Easy Master Bathroom Fix

My master bath is a builders special.....

I have made a few tweaks to personalize the space.

Next year or the year after, I will change the cabinet doors and the countertops and faucets.

BUT FOR NOW.....

just a little cosmetic applications took it from sterile to comfy.

This is how it looked when I first saw the house with the real estate agent.....

The mirror over the double sinks covered the wall, creating a space that felt  cold. All it did was reflect back white walls.

Since I was going to have the room wallpapered, I had the guys pop the big mirror off the wall, just leaving the one over the dressing table.

Two full walls of mirrors is not a middle aged woman's friend.....

Especially when she's in the "all together" if ya know what I mean.....

So, I found these mirrors in a catalog; they were in a dark mahogany.

I had the brilliant idea, to paint them in faux bamboo!!!

Again.....

this was before I had time to do this for myself

(and before I knew that I could do this stuff!!!)

I really liked these mirrors because they allowed me to combine two looks that I don't normally think of as working together:

bamboo and etched glass!

This way I was able to add all my 1920's sparkly details to my bamboo accents.

The way the dressing table looked, just wasn't doing it for me....

This was going to be where I put on my makeup,

(the one or two times a year that happens)

and where I would work on any unnecessary hair that has a tendency to appear after 40 years of age.

SOOOOOO.....

I needed a lot of light.....

and a magnifying mirror.....

BUT I WANTED THEM TO BE PURTY!!!

I love the way pairs of dressing table lamps look on a vanity.

But I didn't want a lot of messy cords running along the top and up to the outlet to the side of the table.

SO I DID WHAT ANY WOMAN IN HER RIGHT MIND WOULD DO!!!!

I drilled holes in the vanity top.....

took the plugs off the lamps and threaded the cords through the holes, then reattached the plugs and plugged the suckers in!!!! 

This way I could create a traditional looking vanity in my builder's special bathroom.....

I love glass vanity lamps. I love glass vanity lamps. I love glass vanity lamps......

Remember my bedroom????

I have a pair there too......

I love the glass detail, it's like BIG diamonds!!!!

Of course, I have more silver that I'm not polishing.....

I really need to get my @$$ in gear.

The green perfume bottle is one of my favorites. 

I always look at it and get off on the way it repeats the color from around the room.

A clear bottle wouldn't have been as visually successful.

SO SOMETHING VERY SCARY HAPPENED!!!

the stopper disappeared....

You got me.....

Now you'll know....

I have help cleaning my house.

It was right after my cleaning helper Joann left that I saw it was missing.

SO I THOUGHT.....

she had done what I do when I clean....

(break something).

But she hadn't said anything, which is not like her.

So, I grieve a little

('cuz, I loved the way it looked)

then get my big girl panties on, and hit ebay, looking for a replacement.

Well Olive Cooper of http://oliveout.blogspot.com/

 let me know that she has some she was selling and sent me some pictures

they were pretty, but didn't do it. 

So I went home for my mom's birthday, and remembered that I had a green perfume bottle I wasn't using.

SOOOOOO.....

 I brought it back to Florida,

and put its stopper on my other bottle!!!!

When I mentioned the lost (I thought broken!!!) stopper to Joann,

she assured me that it wasn't broken.

SOOOOOO.......

I start looking around.....

and looking around......

And I FIND IT!!!!!!!

she had put it on the chair cushion so it wouldn't get broken!!!!!!!

YIPPEE!!!!

Don't know why, but I LOVE THIS STOPPER.

Isn't it funny how we all have our favorite things.

Something no one else would even notice,

 makes us happy just to look at it.

Doesn't have to be expensive.

Doesn't have to be rare.

On this note,

I will continue this story tomorrow...

Later, Gator

Partying at:

  

Read More

The 5th OY VEY!! Q&A!! Tuesday

Welcome to the 5th question part of OY VEY!! Q&A!! Tuesday.

This is how it works.....

