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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

94

A Little Bathroom Refresh

OK, please don't throw things at me.  I swear I have a giant State of the Storage Rooms post coming up super soon.  And it will be a whopper.

That said, cleaning out our storage spaces continues to drive other random acts of organizing and even some minor projects.  I think it is the only way I can stay sane {and let's face it, have a little bit of blog content in-between my late night sorting sessions... yawn}.  Throughout this process, when I find an oldie item, I am forcing myself to "use it or lose it". 

Today's quick story is a perfect example of how being organized and knowing everything you have, gets you ahead of the game.  And not knowing the awesomeness being stored behind doors, causes you to lose {but eventually win?!}.

While cleaning out our utility room, I found a little white bathroom cabinet.  It lived in our old guest room/master bedroom waaaay back in the day {ten years ago}.  The second I saw the cabinet I got a stupid silly grin on my face and knew I just scored big!  It has been in our utility room from the day we decided we loved it but didn't have a good place for it, and had since been forgotten.  After a good scrubbing with a magic eraser, it was almost good as new!  Any guesses where I wanted to put it?


Some of you long time readers may remember that about two years ago, we were lacking in the bathroom storage department, so we used a tall Billy bookcase to do the job and act as an upper level linen closet.  It has worked really well since day one, however, as the boys have outgrown bath toys and baby lotions, I found we were using the cabinet less and less... Basically it had just become a really big towel and toothbrush holder. 


So when we needed the storage, Billy was there for me like the linen closet I never had.  But now that I don't require so much storage space, Billy is just big, visually heavy and waiting to be set free {on Craigslist}.  The new-old-new again little white cabinet was just too perfect.  It fit our storage needs and visually left the room feeling a bit brighter. 

Anyway.... this bathroom is our most used bathroom in our house and it is really beginning to show it's 12+ year old age.  The entire room needs a gut job; new floors, new vanity/sink, mirror, toilet, lighting, tub with tile.... However, as my very direct mom always said, "You can wish in one hand and..." well, you know the rest.  The bathroom is not happening anytime soon.  We have a kitchen to tackle first. 

But that doesn't mean that I have to hate it, does it?  That I can't invest a little time and inner home house shopping into the space?  So don't get your pinning fingers ready or expect a grand post about our beautiful bathroom with a spectacular reveal, because this is FAR from that.  It is fun to share some of those bite size updates we make around here.

As you can see above, the vanity is a creamy white {yellow-white}, and extremely dated.  But even worse, up close it is just plain gross.


Chipped paint, paint splatters {apparently I realized I dripped paint and only wiped it up just enough... oops} and unknown dings and scuff marks.


One more example that our house is getting old, used, loved, is falling apart and is not always pristine.  I have had a lot of those examples lately....

Once I moved that sweet little white cabinet into the bathroom, I knew I had to fix the vanity sitting across the way.  Feeling a bit too much bone color happening in the room, I went to my paint supply and picked out a deep blue color.  Because I was using a color I already had on hand, I used the process of elimination.  Light blue would have blended in with the walls, white would have been too matchy matchy with the white cabinet.  Green wasn't happening.... Dark blue it was {Behr's Restless Sea}.  Prior to slapping on a coat of paint, I used a sanding block to fix any imperfections in the existing cabinets and drawers.


Although the new color may not have been my very first color choice if we would have been completely renovating this room, I do prefer it much, much better than the yellowy white that had been living there an hour earlier.  But with the new blue vanity, blue walls and blue shower curtain, I decided to swap out the existing shower curtain with one that was taken down and tucked away {into shameful storage} during our recent guest bathroom update.  We also took down the yellow window box and additional random mirror and replaced them with some existing photo frames filled with a recent Etsy art purchase and chevron fabric swatch.  Simple as that, this itty bitty bathroom refresh was complete!


Sooooo much better right?


It feels so much cleaner now!  And a fresh coat of paint makes the whole bathroom feel fresh!



