Category: Main Bathroom

Coral Crush

Published on by Our Humble Abode14 Comments

Our main bathroom remodel still isn’t done, so most people aren’t using it, but that doesn’t mean I can’t work on storage.  Being drawerless in the bathroom, wait, that came out wrong.  Without drawers in the vanity, I have to get creative with hidden storage.  So, I took to Pinterest to see what fun I could come up with.  I saw neat tutorials to make soft sided fabric bins, creative hard sided boxes, and even considered a rope covered box.  Ultimately, I decided to combine a few ideas to make something perfectly suited for our bathroom.  So, I started by cutting a large box to fit inside our small linen closet because I couldn’t find a pre-made box to fit the same.

Of course, cardboard boxes are ugly.  Luckily, I’ve been hoarding fabric lately, so I pulled out a yard of light gray duck cloth.  I didn’t have a long enough piece to completely wrap around the box, so I cut one strip 12 inches wide along the long end of the fabric.  To cover the back, I cut another small 15 inch wide by 12 inch tall strip to piece together.  With my long strip taped in place, I marked the corners.

Using those small marks, I sewed the smaller piece to make a box slip cover.

Because I was feeling lazy, I used Gorilla tape to hold the fabric in place along the underside and around the top edges.

It seemed too boring, so I dug through my paint stash until I found a bottle of coral acrylic paint.  How ’bout some stripes?  After measuring and marking two-inch wide strips, I taped off my edges.

And used a sponge brush and pouncing motion to paint near the edges and filled in the middle.

Pulling off the tape is such a fun part of painting.  Especially when the lines are crisp.  I had some rope on hand, so I marked two holes to create a handle.  Using a screw, I rotated through the fabric and cardboard to make the pilot holes.  Stuffing a pen through widened the holes enough to get the rope through.  Simple knots on each end hold the rope in place.

Now I’ll have to find a white or gray vinyl to line the inside.  Right now, it holds bath toys and we’ve got room for other ugly junk.

I’m really surprised at how sturdy it seems, but we’ll see how it holds up over time.  I think I’ll add fabric to the bottom so the shelf doesn’t get scuffed up when it’s pulled in and out.  Gotta hunt down a good-looking clothes hamper and maybe a few wire baskets.  Or maybe I’ll get all DIY on the hampers arse and make something myself.  Who knows.  Until then, tell me about your bathroom storage situation.  Do you prefer drawers, cabinets, boxes, open shelves?

Bag of Health

Published on by Our Humble Abode5 Comments

We’ve never had a bathroom that didn’t have drawer storage.  So, I’m working on a few ideas to make the main bathroom as functional as possible, sans drawers.  I’m still searching for the perfect baskets, but I decided to make a zippered bag to store first aid supplies.  To get started, I bought a yard of silver metallic ironing board cover (hey, it was cheap, durable, and shimmered) and a 12 inch blue zipper.

Knowing I want to fit all our first aid supplies in one bag, I cut two pieces of fabric 12 inches wide by 17 inches long.  Yes, this is going to be big.  Then, I placed my fabric on the table, right side up.  Lay the zipper over, face down, keeping the bottom edge of the zipper flush with the bottom edge of fabric.  Pin in place.

If you have a zipper foot for your sewing machine, now is the time to use it.  I thought I did, looked all over for it, and couldn’t find it.  Instead, I sewed the zipper on by hand.  Sew close to the zipper without running into it.

Once you’ve sewn one side on, add the second piece of fabric putting the right sides of the fabric together.  Sew along the zipper edge again.    When the fabric is folded over, right sides out, the zipper will have a nice clean edge.

Because I sewed this by hand, I went back over and added top stitching with my machine, following along the edge of the fabric for a straight line.

Now face right sides of the fabric together and pin along the bottom.

Sew along the edge, leaving a half-inch allowance.  Unzip your zipper few inches-this is crucial to turn it right sides out when you’re done.  Leave the fabric wrong side out.  Pin the edges and sew a straight line, a half-inch from the edge.  Do this to both sides.

If you were to turn it out right now, you’d have a flat bag.  To give it a boxy shape, pinch the corners together.

I found it easiest to put one finger in the corner of the bag, holding it upright, then flattening the point like this:

Your point will be perpendicular to the edge seam.  Pin the corners to hold in place.

For my first corner, I made a straight lone across and sewed along the line.

Then I measured my width and marked the three remaining corners at five inches, just like my first one.

After sewing all four corners, cut about a quarter-inch above.

Then fill your bag up with cosmetics, travel toiletries, or first aid supplies.

To make a different sized bag, keep this in mind:

  • The zipper length will determine how big the bag is from front to back.  I had a 12 inch zipper, so I cut my fabric 12 inches wide.  For an 8 inch zipper, cut your fabric 8 inches wide.
  • The length of the fabric will change how wide it is from side to side.  I cut my fabric at 17 inches, which is really wide.  For a size more like a regular cosmetic bag, cut the fabric between 8 and 12 inches.
  • For a boxier bag, widen your corners.  I pinned mine at 5 inches, which I think would be perfect for a cosmetic bag, but that can change.

