I was really excited when my long-time friends Jill and Karl contacted me earlier this year to see if I could help them do something (anything!) that would make them love their house again. It was either “Love It or List It” as Jill said. It was looking outdated and tired, and needed many updates which seemed overwhelming.
So, after several discussions, we came up with a phase plan that could be tackled over the next year. I convinced them that their house was worth loving and that with a few changes and updates, they would get the house they were dreaming of, a Vintage Coastal home.
As owners of the Bedford sensation Tin Pan Alley, an amazing local food truck, the summer is a busy time for these two. So, we started in the early spring with their main bathroom, a smaller project that we could complete just in time for the busy season ahead.
The first step in this bathroom remodel, was to tear everything out, and and relocate the toilet to a more discreet area. As you can see above, it had been placed right in front of the door, and was the first thing you saw walking up the stairs. Then we got to the fun part – putting together a look to fit Jill and Karl’s vision.
The vanity is usually a focal point in the bathroom, and we wanted something with a vintage look. Jill’s parents have been collecting antiques for many years, and welcomed us to take a look at some of their items in storage. Jill had been using this beautiful antique dresser with a built-in mirror in their front hall from her parent’s collection and we agreed that would be just the thing for our design!
Above, that’s me snapping a shot of the vanity before we gave it the henhouse touch. Here’s the after…
By using a piece of furniture for the vanity instead of standard cabinetry, we added lots of character to this space and created the vintage charm we were after.
For our palette, we chose watery blues and sand colours. We really wanted to let the vanity shine, so we kept everything else soft. To balance out the drama of the vanity, we used a bright paisley fabric for the custom sewn shower curtain.
For fixtures, tile and flooring, we looked for deals at big box stores and smaller bath stores. We wanted to keep the budget small and tight on this project so that we could save for the rest of the home reno and interior design plans. These sweet striped sconces we found have a vintage look, and tie in with the shower curtain’s bright colours.
This Fall/Winter we will begin the next phase, replacing all the flooring through the house, updating trim and lighting, and re-paint throughout. We also plan to get started on retrofitting and updating their existing kitchen.
Jill and Karl are really happy with their new bathroom, the gifted me this lovely book- thank you both!
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