The little white cabinet now holds a toothbrush caddy for the boys, a pampering caddy for the pups and some extra towels.  Are my boys the only ones that require three different flavors of toothpaste?  Why can't they all just like the same thing?



It was topped with a plant {in a vase I already had}, a little candle votive {which I spray painted and now holds the boy's nail clippers and nail scrubber} and a small tub of lotion.



I shopped my home for a few other accessories, such as a few mums leftover from photos I took for last week's post and a trinket tray and candle votive which are great for holding my jewelry while I give the dogs a bath or clean the shower.



And that rounds out this super glamorous mini-bathroom refresh tour!  Cheers to using your stash and some paint to liven up a space!  I think I just condoned my home decor hoarding habits....


And who doesn't love to take a peek at a before and after?


Pretty sweet mini update right?  I have one more little project up my sleeve to bring in some natural wood tones into the room, and then I am going to leave the space alone until sledgehammer day arrives.

I guess this shows the benefits of tackling those daunting storage spaces!  I found an old piece of furniture that fits our current storage needs, used items I had on hand to give our bathroom a fresh update and even get to sell our previous storage solution to pocket back a little cash.  Did you count?  That totals three points for Jen!  But who's counting....

This post maybe wasn't the most convincing at explaining the importance of living with less and saying goodbye to things that you haven't used in 6 months.  Heck, I got a bathroom update out of the deal.  But if we would have been living more simplified two years ago when I dug into my pockets for a storage cabinet {instead of using the white cabinet back then}, I could have saved a few dolla bills along the way.  It is all about balance.

Anyone else been turning trash to treasure out of goodies found while organizing and sorting?  What is the best item you have found during an organizing project? {This could be good!}


94 comments:

  1. I thought it looked great to start with but you're right, the blue really perks up the space and I love the new accessories. Now you've got me looking at what I could touch up around my house. Those details make a huge difference!

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  2. I need a better look at that toothbrush caddy! Is that what it was designed to be or have you repurposed something else to serve as a toothbrush caddy? With six people in our house, we could seriously use something like that!

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    1. Hi Emily!

      The caddy was once a utensil caddy that I just converted to keep all of their brushes separate. I still need to add little labels, but so far it has been working great! :)

      xo!

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  3. Looks fantastic. Loving the blue cabinets.

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  4. Your mini project has inspired me! I have been itching to paint my builder grade oak bathroom cabinets for years now. I don't want a whole bathroom re-do (OK yes I do...but who has the money for that?) I am thinking some paint and a few inexpensive accessories are in order to spruce up our boys/guest bathroom! I love the artwork by the way...

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    1. It amazes me time and time again the power of a little paint! :)

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  5. WOW! This "home shopped" bathroom makeover is just awesome, awesome, awesome! You have such a great eye for colors and a beautiful sense of style. You amaze me. E.V.E.R.Y T.I.M.E

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  6. Nice! Huge difference between before and after photos!

    Warm wishes from cold Finland!

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  7. The room looks cute and I like the color choices. It may not be exactly what you want but it looks great for now I must say. Look forward to a big organizing post soon.

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  8. Quick question: Who found the tassel bracelet first, you or Carmel? I absolutely love them. On to storage finds: I recently purged my boys' room. I put all their clothes together in their closets which meant a storage drawer system was empty. I think I'll use it for my sewing supplies. :)

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    1. Haha, I think Carmel. I found them and fell in love with them on Instagram... It was probably Carmel who turned me on to them since I love her style so much! :)

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    2. They are super cute! I love her style and decor too. Red!
      I follow so many blogs and you all seem to post a lot of similar things. It's so cool to read a blog and see something I saw on another person's post.

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  9. This looks great! I love how your little changes totally brightened up the room and gave it a whole new look.
    xoxo
    Rachel@rachelrunshermouth.com

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  10. Love this simple update! Do you have any resources for best practices when painting cabinets?

