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    Cake-inspired tiled studio kitchenette

    Brittany
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    Cake-inspired tiled studio kitchenette

    Cake-inspired tiled studio kitchenette

    When I was first thinking about tackling this small kitchenette in our basement, I knew I wanted something with lots of color (shocking, I know). Our team works out of this space and they didn’t have a proper way to prepare food so we were really just getting by for about a year and a half. I had plans but there were so many other priorities that it got pushed to the bottom.

    This is the space on the day we first looked at the house:

    The show sped up our renovation priorities. At the time, the angle of the show was supposed to feature the business of The House That Lars Built, which is why we did this room in the first place and why it was taken out.

    You can see from these before photos that it’s really a part of the hallway but carved out in a u-shape. It was already set for plumbing with outlets for a fridge and an oven.

    And this gorgeous lighting fixture. I mean, I really should have left it 😉 

    We had a little mini fridge on the opposite wall, so basic needs were met, if not absolutely disheveled!

    Inspiration for the cake-inspired kitchen

    I immediately partnered with Fireclay Tile on the project. With their breath of colors and sizes, I knew there was a lot of synergy and freedom there to do whatever I wanted to do so my mind went wild.

    Envisioning the kitchenette as a little whimsical retreat, I immediately thought of what you want to do in a kitchen–eat cake. And it just kind of went from there. I gathered images of frosting

    And tried to figure out how to translate that into tile. I also wanted it to feel like a Parisian bistro like the image below, so some of the details would come through there. I’m going to be talking more about the process tomorrow so stay tuned for that.

    Not to leave any confectionary out, I also wanted it to feel like a candy shop. My 5 year old son thanks me for that nearly every day.

    Mosaic inspired tiled kitchen

    Without further ado, here it is!

    FireclayTile

    All those beautiful shades of sorbet in the best shapes from Fireclay. That circle one?! Too much! Again, stay tuned for the process post tomorrow.

    I’ll be talking more about our cute retro fridge on Friday.

    Matching tiled cake

    My friends, Evelyn and Julia Bigelow made an adorable matching cake to go with the kitchen. Our shoot got postponed so many times that we didn’t dare eat the cake. Then it turned into a challenge to see how long we could keep the cake out. It was 6 months. Ha! I very much wish we could have taken a bite!

    Banquette seating

    The opposite wall of this kitchenette I had planned on doing a custom banquette seating. I’m really glad we didn’t spend the energy doing it after it was cut! But we did stage a little temporary seating area with a cute brass bistro seat.

    If you remember, we did a tutorial for that matching vase.

    Parisian Bistro Lighting

    The Parisian bistro details came through with some of the hardware and lighting. I got these globe pendant with some floral detailing at the top from Mitzi. I also got two sconces to go on the opposite side of the wall, once we put in the custom banquette.

    The bar faucet from Signature Hardware really sealed the deal for the Parisian bistro vibe.

    Our pink dishware from Year and Day fit in perfectly.

    DIY Scallop shelves

    We set out to make some scallop shelves thinking we would have to do it all custom, BUT! I ended up finding this scallop trim on Etsy. We got DIY shelves from the hardware store, glued the two together and boom! We used these hardware brackets. Pat painted it high gloss white though I’m considering painting it another color. We’ll see!

    Tulips from Sun Valley Farms

    We had been given a ton of beautiful tulips for the photoshoot from Sun Valley Farms (an amazing collection!), but because we had to reschedule the shoot many times, the flowers weren’t fresh except these beautiful yellow tulips that remained. Bless you yellow tulips!

    Sink

    We used this white undermount sink from Signature Hardware and it works great!

    Hardware

    Like the other kitchen, we haven’t installed the hardware yet. I really wanted to try out something fun and custom maybe out of ceramic, but I didn’t have time. I think we might put in some classic brass knobs and pulls.

    Cabinets

    Like our other kitchen, we used Cliq Studios for the kitchen cabinets. We used the Jensen style, which is more modern, in the silk color. With all the tile work and fun details I wanted to make sure that the cabinets felt cleaner.

    We decided not to put an oven in the space because we didn’t think we would use it and thankfully, we haven’t needed it. Or a dishwasher for that matter. No hard core cooking down here!

    Ok! That’s it! Our sweet little cake kitchen. Tell me what you think! And stay tuned for tomorrow’s post about the tile!

    Best hardware for kitchens

    Brittany
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    Best hardware for kitchens

    Best Hardware for Kitchens

    Merging Old and New

    When thinking about our kitchen renovation for the show, I knew I wanted something that felt old world, but also refreshing and revitalized. Prior to all the renovations for the show, we used Signature Hardware for our primary bathroom renovation with that gorgeous dark green vanity, as well as all the hardware. Based on my previous experience with them, I was thrilled when they wanted to partner again. Their products are beautifully designed AND well made–such an incredible combination. They do a great job of using traditional hardware that also feels fresh and modern–exactly what I was looking for.

    Letting the Details Shine

    Because our kitchen cabinets are an off-white and left a blank canvas, I knew I wanted the details to shine. One of the main, eye-catching elements of the kitchen was a beautiful stove. It set the stage for the vibe of the rest of the kitchen. The stove had some amazing brass details and I wanted the rest of the kitchen to have more of those details sprinkled around. Signature Hardware was the perfect choice for that end goal, one of the reasons I consider their products some of the best hardware for kitchens out there.

