Put Some Stripes on It - A Quick Bathroom Update

Today I want to talk to you about a simple paint technique that made a big impact in my main bathroom:

Stripes! 

When we moved into our home 7 years ago, I chose a nice light turquoise for our main bathroom. This room doesn't have any natural light and it has medium dark trim and closet doors. I wanted a light paint to brighten up the space. After all, this is where I get ready to face each day. 

I really liked the color, but after a few years I felt like the room needed something to give it a little punch. I thought about repainting the room a different color, However, I still really liked the color and didn't want to go through the work of repainting. 

I decided to take the big wall you see when entering the room and paint some large stripes on it. 

I dug out my tape measure and painters tape and got to work marking off the stripes. 

I didn't want the wall to be too busy, so I decided wide stripes would be best. 

Also, by doing wide stripes, it shaved a lot of time off of the taping process. My walls are smooth drywall, which makes taping off a fairly easy process. Although trying to tape straight lines will accentuate any flaw in a wall,

I made my measurements from the ceiling to the floor. Straight lines require accurate measurements so be careful.

I used a technique of painting the edge of the stripe with the original paint color. This is supposed to help prevent the new color from bleeding through. 

I used white paint for the stripes to keep things bright but calm.

I had good success with the pre painting technique on the stripes. I had very little white paint bleed through.

I painted the black frames coral to bring in a pop of color. 

I also updated the towel hook beside the shower with some cute bird hooks I found on sale at Hobby Lobby.

The overall effect of the stripes really gave the bathroom a modern pick me up without being overwhelming. 

Because I used paint and supplies I already had on hand, this reno cost me less than $10. 

This bathroom could use a little more work to be completely updated. However, renovations happen in fits and starts in our house. Some of the more expensive things like new cabinetry and flooring will just have to wait. Even with a talented carpenter for a husband, we just don't have the budget for those things. 

That is one of the reasons I love paint so much. It completely remakes a space for a very reasonable price and a little bit of time.

I think I will make it a goal for this summer to paint the trim and doors in this room white. That would be a nice addition to this bathroom. 

By the way, I have always meant to add a 4th element to the frames on the wall. Does anyone have any good ideas for me? 

I would also like to update the art work in them. I'm open to ideas! Please share in the comments.

Laundry Room Re-Do

When we first moved into our house the laundry/entry room was painted stark white on every surface.  Now white can be a clean palette for some people, but I like a little color in my life.

I decided to take the room from drab to fab by painting it a bold color.

I am usually color conservative.  But I always admire other peoples bold colors in their homes, so I thought I'd try it myself.

I shouldn't have.  

I made a mistake by choosing a deep color for a small room with no natural light.

Although I really loved the color, instead of making the room fabulous, it made the room feel small and dark.

I painted the room a hot pink/raspberry color that was bold, exotic, and fun - and completely wrong for the space.  

I had originally thought to make it into a glitzy and glamorous space with a fun chandelier and a wild rug, but after I got the painting all done, I realized that finishing the room wouldn't improve the cave feeling that was prevalent.

Although I didn't love how the paint turned out in the room, I couldn't justify spending more money to repaint it.

Paint may be a cheap way to update a space but it isn't that cheap!

So, the laundry room stayed that color for over a year. 

I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. 

Hunky hubby didn't love it, and neither did the boys. 

There were a few friends who liked it and there were even some people who never even noticed the color!?!?

Then, finally, the opportunity arose for the laundry room to be repainted.

We had been wanting to add some storage cabinets. Friends of ours picked a couple of matching cabinets up for us at a Habitat Restore. 

I gave the cabinets a face lift with a couple coats of paint and some new handles.

Before installing them though, I convinced H.H. that this would be the perfect time to repaint. It honestly didn't take much convincing because he didn't like the pink anyway. 

So on New Years Eve we repainted the laundry room!

I still wanted the color to be something feminine, but I learned my lesson with the bold color and decided that less is more.  H.H. helped me choose a pretty lavender color. 

It's girly without being overly girly. 

I love the color now. 

It is hard to see in the pictures, but it is perfect in the room.  It brightens up the space helping it to feel larger.

H.H. hung the cabinets above the washer and dryer.  Then he attached a pole for hanging shirts to dry and placed a shelf above that.  The cabinets add great storage and keep the room looking neater than the bare shelf that was in there before.

I would still like to replace that old gold light fixture with a cute chandelier. I'll be keeping my eyes open for something at a yard sale or flea market so I can have another DIY project. 

I picked up the wall art on clearance at TJ MAXX.

It says "smile, happy is beautiful".

I find this to be a helpful reminder when I am knee deep in laundry.  It is even more helpful when I am rushing out of the house after corralling kids and 2 dogs and coming back inside 3 times to grab the forgotten items off of the counter. In all that chaos, my face is seriously lacking a smile. I need this little reminder to stop, take a deep breath, and smile. Smiles help not only your face be beautiful, but your heart as well.

We added double rows of coat hooks behind the door.

This is for my coat fetish that I inherited from my Dad. That's right, I said Dad.

We also keep the bulletin board, calendar, and phone charging station in here.  There is a row of hooks under the shelf for the boys coats, although I am sure they will be outgrowing that soon.

The peg board wall holds baskets for 5 peoples shoes. It also holds house tools, hats, and duct tape.  Behind the wall on the left are 3 shelves that hold an array of miscellaneous junk that I have a terrible time keeping organized.

I think this is the most multipurpose room in the whole house!

Personally, if I was able to design my house, I would never have my laundry room be my entry room.  But my Mama always told me  "You need to do the best with what you've got". Sound advice that can be applied to many things, even laundry/entry rooms.

All things considered, we have done the best we can.  The new color helps.  I love the clean white cabinets and trim. It all comes together to make a pleasant room to be in. Which is nice because I am in here a lot.

I'd love to hear about your painting mishaps and what you did about it.  Leave a comment below!

Thanks for looking at our space.  Organizing ideas are welcome. As long as you can tell me how to train the kids to always put their stuff away.