Pitiful to Posh Powder Room-Spring 2020 One Room Challenge Week 6

It’s Week 6 of the One Room Challenge ya’ll. I”m working overtime to get this space completed! I actually think I work better under pressure although my family is ready to lock me out of the house.

Let’s do a quick recap…

Week 1-The Before

Week 2- The Design

Week 3- Demo Diaries

Week 4- In My Feelings

Week 5- Cancelled

So here we are and so much has taken place within the last 2 weeks. First up is this gorgeous wallpaper!! This is my first time using wallpaper in my home and I’m obsessed. Previously, I thought that since I’m such a fickle person and like to switch things up a lot that I couldn’t commit to wallpaper. Well I’ve since changed my tune and realized that I just need to commit to the RIGHT wallpaper. And this whimsy wallcovering by GP & J Baker does not disappoint.

First Vanity

Second Vanity

Next up is plumbing. If you recall, my first vanity was received in mid May and came in damaged. Well…the second one came in with a hairline crack in the sink. Insert every curse word imaginable and I’m sure I said it. I mean, why does this keep happening??? At this point, I don’t have time to order another one and just need to make a decision on which one to use. I quickly realize the damaged piece on the first vanity isn’t so bad because there’s no way my plumber is going to install a vanity with a cracked sink. And honestly, I don’t want to deal with any potential issues down the road with this even if it can be repaired.

Thankfully, there were no issues with my toilet. I went with a comfort height Kohler brand that fit perfectly in the powder room. I did change out the lever from a nickel finish to an antique brass. I’m so fancy!

At the end of this week, I plan to have the window treatment installed along with the toilet paper holder and hand towel ring. So let’s see where we are with that to do list…

THE TO-DO LIST: In progress

• Demo bathroom-Done

• Install tile floors-Done

• Grout tile floors-Done

• Skim walls & prep for wallpaper-Done

• Repair water damage on ceiling-Done

• Install wallpaper-Done

• Install baseboards and other trim-Done

• Paint trim & ceiling-Done

• Install vanity, sink & faucet-Done

• Install commode-Done

• Install window treatment-End of this week

• Add finishing touches-Next week

• Professional photography of room-Next week

Only three things left! Woohoo!! Everything I’ve sourced has come in except for my wall art. But I’m marching full steam ahead with adding the finishing touch and styling this powder room for professional photography next week. The reveal is June 25th. Eek!!

Pitiful to Posh Powder Room-Spring 2020 One Room Challenge Week 5

In light of recent events that have taken place across the country; Linda Weinstein, creator of the ORC decided to cancel Week 5 to give everyone a moment to reflect and process. And I’m ever so grateful to her for that.

Check back next week for updates.

Pitiful to Posh Powder Room-Spring 2020 One Room Challenge Week 4

So we’re at the halfway point of the One Room Challenge! And I have to tell ya, not much has happened in the last week. The goal was to have the baseboards and other trim painted and caulked. The wallpaper was also to be installed. It’s amazing how things can change in a week. I should mention I’m also having some exterior parts of my home painted and so the powder room was to be included in this work. However, the last 3 days have been cloudy and rainy; which is delaying the paint job. This set off the chain reaction of everything else being pushed back (wallpaper, plumbing)to next week. Sigh. So today’s post is a bit of a detour. Since my powder room literally looks the same as it did last week; I figured now is the perfect time to write all about my experience and emotions that led me up to this point…

As you know this is my first go at the ORC. I’ve sat on the sidelines and watched others dive into this challenge for a couple of years now. The transformations are so fun to watch! As for me, I was terrified to join!! That same adrenaline rush I felt watching others finish their room in 6 weeks is what kept me away from participating. My sole thought was, imagine if I started but wasn’t able to complete the room??

So February rolls around and I know I’m planning to refresh my powder room. I’ve started thinking about design options and realize the ORC starts in April. Hmmm…should I throw caution to the wind and join in as a guest participant? I ponder the thought 5,892,763 more times before convincing myself I can do it; as long as I have an outline of the 6 week process and how I want everything to happen. I sign up. It’s about to go down ya’ll!!

Then this whole pandemic thing happens and completely turns my life along with the rest of world upside down. How in the hell can I work from home, home school and stay sane?? The challenge isn’t even an option thanks to shelter in place. I’m convinced this just isn’t meant to be.

