Monday, October 19, 2009

Our Main Bathroom: Grand Plan

We have a rather plain Jane main bath.  I will not show you a photo (sorry) until what exists becomes a "before" picture!  The room is slightly outdated, as in not "new", but we think it was updated about 8 years ago, before we bought the house.

The counter top and sink are fine...they are a creamy/yellow marble (real marble) and so is the tub surround.  The toilet is beige (will be replaced with white soon).  Cabinets are (luckily) white with new glass knobs!  Not terrible, but rather gloomy because of a dark green floor, like this:
And worse, there is no natural light. The medicine cabinets are a little outdated too, but they are huge and provide great storage.  Walls are currently an evil chartreuse (lime).

But we've decided simply to "decorate" and not renovate.  We know that we want to re-do the bathrooms (floors, cabinets) eventually, so we refuse to waste money now doing a partial job.

I do not use this bathroom.  David gets ready here and I use the ensuite.  So he is my client for this job and he demands colour!  

I have been putting off painting this room forever, but the time has come.  The room, to make it even uglier, is wrapped in about 20 feet of floral wallpaper border around the top.  That will take hours to remove.  But we shall do it.  And we've decided that yellow is our colour!  In fact, we're either choosing "Butter Cream" from Restoration Hardware (top container below):
Or we might try a slightly warmer yellow, with just a tinge more gold (I can't believe I am saying that...I always hated gold!).  The colours look so flat with the lack of natural light, so a sun-kissed warmer colour definitely helps.

Once I settled on YELLOW (I never decorate with yellow, except flowers!), it was like the whole world opened up.  Now I could consider all sorts of bright colours that might go with yellow.  But I still had to consider that dreaded Christmas green floor.

So I went online at art.com and sought an inspiration print, to help me sort out what colours might work.  Dear old Van Gogh really saved the day:
The cypress trees match our floor perfectly, and the warm yellow is just what the doctor ordered to spruce up the space and pop against the paler yellow walls.  I also see a touch of a very soft green in the sky and blue mountains.  So I have decided that I can use some blue-greens too.

Working from the print, I chose this shower curtain, a matelasse fabric by Restoration Hardware in Juniper:

They also have some lovely Silver Sage shower curtains that might work.  I originally considered doing green or Silver Sage walls, but the greens all seemed to die in the dull light.

I also love this little print by my beloved Monet (below). I shall never stop loving the Impressionists, even if all the girls in my dorm at university had a Monet print!  But they didn't have this beauty:
David wants to re-use all his towels - he has some rather fluffy nice towels in yellow and celadon green and white, so this will all work.  We'll also get him some new accessories, something with a little historical apothecary look, perhaps.  I like these silver items, also from Restoration Hardware, but I might look for glass instead:
I really think I will get the waste basket (below) (looks like a guy thing) and maybe the soap holder (above), which looks like a miniature cake stand!  
Then I may look at antique stores for other odds and ends to make this man-bath complete!  No, it won't be my style, but what can you do with a green floor and beige-yellow counters?  At least it won't be totally embarassing any more!

Oh, and we'll install a nice glass shelf over the toilet for displaying some glass bottles or something pretty.  I am so excited to start this project!

What do you think?  This decor is out of my comfort zone and not my usual tranquil style, but David is tired of "beige and white" (as he oft laments my colours) and did not want neutral.  I think the pale yellow is still classic and I do agree...an interior room needs a shot of colour to bring it to life!  

Your thoughts?

27 comments:

  1. I so love the white/grey tones for a bathroom especially if you choose silverware to combine! And then I love to bring in a more vivid colour by choosing for instance orange or red towels. Or you can bring in a little chair upholstered in a vivid colour!

    Greet

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  2. I think it's going to be beautiful... I think you'll find that you'll get some of your best rooms out of ones that you've stepped out of your comfort zone to create. They're surprising and end up teaching you. Pushing the envelope is what makes you grow & I can't wait to see the pics!!!

    You've already made these colors that shouldn't all work together come together so perfeclty and that's talent.

    xoxo

    ps- I'm pretending we're cousins ;) ... Dave's got the Lincoln from his great aunt who married a lincoln. definitely related ;) hahahah

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  3. Welcome to the sunny world of butter cream! I love, love, love soft muted aged yellows and the ones you are looking at are gorgeous - I love the prints you have chosen - lots of movement and of course some of my favorite artists - I think it's going to look fantastic and applaud you (loudly) for stepping outside your comfort zone and away from the trends. Huzzah!
    xo Isa

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  4. Oh my dear, there is something to be said of taste that inspire as seen through the eyes of one with a cultivated eye, unfortunately I’m not the one best able to say it but I’ll say this. You my dear have an eye for the divine. I will follow with interest and appreciation. Thanks for sharing.
    All the very best,
    Simone

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  5. I think it will be very pretty. And so smart of you to use what you have right now. This is a very "green" way to decorate right now. I think your choices are perfect and I bet you are going to be surprised by how beautiful it all comes out.

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  6. I can't wait to see it! I think it's going to be beautiful and those art pieces are great inspiration color wise L0L I also really love that soap holder!!

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  7. Looks like you have a plan! Love your inspiration art.
    The only thing I would add is to be careful with your yellow. In a small space like a bathroom, yellow can multiply in intensity and brighten more than you wanted it to. (I speak from experience!) Test with big swatches. And luckily, because it's a small room, it's easy to repaint if your color is stronger than you meant it to be.

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  8. I love the colors you have chosen, I think it will look beautiful all together!

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  9. I think it will be lovely! The Buttercream will add wonderful warmth to the space. Can't wait to see the pictures! xoTrina

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  10. You definitely need to choose a yellow with more orange in it so it doesn't go green with no natural light! It'll be beautiful when it's done!

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  11. Just love that little Monet beach print. I think the yellow is a fabulous color choice... it'll make you happy!

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  12. Hi Teri,

    Thank you for the wonderful compliment you gave me today. You made my day! We painted the whole house in BM natural wicker with BM simply white for the trim. Except the kitchen and bathrooms are all in simply white.

    Thanks again

    Janet

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  13. Fantastic - I love the prints, I'm also a huge impressionist fan. And the second print if my favorite - so colorful.

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  14. Your impressionists are stealing my heart these days (on so many many levels). Great colour scheme. And congrats all the attention your blog has been receiving! Wonderful, indeed!

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  15. I just added you to my blog roll today. I'm way behind the times - can't stand Google reader - I want the real deal! :)

    I added you because again and again I came across images from **your blog** when looking on Google for inspiration pics. We must share a similar aesthetic.

    Looking through your blog more this afternoon - I'm learning that you really seem to have a great eye. I'm so intrigued by your choices here. I admit, my first thought was that I wasn't at all sure of the blue/green shower curtain paired with the yellow walls (maybe it's greener in person?), but I'll bet you can carry it off. I'm excited to learn from your unexpected choices.

    I second the kuddos that someone gave earlier on your against-the-trend decisions. I'm a classic girl, too, and think you'll easily get years out if this design.

    So glad to have found you :) I'll be back!

    ~Jacci in Ohio

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