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Reveal: Playroom & Bathroom: Part II
August 27, 2019
Let’s jump right in. Other than the floor, one of the larger changes we made was on removing some of the kitchenette uppers. These were brand new Ikea cabinets that had barely been used and to keep budget in check, we decided to remove everything other than the open shelving to the left of the sink to create more of an airy feeling.
Like I said in the first post, we used this space as storage only and I despised how disorganized it was.
You can see the door that leads to the unfinished portion of the basement as well as the bathroom. That door has always been begging to become a dutch door to ensure we could hear Reed upstairs if we had to leave him down there unattended for a minute or two.
Byyye, heavy uppers.
An additional space that needed to be reworked for more optimal use was this small canning closet. In the 20s, this would have been a necessity. Now, it takes up valuable real estate in the floor plan and we needed a better solution for all of that baby gear we used to stack in the middle of the room.
This is where my dad comes in. While Mike and I were on our babymoon in Palm Springs, he built us this closet that was deep enough for the baby stuff that needed to be behind closed doors.
A cozy TV space with smart storage was just what this space needed. The door to the right leads to Mike’s music room which has since become more kid friendly and a frequent spot for dance parties:)
Other improvements we made:
Change out the track lighting and have a higher wattage LED track heads. Would recessed lighting have been preferred? Absolutely, but the budget wouldn’t allow that due to the amount of work that would go into opening up the plaster ceiling. I’m not normally a fan of track lighting, but in this space it really works well. Plus, every project has its compromises and this was one.
Repainted the walls (Chantilly Lace), ceiling (Chantilly Lace), trim, and beadboard (custom color match).
Created a dutch door out of the existing door (original to the house) to the unfinished part of the basement. See that transformation below!
Remember this door? Another thing my dad was able to tackle while we were away.
Dutch door goodness!
Last, but certainly not least, is the transformation that the bathroom underwent. This space was the most improved by far.
I’ve never been a fan of yellow, but this bathroom made me dislike it even more.
Dialing in on that ideal shade of dusty blue.
A bathroom with a clear glass door? No, thank you! We opted to do privacy window film to the existing door.
This wall storage was strategically chosen in the event that we turn Mike’s music room into a guest room and it can be the perfect place to hang clothing or put toiletries since space is at a premium in this smaller bathroom.
Adding a playful, geometric wallpaper, a new vanity, new lighting and plumbing fixtures really brought it together!
All of this happened while our master bathroom renovation was underway. Looking back, it was straight chaos to be as pregnant as I was with two spaces torn up. BUT, having these things out of the way before a newborn started dominating every waking moment, was the best thing that happened. It’s just like we tell our clients all the time, keep your eye on the end game. It’s easy to look at a hole in the floor where a toilet should be or the stacks of boxes or plastic hanging from the ceiling, but the short-term upheaval of your life is worth it.
What do you love most about this project?? I’d love to know in the comments below!