I am happy to report that while last week was full of nail-biting trials this week is looking up. After three long years of “make do decorating” we are set to begin a partial renovation of our homes main bathroom. When starting any renovation or redecorating many of us are inspired by an experience or image. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration. It Starts With A Dream and Ends With A GIVEAWAY.
Pinning and Winning
Over the years I have pinned many bathrooms that I have loved. Some images were later deleted from the Pretty Bathroom board because they became dated. But some bathrooms have stood the test of time. Although Sarah Richardson first added the “Yellow Bathroom” to her website way back in 2010 I still love this room.
The same holds true for the bathroom that Miss Mustard Seed created in 2013. Both of these rooms inspired me to create a classically designed bathroom for Storybook Cottage.
After looking at what elements were repeated in rooms that I had pinned over the years it would seem I have a preference for white accented with blue.
With either graphic wall treatments via wallpaper or tile…
…or a patterned shower curtain.
It was also important to consider what was staying in the bathroom.
A good example is ALL of the brushed nickel hardware and plumbing is staying. IF this was my forever home it probably would not. But this is a “living here three more years” home at best. So in the words of Tim Gunn, we will “Make it work.”
I also had to consider who the space would be designed for.
This bathroom will be used primarily by Sweet Guy but it is also the bathroom guests use. So I want to design a bathroom that is both functional AND pretty.
Another important element to consider is that the thing that makes Storybook Cottage unique is that ALL of our rooms include objects that tell a story of our life or share a memory of our travels. You just can’t buy that at HomeGoods. It’s priceless and such fun.
Because at the heart, as a designer, I truly believe this:
It can quickly become overwhelming to consider all of these factors, and many more, when designing a space. Thankfully, my dear friend KariAnne has created a darling DIY Home Planner. This lovely book helps keep you on track so that you can realize your design dreams.
Would you like a copy?
It Starts With A Dream and Ends With A GIVEAWAY
Over the next four Mondays, I am going to share how to apply some of the suggestions, tips, and tricks found in The DIY Home Planner to help keep me on track to complete this space. There is a bit of a time crunch as our next set of houseguests arrive in April. I hope you’ll follow along.
To enter the giveaway for The DIY Home Planner
Just simply leave a comment below about what room you would like to decorate.
Bonne chance!
Laura
The winner will be selected next Monday, March 12th.
UPDATE: Congratulations Ginene! The random number generator selected Fox and Finch Antiques as the winner.
I can’t wait to see what you do with your bathroom! White with blue accents will be perfect.
The room I need to redecorate is our guest room/hubby’s office/my craft room. I think you can see the problem already. Plus did I mention how very small this room is? It has a closet with two doors and a window on one wall. It’s just a crazy room. Thanks for the chance to win this.
I want to redecorate my kitchen. The house was built in 1943 as part of a military base in California. Nothing is standard and any cabinets installed must be custom built. We’ve painted it, and the cabinets, but how I long for drawers that work.
I want to redesign our master bath to get a larger shower.
Me too!
I went on a parade of homes tour in Florida yesterday, and saw a new trend in bathroom decoration. New to me, anyway. The shower curtains were hung from the top of the wall (10 or 12 feet) rather than the usual 6 foot height. In one or two cases I think that they had sewn two different curtains together. (Am I remembering correctly that you did something like that for windows in your old house?)
All of them!!!!!!
We have been renovating and redoing the rooms in our home for years. It started with the addition of a new room on the house which added almost half as much again as our original floor plan. After it was done we redid the kitchen, renovated the existing bath and now unnecessary stairway to basement to full bath, laundry room and half bath. We had hoped then we were close to finish but then due to a roof leak we had to redo the master bedroom completely. That finished we went back to the original living room which we turned into a dining room. (Are you confused yet? lol) And since DH is retired and has a basement full of saws and tools I have been keeping him busy building more cabinets and storage. It’s been a long journey and many would have simply sold and rebuilt instead but our home is built on a corner of the homestead and close to other family. Location, location, location!