    Best Kitchen Sink, Faucet and Accessories

    One major area of the kitchen in which we used Signature Hardware’s hardware for kitchens was the sink area. Signature hardware has a really great bridge faucet shape that’s both elegant and timeless. And the polished brass finish carried a lovely balance with the ILVE stove.

    signature hardware best hardware

    The fireclay farmhouse sink itself was another major win. It was large, lovely and paired perfectly with the shape of the faucet and granite countertops. I knew I wanted to go with a farmhouse sink because of the vibe I was going for with the kitchen and they had a number of gorgeous options. I didn’t mean to match the cabinets in that Biscuit color, but it just worked out perfectly! I also loved that I could order customization options along with the sink, like a compatible strainer drain and sink grid.

    Refrigerator Hardware

    One thing I love about Signature Hardware is their great selection of hardware for big appliances. We chose these oversized brass appliance pulls in 18”.

    As a note to those with children, Pat did some research on the safest pulls for children. Did you know that some pulls are less safe than others? In case you were wondering, the option we chose (linked above) is the safest for children because it can’t get caught on clothing or hands or what not, which was a requisite for us with two young, wild boys. In my book, that makes Signature Hardware some of the best hardware for kitchens with children!

    For the bottom of the refrigerator we made the one large drawer look like two faux drawers, which is why we put two pulls there. I have to say, I’m pleased with how well they’re holding up! Plus, they really capture the old world well. As for the rest of the cabinets in the kitchen, we ended up waiting to put the hardware on them just yet because Felix is still in a toddler stage and we don’t want him opening up cabinets.

    Hardware for Studio Kitchen

    Our studio kitchenette in the basement was a different challenge entirely. It ended up not being a part of the show, but I’m going to share about it still! And I’ll be talking about it more in an upcoming post. Its inspiration was traditional Parisian bistro meets layered frosted cake with icing. Ultimately I wanted it to feel like a whimsical refuge for the team. Because it’s a little kitchenette, it didn’t have all the functions of a normal kitchen, but I still wanted it to feel complete in its simple charm. We incorporated two elements to that end: a timeless, undermount sink and gooseneck faucet. Unfortunately, the original faucet we used is no longer available, but this one is similar.

     

    The sink, though it’s smaller than its larger, upstairs kitchen counterpart, was a wonderfully practical size and beautiful design, perfect for our studio’s needs. The beautiful Signature Hardware polished brass gooseneck faucet’s long, elegant neck went so well with brass shelf supports. Overall the faucet added the perfect amount of elegance and whimsy to the studio kitchenette, which is exactly what I envisioned.

    colorful tile

    The Takeaway: Best Hardware for Kitchens

    We had a lot of remodels to do in a limited amount of time. Signature Hardware was not only efficient and timely as far as getting products to us in time, but we were blown away by the quality and design elements of the hardware options they had. Our main takeaway is this: if you’re going for an elegant, stately, traditional well-designed hardware, Signature Hardware has some of the best hardware for kitchens.

    Related posts: 

    If you’re looking to see all the before and after photos from the renovation, you can see them here
    You can see the full kitchen renovation here
    Kitchen cabinet info
    Antique-inspired oven range

    Products from Signature Hardware were gifted

    DIY Roman Shades

    Brittany
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    0
    DIY Roman Shades

    How to Make Your Own DIY Roman Shades

    It turns out making your own DIY Roman shades isn’t as tricky as it seems. All you need are the materials listed above and a little bit of time and you’re all set. Here’s what to do:

    Cutting the Wood Pieces

    1. First, cut the 1” x 2” so it’s a little less than the window width. It should fit snugly inside the window.
    2. Now, cut the wooden dowels to match.

    Prepping your Fabric

    1. First things first: iron out your fabric so it’s nice and flat. What you don’t want are wrinkly Roman shades. Note: washing is optional, since you probably won’t be taking these babies down once they’re screwed into place.
    2. Next, cut the front and lining pieces down to size. Dimensions of the front fabric should be 3 inches wider and 5 inches longer than the window dimensions. The lining should be the same height as the front fabric and one inch shorter than the window width.

    Sewing your Fabric Pieces Together

    1. It’s time to sew the front and lining pieces together. For this, line up one long side of the two fabric pieces, right sides together.
    2. Next, sew it in place using a ½” seam allowance.
    3. Repeat steps 1-2 for the other side. Note that the lining is narrower than the front, so you’ll have to let the front fabric bunch a bit to line up both sides.
    4. Now smooth out the two pieces of fabric so the lining is centered on the front piece. You should have an inch of the front fabric on either side of the lining. 
    5. Next, pin the bottom all along the width and sew in place.
    6. Center the lining along the top edge, as you did in step 4 for the bottom. Now, fold the seam allowance so it faces out on either side and pin in place all along the length. 

    Dowel Measurements

    1. For this, you’ll need to do a little math (it’s simple, don’t worry)!
    2. First, decide how big the gaps between dowels will be. (It will vary depending on how tall the window is, but usually 8-12 inches works well–we used 12).
    3. Next, calculate the excess below the lowest dowel. This one should be ½ the distance between dowels plus 1 inch. So since we have 12 inch gaps, the excess should be 7 inches (half of 12=6+1=7).
    4. Finally, the top measurement. This doesn’t have to be quite as exact, but it just needs to be a bit bigger than the distance between dowels. (For us, that means bigger than 12 inches.
    5. Now, with the wrong side of the front fabric piece face up, draw in the first dowel’s placement. Remember, you’ll have a seam allowance and hem at the bottom, so add 3 inches to the bottom gap (2 ½ inch hem + ½” seam allowance). Our total is now 10 (7+3).
    6. At this point, you can go ahead and measure the placement of the other dowels, using the first dowel as a reference.

