I can’t bring myself to start with the befores. So let’s start wtih the afters:

You can see that the wall color went white and I removed the horizontal blinds. Even on a dreary day, it’s 100% lighter and brighter in here.

The mirrors got a $4 change with the help of some Antique Gold Rub ‘n Buff. The vanity got a wash of matte black paint and new hardware from Hobby Lobby.

The shower glass is being measured today and should take about two weeks to install. You can see the footprint of the stall on the ground with the marble curbing.

I added some trim to the window and sprayed some Valspar Frosting Spray to the window glass for privacy. I taped off areas to allow me to still see the beautiful trees outside.

The tub is obviously the centerpiece. It’s an antique cast iron from 1912. This tub was a project in and of itself. I went back and forth many times debating about cast iron vs. acrylic. I even had an acrylic on order and paid for and then changed my mind. I’ll elaborate in a future post but for now I can say that I’m not regretting my decision. I love the authenticity of the real deal and my first bath two nights ago was a blissful success.

Now is the point were I show you the ‘before’ pictures. I cringe. I hesitate. I stall. Above all, I can’t help but think of this Jimmy Fallon skit.

Say it with me…..EEEEWWWWWW!!!

So, these ‘before’ pics pretty much speak for themselves. It was a builder basic bathroom. A leaky one at that. When we moved in, the room was carpeted (double ew!). The linoleum was a step above carpeting, but not much. The room was D.A.R.K. thanks to my unfortunate paint choice about five years back. The horizontal blinds in the window made it so dreary on top of the poor choice in paint color.

Ok, ok. In the grand scheme of things, the bathroom wasn’t horrible. It had a case of ‘never get it clean’ though. No matter what we did, and how often, the shower pan was perpetually dingy as well as the enclosure framing.

So, the only things that remained afterward were: the double vanity base, the mirrors and the lighting. The lighting may change at some point. I’d love to put some funky arm sconces in between each mirror. For the time being, these will do.

If there’s anyone out there and you have any questions, let me know. I’ll do my best to update on individual components here as I have time.

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I’m meeting with our contractor on Wednesday to iron out final details and pricing for our master bath reno. There are some decisions I’m trying to make before then so that I get the most accurate pricing from the get-go. One of the decisions is the vanity in the master bath.

The easiest / quickest / simplest option for the vanity would be to simply replace the top we have now (which is the builder basic ‘cultured marble’) as well as the fixtures. I could paint or refinish the cabinet base and be done. Easy.

Yup–that sure would be easiest. Bbbbbuuuuuuuttttt…what if I took the opportunity to do something a little more unique? A little more us? I’ve been thinking more and more about a  furniture-like vanity. Here are some images that have inspired me to pin them to my Master Bath Inspiration Board.

I’ve been keeping an eye out at flea markets, local antique stores and craigslist. You know how when you need something, it’s impossible to find? If I weren’t planning a master bath reno right now, I’d be seeing double vanity options on every street corner. I’ve found options–but none that fit the height, width, depth requirements. I know some adjustments to the plumbing are going to have to be made, but I’m trying to find an option that’ll allow me to keep the spacing of the fixtures the same as the current configuration. If I have to start moving plumbing closer or further apart, it’ll mean that I also have to have an electrician change the spacing of the light fixtures above, which are centered on the faucets. Is any of this making sense?

I’ve been putting a tape measure up to every conceivable piece of furniture I have here around the house. Turns out the two nightstands in our master bedroom could almost work. They’re just a bit too wide though and wouldn’t allow for much room in between them though. I suddenly remembered the table I have in our foyer. When I measured it, it was a perfect fit. Just the right height, width & depth.

Here it is…

So what do you think? Is it a potential option? I have found a couple drop-in sinks that could work, and I could seal the wood top with a marine grade varnish to stand up to water. We’ve already determined that neither one of us really utilizes the storage below our current sinks. I could easily make better use of the linen closet, so I’m not overly concerned with the loss of storage. But is it wise to make such a strong design statement? What about the dreaded ‘r’ word? (resale)

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Master Bathroom Update

There are some tutorials online about exporting your reader settings via an .xml file to be imported into your new reader of choice (assuming you set up your Feedly account by linking to your Reader account like I did). I haven’t seen any specific to Feedly yet, but I’m sure they’re coming. At this point, it looks to me that it’s not possible to import an .xml file to Feedly.

Are you switching to Feedly? Have you exported your feeds yet?

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The room will, of course, be updated on a budget. We haven’t really set said budget yet. We have a ballpark. But until I talk to some contractors this week, I have no idea if our budget is reasonable or ridiculous!

Here’s the existing floor plan:

When we moved in, the master bathroom was carpeted. Yea. Carpeted. One of the first things we did, probably within a month of moving in, was have the carpeting removed. We put sheet vinyl down in its place as a temporary measure. That was almost eleven years ago. Ha! Temporary is all relative I guess.

So, the plan is to talk to a couple contractors this week. At the very least, we’ll be enlarging the shower, retiling & possibly replacing the vanity top. If budget allows, the vanity may be replaced and we rethink the bath/shower situation.