The Chicago Blues

Published on by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

Knowing we’ll have several rounds of visitors over the summer (and in the next few weeks) we’ve pushed to get more done in the main bathroom.  Despite the vanity needing a few details, I put the first coat of Chicago Blues on.

I love it.  The swatch looked a little nuts, but in the space, it reads as a brighter navy.

A second coat will follow once Ben installs the top trim pieces, but the change and progress is welcome.  You might notice I painted the walls and ceilings.  Well, everything that I could around the patched areas.  In my mood board, I used Stone White from Ben Moore, but it looked too blue in person.  Eventually, I’ll paint the main areas Wood Smoke by Glidden, so I had the paint guy at Home Depot give me a 25% tint to flow with the rest of the house.  I figure getting a first coat on the majority will help.  Then I can prime and paint the patched areas, go over the entire room again for a seamless paint job.

Handy Sammy’s family stopped in to stay with us, so I added a few accessories to pretty it up a bit.

We’ve got more trim work to do, grouting in the shower, and painting, but we do have a functional toilet complete with toilet paper holder.

Fingers crossed Ben has time to grout the shower to get it functional for our guests.

How was your weekend?  Did you do any painting?  Maybe you installed a toilet?  We had fun chatting with family and eating dinner on the deck.

Gimme a Giveaway Winner: Thirty One & A Sampling

Published on by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

I’m so happy today is Friday.  Already, it has been one of those mornings.  We’ve got guys on the roof delivering shingles, a dog and two kids who don’t want to listen, and projects to work on.  Hopefully the winner of the Thirty One bag, Lisa P, is having a better day.

We’ve been busy lately.  Two days ago, after sharing this bathroom mood board, I bought a sample can of Ben Moore’s Chicago Blues.

And tested it on parts of the vanity.  I like it.  Now I’ve got to caulk the seams and prod Ben to finish the top part so I can paint everything.

After cleaning out my paint brush, I load up another with polyurethane to coat a left over slab of Bubinga for the entertainment center.

Don’t worry, it won’t be this glossy.  I had finished applying the second coat just before taking this picture.

This is what it really looks like.

We chose a fast drying oil based polyurethane in a satin finish for durability.

On Wednesday night, Ben drove a few hours to pick up another load of insulation.  And he has ordered 200 more sheets, so this is about half of our order.

Eventually Ben will wrap the house with this insulation to make it more energy efficient.  Until then, we’ll have a pool room (and pool) full of foam.

What have you done this week?  Please tell me you’ve got fun plans for the weekend?

The Moody Blues

Published on by Our Humble Abode11 Comments

As we inch toward a completed bathroom, I’m planning the finishing touches.  Finding a clearance shower curtain changed my whole vision, in a good way.

1.  Originally, I thought we’d use a bluish-green paint color (like Dragonfly) for the vanity, but I remembered I had a blue shower curtain (number 10) and I switched gears.  Now I’m considering using Chicago Blues on the leggy vanity and Stone White for the upper part of the walls.  Admittedly, the blue looks crazy on a flat surface in bright light, but in the dark bathroom, on the vertical surfaces of the vanity, it reads more as a navy blue.  While navy blues look black.

2.  Warm gray one foot by two foot tiles with pearl gray grout on the floor should help the floors look cleaner.

3.  For a cohesive look, we used the same tiles in a lighter color for the shower surround, taking it up to the ceiling.  We’ll add white grout for a seamless look.

4.  Cleaning sinks isn’t my favorite task, so we chose a streamlined porcelain sink and sleek chrome faucet.  The eight inch wide-spread faucet makes cleaning between the handles easy, too.

5.  Two industrial style pendants hang over the vanity, adding much-needed light and allow a wider mirror.

6.  Because we liked the sink faucet, we chose a matching tub faucet.

7.  The great toilet paper debate doesn’t have to happen with this simple holder, placed vertically.

8.  In our last house, we used towel bars to hang our wet towels.  Folding the towels to look pretty didn’t allow proper drying, so we’re skipping the bars and using double hooks instead.  Medium gray towels are perfect for daily use and a coral ribbon loop adds color and prevents the towels from falling off the hook.

9.  Lacking drawers in the vanity means we need a practical storage solution for our toiletries.  This lazy Susan utensil caddy should do the trick, while bringing in a pop of our accent color, coral.

10.  Bring on the coral accents.  A plastic cup is great for the boys.

11.  This is the shower curtain that started it all.  Actually, we used it as a tablecloth for Thanksgiving, will add pattern and color.

12.  Monograms and pretty blue, sign me up.  These little trays are on clearance, so get one while you can.

I’m still figuring out artwork and I’m sure plans will change over time.  Maybe a few gold accents will find their way into the room?  This is a departure from our favorite blue and green combo, but I like where we’re headed.  Coral doesn’t pop up all over our house, so it’s a fun accent color and balances the boyish blue.

Have you been working on a mood board lately?  Figuring out the finishing touches for a room?  Have you ever used a clearance item as your inspiration?  Or switched plans half way through?