We are about to do some decorating around this place! And you know how I love a good before and after.
My parent’s master bedroom and bath is not that big, but it’s time for an update. The bathroom was built in the 70’s and it hasn’t been updated since the mid-80’s when we were cuckoo for wallpaper. Smack me if I ever do wallpaper like this again.
Yikes, does it need a fresh start about now.
Cue the happy music! I’m very excited to have been chosen to join the Lowe’s Creative Ideas blog team and we are getting the opportunity to redo some spaces and blog about them. And we’ll be giving away some giftcards along the way too. I know y’all won’t mind that!
February is bathroom month and since I don’t have my own house right now and I GET to redo a bathroom, guess who benefits from this great perk?
Yep, my sweet mama gets a whole new bathroom! I’m so excited to be able to do this for her and she is tickled to pieces to spruce up this old space.
This house was built around 1973 or so and the vanity has not changed in all that time. We have a speckled green and white laminate in here with a hand-made vanity that my dad built all those years ago. You can imagine how excited she will be to get a brand spankin’ new vanity, sink and faucet in here? My Lowe’s perk of $500 will cover the new vanity and countertop.
There’s me in my fancy schmancy work clothes. See how I look most days. 🙂
It is nothing fancy, but has served them well for about 40 years now, but the new one is going to be beautiful. Oh, and the wallpaper, it’s coming down too. It is WAY past its prime. I asked mom if she would miss it. She assured me she would not.
Neutral tile in the shower, so that is good.
We are getting a pretty new glass shower door in here.
Mom and I went shopping and found this bedding at Belk Home store. It’s a beautiful botanical with cute birds and branches on it. I think she will really enjoy this bedding set and it’s cotton and not all shiny like many of those bed in a bag sets.
It comes with the quilt, 2 shams and bedskirt and she got a really good deal, on sale, extra % off because it was the last one on display and a coupon, brought it to $162 total.
Love the colors and this sweet bird.
We had already planned to redo their bedroom and bathroom way before this opportunity came along, so this will just be the icing on the cake to get to replace their old vanity and countertop. It’s going to be so nice! Of course, my dad was completely happy with it just the way it is.
Men! 🙂
So, the wallpaper is coming down this week and we will begin painting. I’m putting my wonderful beadboard wallpaper in here too with a chairrail and we’ll be painting above with Sherwin Williams Quietude. It’s going to be such a change!
If you have never stripped wallpaper, it is such a pain. You are supposed to be sure the wall is primed underneath before putting up wallpaper, but apparently this one was not done. This paper is coming off in big and small strips. Underneath is the paper backing, which will then have to be sprayed down with hot water and scraped off. The backing is not hard to get off once you get to that layer, just takes some effort to remove it all with a scraper. That cream stuff on the right is the backing which will be wet down and scraped off to get down to the sheetrock. Then we’ll paint!
Some of it comes off in big strips, but not all, so it can be a tedious job. We are all 3 working on getting it down and have made huge progress already.
Here’s the bedroom as it is now and it is going to be much lighter and brighter feeling with the new bedding. We’ll keep the walls creamy and get rid of the border. New drapery panels too. Not sure what color for the panels, but maybe a chocolate brown or we could go with that soft blue/green as well.
It’s time to lose the blue swag light fixture too and probably will add a pretty lamp on the nightstand.
They are not fancy people, but I know my mom is going to enjoy her newly decorated spaces. It’s going to feel like a new house.
Here’s what our plan looks like so far. New bedding and the rug that I received from my Shaw campaign will go in the room. We looked for bedding that would work with this rug and I think it is going to be pretty. We are painting the bedroom Antique White and the bathroom Quietude by Sherwin Williams. The vanity and countertop are both from Lowes and we will find a light fixture and faucet there too.
Of course, I’ll show you all the details when we are finished, sometime at the end of February.
Edited: Several of you made me 2nd guess the bedding and rug and after brainstorming with my sister and looking at it in light at home, we agreed that the bedding wasn’t working. We’ve already found a great choice, a striped Tommy Bahama set at Steinmart. Stay tuned for the final later on! Thanks for all your comments!
Isn’t decorating fun!?
{Disclosure: I’m part of Lowes Creative Ideas blogger team and we are being given $500 giftcards to redo a bath space. The giftcard will cover the new vanity and sink. You can also follow Lowes on Facebook.}
Lisa~A Cottage To Me says
What a sweet thing you are able to do for your parents. I bet your mom is so excited, what woman wouldn’t be! Have fun doing this project!
Jeannie says
Oh this will be so fun to follow along! Cant wait for the reveal!
Maxwellhouseinteriors.Blogspot.Com
angela | the painted house says
What a fun opportunity from Lowe’s–and who better to benefit than Mama!!! Your plan looks great!
Mom on the Run says
How lucky that their current vanity is a standard size….in my 1960’s house all the cabinets are custom (but not “pretty” custom….just “hmmmm, needs to be about so big”) and you can find something new to fit! Your parents are blessed to have you giving them a little push to keep things fresh and new! I live in a neighborhood mixed in with older folks who have lived in their houses forever and then when they want to sell or move out it’s a struggle because everybody sees “outdated” and “tons of work” and they end up not getting what their home is really worth. A dear friend’s parents lived in the back of my neighborhood and I have to say their house is the only one where you could walk in and thing “wow, there’s no way 2 people in their early 80’s live in this house!” It was absolutely stunning. So after all that…..bravo, we all need to give our parents a little prod to get out of that comfort zone of the 60s, 70s, 80s…..whatever era they’re still holding onto!
janet metzger says
Good Morning Rhoda,
So happy for your Mom and Dad. I just know they will love everything you do to those two rooms. Love all your plans with the exception of the glass doors on the tub. I HATE mine and if I could rebuild my shower enclosure to allow for a non door entry, I would. Glass doors are so hard to keep clean and clear. That horrible film seems to appear overnight and is so difficult to remove and if you are not scrubbing it on a daily basis…MOLD rears it’s ugly head.