    Adding the Dowel Casing

    1. To make casings for your dowels, cut 2” strips that are the same width as the lining. Cut out one strip per dowel.
    2. Fold each strip in half, iron, and sew the open side length closed with a ¼” seam allowance.
    3. Next, cut your stitch witchery to the length of the strips. Cut one strip of stitch witchery for each strip.
    4. Now lay your stitch witchery in place where you marked the dowels, with the sewn strips lined up on top. Iron in place so the strips stick.
    5. After the strips are adhered, slide the dowels into place.
    6. Now you can take out the pins holding the side seam allowances in place. Clip the bottom corners and carefully flip the fabric pieces and dowels so the shade is right side out. If you need, use scissors to help turn the corners. Adjust and straighten everything and iron the seams so everything is nice and flat. 
    7. With the shade right side out, hem up the bottom (end with the finished seam) 2 ½”. Press and sew in place. If you don’t want your stitches to show on the front, you can hand stitch it in place or use a blind hem stitch on the machine.

    Measuring the Ring Placement

    1. You’ll add three rings to each dowel: one on each end, and one in the center.
    2. To calculate the placement, put the cord lock and pulley together so they overlap one screwhole. Measure from the cord lock base to the spot where the cord comes up through the pulley (Roughly 2 ½”).
    3. Now, mark 2 ½” in from the end of each dowel. A ring will go in each of these spots you’ve just marked.
    4. For the middle rings, simply measure halfway between each dowel and mark. If you have 4 dowels, you should now have 12 ring markings total.

    Sewing the Rings in Place

    1. Now hand sew the rings in place according to the markings. To do this, bind the thread around the dowel a few times without catching the front fabric piece with the needle. On the third or fourth time around, catch the front fabric piece in the needle. Then poke the needle back through to the back side, tie off your thread and trim.
    2. Repeat step 1 for each of the rings. Note: make sure the rings are all facing the same direction, with openings pointing downwards so the string can be threaded through seamlessly.

    Attaching the Roman Shades Hardware

    1. To attach the hardware for the roman shades, you’ll first need to mark where it needs to go. To do this, take the wooden board and line it up with the top row of rings you just sewed. Mark the placement of the rings on the board with a pencil.
    2. Now, take one of the three pulleys and line the right side of it up with the right ring marking on the board. Mark the two screw holes.
    3. Repeat step two for the middle pulley.
    4. Now for the far left side. This one will be a little different, since you’ll need both the cord lock and a pulley this time. For this, line up the cord lock with the left edge of the board with the straight edge on the inside (the diagonal edge should be on the outside, closest to the edge of the board). Mark the screw holes. 
    5. Next, line up the last pulley with the cord lock so they share a screw hole. Mark the pulley placement.
    6. All that’s left now is to drill pilot holes, then screw the pulleys in place where you marked them.
    7. In addition to the holes for the pulleys and cord lock, you’ll also want to drill two or three more holes all the way through the board. These will be used to screw the roman shades into place on the window.
    8. Now, with all hardware in place, it’s time to staple the board to the fabric. Measure up from the bottom of the shade and mark the window height. Line up the board with the window height markings, then wrap the excess over the board and staple in place. 

    Adding the Cording

    You’re almost done with your roman shades! Just a few more steps to go. Here’s what’s left:

    1. The last thing to do is to add the cording and tidy things up.
    2. To add the cording, feed the cording up through the rings in the far right row. Tip: to thread the cord through a bit easier, wrap a bit of tape around the end so it doesn’t fray.
    3. When you get to the pulley at the top, feed the cord through the right side and pop it out the opposite side. Repeat for the middle pulley. 
    4. When you get to the far left pulley and cord lock, thread the cord through the pulley as with the other two. Then thread it down the cord lock from the top and pull it through when it pops out the bottom. Pull the cord so there are a few feet of slack. Then clip the cord back by the first ring you started with and tie a knot to secure it to the ring.
    5. Repeat the same process for the remaining two cords. Note: there will be three separate slots to slip the cord through. Make sure each separate cord goes through a different slot, individually.
    6. Once all cords have been threaded through, trim them to the finished length you like. Now, thread them through the pull end, knot them all together, and hide the knot inside of the pull end.
    7. Pull the cord to test out your shades and make sure they’re working right and voila! Your roman shades are finished!

    More Inspiration

    Loved this roman shades tutorial and want more like it? Check out our other home renovation projects! Start with everything we did to our house in one year, and an exclusive studio tour. You also won’t want to miss our laundry room makeover with delta faucet, guest bedroom remodel, bathroom remodel, and new closet system. Oh, and if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out my craft room in the living by design virtual showhouse! Looking to decorate your home? Stop by our shop and see what suits your fancy!

    Punch Needle Wall Art

    Brittany
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    1
    Punch Needle Wall Art

    Punch Needle Art

    We’ve been wanting to do a punch needle project for a while now. Then, when our project manager, Jenny, started here at Lars last winter, it was as if the stars had aligned. She has a side tufting business and it inspired us to finally try it out! (You can check out her business, Thread Haven, here–it’s honestly incredible). Jenny has a fancy tufting gun, which was a little advanced for us, so we decided to go with the more beginner-friendly, handheld version: a punch needle.