Then in early April, I get an email from ORC stating the challenge is postponed until May 7th and will be 8 weeks instead of 6. Hope is somewhat restored; maybe this pandemic will be a bit more under control? By now I’m in a routine with my new normal that has kept me from choking my husband and abandoning my kids and this home school life. So yes, it is quite possible I will still participate. I just need to adjust my schedule outline now that I have more time. Woohoo!!

From mid April up until now, I’ve been working hard behind the scenes. The first priority was scheduling with subs once the shelter in place was lifted. Fortunately, my neighbor is a contractor and so I talked with her about my plans and she told me to just let her know when I was ready to get on the schedule.

Once that was taken care of, I started figuring out a design direction and began ordering those big ticket items like the vanity, toilet and tile. Ordering through my trade accounts was out of the question due to at least a 6-8 week lead time. So I knew retail was the way to go. There are lead times with retail as well but I knew it would be shorter if the items were in stock versus the delays I would experience with wholesale vendors.

Additionally, I knew there could be a possibility of items coming in damaged (thanks Wayfair) and would need to be re-ordered so I didn’t want to procrastinate with the turn around time on that.

And so here we are folks in Week 4. I’m so happy I gave myself a chance with this! The biggest take away with this has been the planning. Now I know I’m only at the halfway point, but I have an idea of what to expect with the next 4 weeks ahead. That came from me establishing a draft outline of what I thought the 8 weeks would look like and tweaking as I go along. This outline helped me figure out those items I needed to jump on ordering now versus those things I could wait on once the ORC was underway.

Are you thinking about participating in the Fall? I would encourage anyone who is on the fence to absolutely do it!! Figure out the type of project (refresh versus renovation) you’re interested in tackling and then get to planning! A renovation that involves changing the layout of a room is definitely going to require some forethought; especially if the ORC goes back to 6 weeks. But its doable!! I would highly suggest that you get started on it beforehand and be sure to document your design process as you go. The ORC actually encourages this; just as long as you can show your before, durings, and after!

I now realize I was a ball of nerves for no reason about this challenge. I’m having fun along the journey and that’s so important. Stay tuned for Week 5 and I’m hoping you’ll stick around to see the reveal for Week 8.

And…I may or may not drop my name in the hat for the Fall!

Pitiful to Posh Powder Room-Spring 2020 One Room Challenge Week 3

Its Week 3 of the One Room Challenge and we’re still plugging away. The fixtures have been demolished. The artwork, light fixture and wooden shade were removed as well. This picture was a quick snap in between the subcontractors taking a break!

You can catch up on Weeks 1 and 2 here.

A lot of stuff has transpired in the last week. However; this is all the boring stuff that nobody really gets excited about!

So let’s play catch up…

The tiles have now been installed. I decided to go with a white and grey basket weave tile. This look feels classic and clean; I can enjoy this years down the road. Ignore the white mud that’s caked up in some areas of the tile. The sub got a little too happy and didn’t properly cover the floors. I’m annoyed but they are coming back to clean it up.

New baseboards have also been installed. I decided to go with a “heavier” molding to add more architectural details to the look; especially since I’m unable to add trim along the ceiling because the door casing is in the way. Speaking of door casing, a new one was also installed. The previous version was chewed on by the former homeowner’s puppy. I lived with that door casing for 10 years folks!

The walls have also been skimmed and primed for the wallpaper install. The previous vanity was 42” and extended to the side wall. I’m going with a shorter version of 36” this time around. So it made sense to just prime around the entire plumbing area so the wallpaper doesn’t have any issues adhering to the wall.

Let’s check in on that to do list to see how we’re coming along..

THE TO-DO LIST: In progress

• Demo bathroom-Done

• Install tile floors-Done

• Grout tile floors-Done

• Skim walls & prep for wallpaper-Done

• Repair water damage on ceiling-Done

• Install wallpaper

• Install baseboards and other trim-Done

• Paint trim & ceiling-

• Install vanity, sink & faucet

• Install commode

• Install window treatment

• Add finishing touches

• Professional photography of room

I must say I’m feeling pretty good ya’ll!!! I’m knocking this list out. Next week the trim work is painted along with the wallpaper installation. I’m also hoping to start receiving some of the items I ordered for the room (vanity, mirror, faucet, etc). This is the replacement vanity since the first one came in damaged. Let’s pray Week 4 is smooth sailing!

Pitiful to Posh Powder Room-Spring 2020 One Room Challenge Week 2

Thinking of a master plan…

And these gorgeous little birds and lotus leaves are part of my inspiration. I just love the soft colors and touch of whimsy in this wallpaper; which are two details I like to include in every one of my designs.

