WEEK ONE of the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE

Before….

I am thrilled to take part of the Better Homes and Gardens One Room Challenge this fall! It’s Week 1 of the One Room Challenge and I am SO excited to transform a small bathroom with big potential. My home was built in 1925, an era where closets and bathrooms were tiny, and dining rooms were the largest room in the house. Currently, however, we live in an era where the phrase “open concept” is in the forefront of most every home renovation. My home, which has personality and character, is indeed the opposite of “open”. There is a price to pay for all the charm that comes with an older home, primarily in the form of modern function. I have four kids who share a small bath. Ouch. This bath is original to the house, and although it serves its purpose, it is time for a serious face lift!

Here is my challenge: how do I transform a cramped space to feel bigger without adding square footage? I have a few things going in my favor: 1. I am a veteran of the class of people who buy crazy houses with no real logic, and therefore have experience with rehabilitating small baths, 2. the bath has high ceilings, and 3. the bathroom has a nice source of natural light. I have to say, natural light is a large component of making a room feel bigger and brighter.

To stay within budget, my first decision is to keep the general layout of the bathroom. Moving sinks and tubs around doesn’t ultimately increase function in this case. By keeping the layout, there will be no major plumbing changes, an expense that can add up quickly. Here is a picture of the original bath. The cream colored tile is dingy. The light fixtures don’t give off substantial light, and the plumbing fixtures are on their last leg. Nothing about this bathroom feels clean or fresh. And thanks to the pedestal sink, storage is at a minimum. This old bathroom just isn’t working for our large family.

The Plan….

It is a tall order for me to pick one direction to head when remodeling a space. I like so many styles and so many colors, inevitably finding myself skipping down a dozen rabbit holes. For example, I am loving pink tile right now. I toyed with that direction. Then I decided to come back to earth since three out of four of my children using this bath are boys. The tile selection is endless! How do I pick! Here is what I do know for certain: 1. I want the elements that are hard to change (like tile) to be timeless. This way, if I want to change up the bathroom in a few years, I can do it without a complete overhaul; and 2. I am not a neutral girl. I so admire all-white rooms and neutral rooms that feel calm and serene, I just…can’t…do…it. I have tried and always end up adding color. After much deliberation, I have decided upon the following design elements….

*Blue and white color scheme, fresh and timeless

*Classic vanity that offers storage

*Sleek polished chrome fixtures and glass hardware, again fresh and timeless

*A pop of primary color, because I have to :-)

*A combo of large field tile and intricate mosaic tile

*Warm wall texture to balance out the cool tones

*Custom built-in cabinetry to maximize storage and give the bathroom that little special “something” that makes it unique

I can’t wait to breathe some life into this bathroom! The transformation will be jaw dropping!