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Powder Room: The Almost Afters

by | Jun 9, 2010 | Bathrooms, Before and After Home, Decorating Inspiration

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Powder Room: The Almost Afters

Time for another powder room update!

In my wee little powder room, I decided to do a very basic makeover with paint and accessories. I of course had grander visions of stunning wallpaper and beefy wainscoting and a new solid wood door with new hardware, but because of how many projects I have planned around our new  house to make this into our home, I decided to forgo anything fancier or more complicated (and costly) and go with PAINT as my decorating tool of choice. Cheap and easy. I like it.

I already showed you the cabinet makeover, but I really wanted to WAIT to reveal the entire powder room, once I finished a few more fun things. You know, a real BEFORE & AFTER budget makeover. But who am I kidding? The last two projects could take years and blogging may be passe by then.

So let’s just peek at what I have so far, shall we?

I’m a BEFORE and IN PROCESS kind of decorator anyway.

Powder Room: The Almost AftersBEFORE: PRIOR TO MOVING IN

Note: above is the bathroom BEFORE I EVEN OWNED IT. The walls used to be that dreadful excuse for a color we’ve all come to know as SWINE. Under belly of a pig. A mauve flesh tone. The color the has almost driven me to the brink.

Now, I can breathe a sigh of relief because this bathroom features a warm and cozy shade of Snail Shell by Martha Stewart.  All is now right with the world. Martha paint is doing the job just fine! No problems. Great coverage. Very forgiving (I was able to touch up spots days later without them showing at all!). I did two coats on the bathroom walls since it was dark paint. You can see the paint color better in the upcoming images.

Powder Room: The Almost Afters

Then, to balance out the warm cozy feel of a small dark room, I wanted to add the contrast of WHITE to brighten it up. So, as you have already seen, I painted the cabinet white and added the quirky knob I already had from Anthropologie — you can also find a similar style knob now from Hobby Lobby.

Powder Room: The Almost Afters

I added some white accessories and a white shelf ledge for a nice pop of WHITE.

Powder Room: The Almost Afters

It pains me to show TOILET PAPER smack dab in the middle of the wall like it is an integral part of the artistic display (and the plunger!), GAH, but we all have issues like this sometimes so let’s just be real. We have toilet paper. Someday, that holder will get removed and we’ll put in a nice chunky white wainscoting.

Powder Room: The Almost Afters

I added various mirrors to the wall to expand the room visually as well as to reflect light, which is important in a dark room with no windows!

Powder Room: The Almost Afters

I added a pale blue oar for fun and to give the room a touch of coastal ambience. The black and white print on the wall that I picked up at HomeGoods awhile back has boats on the water so it also brings a subtle sea flair to the space.

Powder Room: The Almost Afters

And I added a natural woven basket from Marshalls for texture in a shade that works well with the floor tones.

Powder Room: The Almost Afters

For warmth under foot (and to prevent any unfortunate echo which is most unpleasant in a main floor powder room), I put in a rag rug from HomeGoods with shades of gray, green, blue and white.

Powder Room: The Almost Afters

Looking out into the hall, you can see there is quite a bit of light in the main area of the house, so it is a nice change of pace to have a more “moody” contrast to that with the darker walls in the powder room.

I like having the black and white art in the hallway to bring continuity and connection between spaces, even when the rooms themselves are unique. Carrying a few themes through the home can really bring things together.

The wall color in the hall is very hard to see, but it is Tobacco Leaf by Martha Stewart. A very pleasant shade of a brownish green. Soft and mellow! The walls in the entry and living room are still OINK!!! Swine.

Powder Room: The Almost Afters

It is so hard to capture a tiny room like this in a photo. The lighting is not right and you cannot see everything at once! In my opinion, all elements of a space are important to the balance of a room — so just seeing a close up vignette doesn’t really tell the whole story of the space.

This room has wide white crown molding around the ceiling which is a nice frame of white above the dark walls, ahhh, you can’t even see that. Oh well.

Powder Room: The Almost Afters

Cost of this project?

Cheap. I only bought two new things specifically for this room, one was the woven waste basket for about $3.99 and the other is the frameless mirror (from Home Depot, around $30 I think). Most of the accessories were all stuff I had just sitting around waiting to be used or hanging out in some other room!

Someday I envision having more mirrors going all the way up the wall, but for now it was great to be able to use mostly things I already had so I could keep this a truly inexpensive makeover. I can always add to it over time. Or I might decide I am ready for something more dramatic like the wallpaper and wainscoting.

Next step, a vanity mirror project and an artistic surprise. Someday.

For now, I’m happy to have a calm, peaceful and inviting guest bathroom! Finally!

Onward to other rooms! And more slaughtering of the swine walls!

