Rugs in the Bathroom, Black Rooms and Baby Potties
Well, that about sums this post up! We had this striped brown and cream flatweave cotton rug from Target in our bedroom…but our dogs sleep on the floor in there and we have wwaaayyy too much traffic in that room for a flatweave cotton rug that you cannot vacuum. Yes, we could go shake it out, but we’d have to do that every day, twice a day. So we moved it. I had it in my office, but the same deal; little pieces of paper from the hole-punch and random thread pieces would get stuck all over it. Plus it kept bunching up under the desk leg and office chair. So we moved it again. This time to the laundry room to wash it, and that’s where it stayed. Until my genius husband suggested it going in the bathroom. If you’re anything like me you hate a cold bathroom, especially a bathroom floor. It fits PERFECTLY in there from wall to wall. And I love the graphic striped pattern it brings in. *My husband, the decorator.*
It still gets a little bunchy, but that doesn’t bother me as much as it did in the bedroom because it’s easy to put back in its original location…and you might notice that we even took the bathmats out (and now they’re on either side of the bed) because we don’t need them anymore. This is something I probably never would have thought of on my own – another piece of evidence to show that having someone to bounce decorating ideas off of can be very helpful! A fresh set of eyes and opinions might be exactly what you need – and don’t discount your husband’s decorating skills – you never know, he might come up with something good a few times out of ten!
Sorry for the blurry webcam shot – I just don’t always feel like whipping out the nice camera, downloading and editing photos, uploading and formatting, linking and…well, you get the idea – quick and easy, that’s what I need these days – THANK YOU PHOTOBOOTH! At least I am posting, ha! And yes, my daughter is trying to crawl out of her bath because she sees me fiddling with my laptop…
And no, my bathroom is dark brown, not black…but I am dying to paint SOMETHING black, whether it be a room or an exterior! Will someone please let me pick a black paint for you??
Image via Apartment Therapy
Pretty, pretty please? Okay, how about chalkboard paint?
Image via Apartment Therapy
Okay, back to the bathroom; I thought I’d point out that cute little green and white baby potty in my bathroom. I can’t get over how cute my little girl looks while sitting on it. She’d hate it if it wasn’t for that stack of Wild Animal Baby magazines we put right next to the sink – because of those she’ll sit there forever. Nothing happens while she’s sitting on it (she’s only 18 months!), but it’s just for fun and for practice. 
She cracks me up…so I’m sorry if I over-talk about her potty, but it’s just precious (to me!). Here she is, assuming the ‘reading a magazine on the toilet’ pose, with her baby blonde hair combed after a bath. So sweet! And I did wrap her in a towel so I could post this online.
Anyway, the cute little potty, I bought it from Diapers.com because 1) their shipping is FAST! and FREE! and 2) I had a 15% off coupon sent straight to my e-mail because I have a customer account. All great things when you live in Likely. Plus the potty is too dang adorable and I thought it would look cute (and not take up much space in my teeny bathroom) sitting in its own little corner! It’s the Hoppop Torro Potty in Lime. It also comes in blue (Aqua) and pink (Fuschia), but my bathroom is already brown, green and white so I thought it would look good. Well, as good as a baby potty could. If it’s going to have to be out, it might as well look good! Right?
Fascinating stuff, right? Anyway, this is another baby product that gets the thumbs-up from me. It’s small, cute and was cheap! But I also like it mainly because she actually LIKES TO SIT ON IT! We’ll see how it goes after she actually learns to use it.
He Says/She Says Poll Results
Good morning, everyone! How was your weekend? Mine was great! Just too short…I cleaned my office (aahhh – that is a big sigh of relief), made a few Christmas cards and helped Glenn build the frame around a box that is protecting our septic tank in the backyard. Gross. Well, the box isn’t gross, just the thought of a big tank of poo that is right underneath our feet in our backyard. It’s just weird. The tank isn’t buried very deep – the top of it is actually level with the ground, so we have these big plastic lids that stick up on the lawn, so we’re building a box to protect it from the sun. You really don’t want those plastic lids getting sunbaked and brittle!! A few weeks ago, Glenn dug some holes, poured some concrete in and set some posts. And yesterday he started on the frame…and I helped. Anyway, more on that later!
