Bathroom – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

Gettin Hooked

Published on April 24, 2014April 25, 2014 by Jenna1 Comment

Much to my displeasure, our builder installed a single towel bar in the guest bathroom, under the window and right next to the toilet. Not only is that location not ideal because it’s several steps from where a guest would exit the shower, it’s prime germ spreading territory with each flush.

It also wasn’t efficient because it would only hold a single towel, which had to be folded – if you wanted it to look presentable from the main living area down the hall. And my OCD tendencies require said towel to be hung perfectly straight.

I knew I wanted something different, but wasn’t sure exactly what that was at first. I first considered moving the bar to the back of the bathroom door along with another that we took down in the master bath room. The hubs wasn’t keen on the idea of drilling holes in the door, so I researched other options. The next option was buying an over-the-door hanging towel rack. Unfortunately, that still required folding towels and honestly I’d rather spend those few moments playing with my fur babies. Then I realized I’d already found the best solution and used it in our master bathroom – hooks! Simple, easy and very inexpensive. That’s my kind of solution!

The hubs picked up two more hooks like the ones we had in the master bathroom and installed them on the back of the door. The new set up simplifies getting ready to hosts guests and makes it easy for said guests to relax and not worry about such a simple thing. Apparently Tequila approves!

Now our guests have room to hang two towels, right next to the shower. Genius! Should we need more towels out I can always add a third hook half way down in the middle pretty quickly. And the towel bars sold on Craigslist for a couple dollars more than the hooks cost. Score! You could say I’m happy, happy, happy.

A Tin Crown

Published on April 16, 2014April 17, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

I picked up this beautiful tin tile at an antique show soon after we moved into the new house. Crafted by the same vendor who I got the entry way dresser from, it was a bargain at just $7! And I knew I wanted to use it in our Master bedroom where it would tie in with the other Moroccan patterns I’d gathered.

Unfortunately I couldn’t seem to find the perfect spot for it. I considered putting it over by the tub, but it felt crowded there. I was tempted to replace one of the items hanging on either side of our vanity, but the scale was off. I also considered using it in the bedroom, but that didn’t seem right either. At one point I even tucked it away in the cabinet planning to use it on the shelves I want the hubs to install above the toilet. Then I had a ‘light bulb moment’ and realized it would fit perfectly over the top of the shower tile.

I asked the hubs if he thought it would be ok in such as ‘moist’ environment and he gave a green light. So armed with a hammer, nail and step stool I proceeded to hang my green treasure in the shower. I’m pleased to say that I’m very happy with how it looks. The green coordinates with the green in our decorative tile making it seem like it was painted just for that spot! Maybe I’d go so far as to say it’s the crowning jewel of the shower.. you know, if crown jewels were made of tin! 🙂

I’ve never hung anything in a shower before (other than a shower curtain), so now I’m curious – has anyone else decorated a shower with art? If so, leave a comment and tell me about it!

Cast Iron Charm

Published on March 5, 2014March 11, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

I found these pretty cast iron medallions at a local antique shop recently and knew I wanted to use them in the Master bathroom, although I wasn’t sure exactly how. I considered making hooks out of them for our towels, but didn’t want them to be covered up most of the time. I also thought about attaching them to a board and making a piece of art, but that didn’t feel right either. Finally I decided that putting them above the window over the tub would be just right.

They also made a great visual anchor for the hanging terrariums I had the hubs put up in here. I think they fit perfectly with my eclectic Alaskan spa theme in this space. I’ve been incorporating a few Moroccan pieces and patterns in this space and these medallions follow that trend, without being over powering.

I’ve got a few more projects planned for this space, but will showcase what’s been done so far when I do a whole house tour in the coming weeks. 🙂

An Organized Routine

Published on February 19, 2014 by Jenna2 Comments

If you’ve read this blog at all you know I crave organization. Maybe I’m OCD, maybe I’m just weird, but whatever the reason, I need a routine and having a ‘home’ for everything. It makes life less stressful when I know where things are and can find them right away.

That’s exactly why my morning routine needed some organizing. I had all the items I use on a daily basis in the bathroom, but most of them lived under the counter and had to be pulled out one-by-one as needed. Then I saw this post on one of my favorite blogs and had an epiphany. I could put all of those items in one container and pull it out each morning! When I’m done, I just put it back under the counter, out of sight.

It took a few shopping trips to various retailers, but I eventually found a three compartment basket made of vinyl. Not only is it pretty, it’s durable and waterproof. Perfect for daily use in a bathroom! I organized everything into groups of how I use each. First are the things I apply after getting out of the shower – lotion, deodorant, perfume. All of my hair brushes and products are in the back compartment because they are usually taller. The center compartment holds my toothpaste, jewelry cleaner and other items that don’t fit into either of the other compartments.

I also brought some organizing to my make-up drawer, by lining all my items up in the order I tend to use them. Luckily, I keep it pretty minimal when it comes to make-up so I was able to keep it pretty simple. I have a few items that I only use occasionally, so I keep them in the back of the drawer. This is the same drawer I described in my last post, where I used magnets to hold my bobby pins.

Have you organized your morning routine? Do you have tips on what worked or advice on what not to do? Share them below!

The Finishing Touches

Published on November 21, 2013 by JennaLeave a comment

It’s been a very busy few days at the new house! We’ve finished the flooring – after several very long nights.

