Project Less is More: The Main Bathroom
One of the things I am learning about decorating is that the more things you keep off the floor and off the counters, the cleaner everything looks. I hate clutter, and am pretty good about keeping stuff put away. But, what I am discovering lately is that when it comes to decorating, I usually tend to go with too much stuff. The space gets too visually busy and I can't figure out why (because everything is clean and put away.) That is, until I start taking the accessories away. And then I can see the problem.
I am trying to master the art of "less is more" but it's hard. I have so many things that I want to display, so I have to do a lot of sorting and parting. The parting aspect is the hardest. But I will not be a hoarder, I refuse to let my stuff take over my life....I need to SIMPLIFY! I want my home to be cozy but clean. Even with four kids, I know it can be done!
Project one is the bathroom. We have a split level entry house, and the one bathroom upstairs is shared by parents, kids, and guests when they come over. Needless to say, it's the hardest to keep clean, but the most important one to keep clean. There's nothing worse than someone surprise visiting you, asking to use the bathroom and finding a mess. Plus, I also want the space to be inviting and light. The second part being the hardest to accomplish because there is no natural light in there. For starters, let me show you what I had to work with:
After I opened my Etsy shop, I started to weed out the old "we've had since we were newly weds" stuff and started bringing in some better accessories. But I still hadn't learned the less is more concept:
You can see I don't have much to work with here. The space is cramped, there's carpet (yes, you read that right, CARPET) on the floor and shower tile on the counter. I'm not sure what the previous owners were thinking, but hey, I've done some silly things in the past too.
I have big plans for this place though. Here's the list:
I picked up a shelf at the thrift store to display my brown bottle collection, lifting it up off the counters creating a cleaner look. I also got rid of some of the extra accessories I had on the counter. If only I had some fresh flowers...but then again, this isn't the AFTER shot. You can see from the picture below how bad the cabinets need to be painted. They are totally gross. And we've lived with them for 5 years, funny how your own mess or your own home repair projects just start to blend in...
And after a final swoop and clean, here's what the before and after looks like:
Not a huge demolition before and after, but you can see the power of decluttering, even if you are decluttering cute decorations. If you are scratching your head, wondering why your house doesn't look like it belongs in a magazine (mine either) then tackle the clutter and you'll be surprised how clean things suddenly look.
I am trying to master the art of "less is more" but it's hard. I have so many things that I want to display, so I have to do a lot of sorting and parting. The parting aspect is the hardest. But I will not be a hoarder, I refuse to let my stuff take over my life....I need to SIMPLIFY! I want my home to be cozy but clean. Even with four kids, I know it can be done!
Project one is the bathroom. We have a split level entry house, and the one bathroom upstairs is shared by parents, kids, and guests when they come over. Needless to say, it's the hardest to keep clean, but the most important one to keep clean. There's nothing worse than someone surprise visiting you, asking to use the bathroom and finding a mess. Plus, I also want the space to be inviting and light. The second part being the hardest to accomplish because there is no natural light in there. For starters, let me show you what I had to work with:
You can see I don't have much to work with here. The space is cramped, there's carpet (yes, you read that right, CARPET) on the floor and shower tile on the counter. I'm not sure what the previous owners were thinking, but hey, I've done some silly things in the past too.
I have big plans for this place though. Here's the list:
- Paint the cabinets white or espresso (haven't decided)
- Remove carpet and place tile
- Replace counter top
- New mirror?
- Paint the walls
- Replace sink and toilet and hardware
I picked up a shelf at the thrift store to display my brown bottle collection, lifting it up off the counters creating a cleaner look. I also got rid of some of the extra accessories I had on the counter. If only I had some fresh flowers...but then again, this isn't the AFTER shot. You can see from the picture below how bad the cabinets need to be painted. They are totally gross. And we've lived with them for 5 years, funny how your own mess or your own home repair projects just start to blend in...
And after a final swoop and clean, here's what the before and after looks like:
Not a huge demolition before and after, but you can see the power of decluttering, even if you are decluttering cute decorations. If you are scratching your head, wondering why your house doesn't look like it belongs in a magazine (mine either) then tackle the clutter and you'll be surprised how clean things suddenly look.
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