I think it could blend too much with the grey carpet in the adjacent bedrooms. I don't quite have an alternate in mind- so I think we'll take this pause point as an opportunity to live with things as-is for a bit and figure out something we'll love rather than just rushing through with something just ok. (who knows...I might still go with the tile we planned. But there's no harm in taking our time to be sure.) I'm toying around with the idea of terrazzo- to bring some more color and pattern. This vinyl paper option is super intriguing! But for now we'll just keep our old grey bathmats in place while we mull it over.

So...there you have it. The 7 week saga of a peachy-clean little bathroom. (HOW did I make it this far into the documentation process without using that pun?!) Overall- I give this whole project a 7/10. There are pieces I love...actually I kinda love all of the pieces individually...but for some reason it seems like it's missing something to pull it all together and make it sing. I don't know if it's because the floor isn't done, or if I'm still struggling with the various shades of white/cream (the floor really isn't helping that cause) but it just doesn't quite feel totally done here. But just because the challenge is technically over, doesn't mean my design process has to be. I think I'll keep my eyes peeled (oooh- bonus fruit pun!) for a new mirror (something with a natural element- like wood or rattan could really warm up the space) and keep exploring options for the floor. But for now, I'm pleased with where we are. It's a real peach of a space.

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One Room Challenge: Seeing Green

It's time for Round 5 of The One Room Challenge! 
(Catch up here: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4)

Week 5?! That means we're over halfway through this challenge! But alas...I'm not sure we're halfway through the work. Honestly, we're more or less in the same place we've been since the jump- the details are all done and ready to be shared, while the two major projects remain. 

But at least this week I do have a true progress update- the vanity is in the works! 

When it comes to the main fixtures in this bathroom, we're working with what we've got, so the existing vanity will stay- it's just getting a fresh coat of paint. We chose a deep green: Behr Dark Everglade, in a semi-gloss finish. It's a pretty straightforward project, it's really just a matter of finding the time to make it happen. But now that school's out for the Summer, Dustin and I get to remove our "teacher" hats, so we're feeling absolutely FLUSH with free time (I kid. We somehow still have just as much to do as ever...time is slippery that way). The good news is- this challenge is doing exactly what it was designed to do, providing some motivation and accountability to keep things moving. And I've been doing exactly what I was designed to do: nagging Dustin to make (more of) my dreams happen. So he has been escaping to the basement/"workshop" now and then over the last few weeks to appease my arbitrary timeline anxiety.

I'm always nervous about choosing a paint color. I'm incredibly picky about color, and super sensitive to undertones etc. I've pretty much never loved something on the first try, so at this point I've just come to terms with it. I figure with something like this, we can always consider the first round a primer, and try something different on top. 

But fortunately- I'm really loving how this is turning out. It's a bit hard to tell because it's still in the beginning stages (ignore the streaks and uneven coverage) but I think it's going to look really rich and pretty when it's done.

But just for a moment- let's keep it real, by showing you the current view. Based on the number of toothbrushes strewn about at any given time, you'd assume we were running a sorority house, but nope...this is just the trail left behind by two elementary school girls.

I can't very well end on that note, so let me give you a little sneak peek of what's to come....(A future blog post I will try very hard not to title: Stop! Handle Time.)

Any other challenge participants moving at a snail's pace?
Any other decorators chronically doubt their color choices?
Any other moms feel completely overrun by bathroom clutter? 

I see you. I feel you. I salute you. 

Until next week, DIY warriors!

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One Room Challenge: Let's Take a Shelfie

 Round 4 of The One Room Challenge! comin' atcha! 

 (Need to catch up? Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3)

This week is a "picture is worth a thousand words" kind of post (aka: I'm tired, so you're spared my typical rambling). Keeping our focus tight, and sharing a little shelfie!

The girls' bathroom is pretty small, so I didn't have a ton of wall space I need to solve for...but I wanted to do something more interesting than a typical mass produced art piece. And when I stumbled upon this quirky shelf in the Target kid's section, I knew I had found my perfect pear. (I'm never too tired for a pun).

The only question: What to put on it? Shockingly- the girls don't actually need much storage in their bathroom...yet. The vanity has a cabinet and 3 drawers, plus they have a (hideous but functional) medicine cabinet) so for now it holds all their stuff (toothpaste, hair ties, a truly insane collection of temporary tattoos) without issue, so the shelf is purely decorative. I was honestly a little stumped...this room get no natural light, so (real) plants are out. And I didn't want anything breakable (they don't get wild in there...but kids + water + glass just seems like a bad idea). So that narrowed the options a bit. 

But I promised not to belabor the details here...so let me just skip to where we landed:

Ta-Da!

Sources: Target
Seriously, all Target. The candles, towels, cups, shelf. All Target. (Plus two fake succulents from IKEA to add some Scandinavian style to all that Minnesota charm.)

