bathroom redo

I love our house.  When we moved in, I couldn't believe how 'new' and nice and updated it was and I still feel that way.  But from the beginning there have been some things I have really wanted to change.  The guest bathroom is one of them.  It is so blah and boring and there is one 'custom' piece in there that is just plain ugly (that pinkish wooden thing attached to the vanity).  I'm really hoping that Steve will have time at some point this summer to help me do some light renovations.  I would need his help with changing the flooring (if I decide to do that, might wait until we change the rest of the flooring in the house), installing a new vanity, and installing the bead-board and trim.  All of those things are really easy for him to do, but time is the problem.  Last year he worked six ten hour days each week, so I didn't like asking him to do projects on his one day off.

the before ||  Don't be too jealous of the amazing art deco light fixture - actually if you like it please come and take it.  I hate it and don't understand who could have ever liked it in the first place.  There's one in our master bathroom too, yuk.  I'm actually thinking of installing some sort of drying rack in this bathroom for cloth diapers, maybe one that folds up flat on the wall when not in use, but that doesn't look too ugly.  I'm not really sure if that is possible but we'll see.  It's the best place for hang drying diapers since I can open the heat register and close the door and it gets up to about 80 or 90 in there.  The towel rod has got to go, I much prefer hooks.

the plan ||  I have pretty much decided on what I want to 'do' in this bathroom when we go ahead and change it.  I want it to be bright and simple, with a cottage-y/shabby chic feel.  Here's my plan:

#1

flooring

I would love to rip out the linoleum and have Steve install some hardwood floor using upcycled pallet wood. I love how wood floor looks in bathroom, especially a bathroom that's not used as much and has a lot of light colors and white.  Plus it would be a good way to test out DIY pallet flooring technique.  The picture isn't of pallet wood, but it is a good example of the color and look that I would be going for.

#2
bead-board
I love the look of bead-board and wainscoting anywhere in a home.  But I thought it would look especially nice in this bathroom on the wall opposite the toilet that has nothing on it but the towel rod right now.  I want the bead-board to go higher than normal, with a nice thick trim at the top for hooks (black iron hooks from this awesome shop on Etsy).

#3
framing the mirror
The mirror that's currently in the bathroom has nothing wrong with it, and I don't particulary like mirrors with storage in them unless they are recessed into the wall.  Storage isn't really an issue in this bathroom so I'd rather Steve just frame the existing mirror with some nice wood painted white to match the white beadboard.

#4
light fixture
I want something with a vintage feel and I would love it if the lights could be dimmed for Riggs' bathtime before bed (the lower light helps him to get in the 'bedtime' mood).  I love this light fixture from Pottery Barn, just wish I could find something like this with black metal instead.  Might have to find a cheap knock-off and spray paint it instead.

#5
new vanity
I want to find a vanity that has the furniture look, and I would love to find something that sits higher up off the floor with nicely curved legs.  I think this would make the bathroom look a little more spacious and if you really needed to use the space you could put up a curtain with baskets underneath or something.  I would like one with a more natural wood color but this blue-ish one is nice too.

#6
storage cabinet over toilet
I want to find something to fill the space over the toilet, and I love the look of this cabinet from Pottery Barn. I LOVE the glass paneled sliding doors.

Then there are a few different accessories that would help finish off the look.  I would love to make (or find for a bit cheaper) a shower curtain exactly like the blue ruffled one I found from Pottery Barn.  Also I love striped towels and would try to keep some fresh flowers in a milk glass vase, at least in summer.  I'm still not sure on a paint color, but it will definitely be something light and airy, either very light blue or green most likely.

So there it all is, any suggestions or ideas for making it even better would be helpful!  I can't wait to get started on it, hopefully sooner than later.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that if Steve has some time off after class we could do it then?  But that's probably just crazy talk, it will likely be more like October or November before he actually has time to do it.