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    1. Hi Liz,

      It really depends on what I am painting, the finish and the type of paint I am using. You can find a few more of my posts with more specifics here:


      http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/03/our-painted-entertainment-center-reveal.html

      http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2013/08/bathroom-makeover-week-day-two.html

      http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/07/our-dreamy-studio-dresser-is-done.html

      http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2011/08/finally-how-to-paint-cabinets-trim.html

      xo!

      Delete
  11. I looks incredible! I love the color that you chose for your cabinets!

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  12. I love your big space transformations, Jen but these spruce ups are just as juicy!! Maybe even better because now I want to go dig through some closets for forgotten goodies! Love the blue and those prints!

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  13. Hi Jen,
    Love the updated bathroom. I'm also loving the bold blue cabinet color choice as well. Don't you just love mini fixes? I know I do too!

    Lauren
    www.simplythesims.com

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    Replies
    1. Yes! They are my fav! Especially as a busy mom, the quicker the project the better! :)

      xo!

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  14. Great use of what you have! I really like the blue on the existing vanity, and the little white cabinet is great (we have a similar one in our bath).

    And you are not the only one with kids that can't agree on toothpaste. We have mulitple flavors, and each kid must have mulitple toothbrushes. Oh well, whatever it takes to get them to brush, right?

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  15. Wow! Looks awesome. I love how changing just a few things can make a room look and feel so much better. This now makes me want to re-do my hall bathroom, but that will require more than just small changes (There is currently a green bathtub/shower surround! Gross!!!)

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    1. We had a green tub/shower in our first apartment! :) Just give it a few more years, trends always come back around ;)

      xo!

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  16. Looks amazing!! I just painted our bathroom cabinet and vanity (creamy white) before we moved into our house 4 months ago and now you have me wanting to repaint it. But I gotta save the money for a down payment on our future home so we can get out of this rental. Adding this to my list though for a future homes bathroom inspiration!

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  17. I love the bathroom makeover! I agree with the others that it's perfect until you can have the complete redo you are longing for.

    I was curious about the Billy bookcase and why you are putting it on Craiglist. We have one we absolutely love and for me they are timeless. I love shelving and can always find a use for them. If I re-purpose a room and don't need them then I put them in the utility room or even the garage for extra storage. I was just wondering your mindset because perhaps I should re-think that idea and go for the extra cash. Also, do you mind sharing what you are going to ask for it?

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    1. Hi Leigh,

      I have done a room by room to see if we could use it somewhere else and we really just don't "need" it anywhere. And we have a lot of Ikea in our home and I am trying to break away from that a bit. I would absolutely use it in the garage, but it would swell up from moisture with all of the rain and snow that comes in off of the cars... This project has really inspired me to try and purge as much as possible and only keep what we need/love. :)

      I haven't listed yet, but I will probably do some Craigslist searching before hand to see what the going rate is and price accordingly.

      xo!

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    2. Jen,
      Thank you for responding. That makes perfect sense! GL on Craigslist!

      xo
      Leigh

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  18. Wow, girl! Looks awesome. My boy's bathroom is in need of some love... someone is feeling inspired! :)

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  19. Huge difference, I love it and you have inspired me to freshen up our bathroom :-)

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  20. I noticed you switched the hardware too. I'm looking for drawer pulls like that for my kitchen. Could you let me know where you got them?
    Thanks so much!
    - Lora @ Craftivity Designs

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    Replies
    1. Hi Lora!

      I was planning on using the pulls on my studio cabinets, but then did not use as many as planned so I had a couple extra. They were too perfect! You can find them here: http://t.homedepot.com/p/Martha-Stewart-Living-Bedford-3-in-Awning-Cup-Cabinet-Hardware-Pull-136254/202241367/

      xo!

      Delete
  21. The mini-makeover is sometimes all you need to freshen up your house...and the fact that you used what you already had on hand is great for your budget...and I LOVE the blue cabinet!

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  22. I love it! I am going to be doing my bathroom later this week. The walls are white but oh so old, and I am going to do a nice buttery, almondy white color on them. I have a black shelf I love in there and I will be painting the vanity and medicine cabinet to match those. Right now they are oak laminate color ew!

