A Little House on the Prairie Inspired Bathroom

Hello sweet friends, welcome to the first budget makeover project of the year. It is A Little House on the Prairie Inspired Bathroom.

 I had ZERO money to spend on this space. So I had to rely on making do with things I already had on hand. 

Creating A Cozy Space

Back in November I shared our new Holiday Guest Room. This makeover came about because my son was moving out of this bedroom to his new home and I had houseguests arriving to attend his wedding. It is a cozy space that was also created from things I had in various corners and cupboards here at Storybook Cottage. 

The Bathroom Before

The bathroom that is located right next door to the guestroom also needed a makeover. It is basic and TINY!

The first order of business was giving every inch of the room a good cleaning. Then it was time for a fresh coat of paint. 

This bathroom had last been painted over 11 years ago. 

You can see the fresh coat of white on the trim versus the time yellowed door. 

All of the paint we used was leftover from our recent family room refresh that was done right before I began decorating for the holidays. 

Creating A Shower Curtain

The next important element that was needed was a shower curtain.

As so often happens, it was Laura Ingalls Wilder who inspired me to find a free solution.

In the book Little Town on the Prairie the family is moving into a new home. “Then they washed the new windows till they shone, and hung on them new curtains made from old sheets…”

I started looking through my fabric stash. I found an old Laura Ashley flat sheet. The light colors were perfect for the windowless room. 

To dress up the sheet I made 12 ribbon ties from the excess fabric I didn’t need. The bottom was then hemmed. As it was still too long I pleated the sheet four times. That detail reminds me of Mary’s college petticoat.

Decorate Up

This tiny bathroom room measures just 5 feet x 7 feet (1.524 M x 2.13 M). The saving grace is that it is 12 feet (3.6576 M) tall. 

As the room is very basic, and features zero architectural interest, I decided to create a gallery wall opposite the shower curtain to balance the height. 

So I went digging in my closets to find things I could use. Some of the items needed to be freshened up with a bit of champagne gold spray paint that I had left over from a previous project. 

Whenever I visit an art museum I often buy a print or postcard to bring home with me. These pretty prints were displayed in frames that I have collected over the years from estate sales and thrift shops. 

I eventually will fill in the space on either side of the tray when the budget allows. The cracked glass in the lower left hand frame will also be replaced. 

A Little House on the Prairie Inspired Bathroom

Since this bathroom will be primarily used by guests I took a small apothecary cabinet and tried to fill it with things someone might forget to pack. 

The cabinet contains things such as q tips in a single antique Bavarian creamer that I bought years ago for maybe 25 cents.  Hand creams, lavender oil, and other treats also await our guests. 

The wee pink Shepherdess has been in our branch of the Ingalls family for many, many years. Lift her lid up and she holds safety and bobby pins in her skirt. 

Right under the cabinet is a Victorian era wicker washstand that holds extra towels.

The small china box holds a small tube of toothpaste and band aids. 

       

When I first made over the space I placed a lovely bar of soap in a sweet Bavarian china dish. But that has since changed. Sometimes function over form is necessary. 

This Week’s Video

You can see the entire bathroom with some additional details in this week’s video. 

If you wish to view the video in a larger format just click on the black box in the lower left hand corner that says Watch on YouTube.

 

All in all I am pleased with this zero cost makeover. To create your own prairie perfect look you can often find low cost paint in the oops section of most hardware stores. Frames, fabrics and furniture are plentiful at estate sales and thrift shops. 

Have a gorgeous day,

Laura