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.}
patti g says
be prepared to live a long life and for all to go well with you –
Abba tells us when we honor our parents
our days are long, and we are blessed.
hugs, p
Rhoda says
Thank you, Patti!!
jd says
The bedding is really pretty and such a soothing and restful pattern. I can hardly wait to see it completed.
I do have one tiny question though. How come you decided not to have the faucet fixture and the light fixture match in color for the bathroom? Just curious.
Rhoda says
That is not the facet we will get. We are getting a brushed chrome faucet, the pic just came from the website like that. But, that is not to say that you can’t mix it up, cause I think you can!
Rhoda says
I know the safe choice for bedding would be a solid color from the rug. We are trying this out and if we hate it all together, we may look for something else in the bedding. I wanted to bring out the blues from the rug & I’m hoping this bedding will do it. I can bring in some red pillows to the bed to hopefully spread some color around. It’s a work in progress!
Sheila says
I’m so glad you are doing this for your parents. What a change for them! Just new paint always makes your home seem so much nicer.
As far as glass doors… We are getting ready to redo my bathroom which has only had a garden tub for 32 plus years. I will be getting a walk in tile shower. Our new glass doors will be “frameless”, and will be coated with something that makes them shed water, and they should be mildew resistant & no spotting. We are going through our local plumbing distributor but you might be able to check this out with Lowes. The new glass doors are much improved!
And I am getting rid of wallpaper too!!! Yeah! Can’t wait to see your “after” update. Happy stripping!
Fairfield House says
Rhoda,
Looking forward {as I always do!} to seeing the progress and final results of your parent’s bed and bath. My parents’ bathroom looked exactly like your before pictures. The bedding you chose is gorgeous. Have fun peeling and scraping — been there done that.
Your Friend,
Deborah
mary says
Rhoda, I’m thrilled for you and your parents!! I love what you have planned and I think the rug will look great with that beautiful bedding. The space has nice bones and I can’t wait to see you work your magic. Love the cabinet you picked from Loews, it’s going to be a stunning space! Mary
Maureen says
I can’t wait to see this finished! Love the bedding and the move to lighter colour palette! ~ Maureen
adventuresindinner says
So wonderful that you are able to do this for your folks 🙂
Kayla @ Your Day Simplified says
That wallpaper is so funny! You should save a scrap and maybe give it to them in a frame as a joke at the end of the project.
Kathy :) says
Oh Rhoda how happy your Mum must be, what a facelift that will be, love the colors !!!
And I hear you about men, I am going through that right now, the kids have left the nest and it’s time for some updating and hubby doesn’t get it, thank God he travels so things can magically appear LOL
Our upstairs bathroom is on the list…………it really needs to be done !!!
All the best,
Kathy 🙂
ps can’t wait for the reveal !!!
Luke's GiGi says
I am starting the process of re-doing my master bath so I cannot wait to see what you come up with. Hurry up in case I want to copy some of your ideas! Very sweet that you get to do this for you mother and dad.
Maurie says
What a gracious and giving daughter, you are. Your parents raised you right! 🙂 I love the bedding, esp. the little bird. Could you use the rug in another room–say a den? I agree that a plain rug would be better. Wool/sisal rugs are far less expensive than many other choices and the neutral, non-busy flooring would let the bedding be the star.
Paula Lusk says
What a nice treat for your parents! Plus you are doing what, you, love to do! Have you thought about Rain Glass for the shower? Looks nice and doesn’t show spots as bad. Love the colors and bedding.
Rhonda @ Abide at Home says
Oh, I can’t wait to see the finished product! I’m probably MORE excited about this than a bigger remodel because it’s more like a “normal” house….does that make sense? Good luck – I know your mom must be thrilled! Makes me excited to see what I can do in my smaller space! 🙂
Rhoda says
As much as I love that bedding, after getting it all out and looking at the whole picture with the rug, my sister and I agreed that we needed to look for something else. So the bird bedding will go back. We have already found a pretty blue/green and gold stripe at Steinmart that will be perfect with the rug. The rug needs to stay and it will be a big focal point in the room. It’s coming together, will share it all as soon as I can! Several of you mentioned the bedding an rug & ya’ll were right, it just wasn’t working. That’s the fun of decorating, when something is right you know it and when it’s not, you know that too.
Margaret says
My parents had to de-wallpaper most of their condo when then downsized. We had friends who owned a professional painting and wallpaper company and they said to use cold water, not hot, to remove the paper. Just thought you might like another option is the hot water thing is tedious. Or if you want to try is before you do the hot, there’s that option too. I can’t quite remember (as I missed out on this while I was at school) but I think they cool misted the wallpaper itself, before removal. Of course, this might also depend on the kind of wallpaper/glue that was used.
Rhoda says
Margaret, thank you so much for the tips! The wallpaper is completely down. My parents got in there and did a lot of it too & my dad did most of the 2nd layer removing. He’s a champ!
Arlene @At Home with the Grimms says
Rhoda, I love the fact that you tell us when something you planned just did not come together. You are right, sometimes we all make boo boos! The bedding was very nice but as several others said, it is BUSY! Now I am going to have to go to Huntsville to check the bedding at Steinmart in my search for the perfect bedding!! I have been looking for six months with no success! And I am definitely going to try the Lemon Pledge tip that one of the ladies suggested for shower doors. I have the textured glass in my master bath and it is not too hard to care for! And I wish I could borrow your daddy for a day or two…he must be one of the sweetest dads ever!
Arlene @At Home with the Grimms says
OOPS…goofed in not proofreading my post….I meant the bedding was nice but the rug was busy! I think faster than I can type!:)
Kim R says
I’m so excited to follow this work in progress – what a transformation it will be! I second the person who suggested saving a bit of the wallpaper. If you made a Mother’s or Father’s Day card out of it and gave it to them, do you think they would recognize it? It would be fun. 🙂
As for the shower doors, I’m another that would probably not put them in. But if you do, I’ve also heard that Rain-X – the product made for car windshields – helps to keep down the soap scum accumulation.
Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says
Rhoda, I know it’s going to look great! I need to redo all my baths so I’m looking forward to watching your progress. BTW, the wallpaper remover I used that finally worked in my office was “Safe and Simple.” One small bottle will do 4 rooms and they ship it quickly…got it in just a few days.
Susan