Next up is the results of the “He Says/She Says” bedroom paint dilemma poll I posted last Friday. So far it’s 53% for painting the trim, chair rail and ceiling brown…41% say leave it how it is…and 6% (1 vote) says Other, but I don’t know what Other means! Anyway, to let you in on who is who…I am the one who wants to paint. Surprise, surprise, right? I feel like at the very least the orange and white needs to be broken up (by painting the chair rail). And I saw a photo online SOMEWHERE of a bedroom with a chocolate brown ceiling and I LOVED it. But I can’t find it anywhere now…let me know if you have seen it or know where I can find it…please! Glenn wants to paint the trim around the windows the same color as the lower wall and be done with it. And he is seriously fighting me on it…straight up says ‘no! Do not paint it!’ It must be nice to have such amazing psychic powers and knowing how ugly my idea must turn out. ::Grrrr…::
I’d even consider doing a tan ceiling instead if chocolate brown is that scary for a ceiling. I still think the chair rail would be best in chocolate, though. But I could always paint that tan as well and if I don’t like it I can paint it darker. Whatever, Glenn, ha!
Thank you all for your votes – I win, I win!! But we’ll see if it ever gets done…I’m still waiting for Glenn to fill all the nail holes in the new trim so that we can get those painted. We’ll also paint the bathroom ceiling (back to white) when we paint the trim. It’s VERY dark in there…you can still do your makeup, but I think we just need a little more white to balance out all of the brown. It keeps it looking crisp. And I need to get new towels and finish sewing my new shower curtain…
And speaking of paint colors, I recently finished an e-decorating Paint Consultation project for a client. I chose colors for the ENTIRE house and I hear through the grapevine (aka Facebook) that their painters are done and they LOVE their colors. Can’t wait to share those photos with you all!! After I see them, of course…
Edit: My brain and my fingers aren’t working together…I thought I left the contest open until TODAY (Monday, 11/9) but I originally was holding the giveaway open until Monday 11/16. So I’m going to keep it open for another week, so if you want to enter you still have time! Sorry, Trisha…maybe you’ll still win! 
Head back to the post to enter. And last, but not least – the winner of last week’s Rosebud Cards giveaway!! The winner is Trisha!! Congrats, Trisha!! Enjoy your free cards!! Here are her favorites:
And a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE ‘Thank You’ to Rosemary of Rosebud Cards for offering this very generous giveaway to Likely Design readers! Your card idea is absolutely adorable, and Trisha is a very lucky winner. I am so appreciative that someone would contact me because of my blog and offer to give something away for free that you worked so hard on. Thank you so much to everyone who entered – you guys rock!
It’s still open: enter the giveaway here!
And another exciting thing coming up – I submitted a guest post to Michelle over at the blog “When I Grow Up” about my path to becoming a creative professional. How exciting, right?!?! I’ll let you know when my guest post is up!! See you all tomorrow and have a great Monday…. xo, L.
Read MoreI don't know how I did it…
…but my birthday orchid (thanks, Drea!) from 2008 is thriving! I’ve posted a couple times (here and here) on how I was waiting for it to bloom, and now almost every single bud has opened up! And this has happened in just a month!!! I’ve been keeping him (her?) in the bathroom and I love walking in every day and seeing the gorgeous blooms in the window! I think the little guy loves his steamy home there.
The secret is patience. I didn’t mind having a pot with just leaves in it all winter. I waited and waited and waited for it to re-grow a stem, because I got a tip to cut the old stem at the base and I guess it worked!
Isn’t she (he?) GORGEOUS! I think I need at least 9 more of these all over my house…
Read More{Color Therapy} Paint Color Party!
I love blog parties! I stumbled across this blog (via Hooked on Houses) called 320 Sycamore today and saw she was hosting a Paint Color Party and I just had to join!
She’s asking for some paint color photo inspiration today so here goes!
Here is the new “reading nook” in my living room. The walls are Ashley Gray by Benjamin Moore.
This ivory wall is actually old wood paneling, but we just painted over it with Acadia White by Benjamin Moore.
My kitchen has white cabinets (High Hiding White door, trim and cabinet paint by Ace Hardware), and the green is called Misted Fern by Benjamin Moore.
Someday I’d like to paint the kitchen a color called “Sulfur Yellow” by Benjamin Moore, but that has to wait until we get new countertops. We have the fake blonde wood laminate right now and it won’t go together, but I really, really love Sulfur Yellow (#1).
The dining room stripes are using the Misted Fern from the kitchen and the Acadia White from the living room in two different finishes. The green is a semi-gloss and the ivory is a satin, which gives it a wallpaper feel.
The bathroom is painted “Pumpernickel” by Ace Hardware paints. If you’ve been reading lately you’ll know we’ve been very busy on that project!! Click the link for more pictures of the surrounded-by-earthy-brown bathroom.
The bedroom’s upper 1/3rd is painted “Pilgrimage Foliage” by Benjamin Moore, and the lower 2/3rds are in the Acadia White (like the living room and dining room. We have a TON of it!)
My daughter’s bedroom is painted in “Everlasting” by Benjamin Moore and the bottom is..you guessed it! Acadia White!
