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I could really use some ideas for my bathroom - pics attached

My husband and I purchased our home 3 years ago. We basically gutted the entire thing and have been working to redo each room. Our first floor powder room is the next on the list and I am really, really struggling with some ideas.

It is a small room with no natural light. the current sink and toilet will stay and they are almond in color. The floor is a cream marble. Those are the only components that need to stay. I would appreciate any and all ideas. The majority of my home has a tropical/mediterraean flair. Lots of earth colors. This bathroom gets a ton of traffic as we do entertain a lot. I have considered a bold color like a red or aubergine and wallpaper.

I posted some pics on another blog and the general consensus was for the mirror to go. It was here when we bought the house. I didn't think it was too bad but then again I am no expert. There was a couple ideas given for a mirror and I'll post a couple pics of those that were suggested.

this is my first post on the home forum, I have spent a lot of time around the gardening forums, I hope this is in the right spot! Thank you so much!

Comments (16)

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Here are a couple of mirrors that were suggested on another forum or from friends. All completely different and I like each of them for different reasons. They were very helpful, just like to get a different perspective. I have made quite a few mistakes in this new home of mine and I would like to get as much advice as possible prior to making a decision. Thank you!

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I love the idea of aubergine walls! Maybe we need a closer look at the mirror -- in the small pic, it looks okay pretty good to me too. Maybe paint it? Of the alternatives, I prefer the last, octagonal mirror.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I'd go for big color and drama in that tiny space.

    A very easy way to decorate is to start with an inspirational photo of a room you and your DH both agree you love. Here are several hundred photos of gorgeous bathrooms. Please let us know if you pick out an inspiration pic, and keep us posted with your questions. Here is a link for you below, and I'll post a few here:

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    Got a window in there? You can do this with Gallery Glass from Michaels:
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    I'd sew a skirt for under that sink. You can attach it with velcro, for easy removal for laundering. If you like the look, you can also buy beadboard wallpaper -- looks exactly like the paneling, at Graham and Brown online. Not expensive at all and very easy to put up under a chair rail.

    It can also look great in a tiny bathroom to use all-over wallpaper.

    Remember, if cost is an issue, you can find lots of lovely mirrors in CraigsList.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bathroom eye candy Gallery thread

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. You guys are so helpful and nice on this board. Of the pics you posted, I can't see the first one but if a start with the 2nd pic as #1, I really like #7, #10 and #16.

    I have really considered wallpaper for something different, I have no wallpaper anywhere in my house and I would love to try it.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    If that first pic is the existing mirror, another option is to spray and craft paint it whatever color you want, if you like it basically. But if you don't, you can just CL or Goodwill it.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    That first pic is the existing mirror and funny enough, one of your inspirational pics has it! I also have another one that I like. From the pics that I like, what would you consider my style? I did like the mirror at first but when I posted it on another forum, all the comments indicated to get rid of it.

    Thank you again, this is very helpful for me.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    You're welcome. Be sure to click on the Gallery link in that post to see MANY more. Then discuss with your DH to narrow it down. If you end up with a fave, feel free to post it here for shopping and technique ideas. Sorry they didn't all post, dunno why.

    #7 and #10 -- they both look to me like they used paintable wallpaper below the chair rail. They probably painted it brown, then painted it with a black paint or glaze (your local paint store can advise you), then rubbed most of the black off while still wet. That's the same technique they used with these very expensive Anaglipta and Lincrusta treatments I love:

    If you paint your walls tan, the mirror you already have might look great.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Hahaha we seem to be posting at the same time. Maybe it's that I have 6 planets in Libra (lol) but I am of the opinion you can make *almost* anything look good *almost* anywhere, if you simply surround it by the proper things. But I also think life is way to short to live with things we don't love. So if you aren't wild about your mirror, advertise it in CL and see what you can get for it. You might find another in there you like better and you'll save money, which is very cool.

    I like to buy/fake/make things that make my little heart go pitty-pat when I see them, you know? It doesn't matter what anyone says about a tiny photo of your mirror. What matters is how it makes YOU feel, as YOU are the one living with it. I am positive that if you get the bathroom the way YOU love it, about 90%+ of your friends will also love it.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Your last pic just proves what I said -- that mirror looks fabulous in the proper setting. So if you like your mirror, put more brown and black and gold tones around it and it will look great.

    I think your style is more traditional, but I'm not the expert here on that.

    I'm a career artist, and a picture person. I do a lot better if I can start with an inspirational picture in my hand. And by "do a lot better" I mean paint the room ONCE, not six times. I'm kind of a painting freak and a perfectionist and have been known to change a room's color that many times before I'm happy with it. A good photo gives you your color scheme, and also a very good feel for what you want to accomplish. Your own results will never exactly match any photo, of course. They will be uniquely yours in the end. But that favorite photo can sure keep us from wasting a lot of time and money getting where we want to go, IMO. So I'd start with you and your DH agreeing on a photo or two that you can use as a kind of map to get to your destination.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I think it really depends on the direction you want to go. What colors do you like? What style preferences do you have? I think you could spray paint that mirror and it would be fine. Our little 1/2 bath doesn't have natural light either so we went light with our colors and it helped to make feel bigger than it really is. That's something you may want to keep in mind when choosing a color.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    My husband while he usually has an opinion when it's done, rarely give it during the decoration planning. ;)

    I really appreciate all the help you have given me so far.

