Eclectic Powder Room Before & After

Last night I went out to dinner with a friend, and she told me she was waiting for my next blog post, and I had better get on it. So, Christine… this one's for you.

Whenever I've been absent from my blog for a while, I figure the least I should do is show back up with a "before and after."

Therefore, may I present our newly refreshed powder room?


Here is how it began: basic, brown, boring...

You know how one thing leads to another? Well, I replaced the basic builder wall mirror with this cute cottage-y green mirror I picked up at Marshall's...

And before I knew it, I was replacing the beige toilet and countertop, painting the walls, and adding new accessories.

Pink walls… I know, I know… I tried to pick a different color, but what other color goes as well with a minty green mirror? It had to be done.

This powder room is right off our side entry (aka Grand Central Station), so lot of kids are using the facility. I wanted it to be colorful and whimsical.

I tried to use accessories that I already had, like the wall planter that I spray painted turquoise and filled with extra hand towels.

And, I moved this mirror in from another room. Because, duh, you can't have too many mirrors in a room, even a tiny powder room. I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere.

The glass bottles, ginger jar and art I already had on hand. The towel hook is from World Market, and the towel is from Target.

I absolutely love my new art print from Britt Bass Turner. I'm sure she always dreamed of having her art grace the walls above someone's toilet.

And, as much as I dreamed of finding a vintage kilim rug for this space, finding a 2' x 3' in pretty colors in a decent price range is practically impossible. Luckily, Urban Outfitters makes this perfect knock-off.

I'm really digging the eclectic, boho vibe of my little powder room. Small spaces like this are the perfect place to experiment with a different look.

If you've got a basic, brown, boring box of a room, why not step out of your comfort zone and shake things up a bit?



Sharing at The Sunday Showcase

The Look for Less

I recently completed this design board for a client...

She is a physician and busy mother of two boys, and she wanted to update her dining room with paint and accessories to make it a "sanctuary from the chaos."

Well, you know I can relate to that!

Using her drapes as a jumping off point, I set out to create a soothing room with a neutral palette and a mix of shiny and rustic objects.

Since everyone likes to save money, I try to offer the "look for less" option whenever possible. With this particular project, my client could choose to go high or low on a couple of the pieces.


First up is the fabric for the dining chairs. Option 1 was this beautiful Kravet fabric...

The colors were perfect, and it has wonderful texture. But, we have 8 chair seats to recover, and at $69/yd, it's a bit pricey.



Enter Option 2…

This fabric offers a very close colorway, and a similar pattern despite being a bit busier. However, this fabric was available on ebay for a steal…. $8.98/yd.

My client actually preferred the look of Option 2, so it was a no brainer to save the money!



Next up… the chandelier! In this case, we had three options -- high, mid, or low. Option 1 was the high-end beaded glass trim chandelier from Shades of Light. Price: $1,050 ….

Option 2 was the Pennington chandelier from Wayfair. Price: $399 ...

Option 3 was the Hampton Bay Estelle chandelier from Home Depot. Price: $169 …

We are going with Option 2, because my client liked the extra crystals at the bottom. I think she made a great choice, and I can't wait to see it in the room. I'll do a before and after post on this project when it's complete, so you can see how it all comes together.



If you've been eyeing an expensive fabric or light fixture, but can't bring yourself to fork over the cash, do not despair. Somewhere there is a look for less, and with a little research, you can find it. Heck, you might even like it better than the original!