Reader Design Dilemma : Bathroom
Back in June, I announced a new series I wanted to try… do you guys remember me asking for YOUR design dilemma entries? Well, I selected five to tackle and although they’re taking a little longer than expected, I’m excited to share the first completed project of the series! Click through to see how I helped the most amazing Florida reader, Jessica, wrap up a dreamy bathroom project and encouraged her to embrace a little color in her beautiful home full of neutrals! I have a feeling you guys are going to like this one…
T H E Â Â D I L E M M A
“I’m having trouble finding the perfect rug for our new bathroom. We have beautiful vintage barn doors as an entry point that lead to the tub and we need something to compliment, but not take away from them. I need help pulling the space together and completing it!” -Jessica
I have to say- this was an easy and fast project! Jessica had already designed a beautiful bathroom (she has a great eye) that was nearly finished, she just needed help tying it all together. Here’s a shot of the space during the construction phase right before we connected…
During our first conversation, Jess asked me to help her find the following… all within an $800 budget:
- a pair of vanity stools / ottomans
- one or two rugs
- accessories
- artwork
Easy peasy! I asked about her aesthetic, looked at other rooms in her home, and asked what she hoped to achieve in the space. It became obvious that she was super comfortable working with neutrals, but wanted me to assist with adding color in a sophisticated way. Given she needed a rug and updated artwork, I thought that would be the perfect place to insert personality. Here’s what the existing art looked like (shown below)… I wanted to find something more traditional with a bit of color to tie in the vintage rug. The previous art felt too modern for the look she wanted to achieve.
Jess also asked if there was anything else I’d swap out, so I made some minor suggestions… one being trading the rectangular table mirrors (pictured below) for one round, vintage option. Sometimes too many shapes in a space can look repetitive in an overwhelming way. Throwing in a different number (I like odd numbers when it comes to design) or a different shape is a great way to break the grid and shake things up. The same goes for mixing metals… everything doesn’t have to look matchy matchy. When you get to the reveal, you’ll see how this little change made a BIG difference!
T H E Â Â P R O P O S A L
This is the floor plan I ended up proposing to her… given the odd shaped bathroom, and the fact that it is divided into two separate spaces- I felt two rugs would be more functional than a single runner, like she had initially imagined.
It was a bit of challenge to find the perfect vintage rug to fit the space, but I sourced three amazing options from Etsy. The one she selected actually worked well with the floor plan, because it allowed the vanity ottomans room to slide in and out without catching the edge of the rug. It was literally the perfect size. In this circumstance, the stools either needed to be all the way on the rug or totally off- and given the vanity has a column in the middle, that meant off was our only option. Below is the mood board I pitched to Jessica, and lucky for me- she loved it all!
Sources are linked below… if you’re interested in shopping the space- just click each product to be redirected.
I think it feels really curated and balanced with the added color and texture, don’t you agree? I linked similar options for the vintage products (the turkish rug and table mirror), but everything else is very budget friendly and accessible! Here’s how it all came together…
T H E Â Â R E V E A L
Check out the totally finished space… I love how it turned out and I’m pretty sure Jess does too! She had an amazing start and took care of the most difficult part of the project- the only thing I had to do was find the missing puzzle pieces.
I was really happy to see that she mixed metals in the space! That’s something that intimidates a lot of people, but she executed it beautifully. The quartz countertops are very kid-friendly and perfect for her family. It was a smart decision for her to add a backsplash and side splash as well, for easy cleaning.
I love the upholstered rattan ottomans that perfectly slide under the vanity. I think they help the space feel more collected and less “farm house”. If there’s one thing I’m not into… it’s a themed space. For example, just because your favorite style is hollywood glam, doesn’t mean every single piece in your home has to be hollywood regency style.
Barn doors are difficult to pull off- I’ve seen a lot of poorly executed projects. The key to making it work or feel less expected is to bring in other styles for balance. The stools sort of have a bohemian feel that make her Florida home look curated and layered. I also have to talk about their shape… I love that organic curve!
I had the vision of adding a fun decorative tassel to the vanity for a feminine touch, but I couldn’t find one I liked online. Jessica took the DIY route and seriously nailed that thing! Doesn’t it look amazing? I should’ve asked her to photograph the process for a tutorial. Ha! But really- that’s how fantastic she is. I absolutely adored working with her. She ran with every single one of my ideas without question. That’s basically the dream as a designer. How cute is that tassel though? I want one.
Remember me talking about removing the two rectangular table mirrors? Doesn’t it feel better? Sometimes it’s unintuitive to break the balance: two vanity seats + two wall mirrors = two table mirrors… WRONG! It’s actually a really common design mistake. I love how perfectly Jessica styled the new vintage mirror. Not only did I have her remove a mirror, but I suggested a totally different shape. It breaks the grid, can be floated around for functionality, and ties the sconce backplate into vignette so well. I’m really liking it! Less can be more.
I also wanted to find some objects that would encourage Jess and her girls to leave everyday items out on the countertop for easy access. I found these bath accessories that are great for keeping cosmetics and jewelry contained in an organized fashion.
Moving into the bath and shower portion of the room, you’ll notice the new artwork and bath linens. I love the traditional color palette of the paintings and the fact that Jessica was able to customize the size and frame. Minted is one of my go-to resources for artwork because of that very reason (it also fits the budget)!
She already had this cute linen ladder, I just made suggestions for layering the towels and bath products. I like that it’s functional and aesthetically pleasing alongside the soaking tub.
If you’re wondering when the next reader dilemma post is scheduled, that’s a great question. I’m letting the homeowners take the project at their own pace, so it all depends on how motivated they are to finish. That’s part of renovating, right? At least that’s how it should be, in my opinion… it’s much less stressful. I can tell you, the remaining four projects are all really different- and all have varying budgets / dilemmas. It has been fun to help readers problem solve!
I hope you enjoyed the first post of the series. I’d love to hear your thoughts on Jessica’s bathroom in the comments below! Didn’t she do an amazing job? My portion of the project was nothing compared to hers. Giant thank you to Jess for entering and being so open-minded to my ideas. I hope she and her darling daughters will love this bathroom for years to come! If you want to see the rest of her home, she has a beautiful Instagram feed- check it out here.
*Special thanks to my Florida friend Natalie Mathers for photographing the space for us!