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.}
Yay for your parents! They deserve a change! Would love to see a pretty chandelier in that bedroom! I like the bird comforter. Wish you would keep that and use the rug elsewhere. Saw some drapes at Target that might have worked w/ it in a tan/taupey brown-ish shade.
Oh wow can’t wait to see the outcome. I agree with ya wallpaper is a pain. We built our home around 17 years ago and I was in love with floral wavery wallpaper and put it in all my baths and kitchen. Boy do I regret that one. I couldn’t wait to rip it all out of here it’s amazing how much bigger my home looks with it gone. If you ever have to rip down wall paper again… I always fill my water bottle with a mixture of fabric softener and hot water works like magic. Good luck on your projects. How fun for you to be able to do it for your parents!!
Hey Rhoda, it looks like I’m going to be the lone “yes” vote for glass shower doors! I love ours and would never go back to a shower curtin.
We have them in the master shower and guest bath and the secret to keeping them clean, is to squeege them after every shower. No spots and it keeps the soap scum from building. I only have to give them a good cleaning every 2 weeks. The shower doors in our bath have been there since 1995 and they look brand new. Give them a try!
Hi Rhoda, what a fun project you have ahead of you. I am looking forward to the after pics. Good luck on the wallpaper stripping. I have sworn to never wallpaper again after stripping off my last wallpaper endeavors.
I am so excited for your Mom and Dad and can’t wait to follow you through the update. You do good work!!
How exciting for your parents to have some updates done to their home! My mom (77) has some of the same issues. The only thing I wanted to mention in regards to the shower doors is to consider whether or not this will be a hindrance to your dad when he showers. I say this because my mom has doors in our shower at her home and my husband ( who is a big, tall fellow) hates showering in there because he hits his elbow and arm sometimes. You know how the older tubs are more narrow than the new ones. It limits your space unlike a shower curtain which is flexible. Just a thought…certainly not trying to tell you what to do…just something to ponder:) Can’t wait to see the finished product!
Oh, I can’t wait to see what you do! I love your real life renovations.
I am glad you are keeping the rug and switching out the bedspread. I think something even plainer than stripes would look good in this size bedroom. (I think the old bathroom wallpaper was very pretty for its day; did they have matching papers? … one looks lighter than the other. )
I will be interested to read how you chose the vanity and counter top. Do you think it will stand the test of time? I am looking for a new vanity for my powder room. I don’t want to redo it all in five year and am trying to decide what would be most classic.
That is so nice that you can do that for your mom and dad! Hope you have a wonderful time and I am certainly looking forward to the after pictures.
I love that you and your parents are working together on this makeover! I love a good before and after and this was will be beautiful!
When is the reveal? Looks like you are doing a great job.
Hi Rhoda!
My daughter recently stripped wallpaper from ELEVEN rooms in the home she just bought. After trying a steamer, fabric softener and hot water, vinegar and hot water, and various other concotions, a guy at Lowe’s told her about something called Pirana made specially for stripping wallpaper; you mix it with hot water, spray it on and voila! It’s amazing. I love stripping wallpaper and was in heaven!
Your parents are very lucky to have you. 🙂
Love the bedding your mom picked out. Just lovely. I’m sure you are just thrilled to be able to do this for them. Hope you’re having a grand evening. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Excited for your mum!
Wanted to share a wallpaper removal tip. Fill a spray bottle with hot water and a little liquid fabric softener (Downy). Spray and scrape. Once you hit the paper backing layer, its a cinch to remove it thanks to the softener. Plus the room smells fresh, extra bonus!