On the first Tuesday of the month

You ask some design questions,

and I answer them for FREE!!!!

Just remember-----

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

(Just sayin')

So ask your question at the end of this blog post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now let me go back and finish up showing you my Florida guest room. 

WE HAVE ONE MORE WALL TO DO!!!

To the right of the bed, I found this tray table that I felt had an interesting look.

Unfortunately, it's a little uneven, so things don't sit up straight on it.

I have a weakness for vintage style phones.

This one is a cordless one!!!!

I'm sure it works great, but the phone plug is behind the headboard,

and the bed is so heavy,

that I am too lazy to move it to get to the outlet in the wall.

I figure if my guests need to talk to other folks when they're visiting me,

THAT'S THEIR PROBLEM!!!!!

I keep a basket full of paperbacks, so my company can entertain themselves, and LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!

The green vase has birds on its side, continuing my avian theme. 

USA is stamped on it's bottom, so it is very likely made by McCoy.

THOSE ARE REAL FAKE FLOWERS!!!

The bird is another piece of Italian majolica....

I know NOTHIN' about this bird!!!

When Larry and June were visiting me last month.....

Larry informed me that the clock in the guest room was correct twice a day.

I need a new battery.....

Seems like such a waste to buy one for a room used twice a year.....

I am a gracious and caring hostess!!

The redo of the guest bath was last years project.

These are shots of the before.....

When I first viewed the house.

Can you tell that I didn't really take a picture of this room?????

I had to crop these views from other photos.......

Please bear with me, I know this is not so great!!!!!

ANYWHO......

I had the vanity replaced with one from Restoration Hardware, and the toilet replaced with one from Kohler that is a comfort height.

For those of you in the older category....

comfort height is a nice term for higher toilet seats, so those of us with aging knees and hips have an easier time hoisting ourselves off the loo.

I lucked out by finding two baskets at Home Goods in the PERFECT 

size shape and color for the lower shelf.

The wallpaper is made by Nobilis, and bought through interior designers.

It looks like weathered drift wood.

I LURV IT!!!!

When I showed my friends the sample, before it was put up on the walls, they thought it would end up looking like cheap 1950's plywood.

HA!!!

They are SOOOOOOOOOOOO jealous!!!

I bought the mirror from Home Goods too.

It had a dark ebony stained frame.

I spray painted it with white primer.....

Then I went to the beach and got some sand.....

strained the sand (to get rid of anything yucky)

sprayed the frame with adhesive spray.....

covered the frame with beach sand....,

went to the beach and collected driftwood and seashells.....

went to the seashell store to buy more seashells.....

hot glued the driftwood and seashells on top of the sand-covered frame.....

hung the mirror on the wall.....

it looked like crap!!!!!!!

So,

I took it down, brought back out to my workshop

(my garage)

pulled all the shells and wood off the frame.....

sanded all the glued sand off the frame.....

AND IT ENDED UP WITH A GREAT BEAT UP FINISH!!!!!

Then I tooled around the internet some more, and got sucked into the Ballard Design website.

They have these great pendent lights that can be installed using an existing recessed light fixture.

June helped me get this up, and it was just like the old days, 

with her trying to help me,

and me being bitchy.

Now the light looks VERRRRY styish....

and of course with the lampshade and diffuser on the bottom, 

there is LESS LIGHT, so it's 

MUCH LESS PRACTICAL!!!!!

But it looks good, and that's all I care about.

No one coming to my house for two days needs to do that kind of close up, 

lots of light needed bathroom procedure!!!!

Ya know what I mean?????

Okay Dokay

this ends my story of my guest room.....

On to the questions!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a question and answer party!!!!!

Only questions, please you guys. 

If it isn't a question, I'm taking the @#$ link down.

 link up to the "party" by linking a particular post's url, add your question to the end of your post with a link back to my blog. My button is on my sidebar. 

It looks just like a button!!

For those of you who don't have a blog, you can email pictures with questions.

email me at:  betsyspeert@gmail.com.