My very unfinished office is painted in one of my very favorite colors: Old Salem Gray by Benjamin Moore. It depends on the light, but it can look beige, gray or green. As you can see this picture looks very green, but if you choose this color you won’t be sorry! It’s so pretty! I wish I would have gotten the office painted before the kitchen because I would have picked this for the kitchen instead of the brighter green.
And Melissa at 320 Sycamore showed a wall that she painted “Danville Tan” by Benjamin Moore…I had a client choose that color so here’s another shot of it paired with “Branchport Brown” by Benjamin Moore as well.
And there you have it – all the colors of Casa Christensen! The next room I’d like to paint is our laundry room, which I want a very light, barely there robin’s egg blue or light sage-y green like this photo. Mmmm…you know how I love pretty laundry rooms! And paint!
(image linked to flickr source)
Have a good weekend, everyone and thanks for stopping by for some color inspiration!!!
If you’d like your very own paint color consultation, then feel free to contact me (lindsay @ lindsaychristensendesign.com) or click here for more information!
Read MoreBusy on the Bathroom!
Blogging or bathroom? That is the question. Hehe! We’ve spent a lot of time recently working on the bathroom plan, and it is coming into motion! My handy-dandy husband ripped out the old shower surround and then put a new bright and shiny one up! He also put up new trim and sealed everything! I painted the walls (while I was home alone with our 9 month old – go me!), and he painted the ceiling because it would have taken me forever and he whipped it right out! And last night he painted the new trim nice and white. Now we just need the finishing touches; new light, new mirror (so we’ll have to paint a little more soon), new shower curtain and new towels.
We were going to re-finish the bathtub in white, but after reading the directions it just didn’t seem worth it. It was very complicated, very toxic, and very easy to screw up! Plus we couldn’t use our tub for 5-6 days. So we decided to keep the green tub because the color won’t clash with the design, plus we are just so lucky to have a green tub! Now I’ll quit talking and get to the pics. Thanks for stopping by!!
Here is what it looked like back in July when we bought it. Notice the lovely, faded flower motif on the surround. Nice, huh?
And here is a shot after Glenn ripped everything out.
Here’s a tip: use the box the surround came in to make a template.
The walls and new trim are up!
And now I begin to paint!
Ahhh…finally done! Ceiling and everything! We’ve never painted the ceiling the same color before, but we thought it would be nice to surround ourselves with this earthy brown.
Finishing touches added back.
As you can see it was quite a transformation over Memorial Day weekend. The room is a lot darker now, but I’ve found I can still put my makeup on, phew! I decided on a dark brown with purple undertones called “Pumpernickel” by Ace Hardware paints. It was very hard to photograph because of the light and the reflections and the darkness, but you get the idea. The old shower curtain and towels are okay, but now that the room is so dark I’m looking forward to lighten it up with new towels and a new linen shower curtain. Plus the green and brick shower curtain and towels don’t match the pistachio bathtub. I’ve also decided that I want a clock in there so I don’t have to bring my phone in to watch the time when I’m getting ready.
So there’s what I’ve been working on…what projects are you hard at work on, or have finished and are proud of? I’d love to check them out!
Read MoreOur Bathroom Plan
Our main bathroom is something to behold. It is lacking any style, mainly because the tub is a gorgeous (i.e. hideous) shade of green…I call it pistachio! And the shower surround is old and dated and needs to be ripped out. But we have a plan for it, so we’re very excited to get started!
The Before:
My husband and I love dark colors. We knew we wanted to do something dramatic and fun for this bathroom and I was so excited when I re-opened my Domino Book of Decorating and saw this bathroom. I showed it to Glenn and we instantly clicked and knew it was the inspiration for our bathroom! We’re even planning on adding some architectural features to the room by putting up some vertical molding like the inspiration photo.
The Inspiration:
So here is our plan, which shouldn’t cost too much as we plan on doing a lot of projects ourselves!
The Plan:
All we need to buy is 1 gallon of dark brown semi-gloss paint, a cheap-o fiberglass tub surround, a potted fern for some greenery, the wall sconce, a mirror and some driftwood (I already have the glue gun!), a few yards of linen, the molding, and new towels! We’re hoping to keep it all under $300! We already have a tub re-finishing kit (sparking white!), some nice bath mats, a decent sink vanity that we re-painted white, and some dark brown baskets for storage! Wish us luck!
Read More
About Me
I'm an interior designer and a draftsperson, but I live in the country. I like it that way. I'm also a firefighter's wife, mom to 2 cute kids, and a homeowner and I like that even better. But right after that is a pretty and affordable space...and I mean a REALLY affordable space. Because I believe good design can be for EVERYONE!
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