I think a beautiful shower curtain to go with the new decor would be more practical, less expensive and much easier for seniors like MOM and Dad to maintain. Especially after you are no longer living with them.
Just my thoughts…hope I am not offending you.
Have fun with the makeover!
janet xox
Maureen says
Hi Rhoda…I wholeheartedly agree with Janet. We just redid our bathroom and got rid of the glass door for all the reasons Janet noted. We installed a new bow-shaped rail with a spa shower curtain and it’s sooooo much prettier and easier to keep clean. We wish we had done it sooner. With your beadboard wallpaper and beautiful BM paint our new bathroom is a beauty.
Rhoda says
Hi, girls, thanks for the concern. I too had glass shower doors in my old house & you are right, they are a bit hard to keep clean. I sprayed them down once a week with a soap scum shower cleaner and I could get them looking pretty good, but it is a little challenge. I hope we don’t regret this choice. We are going to get a textured glass and definitely not clear. We’ve already talked about the fact that they are harder to keep clean, but she thinks she would like to try them.
Vic says
Rhoda,
Have your mom spray Lemon Pledge on the doors–it is amazing for glass shower doors. It not only takes off soap scum, but it protects it from collecting. And the effects last for a long time. I have always wiped the doors down nightly but still had to deal with the spots and accumulation. No more–this stuff works!
I can’t take credit for this–‘read it online and was pleasantly surprised that it works better than anything I have ever used. Apparently it only works if it is Lemon Pledge.
Good Luck!
Rhoda says
That’s a great tip, Vic! I will definitely be trying this one out. We are getting a frosted glass too, so hopefully that will help a bunch.
Stacey-Jayne says
Hi Rhoda
I absolutely love what you going to be doing with the bath and bedroom. I have one little suggestion…that rug? To me its a little “busy”. Wouldnt something in one plain colour be best suited? Like a light blue to match the blue on the bed spread?
Hugs xx
Diane says
Rhoda, Your parents are blessed to have such a giving, honest and candid daughter. I love how comfortable you are in sharing yourself. I also love how you can look at a space and see so much potential. You are one beautiful and talented soul! Diane
shirley@Housepitality Designs says
Looks like you have a great plan for the project. I know your parents will be thrilled with the results. I recently bought the pillow of the bird from Belk. I just love the bird and has found its new home on my bedroom chair.
Carmel says
It’s going to be such a transformation! How great to be able to do this for your parents even if your dad wasn’t totally on board. He will love it when your done!
Kelly @ Eclectically Vintage says
Rhoda,
Wow – you are a good daughter! My parents have the same speckled countertop in their kitchen and their powder room is pink!! Very shagadelic but in need of updates! Love the bird bedding and can’t wait to see the finished product.
Kelly
Jane @ The Borrowed Abode says
This will be such a wonderful transformation for your mom! I know it’s going to be gorgeous.
I have to ask – how the heck do you keep glass shower doors clean? Like Janet above said, I too hate mine. Here I thought I was so lucky to be moving into a house that had a nice new glass shower door over the bathtub. . . and it’s been the bane of my existence ever since. Just curious if you have any tips or tricks. Thanks!
Rhoda says
Jane, I know. I had them too at my old house & they are a challenge to keep clean. I used a soap scum cleaner and that helped get them clean. There is also a daily cleaner that you can spray on those doors after each shower and when I did that consistently they did stay cleaner. It’s a clear liquid spray and says daily shower cleaner, or something like that.
Arlene @At Home with the Grimms says
I cannot wait to see the finished product Rhoda. I have been looking all over for bedding for my own master bed room re do! I will have to check Belks! The colors you have chosen for your parents bedroom look like the colors I was thinking of myself….a cool gray blue palette. I am sure I will be inspired by your work!
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
What an amazing opportunity to be able to do this for your parents. They must be thrilled. I have used Quietude before and love it. It will be fun to see the transformation.
Lana says
Hi Rhoda,
I agree, wallpaper is no fun to remove. I have done it a few times and it is still alot of work even when the wall has been primed. I have been considering the paintable beadboard wallpapre in my home. I think it will look wonderful in your project.
KatieQ says
I love everything you have picked out so far. I can’t wait to see it all come together. I’m sure your mom will be delighted with the results.
Pine Tree Home says
How exciting. I know that wallpaper removal can be such a royal pain as I did it in my parent’s house too. The bedding is very spa like. Looking forward to seeing the updates.
Dianne says
Rhoda, I ALWAYS look forward to your redo’s. You have such great ideas and style. They turn out marvelous!!!
As for the wall paper, I have read somewhere about using liquid fabric softener mixed with water and then spray it on your paper. This is supposed to make it easier to come off. I don’t know yet as I haven’t tackled my strip of wallpaper in my entrance.
SheilaG says
Oh, Rhoda, this is going to be so nice for your parents- it must make you feel so good to be able to do this for them! I love the bedding and all the plans you have for the space, can’t wait to see!
Gwen Callahan says
I agree with the shower door suggestions. Hated ’em!!! Also I too think the rug is a little busy for the rest of it……too many colors on it….take a second look at that and she if you might wanna change it. Love the rest of it!
Wendy says
That’s so special you can do that for your mom! I know she can’t wait!