I had high hopes to publish a year in review post on the last day of the year, but the post isn't finished yet, so a mini-reveal of the upstairs bathroom will have to do.
When we moved in the bathroom was a sickly yellow-green. I painted it electric blue. I didn't think it was that blue when I sampled it, but it turned out very blue.
It wasn't terrible, but it was dark, and it didn't turn out like I thought it would. So I repainted the walls white and the vanity blue.
This blank white wall is just crying out for art.
We changed out the builder-grade 80s mirror for a nailhead mirror we already owned. We changed the 80s Hollywood dressing room light fixture for a cheap updated one from Lowes. And the naked lady moved back into the bathroom.
The shower curtain and bath mats are from JC Penney.
I am thrilled with how this turned out. Its bright, fresh and colorful.
I will say, however, that prepping and painting the vanity was a month-long ordeal that is making me rethink doing the kitchen. I took the doors off the vanity because they (and every cabinet in this entire house) were covered with multiple coats of gloppy, drippy, thick, oil-based high gloss paint, and they looked awful. I was prepared to do it right, take off the doors, sand them down, de-cake the hinges and re-use them. It took two full weekends to get all the doors off the vanity and the hinges off the doors. I made a few attempts at getting the thick layers of paint off the hinges, which was successful but I scratched the hinges up in the attempt, so I made the executive decision to just buy new hinges (a $12 expense).
I found ones that were similar aged brass patina, with the same size holes, yay! Except I didn't realize they were an eighth of an inch wider. And then the doors didn't line up right with the new hinges. And removing the doors caused some damage to the frame and we had to use bigger screws than came with the hinges. Painting this vanity was an exercise in frustration on every level.
Our kitchen has the exact same cabinetry with the detailed edges (and horrendous gloppy drippy paint job). I had planned on getting started next month on painting the cabinetry, but this experience is making me wonder if I should just live with it the way it is for the next ten years until we can afford to remodel. At the very least I will invest in a paint sprayer and a Dremel sander for the edges.
Oh well--at least the bathroom looks nice in the end.
On that note, dear readers, I am signing off for a few days. We are starting off the new year by having our house fumigated for termites--we get the circus tent!--and we have to be out of the house during that time. I hope the holidays are treating you well and that 2014 is a fresh, happy beginning for you all.
When we moved in the bathroom was a sickly yellow-green. I painted it electric blue. I didn't think it was that blue when I sampled it, but it turned out very blue.
It wasn't terrible, but it was dark, and it didn't turn out like I thought it would. So I repainted the walls white and the vanity blue.
This blank white wall is just crying out for art.
We changed out the builder-grade 80s mirror for a nailhead mirror we already owned. We changed the 80s Hollywood dressing room light fixture for a cheap updated one from Lowes. And the naked lady moved back into the bathroom.
The shower curtain and bath mats are from JC Penney.
I am thrilled with how this turned out. Its bright, fresh and colorful.
I will say, however, that prepping and painting the vanity was a month-long ordeal that is making me rethink doing the kitchen. I took the doors off the vanity because they (and every cabinet in this entire house) were covered with multiple coats of gloppy, drippy, thick, oil-based high gloss paint, and they looked awful. I was prepared to do it right, take off the doors, sand them down, de-cake the hinges and re-use them. It took two full weekends to get all the doors off the vanity and the hinges off the doors. I made a few attempts at getting the thick layers of paint off the hinges, which was successful but I scratched the hinges up in the attempt, so I made the executive decision to just buy new hinges (a $12 expense).
I found ones that were similar aged brass patina, with the same size holes, yay! Except I didn't realize they were an eighth of an inch wider. And then the doors didn't line up right with the new hinges. And removing the doors caused some damage to the frame and we had to use bigger screws than came with the hinges. Painting this vanity was an exercise in frustration on every level.
Our kitchen has the exact same cabinetry with the detailed edges (and horrendous gloppy drippy paint job). I had planned on getting started next month on painting the cabinetry, but this experience is making me wonder if I should just live with it the way it is for the next ten years until we can afford to remodel. At the very least I will invest in a paint sprayer and a Dremel sander for the edges.
Oh well--at least the bathroom looks nice in the end.
On that note, dear readers, I am signing off for a few days. We are starting off the new year by having our house fumigated for termites--we get the circus tent!--and we have to be out of the house during that time. I hope the holidays are treating you well and that 2014 is a fresh, happy beginning for you all.
Love it! I'm glad you repainted. I think it looks really good with the blue vanity and love the shower curtain. Happy 2014 to you!
ReplyDeleteLooks lovely. Reminds me of the Greek isles - all white and blue with small splashes of verdant green. I've been ruminating on painting my own kitchen cabinets, but am utterly unconvinced that I would do a good job. After the headache the bathroom vanity gave you, perhaps you could replace just the doors on the kitchen cabinets instead of trying to refinish the lot. Can't wait to see more in 2014!
ReplyDeleteI am going to need a long period of gearing up before I feel ready to tackle that kitchen. I'm looking into replacing the doors, but I plan to gut the kitchen down the road and was hoping for just a quick paint refresh.
DeleteCongratulations, another job to cross off your to do list. It's funny, I don't know you, except through your blog, but to me it is just your style . I like it. The only thing I am not sure of is the finish on the nail head mirror and the white frame for the picture - would different finishes be better ? should they be the same or similar , or do they look better different ? Everything else seems light and bright and airy and happy and fresh.
ReplyDeleteI just stenciled another fake bone inlay chest of drawers - this time for me, so I am also very happy to finish a project, and my daughters are no longer allowed to say I never finish anything.
I am sure you will get around to doing the kitchen cabinets sometime this year, and I look forward to seeing them. It's always good to see someone ticking things off their to do list .
Kind Regards and Happy New Year
Cathy
Thanks Cathy. The mirror and picture are ones we already owned, so we are working with what we have at the moment. That bathroom is another gut job eventually, but fine for now. Happy New Year to you as well!
DeleteIt looks great! I love the white walls with the blue cabinets! Such a fun and fresh space! Happy new year!
ReplyDeleteIt turned out well - so bright and eye-opening!
ReplyDelete