A New Coat of Paint! {Bathroom Makeover: Phase 4}

As much as I complain about painting, it really does make such a difference in a room-- and so quickly, too! I haven't posted about the bathroom in a while, but I did go ahead and paint it green (Valspar "Churchill Hotel Olive). Huge, HUGE difference! The darker wall color makes our large bathroom feel much more cozy. And it just looks so good against the black vanity and the white trim. I am happy! I still need to make some wall decor for over the toilet, and I need to paint the trim, but it's getting there! Slowly but surely!

I did want to share a quick tip about painting around a toilet. I've tried it all, but this is my favorite solution! I always see people recommending plastic wrap, but that's a pain in the butt to deal with. I find it much easier to take the lid off of the tank, then slide a kitchen trash bag over the thing. Then use a brush to paint back behind the tank as far as you can. This was by far the easiest way to paint around the toilet!

I also decided to do something different about the towel rack. We used to just have this one towel rack, mounted on a board next to the shower. And the board was anchored to the wall using six long screws that had been spackled over and then painted. Super fun to remove! I actually wasn't sure I'd be able to get it off, but it finally cooperated. And I totally hurt myself in the process, wrenching the darn thing from the wall. Good times!

After spackling and painting over where the board had been, I had a blank slate to work with! I had purchased some basic brushed-nickel wall hooks from the store for a few bucks each, which I carefully installed at even intervals along the wall. Above them, I attached small chalkboards (available for $1 at most craft stores-- I painted the wooden edges white) using 3M picture hanging strips. Tada! Now that wall is full, and we have a much more practical solution for hanging the kids' towels and towels for any houseguests we have. Bonus: nobody's towels will get mixed up! So everyone is safe from catching cooties. Whew! :)

And that's all for today... It's a beautiful early fall day in New England, and it's time to get outdoors! Hope everyone has an amazing weekend!

Refinishing a Bathroom Vanity {Bathroom Makeover, Phase 1}

We have this great hall bathroom upstairs. It's close to the kids' bedrooms and our guest room, and it's HUGE! It's the best bathroom in the entire house. Except I never painted it. Or did anything to it, really, except hang an old shower curtain that we already owned. So it's been calling to me for a while now... And then I was at the store the other day, and picked up a can of this:

(Yes. Another Rust-oleum product. I'm in a spray-painting phase, what can I say?)

Anyway, it seemed like the right stuff to paint our vanity with. Just like in the kitchen, we had that weird wood-on-wood thing going on. It bothered me. I wanted more contrast. My first thought would have been to paint it white, but then the countertop would have looked weird (it's not-quite-white). I decided that black would look really cool. Plus, the room is big and bright enough that I wasn't worried about it feeling smaller. So, black it was!

Since I was going to be spray painting, I needed to tape everything off and cover the area with newspaper. Spray paint is messy!

Then I sprayed to my heart's content (3 cans' worth, by the way. Thank goodness for the hardware store across the street!). I had the bathroom fan running and the window wide open, and it was still BAD! I had to take frequent breaks for fresh air, because I was getting a little light-headed. The room was filled with a cloud of lacquer spray paint! The fumes were crazy! Mommy was woozy!

That being said, it looked really good. I did the drawer fronts and cabinet door, too. I was very pleased with the finish!

Once they had been dry for about 5 hours, I very carefully removed the tape and newspaper, and reinstalled the door and drawers. And that's when the REAL cleanup began... I realized that there was a thin layer of black dust EVERYWHERE! haha! It was really noticeable when I lifted up the newspapers, and the floors underneath were noticeably cleaner and brighter. Oops! It was just dust, and it came up easily with my microfiber mop and some damp rags, but it is something to consider. If you're going to spray-paint your vanity, do that first! You've been warned! Also, move any linens out of the bathroom completely. My rugs and towels are in the washer as I type... :)

Anyway... isn't it pretty? I am in love with how it turned out, and now I'm feeling inspired to work on the rest! I have a vision now! Stay tuned! :)