"Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest."
~ Henry Van Dyke

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Morning routine.....

My morning routine most often starts here in our newly redone bathroom. But it did not look like this when we moved in...

Here is the before picture (see photo below) from the sales brochure. Now this photo actually made it look nicer than it was. The two round sinks had rounded cabinets under them that were totally rotting, all the faucets (sinks, bath and shower) were calcified and unable to be cleaned, drains in both sinks were totally clogged and the copper pipes were green from leaks which we only discovered after we removed the mirrored wall. It took ages to get this mirror and sink construction from the wall but we are so glad we did it. The entire room needed a good deep cleaning as there was mold on the tiles and the shower door was so filthy it looked like it was frosted glass.

What was the mirrored wall is now covered with a slate tile. We added silver accents to bring the slate color out even more. We bought a traditional sink with a retro 30s look and faucet to match. I had been searching for a nice vintage small chest of drawers but have not had any success. I decided to try the little chest of drawers from the bedroom for now. We like it there.

We bought more vintage looking faucets to replace those here at the bath and also the one in the shower. I always keep a book by the bath on a little table as I start off my day relaxing in a hot bath with a good book whenever I have the time.

We had damage to the floor tiles due to the leaking sinks being left for so long. This is a Belgian blue stone floor which is porous and the leakage has eaten marks into the floor. But rather than having to immediately replace the floor, I bought a very large shag bathroom rug which was just the right size to cover the two spots on the floor. I love this rug as it is nice and cozy warm to your feet in the morning. I have little throw rugs for right at the shower and bath also.

The window has been painted in a nice creamy white which looks much cleaner and fresher than the dark blue paint. The radiator had to be removed and repainted as it was rusted. A few accessories on the window sill finish it off.

My step father made me this shelf about 15 years ago and I stitched the sea shells about 24 years ago. Good items never go out of style.

I love glass and there is nothing like placing glass in the bathroom just for the pure luxury of it! Perhaps you noticed from the first photo, our chandelier is now hanging in the bathroom. I love the way the light glimmers in the morning while I am relaxing. I also placed a tray with a piece of handmade lace and crystal carafes on the little dresser. We no longer use these but I think they are so pretty just as they are. You could use carafes like this to hold your bathfoam or other things like this.

The silver hooks are waiting to be hung by Jos. They used to be hanging in Cranberry Cottage to hold a quilt but we made a shelf for the living room there (click here for the post about the shelf) and these hooks are perfect to bring here to use in the bathroom.

We are very pleased with how this bathroom has become a very relaxing space to start our day with a minimum amount of money spent. We bought a sink, faucets and a mirror. Everything else are items we already had. Other than that it has been a question of a good deal of elbow grease.

20 comments:

Nancy said...

Well, you could fill them with wine, then you could really relax in the tub. LOL. The dresser works very well there. My bathroom is very beautiful.
Love you, Mom

Elizabethd said...

It is perfect Heidi...you could put it in Country Living any time.
What a difference you have made to your home....and I love the chandelier!

Deborah said...

You did a beautiful in your bathroom! I love the chandelier.

Saskia said...

What new tiles, perfect decoration can do. (besides the cleaning... LOL)
I love your roller blind!
I have a bath, maybe I need to take a bath more often too.

Willy said...

Ziet er heel sfeervol uit. Mooi kanten kleedje ligt er op het blad.
Groetjes

Jackie's Stitches said...

It's gorgeous Heidi! Your chandelier is the perfect touch...really works with the dark gray and white. Just gorgeous. You really do have an eye for design.

Susan in SC said...

Very pretty and relaxing Heidi! Thank you for sharing it with us.

Amy Marie said...

Very pretty!

onlymehere said...

Heidi, it's absolutely elegant! You've worked miracles with it. You're right too, good pieces never go out of style. I still have my framed cross stitch throughout the house and my wood shelves, etc.

DonnaTN said...

Your bath is lovely and looks very soothing. A relaxing soak in the tub would be a great start to your day.

Ginny said...

Your bathroom is so luxurious! You have great taste and a wonderful way of bringing everything together.

Jeanne said...

It's beautiful Heidi, it just gleems from all of the 'elbow grease' you and Jos used on it. The chandelier is the perfect touch. We are just finishing our bathroom remodeling and the painting will be happening next week.I am so tired of dust but thrilled with how they came out. I now need to do some decorating when I can find the time to go shopping. We don't have a crystal chandelier unfortunately!

hugs,
Jeanne

Littlebit said...

Your bathroom turned out beautiful, Heidi. I love a nice bathroom and never, ever hesitate to put something pretty in it, no matter what. It's not just for plain soap and towels anymore. :) Beautiful job.

Simple Home said...

Your bathroom redo has turned out wonderful, although I know you had a lot of headaches going through it. So glad you get to enjoy it now :-)
Have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings,
Marcia

Tammy said...

SO pretty Heidi!

Kathy A. said...

Oh I just love your bathroom. That chandelier just finishes it off perfectly. You have done a wonderful job!

Anne said...

Wow! Beautiful luxurious bathroom! You can feel queenly every day :D

Happy@Home said...

You did a fabulous job on your bathroom. It looks so elegant now. A beautiful place to begin the day and the chandelier was the first thing I noticed.

Mary said...

Great bathroom makeover Heidi, it looks brand new and sparkling after all that hard work. Chandelier is perfect - I wanted one in my guest bathroom but as it's a small room the electrician refused to hang it because it could be touched if someone stood on the edge of the tub, and apparently that's against code - how stupid is that!

Hope the winter is treating you well - you can't possibly have it as bad as Ohio and the NE!!!

Hugs - Mary

ohiofarmgirl said...

Your bathroom is so posh. I love vintage...and you have hit the mark on that. I think the slate is such a great choice. Good for you. We have not done a real make over on it but our upstairs has a perfect spot for a bathroom...I can only dream. lol Dianntha