    Punch needling is surprisingly easy, once you get all the right supplies! The way ours turned out was so amazing. Jenny helped demystify punch needling for us and made the most adorable punch needle wall art featuring our retro floral motif. It’s the perfect addition to any wall, and will help to make your dorm (or wherever you live, not limited to dorms!) that much more cozy. 

    Make Your Own Punch Needle Wall Art

    Here’s all you need to know make your own punch needle wall art:

    Supplies

    Let me explain the supplies, so you know exactly what you’re getting into:

    1. Punch needle. This is a must. You can’t punch needle without it! The problem is, there are lots to choose from, and many are far from satisfactory. We did the research and found one here that’s good quality and does the job well. (we went with a #9 regular, ⅜” loop).
    2. Yarn. Go with a more bulky yarn and the end result will be fluffy and lovely! We got ours at Michael’s. Colors: yellow, red/orange, and a blue/green. (or whatever colors you want).
    3. Punch needle loom. You need fabric that has the right weave, as well as something to hold it taut. The perfect solution is this punch needle loom, so you don’t have to manually staple the fabric to anything. We went with the smallest size, but you can do any size you choose.
    4. Retro floral template. If you want to make yours look like ours, the easiest way is with this simple template! All you have to do is download and cut out on a Cricut Maker or with scissors and you’re set.

    There you have it! That’s all you need!

    Instructions

    1. First, use the template to trace your design onto the back side of your punch needle loom. See our photos for reference.
    2. Now start with the flower center. Take the color of yarn you want to use for the center and thread it through the punch needle (for help threading the needle, see this helpful video).
    3. After your needle is threaded, you’re ready to start punch needling! For this, start at the perimeter of the center. Poke the tip of the needle all the way down so the metal part is hidden and the fabric touches the wooden part of the punch needle.
    4. Now, pull the needle back out, move over a ¼ of an inch along the center’s perimeter and poke the needle back down all the way, as you did before. 
    5. Continue this process until the center of the flower is full.
    6. When the center is full and you’re ready to move on to the next color, clip the excess yarn so there’s an inch or two of excess. Now, with the punch needle, poke that little tail back through the same hole so it pokes out in the front. Clip it down to about ¼” so it’s hidden amongst the loops. 
    7. Now repeat steps 3-6 for the second and third colors. Note: when starting a new color, leave about a ¼” of space between the colors. If you start too close to the other colors, you could unravel the yarn. Don’t worry, the gap will be hidden on the front side of your project. 
    8. Done!

    Styling Your Punch Needle Wall Art

    The thing I love most about punch needling is that it is incredibly versatile. We chose to make our punch needle project into wall art, by leaving it on the loom and hanging it on a simple pin, screw, or hook. But you actually have a lot of options! Once you’re done with the punch needling, you can remove it from the loom, finish the edges with a simple slip stitch and hang it loose, without the loom, too. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can make your art into a rug, throw pillow, or something else entirely! There are so many options. 

    We can’t wait to see what you make! Let us know in the comments!

    More Inspiration

    Need more dorm inspiration? Try this Lars girl’s back to school guide, as well as this and this dorm room makeover. Also try this simple DIY pencil case and fanny pack for your on the go needs!

    A Lars Girl’s Back to School Guide

    Brittany
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    A Lars Girl’s Back to School Guide

    Colorblocked lunch sacks and beeswax snack wraps surrounded by play fruit and blackberries.

    Lars-Approved School Supplies

    If you look at them the right way, school supplies are the educational version of craft supplies. At least I get excited about them as if they were. Here are some of my favorite ones:

    Lars Back to School Shop

    Since I love school supplies so much, we had to include a few in our shop, of course! For example, see these these back to school stickers, designed by my friend Michele Brummer Everett. They’d be the perfect addition to your water bottle, notebook, or laptop. For more back to school supplies on our shop, click here.

    back to school stickers on notebooks

    On the Blog

    It turns out we also have quite a few back to school crafts for you to peruse on the blog! You can start with this versatile and oh so adorable pencil case, featuring our very own Spoonflower fabric. Don’t stop there! Another great addition to your back to school supply list is this DIY beeswax wrap and this reusable lunch sack. Oh, and I also put together a list of my current favorite laptop covers and stickers, which you can see here.

    Favorites from Around the Web

    Here are a whole host of school supplies we love from around the web. This includes notebooks, things to write with, water bottles, desk supplies, and more! We’ve split them up into categories for your convenience:

    Planners, Calendars and Notebooks

    Desk Organization and Supplies

    Things to Write With

    Stay Hydrated

    Dorm Room Design

    In the college town where I live, the end of August means lots of new students being dropped off at dorms for their first-ever foray into living outside their parents’ house. That means that there are LOTS of fresh-faced students moving into drab, depressing dorm rooms and shabby apartments. Check out this post full of rental-friendly interior design hacks to level up your space.

    You also won’t want to miss the custom dorm room transformations we took on! See them here, here, and here. Basically, we applied the advice in the post above to make these formerly dull spaces full of color and life (see my thoughts on the importance of color here). It’s so important to fill your life with things that make you happy, and that starts with your living space! It’s amazing how such simple fixes can transform your mood and overall well-being.

    Here are my favorite additions to any student housing situation:

    Rugs

    It’s amazing how the addition of an amazing rug can transform a room! Here are some options:

    Pillows and Throws

    Again, those pops of color really do the trick to make a room feel more homey and less bland.

