Full Reveal of My Modern Bathroom Renovation + 4 Tips For Where To Splurge and When To Save

Well, the new bidet works. 

I definitely just laughed out loud and may even have snorted a little as I sit here writing out what happened the other day at Easter. 

My eldest sister, Erin, (who, mind you, has a genius IQ) was in the middle of her tour of our new master bathroom when she apparently didn’t know what the little knob on the side of the toilet was for. So of course, she bent over to look at it and twisted the knob. All.The.Way.

Helloooooooo old faithful. And a toilet-water soaked sister.

And then there were three of us on the sidelines. Pretty much dying of laughter. And definitely not helping her. 

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That said, our bathroom is finally done. It was one of my top spaces to renovate when we bought this fixer-upper. The peach, gold, beige, and brown 90’s decor vomit just wasn’t doing it for me. Shocking, I know.

So here was the reno plan: replace floor tile, get new countertops, paint walls and cabinets, tear out existing shower insert and tile it, tile the entire back wall, and few new finishes and smaller items like mirrors, lighting, toilet, and shower door. Now, if I lived a perfect world, this bathroom would also have had a new freestanding bathtub, custom vanities with a boatload of more storage, and we would have expanded the footprint of the shower (Lord knows I love a LOOONNNGG shower where I pretty much just plop myself on the floor and sit right under the shower head).

A “before” picture from one of the real estate listings.

But alas, my world is far from perfect (and I quite prefer it that way - perfect is boring). In this case, our budget was way lower than I would have liked since our timeline for completing this project was bumped up by about a year. We weren’t planning on tackling the bathroom update until next summer, but our foundation decided to give out last fall and caused a ton of leaks upstairs in our bathroom … leaking all kinds of gooey brown disgustingness and smelly water all over my kitchen and dining room. From there, it was just a slippery slope of one “small” fix to doing a complete renovation. It started with our shower pan that was cracked and leaking, but the shower was a cheap ‘ole 90’s insert, so the whole shower had to be torn out. Other than that, there were no other “real problems” in the bathroom that we knew about. But OF COURSE you’re thinking, why do all that work to redo the shower and not fancy up the rest of the place?

Me and you, we’re on the same page.

And so we redid the whole bathroom. I wanted it to feel bright, light, slick, and modern with just a hint of whimsy and fun. The rest of my house has been updated to a modern eclectic aesthetic, and the bathroom needed to be cohesive. But, it also had to be good for resell, so no super polarizing choices.

Here is all the shiny white and matte black goodness…

I decided to take the wall tile all the way up to the ceiling and expand it across the back wall. The bathroom has unique angles and a tall ceiling so I wanted to show off its assets. To bring your eye up and make the room feel more grand, I had the tile laid in a vertical brick rather than your standard horizontal brick pattern. So that the grand wall of tile wasn’t jarringly white, I used a contrasting black grout, and carried it throughout the floor and shower floor tile as well. Though, to be honest, I also did black grout because I have a thing with white grout. The thing is that I hate it. White grout is so impractical in an area with soap, scum, and moisture — making it impossible to keep it looking clean. It’s like the equivalent of wearing white pants when you’re the mom of a toddler. STOOO.PID.

I removed the door on the linen closet, painted the inset black and gave it some wooden shelves to give it a more modern, edgy look (and there were just too many doors in this small of a space). The oversized mirrors had to go, and were replaced with simple 38” black framed round mirrors. We added a few white lacquer uppers to the middle of the vanity for additional storage, and I specifically chose lacquer to mirror the polished white on the wall tiles.

Overall, I love how it turned out and I’m not sure I would have done anything differently.

And since we were on a tighter budget, there had to be places we splurged and places we needed to save. Here were my top four:

1. SAVE: Sink faucets. We were planning on salvaging our current faucets, but they got cracked when they were removed. So, I got these cute little vintage-looking ones for ONLY $32/each! While I wanted to go matte black to match my new shower head, the bathtub hardware had to stay put (and is ugly chrome and gold), so I needed to find faucets that married the tub fixture with the shower fixture.

   SPLURGE: Shower head and knob. This 8” square matte black fixture was a pretty penny at a little over $300 and worth every cent. It shoots out water at just the right pressure, looks gorgeous, and makes the shower “experience’ feel lux. Seriously. Makes me feel like I’m in one of those weird tropical Herbal Essences commercials (and don’t pretend you don’t know exactly what I’m talking about). Who wants to completely update your bathroom and then have your cheapo shower head spit on you like a dainty southern woman. No way jose.