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  23. Love it! It looks so much cleaner and fresh! The shower curtain really tones down the blue too. Amazing how just small things can change a space.

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  24. Jen, it looks amazing! You are making me fall in love with blue, a color I normally avoid for some reason! You inspired me to start trying to simplify and really work on making our home have personality. I love your blog! <3 :)

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  25. I am in awe how little you did, but what a big impact it made! Kudos to you!!!

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  26. It looks fantastic, Jen! Really you always amaze me with the "little" updates you do that completely transform a space. Well done! Bravo! I love it!

    xo Kylie

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  27. I am in love with the blue cabinet and the gold accents

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  28. I was about to compliment you on the new bathroom before I realized those were the "before" pictures! haha. The "after" photos are incredible. I do like the towel shelf/basket on the wall in the before photos though. I wish that would have stayed.

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  29. great shade of blue on the cabinet and I love the handles...a splash of red somewhere would be perfect for me...btw, you're lucky to have such a nice room...I live in an RV and can't begin to decorate like that!

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  30. So great, love that blue! What a difference for some small updates.

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  31. Looks incredible - the blue really pops and makes all the white more white - if you know what i mean :) Great idea!
    http://www.themagickbox.blogspot.dk/

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  32. What I love most are those gold pulls. Mind telling me where you got them? What a great mini makeover!

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    1. Thanks Tricia!
      They are from Home Depot: http://t.homedepot.com/p/Martha-Stewart-Living-Bedford-3-in-Awning-Cup-Cabinet-Hardware-Pull-136254/202241367/

      xo!

      Delete
  33. Please, tell me where you got that awesome shower curtain!!!!

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    1. Is that shower curtain a duvet cover from Target? I ask because I have one and it looks exactly the same. I cannot figure out what to use it for now that I have a new bedspread and we aren't using ours anymore. I'd love to repurpose it somewhere in the house, but don't want to turn it into a big sewing project.

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    2. I purchased the shower curtain from West Elm last year. :) looks like they still have it: http://www.westelm.com/products/stripe-shower-curtain-feather-gray-b985/?pkey=e%7CShower%2Bcurtain%7C19%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

      I have seen people turn duvets into curtains, I bet it could be done!

      xo!

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  34. I love these kinds of updates. Most of the time you don't have boatloads of money to do a gut reno so it's nice to see what can be done with a little paint and some house shopping. Thanks!

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  35. this looks lovely, as usual miss jen! i am laughing out loud because i have 3 babes around the same ages as yours and can't even get them to put the cap back on the toothpaste! never mind back into a cabinet. I love the idea though, and you've got me thinking about the three different toothpastes because then i will know the coverless-toothpaste-culprit. :-)
    Did you get rid of their towel hooks? (i think they each had a hook in there before?)
    love it. love your blog! xoxo

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    Replies
    1. Nope, the hooks are still there :) They just hide behind the door.

      xo!

      Delete
  36. Yes, I am loving the shower curtain also! Looks clean and fresh! Love it!

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  37. Good work!! A few little changes for a really big effect! How do you get such great shots (nice and bright) of a space that I can't imagine had a whole lot of natural light?

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    1. For the after shots I used my tripod. It allows me to play with my settings a bit more. :)

      xo!

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  38. This is super inspiring. Our girls'/guest bath is SO blah. I think adding a punch of color to our vanity may be the ticket to livening things up in there.

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  39. Your bathroom looks great! nice job.

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  40. Love the update! It's so inspiring that you use things you already have around the house and still get such great results! Plus, I think you're the fastest cabinet painter ever!

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  41. I am always looking out for plants that will survive (thrive is a bonus!) in my low-light bathroom. The plant you have there looks really lush - what is it? Does it need much care?

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    1. Just occasional watering has worked so far. Not sure what kind it is but I found it at Home Depot.

      xo!

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    2. thanks! I will look out for something similar.

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  42. I noticed you changed out the faucet, too. Did you have a spare set of that in your storage pile, too???