    Curtains

    Another great way to add some color, curtains can also be a great statement piece for a room.

    Lighting

    As mentioned in this post, lighting can change everything.

    Kitchen Essentials

    We can’t post about dorm room decor without some kitchen essentials! You do have to live there, after all.

    Bedding and Towels

    Functional and practical are a must when it comes to bedding and towels, but who says they can’t be cute, too?

    Other Misc. Dorm Room Essentials

    Here are just a few more things to help add some personality to your dorm room:

    Any time you buy something from our affiliate links, we get a small commission at no cost to you! Hooray!

    Laundry Room Makeover with Delta Faucet

    Brittany
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    Laundry Room Makeover with Delta Faucet

    Laundry Room Makeover

    There were a lot of details to work out for our laundry room makeover with regards to storage and organization. It was the one room in the house that actually had flooring when we moved in. While it wasn’t my favorite flooring–it is some sort of dark LVP–we decided to keep it in rather than put in the hardwood flooring like the rest of the house because I knew I’d want to do something fun to it at some point so I’d want to remove it some day. While we didn’t change it for this makeover, I thought it would help to provide a visual picture of where we started.

    Here’s what it looked like before:

    For this phase of the renovation, I wanted a laundry room makeover that wouldn’t cost a lot of money, that could be the destination for the sink from our kitchen that we’re currently renovating (more on that soon!). Basically, I want the space to be a beautiful work horse. Moving the sink into the laundry room, we’ve already changed how we use these two rooms. Anything that is remotely dirty goes into the laundry and not the kitchen (think all things kid-related).  

    We didn’t have a basin or faucet in the laundry room before, but again, thinking of transferring all potentially dirty tasks here, I wanted something that would hold up well. That’s where Delta Faucet came into the picture.

    Delta Faucet Touch2O® Technology Faucet

    If you recall, I was thrilled when I discovered Delta Faucet’s Touch2O® Technology Faucet back when we first moved in (you can read about it here). If you haven’t heard of this technology, allow me the pleasure. Instead of having to reach for the faucet handle with wet and/or messy hands, all you have to do is touch the faucet. It’s so cool! Not to mention a dream when dealing with a toddler. No more dealing with slippery hands and handles, all Jasper has to do to turn this faucet on and off is give it a quick touch. And umm, I should mention, too, that Jasper and Felix honestly love just turning it on and off repeatedly.

    Oh, and did I mention there’s a kid friendly fail safe feature? If Jasper accidentally leaves the water on, the water will automatically turn off after 4 minutes. And we all know with this Utah heat and dire drought situation, we could all do our part to waste a little less water.

    Last thing about this amazing faucet: there’s a light that tells you how hot or cold the water is! Again, a dream when dealing with tiny baby and toddler hands. This is perhaps my favorite feature.

    Delta Faucet Glass Rinser

    The next thing I’m absolutely jazzed about with this laundry room remodel is the Delta Faucet Glass Rinser. What a genius invention! Just stick the glass on top of it and a jet of water shoots out and cleans it instantly. It makes cleaning glasses, baby bottles, thermoses, and anything else that’s tough to get into with a brush easier. It turns out kids are creative and Jasper fills bottles and jars with all kinds of mystery substances, so I am loving this glass rinser.

    What I changed to my laundry room

    So, I had the sink, the faucet, and the glass rinser already and thankfully it fit snuggly into the corner of the laundry room. The yellow color happened to work beautifully with a new wallpaper I made for another project that I happened to have extras of. Basically, I wanted this antique Portuguese tile but it was going to cost more than our car so we turned it into a wallpaper (see here!) and boom. I LOVE how it turned out! And now we have some cabinets for storage–win/win! I love being able to reuse stuff from around the house.

    The Takeaway

    I’m almost done gushing over our new laundry room makeover with Delta Faucet. Guys, it’s a dream for anyone, but especially anyone with kids! I love how they help create a space to play that can easily be cleaned, as a bonus. Needless to say, I’m in love with our new laundry room (as if you couldn’t tell already). Now please, go get yourself one of those amazing Delta Faucet Touch2O® Technology Faucets and a Glass Rinser while you’re at it.

    More Inspiration

    Looking for more home renovation content? Here’s everything we did to our house in one year, and an exclusive studio tour. You also won’t want to miss our guest bedroom remodel, bathroom remodel, and new closet system. Oh, and if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out my craft room in the living by design virtual showhouse! Looking to decorate your home? Stop by our shop and see what suits your fancy!

    This post is sponsored by Delta Faucet but all opinions are my own.

    Lars’ Gardening Essentials

    Brittany
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    Lars’ Gardening Essentials

    Lars favorite gardening essentials

    Lars and Gardens

    If you’ve been following along for a while now, you’ll know I love gardens. I mean, anything that’s compatible with flowers is a big yes for me. Years ago, I described my dream gardens in this post. It’s a great place to start if you need a little help deciding on what types of plants to fill your garden with.

    Tips for Beginners (or anyone, really!)

    Speaking of tips on growing a garden, if you need some, see this post on how to grow a garden even when you think you can’t. I wouldn’t consider myself a pro, but you can see what I did to the front yard garden of our little rental (serious nostalgia here! I love our new house, but that little rental will always have a special place in my heart. And the garden turned out so lovely)!