The counter tops are finished and look fantastic.

The tile in the master bathroom has been installed, grouted and sealed.

The stone work on the fireplace is up, although it needs to be grouted. The stone on the front porch still needs to be started.

The appliances have been delivered and are being installed. I can’t wait to use all the space in this fridge!!

The electrical fixtures (switches and outlets) are almost complete and the baseboard trim has been installed and touch up filler/paint is in progress.

I was worried I might second guess some of the lighting selections, but everything I’ve seen so far looks great.

The prop fan we selected for the family room is on order, so a ‘temporary’ fan was installed for the appraisal.

The builder is now back on-site and doing what he can to keep everything on schedule for closing on December 1. Our movers are scheduled for December 4-6, since they believe it will take a day to pack up our stuff, a day to load the truck and a day to deliver. It seems so close and yet so far away.

Unfortunately, all this progress tends to create a trail an explosion of tools and supplies throughout the house. Every time, I’m there and see the mass of stuff everywhere I twitch unintentionally. But I know it means I’m closer to living in our new home, so I’m working my way through it with deep breaths – which seem to worry my husband more and more. 🙂

The appraisal was supposed to be done today, but might have to be finalized next week once everything is at 100%. The energy rating will be done soon and our home inspection is set for Saturday. We’ve also locked in our interest rate for our loan. If for some reason the paperwork causes a delay, the builder has agreed to do an early occupancy without rent to accommodate our scheduled movers and time off from work.

Other than making sure all the elements are finished, all that’s left will be cleaning and finding a new renter for our current place! Our landlord had someone lined up, but hasn’t gotten confirmation just yet, so we’re hopeful that will work out. Stay tuned for posts on more of the details!

Kitchen and Bath Colors

Published on August 21, 2013August 20, 2013 by JennaLeave a comment

We recently picked out tile for the Master Bathroom shower and jacuzzi tub, so we brought along a sample when we met with the foreman to see the cabinets and counter tops that the builder had shipped up from the lower 48. Here’s the quartz that they picked out. It’s a little darker than I’d hoped, but it works well with all the other colors so I think it will turn out fine. And it’s better than the white quartz they used in another model! I couldn’t imagine trying to keep that clean with my hubby’s cooking habits!

Here’s a sneak peek of the cabinet color and shaker style.

Here’s the combo of the flooring, cabinets and counter tops.

The bathrooms will have the same counter tops and cabinets, so we chose a neutral ‘spa’ style tile and accent for the Master Bathroom.

To save the budget, the hall bath has this single piece shower/tub instead of a tile surround – san’s shower doors.

Our sinks will all be under-mounted squares like this one, except the cut out won’t be rounded in the front as much as this one is.

While we were there we also confirmed that our front porch columns and fireplace will have this stone, which should also coordinate well.

As you can tell, our colors are ‘earthy’ yet neutral. I plan to add pops of color with accessories that can be easily changed out when the mood strikes. We plan to have oil rubbed bronze fixtures on all the sinks and showers to continue the craftsman and spa style. It’s hard to envision what it will all look like together and I think I’ll silently stress about it until I see the finished product. But it’s all part of the process and I’m sure it will turn out just fine.

Potty Pondering…

Published on July 28, 2013February 6, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Now that the house is starting to take shape and I can envision the rooms within the framed walls, I’ve started thinking about details of each space. The one in particular I keep pondering the most is our master bathroom. Although I love the layout of the Master Bathroom, there isn’t much space for storage so I’m trying to incorporate storage into my design. Of course that means I have a host of ideas pinned just waiting to be put into action. Here are a few!

I plan to start with making the vanity super functional by framing in the mirror and adding shelves like this where I can display frequently used items in ‘pretty’ containers.

Inside the vanity there will be lots of organized storage with something like this. Luckily, I spotted bins similar to this at the dollar store the other day so it shouldn’t cost much to create!

Then after we settle in I want to up the ainty with a hidden drawer around the sink bowls out of the false drawer fronts. It’s perfect to hold my makeup and brushes, while the hubby’s side can house his razor and brush along with other daily use items.

I also have plans to add shelves like these above the toilet to store extra towels and toilet paper along with a few decor items just to make it pretty.

Because of the layout in our bathroom there isn’t a good spot for a towel bar within easy reach of the shower. This revelation led me to consider using towel hooks on the tiny sliver of wall next to the shower similar to this instead. I’ve really come to love the idea because I’m constantly trying to get the towels folded and hanging evenly on the double bar we have in the rental right now. Plus using hooks should make the towels dry faster!

The shower will have built in storage with two niche shelves similar to this designed to hold shampoo and other necessities. That means the shower caddy we currently use can go live in the guest bathroom!

And since there really isn’t a logical spot for a towel bar in the guest bathroom layout I’m going to put them behind the door like this. Such an great idea for a small space! I love this idea for hand towels, especially since it goes with my ‘seaside’ decor in the guest bathroom, but I plan to use it on the wall next to the vanity rather than under the window. Definitely better than those ugly towel rings, which I despise.

I also love this idea for both bathrooms! How unique is that! And super simple to change out! Apparently there is a wealth of styles and varieties to choose from, so I’ll have to pick something different for each potty!