As I write this fourth decor blog since my long break to move and get settled in The Dollhouse, I hope I haven’t in previous posts, or now, given the impression that I’m ungrateful or just complaintive when I write about a room not being what I imagined or wanted initially. Please know, that is not the case at all. I am so grateful for this house I’ve been blessed and very thankful every single time I walk in from the garage door. I’m simply sharing my thoughts and a little information regarding a world that’s just been introduced to me; the world of new home building. That said… I’m not quite done with my master bathroom. I’m already making plans, and have added items to “The List” for change in this area of the house! No seriously. Months ago at my design meeting I knew that I wouldn’t be over the moon about having to leave some design elements on the table until another time. So this bathroom will definitely change at some point. I shared in this post about how I decided to upgrade the master bathroom in my last home kind of on a whim. But back to this bathroom, here is move-in day…
It feels so small. And, yes that’s me in the mirror trying to get a shot of the early stages of madness. And the items on the counter, those were just some personal toiletries and things that I transferred to the new home the morning of the move, from my Mom’s house where I’d been staying for 8 months prior. I know, a mess, right? I was super anxious to get in there and get it set up. I hate having to get ready in the mornings, digging through boxes and bags trying to get to everything that I need. In a post or two ago, I talked about how the first two rooms that I MUST get set up right away are the master suite and the kitchen. You can check it out here.
I would be perfectly happy, delighted even, with my Master Bathroom if it weren’t for Pinterest and Instagram! Some of the decor bloggers I follow, their bathrooms have some seriously fabulous appointments. Wall paper, sconces, ceiling detail, backsplashes, fully tiled showers and beautiful faucets. And I’m not talking about those social media dream homes that we all ooo and ahh at. No, these are the bathrooms of every day working people. And where do they find the time to do all this stuff?! See, this is why you, (uh em, clears throat)… why I can’t get too involved in social media like that. I have to constantly remind myself to STAY IN MY LANE. Ok I’m done with the social commentary, now back to my regularly scheduled decor blogging! Haha! As I mentioned an earlier post, this was the first room I painted in the house. I knew my home would basically be all white, but the master bathroom was definitely going to be all bright white. So I got to painting. This was before I realized I would be painting the whole entire house.
Because it’s on the small side, I love the clean, minimal, simplicity of it. As the first room that I tackled painting-wise, it was then that I learned about a particular brand of paint that turned out to be less than desirable. Brand and logo blurred in the photo so as not to put them on blast. But in a nutshell, it was a HORRIBLE experience using that particular paint. This was the next to highest grade they offered and still… HORRIBLE. You can read about my paint-scapades also in my Master Bedroom Stories post from last week.
So have I mentioned that my new master bathroom is considerably smaller than both my previous master baths? I have, I know. These photos were taken pre-blogging, pre-decor and design enlightenment, and pre-what-little-I’ve-learned-about-photography (the first one even moreso), and I regrettably don’t have suitable pictures to depict the accurate size of either of them. The first one…
And the second…
You can read how I decided on a whim to change things up in my second master bathroom here.
So this is what my new master bathroom looks right now…
I love the light that comes in from that small rectangular window over the shower. I love the flooring I selected. They say hindsight is always 20/20, and knowing what I know now, seeing the tile done and installed on the floors (this tile is also in the laundry room and the guest bathroom), I would have chosen a grout that was a couple shades lighter. Oh well, moving along…
Those who know me, know I LOVE a good swag and drape. I love creating drama with fabric anywhere, not just at windows. And I love using it to hide the builder grade sliding shower door. I just don’t like looking at that fiberglass insert for some reason, especially the reflection of it in the mirror while I’m putting on my makeup. I guess we all have our issues. So until I can upgrade this spot to have a tiled shower, let there be fabric! Haha!!! And most who know me, know how I love bows. But this one is just there until I can find a large tassel that I love. So far I haven’t been able to find one that I feel is right.
You may be wondering where’s the bathtub? I decided on the shower-only option because, (let me duck virtually), I’m just not a soak in the bathtub kind of girl. I can hear the comments because I’ve heard them for many years. Both of the tubs in my last two houses were only used four times total. So… no tub in the master for this one. There is a tub in the guest room though. So… moving on the “The List.” For this bathroom it includes replacing the builder mirror with two mirrors, switching out the overhead light fixture for sconces, replacing the cultured marble counter top with a marble one, and switching out the two faucets. That’s all 🙂
I was very proud of myself for adding the hardware to the cabinets too. It was a little scary so I avoided the task for a couple months, building the courage to do it, because I didn’t want to later have to google “how to repair cabinet doors” and get wood filler, and re-paint, and so on, and so on. But it only took my an hour to do, and they turned out just fine. I’m so impressed with my use of a drill that I’m thinking of tacking the 52 knobs and pulls I need for the kitchen, but I’ll save that for another post.
And I guess I should include a shot of the privacy room…
Ok… it’s a picture of a toilet. Why am I even posting?!?! I really am not and have never been into decorating this little space. I just like it minimal and bright white. I must however change out the one of five remaining boob lights that is in there. I just want a gorgeous crystal chandelier to replace it and then I’m done in there. I know that may be a boring plan for most decorating enthusiasts, but I’m okay with it. FYI: this is what’s commonly known as a boob light, just in case you didn’t know what the heck I was talking about.
So now you understand the term boob light. No need to go further. It’s the flush mount ceiling light fixture that comes standard all over most houses. I’ve already replaced seven of them. Lot’s of people have them in their home and I hope no one will be offended. I just don’t care for them. Let me know in the comments how you feel about them 🙂
Wrapping up… the trials? Yeah, the paint, and the budget, and the learning curve for sure. But trials are learning tools, and what I’ve come to know, is that design-wise, kitchens and Bathrooms are the two most important parts of the home. And… they’re also two of the most expensive parts of the home design-wise. At least in my little realm. All the details and exquisite appointments that make a home a fabulous one, like window casings, crown molding treatments, flooring, light fixtures, door handles and knobs, and little things like upgraded outlet covers and carpentry work to hide common features you may not want to see like decorative vent covers and mullion-laced refrigerator doors and television covers, (I didn’t even know what a mullion was until a few months ago!), these are the things that make you say cha-ching! And me being the all-glamour-everything girl that I am, without an unlimited budget (bummer), I have found ways to decorate my home that make it feel just as luxurious and Pinterest-worthy to me as some of the dreamy rooms I see featured there. This is certainly one of the triumphs of outfitting my master bathroom. The ultimate triumph is being content with exactly what I have right now, and not buying into (mentally, emotionally and literally financially), becoming obsessed with acquiring everything on “The List.” It’s so hard, but I commit to resist, haha!!!
What are your master bathroom decor preferences, trials and triumphs? Tell me about them in the comments below, and thank you so much for stopping by :)xo
