Bathroom facelift and indecision

There's no question that Pinterest is my guilty pleasure. 

It's an insane amount of eye candy and food for thought. 

Constant thought. 

There are endless images and ideas for every project
I have in mind but so many, that I am getting
confused and indecisive.

We're about to update our main bathroom. 

It's a tiny space adjacent to our living room and just 

across the hall from our bedroom, so it sees a lot of traffic. 

This is a fairly small update. There's no budget for a new 

floor, wall tile or shower, but all the functional parts of 

the bathroom will get modest replacements.  

Here's our bathroom now, which has been mostly 

untouched since we moved in eight years ago.

Embarrassingly, this light fixture has been
on my "to replace" list for years.

My foray into sponge painting. I did this to avoid sanding
a pretty marred plaster wall.

Our house was flipped before we bought it, so it's no
surprise that I found this same vanity for $39.99 at Home
Depot when I was shopping the other day.
Like my classy hair band as child lock?

And here's what I'm thinking of for the facelift: Option A

Ambitious me is so drawn to this stenciled hallway and its palette. 

I'd love to paint this on the wall next to the bathroom which we see 

from our couch and maybe stencil a smaller pattern in
the bathroom itself.

like this:

or this:


Indecisive me is also thinking about something like this: Option B

Wilmington Multi blue, CalicoCorners.com

P.Kaufman's Metro 
Living Tile in Leaf, 
Fabric.com

I'd love to use a little of these two fabrics to create a simple valance to
top our bamboo roman blinds. I'd pull the grey-blue color from
the Wilmington fabric for the walls, like this gorgeous bathroom
below from Cyndy at The Creativity Exchange.

But then again, I like this set-up too: Option C

clockwise, l-r  light fixture: shadesoflight.com,
green bath: Pinterest, shower curtain: Pinterest
(I think it was Kate Spade's bathroom),
fabric: navy slick indoor-outdoor, fabric.com,
vanity and medicine cabinet: Lowe's.com

See. Indecisive. 

I know. It's not becoming.
I do understand that the fact that I put this much thought
(and then some) into a tiny bathroom might  make me 
come off as a little crazy.
This is where you come in, my friends.
Which option would you choose? I think I know what I'm leaning 

towards, but would love another set of eyes (or many).

Thanks for your help!

Erin

Seeing red...

I've never really been that into Valentine's Day but, I do love red. Next to blue it's the color I'm most drawn to. Until recently it was the grounding color in my living room for about ten years. In lieu of heart shaped chocolates, I'm enjoying lots of red eye-candy today.

The red master bedroom in Sarah Richardson's cottage

the fabric sample by Premier Prints that I'm stuck on

this classically elegant red dress

this warm and inviting living room

this striking image

one of my favorite actresses, Maureen O'Hara

the shade of red I'd love to color my hair someday...

Are you seeing in red today?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Erin

Pinspiration: "A Someday Kitchen"

Earlier this week, I shared some images of my "dream homes" with you.  It's safe to say that I have a similar obsession with kitchens.  Like many of you, more than half of my time at home is spent in the kitchen. It really should be called the living room. It's inevitable then that images like these make me drool.

Canadian House & Home via Pinterest/Annie Diamond (lovely things)

Pinterest via Jen @ Rambling Renovators

It's no surprise that I have an entire board over at Pinterest dedicated to my "Someday Kitchen". While I've been plotting this space in my head (and occasionally on paper) for years, an actual renovation is light years away.  In the meantime, here are some of my favorite, inspiring kitchens. Can you tell what they all have in common?



thedevinehome.com

Our kitchen is currently an L-shape with a wall and small doorway separating it from the living room. Ideally we'd like to open up the space between the two and work with a layout similar to this. I love everything, and I mean everything, about this kitchen, especially the fireplace.

Sarah Richardson

I love the salvaged corbels Sarah Richardson used in her farmhouse between her dining room and kitchen.The warm colors, textures and patterns make this space so inviting.



Pinterest via Jen @ Rambling Renovators

I love the idea of a comfy banquette under a sunny window, but love the gorgeous upholstered chairs even more.

 This kitchen over at For the Love of a House took my breath away though.

Look at all of those deep drawers.

From the layout, fixtures and finishes, to the fireplace I would flank with windows, a banquette or maybe some built-ins, I fell in-love.

Did you find the common thread?  It's clear to me that I crave a bright space with simple white cabinets, wood floors and the warmth and texture of some rustic wood. Oh and a fireplace.  It reminds me that I am always drawn to simple, timeless elegance, 

with a warm and casual vibe. 

A girl can dream. 

What does your someday kitchen look like?


Have a wonderful weekend!
Erin
Linking today's post to:





A Dream House

Barbie had one. 

Barbie's Dream House, circa 1979, via Google

Mr. Blandings built one.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, 1948

Cary Grant and Myrna Loy in
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House,
both images, via Google

And I am forever falling in love with other people's houses.


From the breathtaking,

image via Pinterest

to the classic beauty on a tree-lined lot,

from Crush Cul de Sac via Pinterest

to the humble charmer where I can imagine sitting by the fire

Google.com, via Pinterest

in a cozy kitchen like this, 

fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com

I am a daydreamer and a voyeur when it comes to houses.


I have several favorites in and around my neighborhood.

  

They are usually nothing fancy or very large, but typically pretty classic with an older soul and lots of charm. Nothing really like my own home or even the home I grew up in, both boxy, post-war homes nestled among their look-a-like counterparts on neat and tidy  suburban plots.

It always surprises me that I ended up living in the opposite of what I always daydreamed (and still do) about, but maybe the reality is better than the dream. As unremarkable as our house appeared from the outside when we first looked at it, the inside told a different story.


What was it that sold us? Practicality, perhaps, a blank canvas and good bones, for sure, but the ability to see our future, absolutely.  By the time we returned to our car that day, I could see where the Christmas tree would go.  We were sold and a different kind of daydreaming began.  

My house and home, like its residents, will always be evolving.  I'm guessing that the homes I  admire the most may have looked something like mine at one point.   With time and patience she will be a charmer, but the life that happens inside is better than any daydream I could imagine. 


What makes your house or apartment a home?

Erin