    A display of geraniums in terracotta pots

    Another post that can steer you in the right direction if you’re in need of a little garden inspiration is this post on how to plant a rainbow container garden. I go through plants of every color of the rainbow! It’s a lovely and easy way to add some color to your garden.

    Oh, and if you need a few more gardening tips, as well as basic tools? See this post! It’s amazing how helpful a few basic tools can be in creating your dream garden. And speaking of tools and other essentials, you won’t want to miss this garden apron tutorial.

    Other Garden Inspiration

    Interested in our other garden content? You might want to check out this garden transformation we did with Troy Bilt! Honestly, the before photos are unrecognizable. Also see this post, where we compiled the inspiration for our new house! And last year, we did a roundup of planters and pots for you to peruse. And don’t forget our shop! Inspire yourself with floral and garden-centric art like this or this.

    Lars’ Gardening Essentials

    And for your convenience, here are some other Lars’ gardening essentials. From gloves to planters, you’ll be set for spring with a variety of tools. Whether you’ve got a pumpkin patch in your backyard, a few pots on your front porch, or some herbs on your windowsill, there’s something for every gardener (or wannabe) out there!

    Ukrainian Paper Sunflower

    Brittany
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    0
    Ukrainian Paper Sunflower

    Ukrainian Sunflowers

    The sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. This beautiful flower has a long history with Ukraine, it turns out! Aside from sunflower seeds being a popular snack, Ukraine and Russia are some of the world’s largest suppliers of sunflower oil. Then there’s its historic message of peace, like in 1996 when it was used to celebrate Ukraine giving up nuclear weapons. Currently, as well, it’s become a bright beacon of hope and peace amidst all the turmoil and we want to do our best to show support. It seemed only fitting to make a Ukrainian paper sunflower in honor of the Ukrainian people. If you’re interested, click here to read the full article about Ukraine’s history with sunflowers.

    Ukrainian Paper Sunflower

    Here’s how to make your own Ukrainian paper sunflower:

    Prepping the Paper

    1. First, download the paper sunflower template found here.
    2. Next, cut out the template pieces in crepe paper. We used about 30 yellow petals, 7 green back pieces, and between 2 and 4 green leaves of varying sizes per flower.
    3. Cut each side of the leaves separately. Make sure to cut out the leaves so the grain of the crepe paper angles up slightly on each side (like the veins on the leaves).

    Making the Center

    1. To make the center of your paper sunflower, cut some long strips of crepe paper that are roughly 1″ wide. We used green, pale yellow, and orange.
    2. Cut slits in the strips to make a fringe.
    3. Securing with hot glue, wrap the fringe tightly around the top of a piece of floral wire. Make sure the wire is thick enough to hold the weight of the heavy sunflower blossom. Start with green, then move to yellow, then orange.
    4. Continue wrapping and gluing the fringe until it’s as thick as you’d like. Also, make sure the orange layer is set a bit higher than the rest.
    5. When the center is as thick as you’d like, fluff the orange fringe so it splays out a bit.
    6. Now, gently paint a gradient of green to yellow on the center you just made. See step photos for reference. Alternate option: You can use black or brown for the center, too, if you’d like! The center of most sunflowers varies in color.

    Assembling the Sunflower

    Now you’re ready to add the petals and back greenery to your paper sunflower!

    1. Gently shape the petals (see step photos for reference), then glue one around the center. We spaced them roughly 1/4-1/2″ apart.
    2. Next, add in a second row, this time staggering the petals behind the first row.
    3. Now you can add the back pieces. For this, shape the green pieces according to the step photos, then hot glue them around the stem. They should fan evenly around the back.

    Leaves and Stem

    The last steps of your paper sunflower are the leaves and stem!

    1. For the stem, cut a piece of crepe paper that’s roughly the length of your wire piece and 2-3″ wide, depending on how big your sunflower is.
    2. Securing with hot glue, wrap the crepe paper strip around the wire stem to thicken it.
    3. Next, start at the top just overlapping the back greenery of the sunflower. Wind floral tape all the way down to cover up the crepe paper.
    4. For the leaves, glue the two sides together, making sure the grain angles up slightly on each side to mimic the leaves’ veins.
    5. Now flip the leaves over and hot glue a thin piece of floral wire to the back. Make sure the floral wire extends a few inches past the stem of the leaves. Once the hot glue is dry, you can shape the leaves however you’d like.
    6. To attach the leaves to the stem, simply wrap floral tape around the wire.

    Styling Your Paper Sunflowers

    We varied the length of our sunflower stems, then arranged them in a pretty vase. We love how they turned out! They would make a bright addition to any room. Set them on a table, counter, mantlepiece, or side table. We also think they’d be a lovely accent for a bathroom or home office.

     

    More Ways to Support Ukraine

    We’re trying to do our part to support Ukraine. One way is through our shop! We currently have three art pieces in our shop made specifically to support Ukraine. We’re donating all the profits to the Ukrainian war effort. Special thanks to Amanda Jane Jones, who donated this print. Another special thanks to Nathalie Lètè, who donated this one and this one.

    More Inspiration

    Loved this paper sunflower tutorial and want more paper flower tutorials? Step right this way. We recently came out with this paper orchid tutorial we think you’ll love. Also, try our DIY Paper Hollyhocks, or these Poppies, Peonies, and Posies. Have a spring or summer wedding coming up? Here, here and here are some beautiful bouquets to choose from. You can also check out this holiday flower roundup if you’re interested!