2. SAVE: Wall tile. I tiled the shower walls, plus the entire wall next to the shower. And while my contractor pretty much hated me for it, it turned out spectacularly gorgeous and is definitely a “WOW” factor. That said, it was a lot of square footage to cover and would have completely broke the budget if I picked a pricey item. The tile I chose was only about $1.75/sq ft! It’s a high polished white ceramic 12x24.

   SPLURGE: Shower floor tile. There’s only a tiny amount of square footage to cover here, so splurge away! Adding a super fun pattern or splash of color to your shower floor and niche is a really great and affordable way to give your bathroom a unique and custom look. The plaid slate mosaic I chose was about $10/sq. ft.

3. SAVE: Keeping existing cabinetry and painting them instead. I don’t love the look of my cabinets but it was just not in the budget to get new ones. So I painted them black to minimize the dated curve that the cabinet has, and it definitely gave them new life.

SPLURGE: New countertops, ESPECIALLY if you can’t get new cabinets — they will completely and immediately update the space. I opted for a clean white quartz with a slight grey speckle. I love veining in quartz, but it would have been too busy with my floor tiles. Quartz is a killer option for bathroom countertops and is nearly indestructible. Quartz pricing is all over the place, based on thickness, veining, etc. My slab cost about $1,000 which, while a splurge for this bathroom and budget, is actually quite low for new counters.

4. SAVE: Labor for low-skill projects. We opted to DIY the wall painting and demo-ing the previous tile floor and baseboards. Both these projects saved well over $1500 - $2000 worth of labor and took us two days to complete. The skill level needed for these was very low which is why we felt like we could just tackle it ourselves.

SPLURGE: Labor for drywall, properly waterproofing the shower, laying tile and grouting. The numero uno cost in a renovation is labor, NOT materials. And honestly, it should be. Let the professionals do the things that need to be professionally done aka DON’T CUT CORNERS. (If you’re in the DFW area, I highly recommend Agape Home Services!)

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All in all, the renovation took about one month from start to finish, cost a total of $17,000, and, in my opinion, totally transformed the space from peach and dated to bright, modern, and fresh. Comment below on your thoughts!

Next week I’ll be sharing with you the one item that is often forgotten in a bathroom design that is a MUST HAVE. Hint, it debuts a few times in the pics above as a sneak peek, but you’ll get the full scoop next week!

California Modern: Golf Club Drive Project Reveal

So, I'm feeling feisty-er than normal today.

It's raining outside and I'm still in my PJ's because I've been in front of my computer all morning, balancing my books, and sending invoices. I can’t believe people love doing that stuff for a living. God bless you. For real. God.Bless.You. (and QuickBooks).

I have Norah Jones playing in the background which is normally quite relaxing for me, helping me to focus, but I guess she decided to dabble in some R&B type mixing? Seriously. Girl, don't. It's just weird. So now I’ll just switch it to my all-time favorite, Etta James. Now that woman never disappoints.

Someone recently told me they liked my writing because it was very much "train of thought" writing. I thought that was pretty funny, because, well if you really knew how my mind thinks and processes, it'd be like watching a bunch of chickens try to play the game Twister. 

…

I seriously digress. 

Golf Club Drive Project. The long-awaited reveal is here. This is a project I completed a while ago and the pics have been plastered all over my facebook and instagram for a while now. And (spoiler alert) all my favorite images are already on my portfolio page. 

This was such a fun project to work on. My clients are Toyota employees and moved here from LA when Toyota decided to plop it’s headquarters here in Plano. The home was a new custom build so we got to start from scratch with most of the details. The clients wanted a fresh, modern, clean home with bright splashes of greens and blues and little hits of rustic. They also have two young kids so of course, it had to be kid-friendly first and foremost. Their style bordered between modern scandinavian design (clean simple lines, neutral colors, takes cues from function and minimalism) and rustic modern (raw, distressed wood with neutral colors and cozy textures). In the end, I themed the design “California Modern.”

This project covered the entire home: foyer, their son’s bedroom, daughter’s bedroom, home office, study, open-concept living/dining/kitchen, master bedroom, and playroom. We didn’t move around any walls or mess with the structure; the project consisted primarily of new furnishings, drapery, paint, and wall coverings The budget was around $100,000 and the project took approximately five months to complete.