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    1. Funny! It has actually been sitting under the sink for the past few years and I told my hubby this little refresh was the perfect time to finally getting it installed. :)

      xo!

      Delete
  43. That's an awesome and affordable update! It's such a good reminder that "shopping our house" should be first before shopping elsewhere. :)

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  44. Amazing update! Decorating really is in the details! I love it!

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  45. Beautiful! I love how you used things you had, and it made a BIG impact! And it will be so much more fun to get ready in a space that you love until demo day gets here. Thanks for sharing your creative ideas as always, Jen!

    ~Abby =)

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  46. Love this update! From the before and after photos, it certainly LOOKS like a much bigger makeover than it was! I love that you just went for it, and didn't wait around for a full demo to make it something you love!

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  47. as always girlie you're constantly teaching us ....
    i love how just using what you had still turned "jenfabulous"
    we have a master bath that needs the mother of all sledge hammers, but isn't at the top of the list either. so i'm inspired to make a few little changes to hold us over till then... and that girl. is your gift...you encourage us to do the best with what we have and make the most of who we are at that moment. you rock. that's all. the end.

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  48. Jen – Can you tell me which gold spray paint you used on the candle votive? I love the finish on it.

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    1. Hi Julie!

      I always use the Rustoleum Gold Metallic spray. It is by far my favorite gold spray out of all I have tried.

      xo!,

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  49. I think the blue vanity is a nice pop of color. And the new curtain and accessories are more suited to young boys. Basically, I love it. :)

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  50. That blue was meant to be in your bathroom! It matches perfectly. And the pop of color is very unexpected.

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  51. Oh gosh, I can see why you are so popular. I love your ideas.
    Blessings to you all!

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  52. I saw some shower curtain comments but no definite answers. Where did it come from? Love it!

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  53. Wowzers! This is just great!

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  54. Wow, the re-do looks great! Any chance you bought the green, gray, and blue floral votive recently and could tell me where it's from? I love it!

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    1. Hi Jessica!

      I purchased them last year at World Market. Not sure if they still carry the same set/style. I couldn't seem to find them online, sorry!

      xo!

      Delete
  55. It looks lovely now. Tho, your bathroom would be perfect if you had a bidet :)

    Seriously, it changes your life.

    I love your blog.

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  56. Gosh Jen, I want to go shopping at your house. I can't believe you had that gorgeous white cabinet hanging out in your utility room! The makeover is so fresh, bright, and updated. I really like the navy on the vanity cabinet also. Great job!!

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  57. It looks fresh and pretty! The sink vanity cabinet looks great in that blue! You have a knack with your accessorizing too! I love that little white cabinet, works perfectly in that space! You did a great job!

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  58. It's amazing what a lick of paint and some new accessories can do for a room, isn't it... I'm really liking the nautical theme to the room too. A great update!

    Jade :-)

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  59. The blue is unexpected but a thousand times better!!

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  60. looks great, I love that blue! It's what I (lovingly) refer to as the "lipstick on a pig" approach... which is exactly what I'll be doing in my bathroom next weekend! haha.

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  61. Is it me, or did that blue paint totally brighten up even the toilet?? :) Way cool! I think I may have to to a paint update, too! Thanks for the information!!

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  62. What color paint is on the walls?

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  63. I love love love the deep blue color! It looks so much more crisp and clean. Where did you get the striped grey and white shower curtain?

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    1. Hi Sara,

      The shower curtain is from West Elm: http://www.westelm.com/products/stripe-shower-curtain-feather-gray-b985/?pkey=e|shower%2Bcurtain|20|best|0|1|24||4&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules

      xoxo!

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  64. Hey! Love the redo! Can you tell me where you got the bathroom rug? Is it chunky? It looks like it but I can't tell. I love the color contrasts. Want to do something like that for my boys bathroom

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    1. Hi Kimiko,

      The rug was from Target or HomeGoods a few years ago. It was quite soft, but not too chunky that the door couldn't close over it.

      Jen

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