We'll never burn the candles.
We'll never use those towels.
We'll never have to water those "plants". 
The kids can't even reach those cotton swabs.

All form, no function. Super fun.

See you next week...when we'll hopefully have some progress to share on the vanity. (But- at the rate things are going, will likely have to stall some more with some pictures of the shower curtain.)

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One Room Challenge: Hit the Lights

We're back...with the third installment of The One Room Challenge! And this week we're keeping things light! (and punny!)

There are few things I love more in this world than a good deal. (except maybe a good deal on good cheese, but while that's true, it's also a bit niche, and not at all the topic for today...Good thing I also love a good tangent...and parenthetical statement...and use of ellipses. Where was I?!?) 

 DEALS. right.

 So I said the plan for this bathroom was "cheap and cheerful" which means that we're going to make the most of what we got wherever we can. Yes, I'd love to redo this room top to bottom with new tile, and fixtures...the works (ok, actually I'd really love to have someone else redo this room top to bottom because OH, the work) but that's not in the (credit) cards right now, so we're getting scrappy. And what's scrappier than Facebook Marketplace? (Maybe the right term is: sketchy?) Well hold please, for how that platform becomes the protagonist of our decor story.

The "bones" of this room are pretty decent. The layout is fine, and the fixtures are at least unoffensive in their blandness. But I feel with any "builder-grade" bathroom, one of the main eyesores is the lighting. It's just always SO BAD.

Behold: 

Ok- this isn't really fair because this picture doesn't even do it (un)justice. Turns out I didn't even really want to take a close up photo of the "before" light, because it didn't deserve it. It wasn't hideous, per se...it just wasn't...good. At all. It was functional, but other than literal light, it didn't add anything to the room.

So I was on the hunt for something with a bit more personality.

And between the saggy old (metaphorical) couch cushions of Facebook marketplace, I found it!

Not what you were expecting? 

Well- I had a vision. If we nixed the heavy glass shades (it did in fact come with all of them), and painted a bright white...maybe it would be modern? and fun? and whimsical? (ugh...I hate that word...but I kinda like the concept) After "investing" only $20 on the light, it was worth a shot- or a spray:

Let there be (pretty) light!

Annnnnnnd, I love it. I love how non-traditional it feels now, especially considering how traditional it started. And I sure don't hate the price. (We did spring for new glass shades, which totaled more than double the fixture itself...but it was worth it to have a one-of-a-kind experiment go right).

And kinda like how a new haircut motivates you to do your makeup (is that a thing? it could be...) the fresh new light confirmed the mirror was also in need of an update. Again- I didn't hate it...the size was actually perfect, so it didn't seem worth it to get something new, but the metal frame just wasn't the right vibe. So (more) paint to the rescue!

Brighter and (literally) lighter!

Truth be told, though the plan white looks great with the wall color and matches the trim, I'm still struggling a little bit with how it plays off the creaminess of the counter/toilet (they're both slightly off-white). But I'm sure not investing in replacemnts for those, so we're going to let this ride for now and see how it all comes together with the other updates in the room. I know changing the color of the cabinet and the floor will make a big difference, and hopefully some colorful accessories in the space will liven things up and let the fixtures recede a bit more. (You're already getting a sneak peek of some peachy-goodness...more of that to come next week!)

Thanks for stopping by! Oh- but before you go...share in the comments- what's your best DIY bargain find? I love a good deal-spotting story! 

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One Room Challenge: The Plan

Alright...you've seen the before...now it's time to see the FUTURE!
Not the "after". No, we're not ready for that. This is a sneak peek into the possible.

I'm actually going about this whole room design in a wonky way...I didn't really have a vision before I started. Oh- and is now a good time I tell you I have, in fact, already started? I'm not sure if this whole "One Room Challenge" is supposed to be in real time (it doesn't have to be...but I think that's sort of the spirit behind it) And actually the room is about 1/2 done already? Well- we did all the decorating but none of the major "DIY" parts. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Again. What I'm trying to say is, I didn't really have a vision before I started. Sometimes I have a ton of inspiration collected, with a plan for what I'm going for and how it's all going to come together. And sometimes...I just start doing stuff. (In either case the follow through is typically in fits and starts, so in that way we're right on schedule with this one!) This bathroom was definitely the latter. I pretty much just knew I wanted to update the room, found a thing or two I loved, and let the whole thing unfold from there. So now that I'm sharing my "inspiration", it's a little retroactive. Most things on this board are just documenting what's already been done/purchased, but there are a few "up for discussion" items left. 