When you walk in the front door, you enter the foyer. We wanted this to be uncluttered and bright, with an interesting piece of furniture. This console table was the perfect size and style, with its rustic worn wood, and unusual sloped design.

If you keep walking straight, you’d go in to the open concept living space: living room, dining room, study, and kitchen. The challenge with these types of spaces is that while the open concept space had to be cohesive in design, every space needed to have a specific purpose and its own unique design.

LIVING ROOM

1.) Sofa and teal chair: Joybird; 2.) Coffee table: Living Spaces; 3.) Custom upholstered arm chairs: Bassett; 4.) Drapery panels: West Elm; 5.) Natural wood roller shades: The Shade Store

DINING ROOM

1.) Dining table and bench: Restoration Hardware; 2.) White plastic dining chairs: Wayfair; 3.) Wall art: Minted; 4.) Drapery: West Elm; 5.) Wood roller shades: The Shade Store; 6.) Buffet console: CB2; 7.) Lamps on buffet: West Elm

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STUDY

1.) Paint: Sherwin Williams “Quietude”; 2.) Desk Chairs: West Elm; 3.) Wall art: Hobby Lobby; 4.) White solar roller shades: The Shade Store; 6.) Rug: RugsUSA; 7.) Custom Upholstered Chaise: Bassett

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Stay tuned for another blog post where we’ll reveal the master bedroom, two kids’ bedrooms, home office, and the playroom!  

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Photography by: Jen Burner Photography

Room Reveal: From Baby to "Big Girl" -- A Feminine and Vintage-Inspired Toddler Bedroom

Tax season just ended and adulting is hard. I know you are all nodding your heads and thinking, "Preach."

As I'm currently writing this blog post, I'm watching my two year old throw a really spectacular tantrum on the floor because I wouldn't let her color ... with a sharpie ... in her belly button. 

Man I wish my biggest problem of the day was my mommy not letting me draw in my belly button with a sharpie. Talk about life goals. 

Kids are fun. Way more fun than adults. This is why I love designing child bedrooms and nurseries so much. The designs can be weird, creative, imaginative, colorful, bold, simple -- the sky is the limit.

I recently completed a bedroom for Madilyn, the adorable daughter of one of my clients, and it brought out the pink-loving little girl in me that I've suppressed since childhood. (I was the girl that had a MEGA barbie house taking up half my room, and at one point, over 100 barbies.)

Madilyn made the big transition from a crib to a toddler bed and now needed a "big girl' room to match. Her mom wanted a room that was feminine with an antique and vintage theme, but also a room that could transcend and grow with her daughter's age: nothing overly juvenile or childish.

Pink had to be a big part of the room. Duh. But not barbie pink or unicorn vomit pink. Blush pink. Light, fluffy, pretty blush pink. Like many of the bedrooms I design, this one started to come together as soon as I found the curtain fabric. It set the color scheme - mint, blush, cream, and grey - and overall feel.

Isn't she pretty?

Feminine, but not girly. Right? No neon, or primary colors, no Fisher Price toddler crap. No glitter, sparkles, or tiaras.

The focal point of the room is the wall. Those boards are antique reclaimed wood. I saw a few pink boards at Old Texas Wood and begged them to find as many more as possible. As always, they came through. The pink boards are mixed in with some natural, wide plank boards, some weathered grey boards, and distressed white boards. I absolutely love the end result.

I know how much my toddler loves seeing her name written down, so I wanted to make sure to incorporate Madilyn's name in the room design. The customized tall wood "I AM HIS" sign was created just for her by the Etsy store, Pretty in Polka Dots. I loved it so much I've already ordered a different piece from this store for another client.

The vintage mirror above the bed came from another Etsy store, Flicker and Sway. Talk about good packaging! I almost needed a chainsaw to get through all that bubble wrap.

I didn't want to take away from the beauty of the boards, but the walls were a plain light grey, almost cream color so we painted them Sherwin Williams "Sky High". It's a little bit bluish, a little bit minty and so so pretty.

Where is that ridiculously cute beaded chandelier from? Well I'm glad you asked. You can find that little guy at Pottery Barn Kids. I also bought the soft sheer canopy from there. Madilyn already had a pretty awesome play room, so her mom wanted to keep most of the toys out of her bedroom. In place of a toy chest or desk area, we opted for a cozy little corner where she could cuddle up and read a book or play with her stuffed animals.

