"Meet me in the bathroom...that's what she said..."

I recently read an interesting fact: An average person spends one and a half years in the bathroom over their lifetime. A year and a half! Nuts. That being said, we need to love this space in our homes. For me, it's where I reflect, often talk to myself, blast music while in the shower, belt out tunes as if I've won a Grammy, and partake in various feminine routines that my husband will never know about (nor needs to). I've always dreamed of a master bath off my bedroom...dripping in marble, jacuzzi tub, shower for two, double sinks, I can go on. But you're given the hand you're dealt when you buy a home. Ouch.

So my upstairs bathroom is not off the bedroom, there is no jacuzzi tub, no double sink, and zero marble. But I knew I had to focus on the positives. So I revisited the mantra of "The Secret" and began to focus my positive energy on what the space had, as opposed to what it didn't have. The shower is a decent size (still a single though), there are windows that bring in great light, and there is a beautiful antique cabinet-turned vanity. So there were things to work with. I wasn't a huge fan of the country-esque bead board wainscoting on the walls, covered in an odd creamy yellow tone, but I knew it was nothing that a little white paint couldn't fix. And then there was the wallcovering (it took me two years to stop calling it wallpaper). Well...you can see for yourself...

Step 1: Wallcovering removal. I lost sleep in the days leading up to this, as I heard horror stories about ripping down this stuff. But I put on my big girl panties, bought my Solo 418 One-Hand Pressure Sprayer, and got to work. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought. For me, the worst part was the clean up...

At this point, my hubby had to step in to remove the sacred 'throne', along with the vanity and the sink. As he began to smooth/spackle the walls to get them ready for paint, I dove head first into my first chalk painting experience and began to tackle the vanity. I chose to go with Annie Sloan's Old White with her clear wax for a finish (feel free to message me for a walk-thru of the chalk painting process). I wanted to brighten up the space, so I went with Benjamin Moore's Bluebelle, however it was too bright. So instead of wasting a gallon of paint, I just mixed some white in and created my own lighter shade of blue. The white floor tiles had a hideous black grout, so I knew that absolutely needed to be changed. But how? After hours of research, knowing that we did not want to rip up the tiles at this point, I came across an article about painting grout. I didn't even know this was possible. I found a well-rated product on Amazon called Grout Refresh, and decided to give it a go. Clearly unchartered territory for me. After hours of blood, sweat, tears, an aching back, and a bottle of Prosecco, the tiles were done.

So at this point, the "bones" of the space was complete. Next up was decor. I wanted to go with more of a feminine, 'shabby chic' look, so I accessorized with whites, pastels, and some 'pops' of color. I chose an antique copper and brass for the hardware.

So there you have it. When you can't gut and completely redo a bathroom at the moment, you can always just give it a little TLC with a cosmetic makeover. :)

And as for the title of the post...Meet Me In the Bathroom by The Strokes.

Have a great weekend! Cheers!

xo, Claudine

Faucet: Amazon

Window Panels: Amazon

Blue Lace Curtain Holdbacks: Amazon

Curtain Tieback Set: Etsy

Curtain Rod: Amazon

Milk Bottle Wall Decor (Whitewashed): Etsy

Contact Paper (Inside Frame): Amazon

Vanity Knobs: Etsy

Vanity Pulls: Etsy

Toilet Paper Holder: Etsy

Wall Hooks: Etsy

Wastebasket: Etsy

Door Knobs: Amazon

Ceiling Light (Shower): 1-800-Lighting

Outlet Cover: Etsy

Light Switch Plate: Etsy

Bath Rug Set: Amazon