Bathroom reveal...

Hi lovelies

This blog heading should read more like "sneaky peek" bathroom reveal!!

After months and months our bathroom is finally complete, except for the "prettyfying" that includes new pretty, coordinated, fluffy, towels.

Rather than the course, stiff, mismatched collection the kids have been using up until now.

Due to this "naked" presentation, I just don't feel right showing you the whole kit and caboodle...and because it is a very small bathroom, I am limited for space to do anything too flash anyway.

Alrighty, enough (guilty) justification for my lack of appropriate decorating for the grand reveal....truth is, I just couldn't wait to share!!

...drum roll please...

...try to not run screaming...

Please welcome to your screens,

BEFORE !!!!

Yes, what do you say?

• lovely timber stained window framing beige yellow window - check
• nice beige tiles - check
• gold tapware - oops, already removed;
• apricot beige bath, sink and vanity - thrown with much enthusiasm into the trailer ready for the tip.  (I'm sure you are sad you missed those babies!

  

...but wait, there's more!!

• lovely beige plastic trim shower screen
• gold detail tile running around the walls
• dirty-erck (yes, I am now officially making that a colour) floor tiles

ah, and the pièce de résistance...

check out that light fitting!

Yes, that's them,...

that row of bulbs mounted to a bit of wood on the wall!

The reason this all took so long:

• The lovely was going to tackle this job himself, until he realised there was not a standard fitting in site.
• The bath we bought was longer (the previous bath was for the vertically challenged).
• The tiles did not want to come off neatly: we ended up cutting the tiles out, wall and all.
• There was no waterproofing.
• It wasn't as easy as it all first appeared.

 So by the time;

•  we got a chap to come in and do the work, which didn't include fitting everything;

...the lovely DID do that...

• I attacked the window with multiple coats of priming undercoat, undercoat, gloss top coat;
• we changed the door from an 80's flat panel to a panelled door, including painting;
• we changed the light fitting (naturally!)
• the lovely painted the walls this past week while I removed all children from the house for some coast time!

we are complete (minus nice towels etc etc)

...drum roll please...

...cue the applause...

(or polite clapping if you prefer)

I give you AFTER:

We had white everything installed:

• tiles on the wall
• tiles on the floor
• and the vanity with the seamless sink top - so wonderful and easy for the kids to keep clean.

We (well, the lovely) painted the walls in Dulux Hogsbristle half strength;

We fitted a switch tap in the sink to make it easier for the kids to clean their hands after the loo - also easy to turn off again!

All fixtures are in silver;

We chose brushed nickle hooks for the kids towels - less hassle of trying to teach them to fold them to hang them, plus they will each have their own hook - and one for the guest.

We included a brushed nickle three-bulb rail light - much nicer that bare bulbs on wood!

The vanity has four deep drawers - one each for the kids to store their things and one for guests.

Can you see that little sneaky peek? There, on the floor of the shower?

Those are my much coveted pebble tiles that are supposedly marble, squished flat. Surprisingly they are indeed comfortable under foot. My selling point to the lovely for these, other than I liked them, was they are rocks - and our wee one likes rocks...so if we stick them on the floor of the shower, perhaps she will be happy to shower in there, rather than with us!!

So there we have it; one last time!

Before:

After:

I hope you have enjoyed this little venture into my main bathroom - past and present. I am so glad it is over, but learnt a heap of things in the process.

Hugs

Cath
x

Sweet dreams...the bed reveal

Hello my lovelies

After much rain and great impatience on my behalf, I present to you Isobelle's new big-girls bed.

Now, remember our starting place...

the 1930's double bed from the bedroom suite I won on Ebay.

I sanded this lovely back with help from my gorgeous boys.  The immediate results for sanding those parts of the bed that weren't timber veneer was just remarkable. 

Next, came two layers of undercoat with another zap from the sander.  Then, I used two sample pots that I had on board from one of my numerous trips to the Bunnings paint section:  a beautiful blue and a whimsical pale aqua green. To be honest, I just blended those two colours together on the bed as I went along. I really loved the result from this in itself, but onwards I strove.

The top layer was a coat of pure white, mixed with one quarter Dulux Duck White - I wanted it to be a pure white, with the edge taken off, just a little. 

Then came the part that killed my arm - sanding by hand. I had never done this before ever, and my, I have got to ask you lovely ladies that do this all the time - how do you stop your bicep on one side getting too much larger than the other? My arm killed for days after I had finished...but I have to tell you, the results were so worth it and I am ready to do it all over again.

The bed was placed under a painting I had done for Isobelle before she was born and then topped off with a very pale blue quilt cover and a quilt that Isobelle's Gran made for her on Isobelle's first Christmas.

I wish I could bring you a "whole" of bed photo, but until the sun starts to shine again a photo from the "dark side of the room" just looks dark, no matter how I try to pretty it up.
So what do you think of my first foray into breathing life into an old piece?

I hope you are having a beautiful week.

Hugs

Cath

xx

The white begins...before and after entry way

Woo hoo!!

Finally, the weather has warmed...

Spring has sprung (to be totally cliche)

two of the three wee-Tigs are away...

the timing is perfect to begin painting.

Now if you have been following me thus far, you would know that I am itching to start painting my home in white. The first little room to be treated to a mini makeover, was our entry way. The space is only small, but still, it is important to instantly reflect our home and who we are.

Before...dragging me down....

We have a lovely pew that Mr Tig picked up at an antique shop somewhere many years ago, a cane picnic hamper, a couple of cushions I bought to throw on my (then) navy couch, a rustic wood mirror...we have a cute silver crystal mini chandie hanging...but dirty cream/yellow walls....

I chose this room as it was one I could tackle myself to kick-start us off on the great white adventure.

Please note: The front door, on the left, will be painted white in due course. Then, on the right, there is a coat cupboard with the original 80s flat door - that will be completely replaced in time too. Sorry, I just can't bring myself to widen the photo any further...once I do the doors I promise I will!!

So what did I do...?

I painted the walls and ceiling in semi-gloss white. White; straight from the can, white. No tint, nope, I couldn't decide in the end, but Ms Rachel Ashwell saw me through that little dilemma and I just went white.

Mr Tig went out with the wee-Tig for a little while to let me have some clear time to clean and mask up (which I secretly admit, I find really therapeutic...please don't tell anyone!! ), so by the time he got home, I had completed my first coat and two coats on the mirror. A second coat later, and we were pretty happy.

I decided to make a twig wreath to attach to the top corner of the mirror, to add a bit of dimension, when Mr Tig hit a creative moment and popped some twigs across the mirror. I am not sure if he was kidding, but straight away I loved it...and in shock, Mr Tig did too!! I admit, we had a high-five moment at that point.

So that, my lovelies, was simply it: I took the pillows from the family room (for now) to give some extra life and we were complete!

After - woo hooooooooo!!

Really simple I know. I can't wait for the doors to be completed, but for now every time we walk in the house we are greeted with our first metamorphis of Spring, and are very happy.

I won't tell you about the three layers we then added to the family room and kitchen. It is a longer tale and is only early stages - yes, three layers of white made it onto our walls. 10L of white paint is almost gone. Already, there is a remarkable difference, but there is more white to come...

...stay tuned.

Hugs

Cath