I scored this pink little rocker and distressed mint tool box (now a floral display) from the Canton flea market. $25 for both. Um, yes.

The sheets and white quilt are from Target and the pink coverlet and bed frame are from Wayfair. That really, really awesome rug? Lulu and Georgia. I had the pillows and drapes custom-made to create a cohesive and well-rounded pattern and color scheme with various textures and shapes.

I searched and searched and searched for a nightstand that would be perfect. It couldn't be too fussy next to that wall, but it needed to have some charm and character. I finally found this little french provincial nightstand (and that black step stool) at a local antique furniture store. The original hardware was, well, ugly. So, I did something many of my colleagues may scoff at: I replaced antique hardware with Hobby Lobby hardware. Whaaaaaaaat?!

The vintage pink Mary Kay telephone is from eBay and the little vase and flowers are from the great Ikea. The lamp and base are from Lamps Plus.  They don't have that exact shade anymore, but I linked one that is pretty darn close.

There you go. Hands down, one of my all-time favorite rooms to-date.

3 Week Room Makeover: Chimney Peak Living Room Reve

I've never had a problem with lighting a fire under my butt when necessary. Give me a deadline and I'll give you a finished project. Bottom line, I can get crap done. 

I will say though, that this rush request definitely forced me to be on my A-game. I had just finished two projects and was in the planning staging for my next when I received an inquiry in mid-January about designing a room for a young couple that had just moved to Frisco. She wanted it to feel like home asap -- by asap, she meant as close to the end of January as possible which would be a two and a half week turnaround.

Ok. Challenge accepted. 

Her custom home had beautiful architecture and moldings, and was already painted a neutral and creamy ivory -- the perfect foundation to build on. Since this project was purely decorative and styling in nature (meaning no structural or permanent changes needed to be made) the hurried timeline wasn't as much of an issue since contractors and installers didn't need to be involved.

The living room opens up to a large kitchen and these two spaces made up the home's core. She wanted the living room to be fun, interesting and adult, with lots of layered textures and patterns. And if possible, a slight nod to the beach since her and the hubs both grew up near an ocean. Oh, and she wanted color, lots of color. When I asked what stores and styles she was drawn to, she quickly responded ZGallerie and then went on to be very specific that the Pottery Barn style hurt her soul a little bit.

Now that's funny. And right up my alley.

For those of you who want the deets on each piece...

I used a variety of textures and materials in this design: navy leather ottoman with acrylic legs (which I am straight up jealous of!); a faux cowhide rug on top of a woven diamond rug; a bold print navy armchair with bright smaller printed throw pillows; leather nail head side table with a glass apothecary style lamp; gold metal leg end table with a black high gloss glass top. Vintage coral botanical prints line the two opposite walls with a framed ocean-like water photo on the fireplace mantle and some nautical accessories to tie in their nod to the ocean.

She Wanted a White Christmas

It snowed here yesterday. IT SNOWED HERE YESTERDAY. In Dallas. Like legit, stayed on the ground, could build a (very very tiny) snowman, lots of flakes, SNOW. Which was kind of ironic since I started writing this blog post yesterday and initially began this paragraph about how my sister told me how her husband promised to get her a "white Christmas" here in Dallas as a Christmas present and I thought she was cuh-razy.

However, the "white Christmas" that Destin lovingly promised her was actually a kitchen update, complete with oak cabinets all getting painted white.

Not gonna lie, I thought that was pretty clever. Kudos to Destin.

The sister in me was super excited for her because I knew how much she's wanted to update her kitchen since they moved in four-ish years ago. And the designer in me was excited because they have really fun taste and don't like boring. I brought over several back splash samples, picked a white paint for their cabinets, and selected new hardware. They chose an oversized gorgeous teal glass tile for the back splash - laid in a classic subway pattern, graphite hardware that you can't tell if its silvery or black (perfect with their black appliances and silver faucet, and dark bronze chandelier), and a bright pure white for the cabinets (SW Oxford White). It's nuts what a little paint can do; it made the already large kitchen look straight up massive.

So in four days, their kitchen went from this sea of blah of beige and tan:

To this! My sis has good taste if I do say so myself. It's like she has a designer for a sister! ;)