 

What we've already done (spoiler alert!):

• Painted the walls and trim 
• Hung a shower curtain
• Painted the existing mirror frame
• Swapped out a light fixture
• Hung art, hooks and a shelf

Things we still need to do:

• Paint the vanity
• Update the floor

So...that to-do list isn't long, but it's definitely the most time consuming part, so I'm thankful for this challenge to motivate me to actually tackle those components of the transformation. We finally bought the vanity paint and started prepping the cabinet doors, so we're inching towards real progress here!

Next week I'll share the work we've done so far. Even the simple changes have already made a big difference!

Sources:
Vanity paint color: Behr Dark Everglade (inspiration collage image is via google- meant to represent the color I'm imagining, more so than the actual full look of the fixture)
Wall paint color: Sherwin Williams Worldly Grey
Shower Curtain
Groutable Vinyl Tile
Towel Hooks
Flower Art
Light fixture inspiration
Pear shelf

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One Room Challenge: A Jill & Jill (and Jill) Bathroom

After one year in our house, we're still tackling some projects here and there but our progress has slowed quite a bit. The literal dust has settled from the flurry of renovation when we moved in, and we've stagnated around "good enough for now" in a lot of spaces. So when I saw The One Room Challenge was starting up again, I thought that might be just the thing to give me a little kickstart. (If you're not familiar with ORC, it's a design event encouraging designers/DIYers to transform a space in eight weeks.)We're all better with a little bit of community and accountability- so I decided to dive in!

The space I'll be working on: The girls' bathroom. 

We have a "Jack and Jill" bathroom connecting two bedrooms upstairs- our big girls' room, and our toddler's room. So technically it's a Jill & Jills bathroom? It's fully functional, but also fully boring, filled with builder-grade basics, and no personality.

The (Way) Before:

(the only picture of the space as-is when we bought it)

 

 

See? Not terrible, but certainly not exciting...(or pretty, or modern, or...anything, really). 

Before we moved in, we had the entire house painted (walls and trim) so that helped ease some of the beige-overload, but that's about where our effort stopped with this room.

 

The Before:

 

 

 

As you can see...not a lot has changed, other than it is significantly messier, due to three humans actually using the space. We hung up two pieces of art from the kids' bathroom in the old house. And....that's it.

 

 

 

My plans for this room are pretty modest...it's mostly going to be some "cheap and cheerful" cosmetic updates to give the space a bit of personality without going all out with a "real" renovation. C'mon back next week for a peek at what I'm planning, and some updates what we've done so far!

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One Year At Home

We are big time celebrators over here...and now we're big time homebodies. So celebrating our one-year hous-iversary is a no brainer! 

Teeeeeechnically we hit the one year mark on March 4 (the date we officially closed on our new house) but we took our sweet time moving in (literally walking things over by the beach wagon load) and didn't close on our old house until April 2. So it makes choosing a milestone date a little tough, but gives me lots of wiggle room in finally getting the post together, so it's all good.

I've got all kinds of thoughts and feelings swirling about the last year (yet...are are there really any words that could do it justice?) But I don't quite have the energy (mental/physical/emotional) to dive into all that, so I'm gonna just give the people* what they want and finally just post some good old fashioned Before/After shots, ok?

*"the people" are me. I have a zillion pics but they're all in a smattering of spots (mostly Insta story highlights, IGTV tours, and #houseofbowden) I really just want a little hub I can reference with some OG pics and our progress so far...so here comes the photo dump!

**Oh, and while we're covering ourselves in caveats: I did not "style" these after photos, they're not in the best light, but they ARE from cleaning service day, so we're rocking slightly less clutter than normal, with 100% more fresh vacuum lines. Also- there are a few rooms "missing" from this tour- notably the playroom (I had to sequester the kids somewhere while I snapped these!), the laundry room and the bathrooms. Those all still need a bit of love...I'll share those maybe next March. :)

Outside:
Haven't done a thing. (Unless you count killing some bushes, and breaking a light fixture...) We desperately need new garage doors, so if that's the kind of thing that you find yourself getting excited about these days (when did I get so old?!) stop back soon!

Changes throughout:

We had all new floors installed (hardwood on the main floor, carpet in the playroom and bedrooms), painted all of the walls (from cream to grey) and all of the trim (from wood to white) and installed all new doors and hardware (from flat wood + brass to 3 panel white oil-rubbed bronze). This was all done before we moved in (minus the doors- which were a hilarious saga involving my parents basically turning their garage into a mini-factory for weeks on end) so we were able to step into a (mostly) refreshed house. Those big changes made a huge difference in updating the space and creating a blank canvas of sorts for me to start having some fun with the details.

*If I were a really good blogger, I would list all my sources (gotta make that affiliate $$$!) but...I am not. And honestly I'm not sure ya'll care about the specifics of the door hinges I bought/returned three times at Home Depot because measuring is hard. And honestly- I blocked some of it out because everything was a zillion dollars and involved too many agonizing decisions and annoying mistakes so by the time things got done I just washed my hands of it all. If you have questions about the details- hit me up!

