Cottage Bathroom Rejuvenation | Part 2
Welcome to Part 2 of the Cottage Bathroom Rejuvenation project!
Ok, so in my last post I covered the existing floor plan, the materials we are working with, and put together a list of changes that would help refresh this space and make it feel more current. Here’s a quick re-cap:
Existing Floor Plan
Materials
Inspiration
To Do List:
Creating some drawings for the clients to review.
Source new fixtures & hardware.
Create mood board.
Find solution for bi-fold door.
So now that I had a bit of a direction, it was time to get started on some drawings. I feel like a bit of a technical nerd for saying this, but drawing is probably my favorite part of a project. I have SUCH a hard time visualizing changes and I’m a huge overthinker, so being able to draw out every aspect of a project, to scale, makes a world of difference for me. It’s so satisfying seeing exactly how the room will look once completed, and I love how easy it is to play with different options and ideas.
In this case, I ended up creating three different options to help determine how high the wainscoting should run up the wall. Personally, I found myself leaning towards the first option, so I was really looking forward to hearing which one the clients preferred. I also added a crown molding throughout the entire space, and all three options show what framing in the tub with a bulkhead would look like.
Now that we have a better idea of what the space could look like, I needed to bring everything together by creating a mood board.
A side note about mood boards: these are so incredibly helpful in design planning. My sister-in-law over at Making it in the Mountains did a really great tutorial on how to build one if you are in the midst of project planning and could use some help visualizing.
As I mentioned previously, the main materials have already been purchased or aren’t going to change. But I think the biggest challenge here is that we’re also working with golden oak cabinets and I’ll be honest, it’s hard not to cringe a little bit at the thought of keeping the oak. I think the problem is that many of us millennials grew up in homes where that golden oak was heavily used, so as we started buying and renovating our own homes, our first instinct was to either replace it or paint over it. Which means there really isn’t a lot of guidance or ideas out there on how to work with it.
Anyway, with the wood, flooring, and countertops having a lot of pattern to them, I felt that the best approach would be to use a neutral colour on the walls. I pictured using a cream on the upper portion of the walls, similar to Sherwin Williams Shoji White, and a darker paint for the wainscoting:
In terms of metals, the rest of the home has oil-rubbed bronze hardware so I wanted to make sure that there was some consistency in whatever I suggested for the bathroom. That said, the oil-rubbed bronze will definitely bring a more traditional feel to the space so I’ve suggested using a bronze that errs closer to black in combination with a polished nickel instead. The cooler tones of the polished nickel should help offset the warmth of the golden oak while the bronze will bring a bit of a modern yet rustic feel to the space that will play off nicely with the rustic grain in the cabinets. Finally, with the materials being a bit busy and the walls finished with wainscoting, I felt that a mirror with a simple black frame would add another modern element to the space without distracting from everything else.
And last on my list, the bi-fold door. The obvious solution would be to just replace the door with a standard slab door, but I didn’t love the idea of having a second door swing intercepting the swing of the bathroom door. I also wanted to keep things easy for the clients. So rather then replace the door, I found a DIY plan for converting a bi-fold door to a double door style.
And that’s it! I’m curious, what you guys think of the direction I’ve proposed for this space? Which wainscoting option was your favorite? Would you keep the golden oak or get rid of it asap?
Leave me a comment below!
BY EMILY RADKIE