     

     

    Our new closet system

    Brittany
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    3
    Our new closet system

    Closet Design

    Once again, I worked with my friend, interior designer Meta Coleman, on the main closet system. The closet is an extension of the bathroom so it was important that they flow well together, but they didn’t have to match exactly. That’s how I roll, flows but not too perfect. Perfection is boring!

    The closet is a walk in, but not too big so it just needed a bit of paint, a rug, and a chandelier, but you can make a big impact with just those things. But first, the before pictures.

    Before pictures of our closet system

    As you can see, the room was totally fine. Basic storage with those long shelves, rods. Basic. It was going to serve the function well. Meta came in with the idea to draw from the colors of the bathroom. I wanted a pink peach because I had read somewhere that Jackie O always painted her bathrooms a peach to reflect well on her skin. close up of beekman light fixtures.

    Trying out paint colors for the closet

    Meta tried out a number of pinks and we held them up in different lighting. we tried it on a foam board and then directly on the walls themselves.

    Meta is so good with color that a lot of them are custom colors that she came up with. She also picked out a perfect refreshing green for the window trim. I love it. and it looks so good with the wallpaper from the bathroom.

    I got to painting the closet walls the pink and the shelves the green and love how it looked. This was taken at night so the lighting is funky, but hopefully you can get it.

    Change of plans

    But then, Modular Closets reached out and asked if we wanted to work together on a closet and I said “STOP EVERYTHING!” and stop is just what we did. They make customizable closet solutions. They even have a design system that you can use yourself to pick out what you want and I spent a good deal of time coming up with different solutions. It was right before I gave birth so I was in a frenzied nesting mode!

    We immediately tore out the existing shelving.

    Repairing the walls

    We ripped out the shelves to prep for it and had to repair the dry wall that was removed. I had hired someone to install it thinking it was outside of my skill level, but then we got COVID in July and after so much time staying indoors I got desperate and spent my nights putting them pieces together and putting them up MYSELF! Paul held them in place, but I did everything else and honestly, I feel like I can do any home improvement project. It’s absolutely not true but try and stop me!  tole chandelier

    white system for closet

    Types of closet space for our closet system

    When evaluating what type of storage we needed I jotted down what I owned and what I anticipated owning. I wear only dresses so I asked for mostly full length units. I also don’t want to have a dresser in my room so I wanted some drawers so I can put everything away. Modular Closets came up with some different arrangements for me and the process was great. There was one small thing they didn’t send and after a short chat with customer service they sent it right over. Such a breeze!

    And voila!

    white closet system

    Hardware for my closet system

    The Modular Closets system came with gold hardware, but I wanted to try something different. As you can tell by the photos, I’m still trying to think of what that might be. I’m thinking acrylic maybe…Any ideas for me?

    Additional Storage

    I don’t love the look of plastic so I got all rattan and grass baskets. Here are some of the exact ones I got:

    How I use the closet

    I’m not the best at creating systems, but I have found a few things have worked for me:

    1. The dresses I wear on repeat I change out by season and place the closest. Those are the ones I grab first.
    2. The closet came with the ability to do washer/dryer hook up. I thought I would want to use as much of the closet as I possibly could so I didn’t even consider the option, but now seeing how much we go up and down and up and down to the laundry room, I’m kind of wanting to put it in. Anyone have any thoughts about this? hook up for washer dryer
    3. I added in my own shoe rack that I already owned onto the floor for additional storage and it’s working great.shoe rack
    4. I tied my scarves to one of the rods since I don’t really use the short hanging units.
    5. On the middle shelf featured here, I put jewelry in those boxes. I’m thinking of doing a DIY where I paint or wallpaper some basic wood boxes instead, but I have these for now.
    6. The more wood baskets hold travel bags, hats, and more hats.

    Toleware Chandelier

    I’ve always LOVED toleware because I’m a floral fiend and I thought a toleware chandelier in this space would be the perfect amount. I love it! It’s so cute! I found mine on Etsy here but there are a lot out there.

    If you’re looking to do the same thing, try and find something in the US if possible. Because I bought it from Europe, I had to get it rewired for the states, which was an additional $100.

    Art

    rosette and leslie duke painting

    I bought this teeny tiny oil painting from one of my favorite painters, Leslie Duke ages ago and found the perfect home for it in the closet. Meta paired it with this gorgeous handmade rosette from Australian artist, Leila Sanderson of Skinny Wolf who makes the most incredible work. It’s honestly exquisite.

    Green checkerboard rug

    I was pretty ecstatic that this green checkerboard rug was so perfect for the space. I ordered a custom size on Etsy and was surprised with how easy and spot on it was. I ordered a 3×7″ and it came out a big larger but that was great for the space so it’s a win. I love having something so plushy on top of the hardwood Stuga floor because it feels so luxe.

    pink ottoman in closet

    The ottoman was a quick and convenient find from At Home that I didn’t think we’d keep, but I kind of love having something in there.

    colorful pink dresses

    Shoe Rack

    This project made me realize that shoes kind of aren’t my thing. I like shoes, but I’ll always buy a piece of clothing over shoes any day.

    I didn’t realize how much a closet with a system would impact the use and efficiency of the space but it really did. You can fit more in and spot things quicker when they’re prominently displayed. I’m such a scatterbrain that it’s helped immensely. I really want to do it to all of our closets now!

    Ok! That’s it! I’d love to hear your thoughts about our main closet. You can also read more about it on Domino.com.