Here’s my dilemma. Help a sista out and let me know your thoughts–we’ve used the soaker tub three times in eleven years. The dog has bathed in there more than any of us human-folk. I have the voices of every realtor in my head saying it’s bad for resale to remove a tub. Is it?? Would it be so wrong to create a large double shower along that wall?? We have no plans to move, but I suppose resale should always be a consideration. Right?

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The greenhouse is magical inside. There are so many varieties of orchids to see.

So many colors, shapes and sizes.

Most of the orchids in the greenhouse are permanent residents. They do, however, have a great assortment of plants for sale. It’s not just limited to orchids either. They have succulents, tropicals, carnivorous and more.

Aren’t those spotted leaves beautiful??

We sat in on one of the lectures that they offered. I got some great information about how to care for the orchid I had at home. After it bloomed last year, a few of the leaves turned yellow. I was sure it was a sign that I’d killed yet another orchid. But a few weeks later, I noticed a couple new leaves emerging! Our teacher told us that it’s necessary for the orchid to lose older leaves and regenerate new ones before it blooms again. Phew!

So what did I buy?? It was so hard to choose! I ended up getting an orchid that reminded my of my childhood. There is a flower called the Lady Slipper that grows in damp wooded areas. It blooms some time in May. I remember playing in the woods and thinking that they were so incredibly beautiful and exotic. It almost looked like something that would great in a tropical paradise, not in cold snowy Massachusetts. I had to resist the urge to pick them. I was always told they were endangered and it’s technically illegal to pick or transplant them. So I’d crouch down and stare instead.

Here she is opening up:

I didn’t realize that the greenhouse is open every day! If you need a dose of beauty, you definitely need to stop by.

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It syncs to all your devices and has an extension for Chrome. You can share quickly and easily on social media. You can email links. You can love it as much as I do. Check it out!

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The Tuscan House is a small cottage house along N. Main Street that’s been converted into a shop. Here’s the room you enter in the back of the home. The store carries a wide range of items including lighting, furniture, rugs, architectural elements, handmade jewelry, accessories and more.

One of the things I love about the store is that you can stand back and get a good sense of the larger pieces, but when you step closer, you find lots of smaller items that really add character to a room.

The items have real character. They have a ‘collected’ feel. Check out the mirror below. It’s large and fabulous!

Oooh! I didn’t even see that urn near the fireplace when I was in the other day. You know I love me some great ways to display my plants.

You can find great serving and kitchen accessories here as well. I’ve gotten stone serving platters here and use them often.

Here’s a closer look at some of my favorite things.

If you’re local and haven’t been to The Tuscan House, I hope these pictures convince you to go! The Tuscan House is at  20722 N. Main Street in Cornelius NC. Maybe I’ll see you there!

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]]> http://creativehomebody.com/tour-of-the-tuscan-house/feed/ 2 http://creativehomebody.com/almost-finished-master-bedroom/ http://creativehomebody.com/almost-finished-master-bedroom/#comments Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:08:35 +0000 Tracy http://creativehomebody.com/?p=454 Well after a whirlwind weekend in which we paneled a wall and constructed a headboard, the master bedroom is pretty close to finished. I’m so happy with the way it turned out. I wish I could bottle the feeling of [...]

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]]> Well after a whirlwind weekend in which we paneled a wall and constructed a headboard, the master bedroom is pretty close to finished. I’m so happy with the way it turned out. I wish I could bottle the feeling of something fresh and new. I love coming home and seeing a big comfy bed waiting for me.

One thing that I couldn’t really change about the room was the ceiling fan. We actually use it practically every night. Would I love a fabulous fixture there in its place? Yes. Do I know when to pick my battles? Yes. The ceiling fan stays. For now. We’ve had the large mirror for 10+ years. It used to be in the dining room of our previous house. I toned down the gold with some brown paint and rehung it.

There are several things that are still on my to-do list. I’m going to add trim to the windows, sand down the dressers (and change their hardware), add some grosgrain ribbon to the duvet, as well as make some casual roman shades for the windows. Oh yeah, and maybe recover the ottoman at the end of the bed. Or find an inexpensive alternative. In the battle of form vs. function, the horizontal blinds win in functionality. I’d love to change them to woven shades, but we’ll see.

We have separate closets in the room. In addition to these two doors, there are 3 others: a pair of narrow doors in to the master bathroom, and the door to the room itself. That’s a lot of doors. To create a little interest, I painted the closet doors a warm gray that I had on hand. It added just enough contrast and color to break up the white monotony a bit.

The painting above the tall dresser kicked off the entire redesign and provided the inspiration. It was a Christimas present from my hubby from my favorite store (which I plan to go photograph this week!). I moved a few favorite plants up here, and bought a couple new frames as well. Both frames from World Market.

Here’s the new nightstand from Metrolina. I moved my bird’s nest fern up here too. It’s loving the filtered light from the window.

I love little details in a room. I had bought a stack of brass plates at Goodwill for $1/piece. I use them as plant saucers. The crystal clock was a wedding present–I’m loving the combination of brass, crystal, black & green.