If you just have a question, with no pictures, leave it in the comment area, below.

IN ORDER TO GET AN ANSWER, YOU GUYS BETTER BE A FOLLOWER!!!!!

It's easy, just click on the blue box at the right; over the pictures of my members.

I would also love it if you became a subscriber.

I will then post your pictures with my suggestions and answers on the following Tuesday.

I may not be able to answer all the questions.

If there are a lot of them, I will choose the ones most likely to interest the other folks in the class.

So link up below!!!!!

Click  "Click here to enter"

Partying at:

Read More

My Florida Guest Room, THE FINAL CHAPTER!!! (not)

As we continue the tour.......

We were here.....

See how I only have one star fish?????

Does anyone know where I can get another plaster one?????

Anyway....

ON TO THE NEXT WALL!!!!!

(SO EXCITING!!!!)

I found this chest in the same place I got my master bedroom chaise and dressing table. 

This multiple vendor antique store is now closed.

It seems all my favorite places are biting the dust.

I really liked the way that the drawers were banded in a lighter wood veneer.

I felt it echoed the look of the bed....

darker against lighter....

Another surface.....

another grouping of stuff!!!!

Here are the green birds I mentioned yesterday...

Made by Roselane of Pasadena California.

If you google this manufacturer, you'll see that most of the items they made were

REALLY UGLY!!!!!

I almost feel that way about these birds,

but I don't want to hurt their feelings, and they do their little accessory job...

THAT'S ALL I CAN ASK OF A tshatshke.

I like the way they balance the green lamp.

OK, I don't mean to shout, 

but...

HOW COOL IS THIS BABY???

Found it on ebay.

From the 40's or 50's.

Then I added the shade.

Another ebay find.

The yellow pot is by McCoy.

For those of you who don't know what that is.....

Go back and read all my blog posts!!!!!

I mentioned it somewhere!!!!!

I got the fake orchid at Home Goods, in a different pot,

got my little hammer, and smashed the @#$

so I could stick it in this pot!!!

The compote is standing on a little mirror that is rimmed with shells.

I love this mirror, and have been carrying it around from house to house...

not knowing 

what to do with it??!!

Finally, I found a use for it!!!

I like the way it repeats the theme of shells in the dish...

And of course....

the fan is for hot flashes,

BECAUSE.....

some of my guests have been know to get one or two or three or a 

HUNDRED!!!

Amidst all this kitsch....

Is actually a good piece of art I got from Brookline Village Antiques

in the Boston Design Center

It's a water color, I've never seen one with such deep and rich colors.

It's called "Tropical Shore"

and is by George F. Schultz.

OK....

I just googled this guy!!!!

Who knew?????

He's got quite a reputation.

According to Ask Art (the artistis bluebook)

"Born in Chicago on 17 April 1869, George F. Schultz was taught by his father to love art and the beauties of nature.  At age fifteen, he was known as a “decorator of souvenirs,” perhaps decorative paintings on porcelain.  Schultz would become a highly respected artist who exhibited over one hundred works at the Art Institute of Chicago annuals, between 1889 and 1925."

All I knew is that I liked this painting!!!!

ON NO!!!!!

I LIED!!!!!

I thought this would be the last post on this room....

But as usual, I talked too much, and now the post is VERY long,

SOOOOOOO.....

I will finish it up on Tuesday.

OMG!!!!

This Tuesday is the first Tuesday of the month!!!!!

You know what that means?????

It's the question part of ........

(wait for it.......)

OY VEY!! Q&A!! Tuesday!!

Soooooo.....

I'll finish the room, and take questions from any one who wants an answer.

'Couse, I won't necessarily answer them all.....

then again, no one may end up asking me anything.

I still have some good ones from the last couple of Q&A's.

Who knows?????

OK, now I'm just typing random letters.....

I don't know how to end this........

SO...

Later, Gator

Partying with:

Read More