Bathroom Makeover
No purchases were made for this mini makeover. I happened to have everything on hand including paint, rollers, shelves, brackets and all else pictured.
Here’s What I Used:
Paint leftover from 2015 - I had paint stirrers, brushes, tape and a drip pan on hand.
A brand new Delta toilet paper holder courtesy of my friend Domonique. She also gifted me with two towel bars and a robe hook. One towel bar was also installed day one of the remodel.
Wooden boards found months ago on the street. I sanded them down to clean up their look and mounted them with shelf brackets I’ve had for years. I do intend to stain these shelves. I’m not sure that it’ll actually happen.
Faux palm leaves that were purchased from Hobby Lobby years ago. I used them to cover the destruction left behind by the original holder on the left side. Added leaves to the right side for balance.
Gold framed photos were given to me as a gift back in 2013 maybe? Thanks Blaire :)
The Painted Woman was found in Birdy, an art & literary magazine that originated in Denver, CO. The frame I got on clearance a while back at the craft store.
Pro Tip - Framing art from magazines is a budget-friendly way to ball.Plants - These are cuttings taken from a larger Pothos, one of the easiest plants to propagate/care for. I placed them in glass jars (reused after holding jelly or perhaps sun-dried tomatoes) with water where they will take root.
Pro Tip 2 - Plant habits get expensive. Propagating plants you already have (or in other words duplicating them) is another budget friendly way to ball.
My bathroom is best described as inconvenient. The size, the layout, the lighting, the placement. There’s nothing great about the bathroom besides the fact that I haven’t had any major plumbing issues. I’ve tried again and again to make it more desirable. The closest I’ve gotten is with the black light/red bulb combo that soften the visual harshness of this bathroom design and make my bath soaks feel like outer space. Otherwise, as can be seen in the before photo above, the bathroom is just…blah.
The day I got the idea to paint the wall behind the toilet, I had other plans. It was my intention to sit down and finally deal with some overdue paperwork. But when the spark hits, it hits hard. I almost instantly said “what paperwork?” and nose-dove into a full-on bathroom remodel that would call for wall paint, power drills, some minor construction skills and of course arts and crafts. Thanks to my inclination toward home improvement projects I had everything on hand, which was all the more reason to go all the way there.
I should have moved slower. Before I knew it, I was dizzy from paint fumes, roughly dehydrated and hungry because I chose creativity over food. I quickly saw that this project was bigger than I had led on. I took a step back, paused for a few minutes and gave my body what it needed. By the time I recovered, I realized just how tired I was. The physical exertion of the bathroom remodel paired with the thinking/calculating/calibrating involved, plus my desperate desire to finish it all in one day had completely worn me out.
The final feeling of triumph when you sit inside a vision finally manifest is part of the reason I’m so sorely eager to bring my visions to life as quickly as I can. I craved that sensation with this bathroom project but it would have to be completed in phases, which kinda saddened me. Sometimes it’s appropriate to dive straight in. There’s time and space that allows for a person to explore the spark in the same moment it comes. Other times, it proves to be beneficial to let the idea gestate and get organized for a few before starting. This way you can maximize the time you do spend working. The tricky part is in discerning which moment is which. Especially when you get as excited as I do about a potential new project.
To practice discernment moving forward, when an idea sparks, I’ll assess what it takes to see the project through including necessary supplies, purchases, and the amount of time and energy required. I’ll be sure to also consider other projects that are currently underway and recall how urgent they are. This will help clarify if I should spend time finalizing ongoing projects or if I have the space to start something new I’m excited about.
I get to cultivate design skills at the same time that I’m fine tuning my temperament.
I’m pleased with the results of phase one (pictured above). There’s at least one more phase necessary to finish the project, but it will probably happen in two. This mini remodel has given me a chance to practice pacing myself, which I can’t overstate the necessity of. I get to cultivate design skills at the same time that I’m fine tuning my temperament. This is Spatial Therapy.
Written by Kenniese Franklin