Our renovations in the last few years have been gearing towards making it safer and easier to use in our golden years since DH developed Parkinson’s and in time will need our home to be accessible. I think that is why we are never done renovating as long as you live in a home. Our needs and wants change as time goes on. Like you wrote some things become dated and our tastes change as well. The last two rooms we are going to tackle in the next while will be the spare bedrooms. One was set up for when we had three little grandsons or three small granddaughters or any number of nieces and nephews visiting. Bunk beds and day beds are not necessary now so I will have to come up with a better use of our space for company. (Older folk do not like climbing up on a top bunk or into the bottom one either! lol
Best of luck with your new bathroom decisions. I kept ours plain and streamlined for the most part with a lot of storage. Who wants to spend all their time cleaning a bathrooms?
I can’t wait to see your colour palette! I bet it will be amazing as always.
Cheers dear Laura! I love it when you tackle a reno and take us along for the ride! 🙂
I would love to decorate my baby’s nursery. It is just a small mess of everything right now, and I’d love to learn how to pull everything together.
My kitchen needs some freshening up! Would love to paint the lower cabinets, etc. Thanks for the opportunity for the giveaway.
Our entry – it really needs attention. Good luck with your new bath!
Oh such beautiful bathrooms.
http://www.henatayeb.blogspot.com
Desperately need to redecorate a guest bath in our home…it has a wallpaper border (here when we bought the house) and because of that I tend to shut the door and ignore the ugliness…need to get on this pronto…Kariann’s book could only help! Thanks for the chance…can’t wait to see what you do with your bath project…
Hi Laura,
I think your idea to discard decorating ideas that don’t stand up to the test of time really shows what we should all learn about home decor. Go with the classic; forget the fads. As I peruse Pinterest, magazines, and the Internet, I can easily pick out what others will be hauling to the thrift stores within a few years.
I am absolutely thrilled to have won Karianne Woods’ book THE DIY HOME PLANNER. I have never won anything before! What fun to find Laura’s message that my name was chosen this morning. And, boy, do I need it. With a kitchen and bathroom project ahead of me, I am grateful for the help. As I am deciding what to do in my home, I never stick to the plan and, instead, get muddled up and start combining eras, pulling out colors that I like rather than what goes with the floor, etc. I need to stay on track and the book will help me, no doubt, in sticking to the master plan. So happy! Thanks, Laura and Karianne!
I want to redo my downstairs powder room. The previous owners painted one wall a hideous wine color with a gold wash rubbed on with a rag, I presume. Anyway, I can’t wait to plan the redo and get it done by this summer.
Laura, my laundry room is so boring and bland! I’d love to spruce it up!
I can hardly wait to follow along to see what you do! And sorry that I’m not one of your house guests.
I will be moving in a few months so I’ll have lots of new rooms to decorate. You can be sure they all will have a family touch to them. Looking forward to your new bathroom.
The kitchen and living room!
Truth be told, I would like to decorate every room. Things are looking dated, budget looking low. The bedroom would be easiest, the living room requires moving five huge bookcases and two china cabinets; the family room and kitchen would be best served by knocking out a wall… But little things help and I need loads of inspiration for those, too!
I’m wishing I had your energy to tackle projects. Probably should take down the stripe wallpaper in my foyer. It’s rather dated. Also, our office is not efficient or esthetically pleasing either.
Look forward to what you decide to do in your bathroom. Hope all the other issues have been resolved.
every room!
I am sure it will be classic and beautiful. Love KariAnne’s new book. It is wonderful.
I’m soon to be retired, and I’m hoping that I will finally have the time to get my house in order. Please throw my name in the hat!
My Living room could use some help!
My bedroom needs it!!
living room
For me it would be my 19 month old sons room. We never finished (I mean started) his room when I was pregnant. My husband just keeps putting off as our son co-sleeps right now. I would love to give him a bedroom that he can call his own.
I’d love to re-decorate my master bedroom!
Thank you for helping me with my vision board for my bathroom and on a budget!