    I can tell you with 100% certaintly that I love those embossed wallpapers and I know he would as well. Especially the first 2, they are gorgeous! I think this would be a great option for us. sooo, can you tell me more about it. Is it very difficult to work with? I googled it and seems it might not be great for a beginner but thankfully my aunt owns a paint/wallpaper company :).

    Do you they make embossed wallpaper that is already completed and doesn't need painted?

    lukkiirish - I love earth tones, especially chocolate brown. I think that's why I love that 2nd wallpaper so much. I would love to go that route and really kick up the design from there.

    I like the mirror and I very well may love it when the rest of the bathroom is finished. I have a difficult time with vision, so with plain drywall and the brass taps, I could take it or leave it.

    I think if you could assist me with the embossed wallpaper and paint colors first, we could really build a beautiful room from there!

    This is the first time I have felt this excited about the ideas for this room. You really have made my weekend. Now if the Steelers can pull off a win....

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    There are three things you can buy. Lincrusta costs a fortune -- it's from the 1800s and they use the original machines to make it, and one that printed wainscoting broke down last year and no parts to fix it. It's firm and hard and thick.

    Anaglypta costs a little less and is thicker than wallpaper but thinner than Lincrusta. These two products have the higher raises and deeper depths to them, Lincrusta having the most depth. The pictures I posted are Lincrusta, to my recollection.

    This is where I got the pictures I posted above, and there are many more here:
    http://www.lincrusta.com/
    It does tell you how to achieve each technique (the basics at least).

    >Do you they make embossed wallpaper that is already completed and doesn't need painted?

    I don't know. If you mean like what I pictured above? No I don't think so. That is Lincrusta and it is hand painted. Drooooool, huh? Yeah, me too. I think it is stunning. I would use it on the lower half of the wall only, so it won't be overwhelming.

    This treatment is something I've been thinking about doing in my own bathroom, but I haven't done it yet. If you buy the Lincrusta from that site, I'll bet they would be happy to tell you exactly which paint to buy and how to achieve the effect you want BUT they are in England, so what they have there may not be the same as what we have here. If you learn which paint to use, please let me know.

    Here:
    http://www.wallpapersplus.com/product15766.html

    They have my favorite one (the one pictured in this post) ON SALE for only -- are you sitting down? -- $137.50 per roll! LOL Unpasted, of course. I have NO idea how to cut it to go around toilet pipes, as in, does it crumble if you bend it too much, etc? Dunno.

    I did get the beadboard wallpaper from this company and liked them very much and found the paper easy enough to apply (though you have to be careful not to tear it when it's wet). Perhaps this would work?
    http://www.grahambrown.com/us/product/17773/Large%20Damask%20Paintable%20Wallpaper

    I've been thinking on my budget I'd mess around with regular embossed wallpaper and paint and see what I could accomplish. Then again, I AM tempted to go in and measure and see if I could get by with just ONE roll of that Lincrusta. Naughty me. Because that stuff makes me go weak in the knees.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Drool is right, my husband really likes it as well. Here's the one I love

    http://www.wallpapersplus.com/LincrustaAcanthus.html

    yep, 137.50 per roll. I wonder how difficult it is to work with. I'm sure the painting part is equally as hard. I'm going to see my aunt tonight, I'll have to ask her if she has ever dealt with this before.

    I do like the textured damask as well. That might be a better option, we will see. How is it to paint?

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I agree, that is just gorgeous, Angel. If you google "paintable wallpaper leaf" you will find a couple of similar ones at regular wallpaper prices. Also, I remember amazon.com carries it too. You might want to look at their patterns. Another place is American Wallpaper and Blinds. But your dear auntie can probably help you if you send her the link to what you want and ask her what's the closest she can come.

    I'm so glad your hubby liked it too. I can visualize you doing that one with your dark aubergine color on the background, silver on the foreground

    It's not hard to paint the background color all over the design. I think the tricky part is going to be finding the right tool to paint JUST the sticking up part and not the background part -- but any paint store could help you with that I'll bet. A cheapo foam brush might be what you need, or maybe even a large "stamp" would do it. I'm thinking of that flatish rubbery stuff at Michaels.

    Then you could do a chair rail, and above that do a lighter tone the same color as your background, a pale lilac color? That would look so regal!

    You could do the chair rail either at 1/3 up the wall from the floor, or 1/3 down from the ceiling, depending on how much of the paper you think the room can handle.

    You could pain t your mirror frame the aubergine if you liked, or silver, or leave it black -- you can decide later.

    Then trim the bath out with silver chandy and accessories, or ooooo golly it would be super cool if you could put an antique slip shade sconce on the wall. Ebay sells them.

    Here's a link for you to some cheaper imitations, one of tem is even anaglypta. Please, please show us what you end up doing! Love to see in-progress pictures too. I can't wait to see it! This is pretty much what I've been kicking around to do here in my bath.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Google search: paintable wallpaper leaf (click on

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    OOOO, that sounds nice! Do you think the silver accents will be too 'cool' for the almond sink and toilet?

    I do like the anaglypta one. do you know how durable it is, especially after painting. I have 2 little boys and that room will see A LOT of traffic.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    You could use gold or bronze -- metallic paint comes in all colors. See Michaels.

    I think durability is something you need to see in person, hold in your hand to know. The more coats of paint you put on the w/p though, the tougher it will be. Of course there are lots of vinyl wallpapers that are scrubbable. Shouldn't be too hard to find some you like.

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