It’s Week 2 of the One Room Challenge and I’ve finally decided on a design concept board for my little space of ugliness known as my powder room.

Just in case you missed Week 1, you can read it here.

Now back to my design; wanna see what I came up with?

As you can see, the goal is to bring in color and brighten things up. The powder room feels so small and closed in. So this color scheme will lighten up the space while also incorporating texture and a bit of warmth with the brass fixtures.

Even though the wallpaper adds a whimsical element, I wanted the room to feel classic. So the basket weave tile was chosen just for that reason. This pattern is tried and true and will stand the test of time. The vanity and grey marble top is simple in design and neutral enough to keep if I switched things up years down the road.

And of course, this bathroom design wouldn’t be complete without the brass fixtures. They add such a warmth to the space and complement the overall look of the design! Overall, I think I’ve achieved my goal.

So that’s the design and I’m sticking to it. Of course, I really don’t have a choice now that I have 6 weeks left! Although everything is being ripped up and replaced, I’m still calling this a refresh because we aren’t moving any electrical or plumbing lines and the layout will remain the same.

Next week the fun begins. We start demolition of the bathroom and the tile flooring is professionally installed. Fingers crossed this project continues smoothly!

Make sure you visit the One Room Challenge blog and check out the other guest participants!

Pitiful to Posh Powder Room- Spring 2020 One Room Challenge Week 1

My first One Room Challenge! I’m so excited and nervous! Honestly, this is a challenge I’ve wanted to do for a while now but could never muster up the courage.

Hi everyone! If you’re new to my blog, welcome! I’m Demi and I’m an interior decorator in Atlanta, Ga. I am a lover of character homes, chinoiserie, bold color, and whimsy decor accessories. And I’m ready to have some fun with the One Room Challenge.

What is the One Room Challenge, you ask?

For those that don’t know, the One Room Challenge is a biannual event (every April and October) in the design industry where twenty featured designers are selected to tackle the challenge of transforming a space in 6 weeks! The highlight of this challenge is the designers have to document their progress while sharing their sources and professional advice over the six weekly posts. The grand reveal of the space is usually done during the last post.

In addition to the featured designers, anyone who has a blog or Instagram can join in on the fun as a guest participant. And that would be me! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ORC was delayed this year. So this time around, everyone will have 8 weeks instead of 6 to complete their space. Woohoo!!

Which brings me to the space I’m tackling…

the Powder Room

This is our pitiful powder room. Its a lovely design of brown on brown splashed with lots of ugliness. We’ve been in this house for about 11 years and really haven’t done much to the space.

The vanity and commode are original to the room. When we first moved in, we switched out the vanity top for the remnant stone you see in the picture above. I don’t even remember what type of top was there before. We re-painted the cabinets white and changed out the hardware. We then slapped some paint on the walls and called it a day.

Then in 2018, we had a leak that caused some of the hexagon tiles that were previously on the floor to lift. In my haste to fix the floor and fall in line with the insurance carrier’s budget, I picked up the tumbled stone tile above ( in brown…so original). Although this is actually better than the pastel pink and green 70s style hexagon tiles that were there!

This powder room is pretty small; 30 square feet to be exact. The overall layout works but the plan is to turn this pitiful brown mess into a posh bathroom that I don’t mind using.

The To-Do List

Here’s a look at what changes will take place…

• Demo bathroom

• Install tile floors

• Grout tile floors

• Skim walls & prep for wallpaper

• Repair water damage on ceiling

• Install wallpaper

• Install baseboards and other trim

• Paint trim & ceiling

• Install vanity, sink & faucet

• Install commode

• Install window treatment

• Add finishing touches

• Professional photography of room

As you can see, there’s a lot of things to cover in the next 8 weeks. Because this is my first rodeo, I got a jump start on some things and started ordering the big ticket items like the vanity and toilet. Anndd…the vanity came in damaged. So fortunately, I have enough time to get a replacement. Talk about no pressure!!

Stay tuned for next weeks look at my design concept and the goodies I will use to transform this room!!

A Kate Spade Inspired Modern Nursery

Shop the look below to create this modern nursery for your posh baby!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

1. Pottery Barn-Babyletto 3-in-1-Crib | 2. Crate & Barrel-Larkin Dresser | 3. Kate Spade Owlish Wallpaper (pricing available upon request) | 4. Stray Dog Designs-Sally Pendant | 5. Pottery Barn-Emily & Merritt Modern Wingback Chair | 6. Stray Dog Designs-Mrs. English Lamp | 7. Blu Dot-Hecks Ottoman | 8. Worlds Away Leopard Wastebasket (pricing available upon request) | 9. Home Depot-Bellaterra Quatrefoil Mirror

Before and After: Fun and Colorful Kids Bathroom Refresh

I absolutely love the way this bathroom refresh project turned out. However, it didn’t always look this great.

