Bathroom Updates

Or the title of this post could be “Making the Best Out of an Ugly Rental Bathroom.” Because it is ugly. Not even cute retro ugly. More like 1980s Motel 6 ugly. Please turn your attention to exhibit A . . .

Exhibit A

Every single wall in the bathroom is tiled, and these floral beauties are scattered throughout. They match the little floral border that runs along the ceiling. Lovely, no? Yeah, no.

But retiling the bathroom is not an option. We did, however, take down the sliding glass shower door. (Actually, the shower door fell apart, we attempted to fix it, we failed, and then we took down the sliding glass door.)

No glass door means room for a shower curtain and an opportunity to add some much-needed color. The shower curtain purchase happened a few months ago. But the room needed something else.

I had assumed that I couldn’t hang any framed art because every surface is tiled. Luckily I found a solution — 3M makes magic hanging strips that apparently stick to anything and hold several pounds.  Amazing!

Around the same time I found these gems, I ran across an amazing DIY project on Little Green Notebook, one of my very favorite blogs. Jenny used marbled paper to cover a wastebasket. I wasn’t in the market for a wastebasket, but I fell deeply in love with the marbled paper she used. I found some lovely stuff on Paper Mojo that seemed made for my bathroom. It’s one of the best things I’ve purchased lately, though it wasn’t super cheap. The paper only costs $6 a sheet — I bought two — but shipping was nearly $12. Totally worth it.

I also hung another picture — a shot I took of some flamingos in the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia when I was in the Peace Corps (you can see it in the first photo). The print quality could be better (I used my inkjet printer), but I love the colors. And it brings back great memories. So far, the hanging strips are holding both frames — fingers crossed.

Now comes the embarrassing part. I spent last Saturday morning engaged in an activity that I am ashamed to talk about. I did something I’m pretty sure only elderly women do — I sewed a fabric slipcover for the tissue box. I’m not kidding.

But I’m NOT ashamed to tell you it looks flipping fantastic. Seriously. Ok, I didn’t do the best job with the sewing, but still.  Stripy floral shower curtain plus marbled paper plus pink and orange tissue box = amazing.

The fabric is Bukhara Links from dear Stella, and boy is it loud. I originally bought it to make a curtain, but then realized it should be used, like alcohol and deer antlers, in moderation. A tissue box cover is about the right amount. And if you’d like to be an old lady like me and make your own cover, follow these amazing Design Sponge instructions like I did. Hey, if Design Sponge is giving instructions, how unhip can it be? (Answer: Very)

Here’s one  more shot of the bathroom so that you get a sense of the whole space (and a view of the floral trim). I used a suction cup hook to hang the hand towel. And that amazingly hideous/fabulous tree clock? A gift from my grandma. Bet you wish you had such a cool grandma. But she’s mine and you can’t have her! Hands off.

I know you want a closeup. The dove used to swing back and forth in time with the passing seconds, but sadly it’s now broken. (PS. This isn’t an heirloom. Grandma gave this to me when I was an adult. It was brand new. Just saying.)