A room that I don’t often share is our master bathroom and it needs some work. You don’t often see bathrooms unless they are shown as a before/after renovation, and this one is 20 years old and slightly dated.
A master bathroom is an important room in our homes, whether it’s outdated or not. When I was growing up in my early years five of us shared one bathroom and somehow we made it work. Thankfully now most of us don’t have that situation, yet it’s not an inexpensive room to renovate and I don’t know about you…but our budget is spent in the areas of our home that are used (and seen) by all.
We have been in the construction trade for over 25 years now. This bathroom was added on by ourselves and a small team about twenty years ago.
As I’ve mentioned before on the blog I find white cabinetry to be timeless, and there have been only minimal updates to this room in the years since with the white just as lovely as the day it was installed. Sure I’d like to update a few things, like the shower (open showers are not super practical) and the shiny wall tile. It’s not happening though so I add in various accents and accessories and switch them out often.
About ten years back we did make one big switcheroo when we changed out the laminate tops (which was all we could afford at the time of the addition) for granite. We also changed out the brass knobs for polished nickel. Recently we changed out the floor tile out of necessity, with some issues.
We have lots of mirrors in the room since there is only one window and it’s a great trick to reflect the light. Would I do this now? No…but it works and does what we need it to do and isn’t modern…but it works.
And this mirror made from a vintage frame that I painted white and had mirror glass cut to fit. See that stained glass window up above it? It’s a window leading into the light filled hallway just outside the room (not the outdoors) and I added a faux stained glass effect to give it interest. It’s not permanent, and when I modernize the room it can be removed.
The sole window is over the tub and you are seeing the tub behind a real etched glass panel that we took out of a construction remodel project. There are two of these custom panels and they would have been totally out of our price range but we got them for free. Some day these will go…but they work fine for now.
I keep the minimum essentials out for use and store the not so nice to look at stuff in the cabinets (like toilet paper:-). The tub has a bar of a favorite French lavender soap and a scrubbie on a vintage tray and a vintage bathing statue just seemed perfect for the corner spot. Bath oil in a French lemonade bottle looks prettier than it’s original container! Plants do well in a bathroom, especially delicate ferns. Quality bathroom fixtures have stood the test of time in this room, but they are starting to age and will need replacing soon.
A simple large clam shell sits on the counter for rolled up hand towels and washcloths.
I find a bench is absolutely essential in the bathroom if size of the room allows for one, as will serve nicely for sitting and pampering, for your “reading material” and spare towels as well. I painted this free piece years ago, added the embellishment and recovered it. My husband often sits here to put on his shoes in the morning.
Don’t forget a trashcan in the bathroom and when it is vintage, then all the better.
Take some time to relax and enjoy your bathroom and make it a personal retreat with some easy touches. I hope that you are feeling inspired even if your bathroom is in need of updates…just like mine.
Gorgeous bathroom! I love the murano glass mirror – so lovely!
Jennelise xx
What a pretty room, Janet! It IS a timeless look. Love the soft light shining in. I have the exact same waste basket in my bathroom. 🙂
xoxo laurie
i like your bathroom..very pretty
Greetings from Germany
Tanja
Beautiful bathroom! I expect no less from you 😉 Enjoy your weekend!
Taking your time means it will turn out beautiful! We need to renovate our guest bathroom to make it more functional…some day. We did purchase new toilets a month ago for both of our bathrooms and it makes a huge difference.
Your Bathroom