The before…

This 7 foot x 7 foot space felt every bit of small and dark. To be honest, I’d neglected this room for quite a while because my kids were little and time just wasn’t on my side.

Now that they’ve gotten a bit older and I’d grown tired of looking at this ugliness, I devised a design plan to update this space.

First, I decided on what would be updated in the room. I knew the fixed elements would stay (i.e., layout, plumbing, tile, tub, and vanity). Because of this, I knew most of my design would involve decorative accessories and soft finishes.

My budget for the space was $4k; and I needed to make sure each dollar was spent wisely. So I decided to go custom with the shower curtain and window treatment; allowing them to be the main stars of the room.

I also wanted to “finish” off the space and add some architectural detail with crown molding. Painting the room and vanity to give it a more light and bright feeling was also on the list. Throw in a bit of accessories and styling, and I was ready to select pieces for the design.

I always start any new design plan with a textile. In this case, it was the Schumacher Antelopes fabric for the window treatment. I love the vibrant colors and dose of whimsy. I knew everything else would be designed around this gorgeousness.

I wanted to pull out some of the blues and yellows from the fabric. Initially, I couldn’t decide on whether blue or green would work best for the vanity. However; in the end I decided on a perfect green shade from Sherwin Williams. I also found some cute marble and brass cabinet hardware that would add a nice contrast against the pop of green! I decided I’d layer in the blue with accessories.

Next, I chose the fabric and trim for the custom shower curtain. I knew I wanted a cotton/linen blend white fabric. I also wanted to incorporate a fun green trim to reiterate the color scheme. Once the main investment pieces were out of the way, I narrowed down the accessories like lighting, artwork, area rug and counter top decor.

The After

The room feels so much bigger thanks to the neutral, soft and airy paint tones. I selected Sherwin Williams Creamy for the walls and Sherwin Williams Pure White for the trim. I think the contrast of these two colors are subtle and complement each other well.

Of course, the stars of this refresh is the custom window treatment and shower curtain. I really wanted to add something unique and special since nothing from the fixed elements really stood out. Mission accomplished!

If you haven’t noticed, the custom shower curtain rod is ceiling mounted. This is a great trick to use in making a small space appear bigger. Mounting it to the ceiling causes the eyes to look up; thus creating an illusion of height and depth.

I mixed metals here and totally love it. Since I’d used brushed nickel for the current plumbing fixtures, I decided to spice things up with antique brass for the light fixture, shower curtain rod and hand towel bar. There’s a method to doing this that I swear by; I’ll right a blog post on it soon!

The brass fixtures adds warmth against the cool green, and coordinates nicely with the yellow in the window treatment fabric. Another element that adds warmth are the wood tone frames for the artwork. The artwork is so cute and fun; you can never go wrong with toilet paper and toothpaste art for a kid’s bathroom.

Finally, rounding everything out is a little bit of texture and greenery with the orchid. My love for blue and white ceramics is obsessive; I incorporate it in every design if possible. This blue and white potted orchid was perfect for the space.

This was such a fun project, although there were many snafus along the way (back ordered items and delays with my workroom). In all, my mini clients are happy to have a “big kid” bathroom and I’m pleased to have a space the kids can transition in over time that doesn’t look horrible.

I came in under budget at $3,502.80. Below is a breakdown to give you an idea of where each dollar was spent.

Be sure to check out my Full Service Decorating services if you have a space in your home that needs to be refreshed.

Kids Bathroom Refresh Budget Breakdown:

• Paint bathroom/install crown molding =$780.00

• Vanity hardware =$38.12

• Light fixture =$250.92

• Drapery hardware =$92.43

• Fabric for window treatment (1 1/2 yds) =$235.39

• Fabric trim for shower curtain (6 yds) = $184.39

• Fabric for shower curtain (7 yds) =$246.98

• Window/shower curtain labor and install =$1,037.70

• Bath rug = $46.18

• Orchid =$64.40

• Art Prints =$60.94

• Shower Rings =$16.11

• Hand Towels =$74.20

• Hand Towel Bar =$50.03

• Frames =$187.27

• Wastebasket =$44.80

• Apothecary jars (2)= $33.07

• Diffuser =$33.50

• Exhaust fan cover =$26.37

  Total Budget=$3,502.80