Here’s my side of the bed. The turquoise ceramics were a gift from my mother-in-law when she was in Hawaii. They provided the inspiration for the room as well. The brass lamps are from HomeGoods.

Bookends from my favorite store. Little birdies…

I didn’t realize my iPhone camera did panoramic shots until the other day. Pretty fun! Can you spot my lazy Boston Terrier in the pic?

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]]> http://creativehomebody.com/almost-finished-master-bedroom/feed/ 6 http://creativehomebody.com/plans-for-the-bedroom/ http://creativehomebody.com/plans-for-the-bedroom/#comments Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:00:49 +0000 Tracy http://creativehomebody.com/?p=437 So–I have another project in the works. Our bedroom has fallen last on the priority list for a redo. About five years ago, I jumped on the blue and brown color trend and painted the walls a light blue. I [...]

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]]> So–I have another project in the works. Our bedroom has fallen last on the priority list for a redo. About five years ago, I jumped on the blue and brown color trend and painted the walls a light blue. I sort of regretted it as soon as I did. I’m not really a blue paint person…which may make you ask…why did you paint it blue then? The short answer is that I was trying something different. Didn’t work.

The room has a few things going for it. It’s fairly large, has four windows placed in the corners along two walls, a fairly interesting tray ceiling. Those very things are also the things have stumped me. The ceiling, while it might be kind of interesting, it tricky when it comes to painting. It’s hard to know where to start and stop the wall/ceiling paint when there are slopes involved. (I’ll post pics when I start painting to better show what I’m talking about). The windows have absolutely no trim around them. I grew up in New England. No mouldings around windows is unheardof. The room is also positioned in the back corner of the house. It’s nice and quiet, but doesn’t get a whole lot of natural  light. That definitely has affected my decisions when it comes to paint color.

Well, instead of going into too much detail at this point, here are my visual inspirations for the space.

The picture above shows the items that are providing me with the inspiration for the room. This weekend, I went to Metrolina with Angela. Besides having a lot of fun and laughing a lot, we found some great stuff! I picked up a small black dresser (shown above) for my husband’s nightstand. I love the finish and original hardware.

Funny story–I showed Angela the bureau and told her I really wanted to get it. It was marked at $150. Normally, I would just go ahead and pay that much because I’m absolutely the biggest wimp when it comes to asking for a discount. I paced around a bit, and asked Angela what I should say. I said “Should I just offer $125?” She calmly said, “Just ask if that’s the best price they could do on the piece.” I paced some more to work up my courage (told you I’m a wimp!) and eavesdropped on the salesperson talking to another customer about how he expects and welcomes people asking for a better price. Well, he better be ready!

I finally brought him over to the piece after practicing my lines and said “What’s the best price you could do on this? I love it.” He said, “Well, I usually have about 25% flexibility to work with…how about $100?” I could see Angela’s eyes widen behind him. Needless to say I told him I’d take it. I didn’t tell him that I was expecting to pay $125 or full price!

Here are some other pics that I’ve gathered on my Bedroom pinterest board.

I’ll be making a huge headboard out of barn wood that I also got at Metrolina. I’m hoping it’ll be nearly as beautiful as this.

I’ll be adding some moulding to the windows. Hopefully like the ones in the pic below. I also just generally LOVE the feeling of this room.

I’ll be sanding down the 18-year-old maple dresser & bureau that we got as newlyweds. I’m hoping for a finish sort of like the picture below.

Last, but not least, I’m hoping to add some boards to the wall behind the bed like the pic below. Here’s a great tutorial that I’ll be following.

Oh my gosh, I’m questioning whether this is all possible. With only weekends to work on this, it might be a while! Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.

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]]> http://creativehomebody.com/plans-for-the-bedroom/feed/ 1 http://creativehomebody.com/the-power-of-a-slipcover/ http://creativehomebody.com/the-power-of-a-slipcover/#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:16:28 +0000 Tracy http://creativehomebody.com/?p=430 As part of the dining room transformation, I had to think about a chair for the new desk. I took a look at some new chairs, and fell in love with quite a few. Until I can save up for [...]

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]]> As part of the dining room transformation, I had to think about a chair for the new desk. I took a look at some new chairs, and fell in love with quite a few. Until I can save up for them, I decided to use a chair that we already had. I had picked up this pleather parsons chair at a thrift store about five years ago for $10. It’s held up fine and is usually in the kitchen at the little built-in desk in there.

I wanted to soften it up a bit with fabric. I had tons of leftover drop cloth fabric from when I created the slipcover for our living room couch. (If anyone is interested but intimidated by creating slipcovers, I would encourage you to watch Miss Mustard Seed’s six part series. She goes into just enough detail to tack the mystery out of the whole thing. I’ve tried slipcovering in the past, but would always try to do it mathematically by measuring then cutting. Big no to that! The best thing to do, as you’ll see in the videos, is to pin right to the piece and sew as you go. Big revelations there, yo. (That reminds me–I can’t wait for Breaking Bad to start up again. My apologies to anyone who doesn’t watch the show and has no idea what I’m talking about.)

Here is a little before and after for you. I did put some fancy-schmancy fabric covered buttons to match on the back. I figured it deserved to be pretty from all angles!

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