UPDATE: This powder room has been updated AGAIN! Want to see? Come check it out!

60 Comments

  1. Emily

    It’s beautiful!!! I love all the accessories, the color of the walls and am still in love with the cabinet. Nice job, Melissa!
    .-= Emily@remodelingthislife´s last blog ..Link Love =-.

    Reply
  2. nanci

    Very nice…I love the paint color and how warm and soothing the space seems now. One has to wonder about the builder’s person who hung a toilet paper roll so far away and in such an odd spot. What were they thinking? But like you said you can move it or get one of the free standing floor holders.
    Good job!

    Reply
  3. kristiina

    You are killing me: “We have toilet paper.” LOL!! And my favorite: “and to prevent any unfortunate echo which is most unpleasant in a main floor powder room”. Great room, great post :)
    .-= kristiina´s last blog ..They Make It So Easy, Yet… =-.

    Reply
  4. Lisa

    Your powder room turned out great! Love the color on the walls with the crisp white. What a difference!

    Reply
  5. Annelise Wilcox

    This is a perfect model for how to do a before and after in my mind. I need to remember that for my entries. I am usually a Ben Moore gal too but I am loving that color, will have to check them out for the business.
    .-= Annelise Wilcox´s last blog ..Back Porch Inspiration and Story Board =-.

    Reply
  6. Jennifer

    I really LOVE your vision! The mirrors are great. I think I need to start shopping at HomeGoods more often!

    Reply
  7. Mary Joy

    Great job! I just love it. Our bathrooms need desparate makeovers! I have to figure out what to do without changing the wall color or the sink…renting you know! There has to be a way! LOL I’m on a mission!
    .-= Mary Joy @ Snapshots from my Heart & Home´s last blog ..Leaving blogland for a while…I would appreciate your prayers =-.

    Reply
  8. Anita

    I think it looks great! I love the the floor is on the diagonal. The mirrors help with opening it up I’m sure. I love the frameless one and didn’t know HD had such a nice shaped one. I’ve got to get to HD and get some more Martha paint samples. I do love her colors. I used her Atlantic from years ago and I still love it.
    .-= Anita´s last blog ..Pillow Talk =-.

    Reply
  9. Shannon

    Gorgeous! I am so jealous — our bathroom is in a sad state of repair. I LOVE the vanity finish you did.

    Reply
  10. teresa

    I love it when you showcase your personal home. The color is perfect….and I love all the mirror…{I’m a mirror gal} and the number 4 on the door is fun!
    Thanks for sharing.
    .-= teresa´s last blog ..We can get there from here- =-.

    Reply
  11. Laurie

    I love the color you chose for the walls! Painting the vanity white looks so good. Nice job!!!

    Reply
  12. Vee

    It came out so beautifully…love the paddle. I see that the door opens in making the small room even more of a challenge, just like mine. I am surprised that I like the color you’ve chosen because it is darker than I might’ve thought. Sad to say, I’m irrisistably drawn to the swine. I think I’ll go fry up some bacon.
    .-= Vee´s last blog ..Pesky Problems =-.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Vee. Just say no to swine.

      Reply
  13. Mrs.Rabe

    I really like it!

    I have a dark red bathroom with the contrast of white in the bathroom. I may consider painting my bathroom cabinet. It is plain and boring and might look better white!

    I love to paint things to change them up!

    Your home is looking good!
    .-= Mrs.Rabe´s last blog ..Blue Monday =-.

    Reply
  14. Ali

    Love it especially the white shelf and mirror

    I don’t like toilet roll holders either!!! so we keep ours in a little basket which sits next to the toilet.

    Reply
  15. Eileen

    I showed my kids the number 4 on the bathroom door and they all burst out laughing. Let me explain. One day our toddler daughter was using the facilities of our main floor powder room and she’d been in there a long time. Like a REALLY long time. So we asked her, “what are you doing, Maya?” Through her grunts, she said, “Number four.”

    Now, everyone is familiar with numbers 1 and 2, but this girl completely skipped the unfortunate state of number 3 and jumped straight to the medically perilous number 4. Few people have ever lived to tell the tale.

    Anyway, I think we simply must buy a number 4 to place on our powder room door!
    .-= Eileen´s last blog ..Papa, we may lose the crop =-.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Lol That story made me laugh out loud. I was avoiding a 1 or 2 for obvious reasons! But number four must be dreadful!

      Reply
  16. Jacque

    I love how clean and crisp the bathroom looks (because really EVERYONE wants that) all while being warm and charming at the same time. That’s a tall order and you did it wonderfully. Nice work.