Entryway: 

There isn't a ton to say about this space, except that the change to one type of floor (vs. 3) on this level was a game-changer. Makes it all so much more cohesive and flow better.

"Craft Room"
I don't want to live in a world where I have to choose between art and food...Thankfully our kitchen has a big enough space to serve as our dining room so we could transform this space off the entryway into a craft room. It houses our beloved lockers (so it acts as an extension of the entryway) and keeps alllllllll of the glitter/glue/markers/MESS at least somewhat corralled. The table is almost never visible under all the master-pieces-in-progress but theoretically we could use it for additional dining space if we ever hosted a big fancy shin-dig (or if we have any more kids! joke!)

 

 

Living Room
The total '90s era "great room" reminds me a bit of the house I grew up in (which was actually a '70s era house, with similar vibes). I definitely underestimated how sound carries in an open concept house (especially when ALL the people are home ALL the time) so that might be a bit of a negative, but all in all I actually love having this big open "heart" to the home. I've never had a working fireplace, so being able to turn on the gas with a flick of a switch is the BIGGEST treat (we used it every single night for months!) My fav is how open this is to the kitchen; as an highly-extroverted FOMO-prone person who also loves to cook, I'm so happy to be able to whip stuff up without being isolated from any of the fun. Plus- all the windows (and light!) are so fun...I can see all the neighborhood action (turns out I LOVE a corner lot!) The furniture arrangement in here was a bit of a challenge...and I'm still not sure that we did it "right" but we made our existing sectional work which is a huge win. If we had fewer kids (or fewer movie nights) we might experiment with an alternate set up, but right now it's all about ample couch space, and good viewing angles.

 

 

 

 

Dining Room:
I don't know if this counts as a "room"...but it's a "space" at least! We've done just about nothing in here...but really didn't need to! New light fixture, big ol' seen better days table, a bunch of plants I haven't killed yet, and done!

 

Kitchen:
As I speak (/type), we're undergoing a kitchen remodel, so these "afters" are really more of a "between". (And if we're being honest, the Befores actually look better here without the wood floors clashing with the oak cabinets, and all of our plastic junk strewn about). We didn't exactly intend to tackle the kitchen right away (maybe one year in isn't "right away"...?) but it's such a focal part of the home (which also needs to be super functional) that it made sense to update it to work better (ok...and look better) for our family. Right now we're in the "has to get worse to get better stage"- so stay tuned!!

 

Master Bedroom
And....the Weirdest Room Award goes to.... THIS ONE. 

It's two levels of wonder. Like..."I wonder why it's two levels?" This room really stumped us when we first toured the place. We actually crossed this house off our list because it just felt like too many outdated weird things to deal with. What would we do with all that (weird) space? Which level is supposed to be the bedroom? 

But thankfully we came around to the potential of this space. (Duh...we bought it). And while we had some big dreams for how we could rework this to create a separate 5th bedroom (maybe someday) for now we're working with it mostly as is (including the hideous, barely working ceiling fan, and even more hideous oak railing). It's still not what we would design if we were in charge, but in the end, having a too giant master bedroom is not an actual problem.

 

 

 

 

Office
While we're giving out awards- this room easily earns Surprise Hit of the Year. What would we do with the space? We said. Why would we need a giant office? We said. 

 

Haaaaaaaa.

 

There is nothing more 2020 than a Home Office/Remote Learning space, and OH MAN am I thankful for it.

 

Miller's Bedroom

We pretty just migrated Miller's bedroom from the old house and dropped it right in the new house. And he is so sweet to share with us nearly daily as we use it as a makeshift office (I spy a folding desk + chair not really hiding in the corner). The girls are a little jealous he gets a room all to himself, but they play in there together constantly, and often beg us to squeeze another mattress in there to have sibling sleepovers. 

 

 

Girls' Bedroom

Oh the irony of putting my two biggest kids (with the largest wardrobe) in the smallest bedroom (with the smallest closet). You'll just have to trust me that this was the right choice (I say this after assembling the bunk beds in each and every room JUST to make sure). And honestly? The lack of floor space in here really just serves to limit how many tiny sparkly doo-dads they can fling about.

 

Little Lady's Bedroom

Last but not least...a little space for little bit. She's a bit young to have big opinions...but give her some blackout shades, her "calm down kitty cat" weighted blanket and a bunch of bird themed decor- she's happy as a lark (or sleepy as a...sleepy bird?)

 

 

 

 

Aaaaaaaaand that's it. 

 

One year in our new adventure, with a lifetime to go. (Because I'm not trying to move again annnnnnytime soon).

If you can't enough housey goodness: 

Read our moving announcement, see all our housiversary and #houseofBowden pics, and check out our past home posts.

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