    Reply
  17. Gail

    I love the statement you make with less stuff! A girl after my own heart. The simplicity is more powerful than if you had filled the walls with lots of little things! Keep showing us the goods!
    .-= Gail´s last blog ..Organizing Made Easy With Smead =-.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Thank you! Yes, it if gets to be too much I feel anxious :-)

      Reply
  18. Celeste

    Beautiful! Snail shell is much prettier than swine belly, I agree! I love the four on the door (regardless of whatever it means!;)
    ☺ Celeste
    .-= Celeste´s last blog ..The Dreaded Post and A Gooseberry Pie =-.

    Reply
  19. gina

    Love the new wall color and the paddle – how creative!
    .-= gina´s last blog ..wine list – under $20 =-.

    Reply
  20. Angie

    I LOVE it!!! It turned out gorgeous!!! Still waiting for those photos of you suspended from the ceiling ;)

    Reply
  21. Jocelyn Stott

    Wow! I am really impressed. Everything looks great and so put together. Very, very pretty.
    .-= Jocelyn Stott´s last blog ..Wedding Recap: Part II =-.

    Reply
  22. Laura

    WOW, Melissa. That looks like an entirely different room…absolutely gorgeous! You did an outstanding job. Kudos to you, lady!

    I think my favorite part is the paint color you chose. It makes all of the decor pop. Especially the white oar. Lovely : ).
    .-= Laura´s last blog ..Coffee-Dipped Oreos =-.

    Reply
  23. megan

    I love it! Very simple and clean – I am in love with white right now :)
    .-= megan´s last blog ..A Time for Praise.. =-.

    Reply
  24. Katie

    I want to know, correction, I need to know. How on earth did you get that paddle to stay on the wall? I don’t see nails. Is there heavy duty velcro? I loveee the look but am so unsure as to how you have it hanging.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Command (I think that is what they are called!) velcro like stickers. They are amazing!! I use them for all sorts of things I want to hang but can’t figure out how to hang!

      Reply
  25. Amanda Eck The Eck Life

    oh Melissa! I LOVE it!! I really like the contrast with the dark walls & crisp white. Great job!

    Reply
  26. gretchen

    We’re looking to buy another house right now and of all things… it’s the main floor bathroom we both want to change first because of the too dark and contrasting shades of red trim with glow in the dark yellow above a dark blue beaded board wainscoting….makes swine look good to me!
    .-= gretchen´s last blog ..Pondering Pool =-.

    Reply
  27. Gussy

    whoooooo — pretty <3

    i like the idea of mirrors to reflect the light. never thought of that…

    Reply
  28. Lori

    I’m sorry, I’m just going to be convinced that everyone in the universe has high ceilings but me.

    *le sigh*

    Reply
  29. Sandy

    Lovely – great decor! I laughed through your post regarding your comments on the “pig” paint. I’ve used the Command strips too – they are great and no more holes in the wall.

    Reply
  30. Victoria

    Just Beautiful Melissa! I am in love with that big curvy mirror…so pretty! I love seeing things transform. Have a wonderful week!

    Hugs,
    Victoria
    .-= Victoria@Whimsy by Victoria´s last blog ..Some New Looks… =-.

    Reply
  31. Tammy

    I must say you are doing an awesome good job! I just absolutely love your sink, your mirror, the….. oh shoot, I love it all!
    .-= Tammy´s last blog ..Know what….? =-.

    Reply
  32. Violet

    What a difference the white paint makes on your sink cabinet! I love all the white accents and color of your walls.
    ~ Violet
    .-= Violet@CreateBeauty´s last blog ..Telephone =-.

    Reply
  33. Bev

    I don’t know if anyone ask but where did you get the small round mirrors ? Love the bathroom

    Reply
  34. Donna

    I love your pie crust mirror. So pretty! I would love to do a wall of these mirrors one day. You cracked me up with the “swine” paint. :)

    Donna
    .-= Donna´s last blog ..Table by the Bay =-.

    Reply
  35. Mary

    I love the rich, dark wall color with the crisp white trim and accessories. A word of warning, however; you mentioned adding more mirrors. Speaking from experience, I might recommend careful placement of the mirrors if males will be using the facilities. To put it delicately, they can be distracted by their own reflection in the mirror/mirrors and you will begin to notice that their aim is affected by this and will necessitate more frequent mopping. Just something to keep in mind when mirrors are going to be hung “below eye level.”

    Reply
  36. Rory

    What a wonderful transformation! I’d love for you to share this on Modern Craftswoman Monday…stop by for a visit! Rory

    Reply
  37. Genevieve

    Just perfect Melissa! Fabulous work as always! And I think the TP holder looks just fine.

    May I point Jewel Box® readers to this post? They will love it!

    Genevieve
    .-= Genevieve´s last blog ..Jewel Box® Home Giveaway! =-.

    Reply

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