    And if you’re interested in seeing more of our space:

    Check out the house tour here

    Main Bathroom reveal

    My rainbow office 

    Kid’s Toys: Lars Shop Highlight

    Brittany
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    0
    Kid’s Toys: Lars Shop Highlight

    What is Eeboo?

    We couldn’t tell you about our Eeboo kid’s toys without introducing the company’s incredible background. First of all, women and mothers run this company. I mean, who knows kid’s toys better than mothers? I love how thoughtful these toys are. They make board games, watercolor sets, puzzles, and so much more. (You can find them here!) It just goes to show how the experience of being a mother influences their ability to understand children’s brains and what they need. And need I mention that they have the awards (Oppenheim best toy awards and honors) to prove it?

    kid's toys

    kid's toys

    Encouraging development in children

    One amazing aspect of Eeboo as a company is their focus on developmental learning in kid’s toys. They help kids develop skills like literacy, storytelling, drawing, imaginative play, and basic math. I mean, could I be more impressed? Kid’s toys that help their development while also helping them have fun? I can say from experience that it can definitely be a challenge to get kids to want to settle down when they’re feeling wild. And you can forget concentrating on learning things like math. So to have kid’s toys that are fun, interactive, and help make learning fun is a dream come true.

    kid's toys

    Screen-free

    At Eeboo, the goal with their kid’s toys is to integrate learning and play in a screen-free way. This is so important (and need I say refreshing?) when we all have screens coming out our ears! It’s hard to get away, and these kid’s toys are a really beautiful way to succeed at it.

    Commissioned illustrators

    They also commission all their artwork from well-known and well-loved illustrators. It shows, too! The illustrations make their kid’s toys feel so fresh and original–artwork straight from the source. And friends, these illustrations are beautiful. They are delicate, detailed, and full of personality. Need I add that they are colorful and bright? They’re just what every child needs to stay interested and engaged.

    Look at the illustrations on these watercolors and paper! Incredible, right? They’d make the perfect gift for a rainy afternoon to get those creative juices flowing.

    kid's toyskid's toys

    Care and dedication

    I’d have to say one of my favorite things about these Eeboo kid’s toys is the care and dedication they give to their customers. They even have a booklet that talks about their values and priorities. I mean, come on! They go to great efforts to be sustainable, respect diversity, value design, and so much more.

    I just keep dreaming about the things I would have done if I’d had these toys as a kid. I love how these building blocks promote creativity and imaginative play, for instance.

    kid's toys

    If you haven’t caught on by now, I am in love with these kid’s toys and can’t wait for Jasper (and eventually Felix) to start playing with them! Click here to get to our whole Eeboo shop collection. If you also fell in love while reading this, you’ll probably also love these other favorites: Kid’s art kit, Op art paper mobile, Thanksgiving coloring placemats, and quilted dog book plate.

    Lars’ DIY Geometric 3D Wainscoting

    Brittany
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    6
    Lars’ DIY Geometric 3D Wainscoting

    The inspiration for my DIY wainscoting came from a picture that my friend, interior designer, Meta Coleman, saw of a door frame in Paris. You can see it in the collage below (bottom right). She presented the idea to me in her mood board below: and though I didn’t totally get it at first, I never saw no to Meta. I say yes and then I figure it out!

    You can DIY wainscoting, too!

    Look. I know that any time a room remodel starts means bringing out the power tools a lot of you probably sigh and put the project on the shelf. DIY wainscoting is pretty involved, and it can seem overwhelming! Fear not, though, because I’m here to show you that it’s actually totally doable.

    Interior shot of a bathroom with a dark emerald green vanity and red floral wallpaper. There are flowers on the vanity countertop, brass knobs and fixtures, and a blue custom wainscoting.

    The first step in our remodel was the flooring, which we got from Stuga Studios. I mention it here because it made a HUGE difference in our space, which was truly unfinished. Being able to walk through your house without shoes on makes a big, big difference!

    Things got really exciting after the floor was installed and it was time to take care of the walls. I knew from Meta’s original design that I wanted the bottom half of the walls to be a light blue color to offset and cool down the red Josef Frank wallpaper that would cover the rest of the walls. So one night I just started painting!

    Photo of an interior with wooden floors. The walls are mostly white, but there's some blue paint around the trim and the bottom half of the walls.

    The circle/square pattern

    One of the trickiest parts of my DIY wainscoting installation was mapping out exactly how tall I wanted the chair rail to be, how I would fit the wooden cutouts, and where I needed to cut some of them down to size. I taped up paper diamonds and circles to figure out the wainscoting height as well as distance between columns.

    I highly recommend making paper mockups whenever you do a DIY like this, because they’re so easy to adjust and tweak. I tried a few variations: each column with the same pattern and then switched it around so every other one was the same. I tried an ABA pattern as well as an ABBA pattern and decided to go with every other row being the same and starting at a different point.

    I also had to play around with how big each one would be and how many shapes I would need. All of them were made from maple plywood 1/4″ thick. The circle was 3.5″ in diameter, but the square had to be slightly smaller at 3″. I worked with Zach at Laser Lingo and he was wonderful. He even gave me a 20% discount for ordering so many. The circles were a ready made product he already had here. It came out to about $200 for the shapes.

    How many do I need?

    First, I had to figure out about how many columns I would have in the room. I spaced them out every 9″ and drew a line. I figured out how many squares/circles each column would have and multiplied that by the amount of columns and then added 10% more to make sure I had enough.

    Figuring out the height

    First, I placed the shapes at the bottom of the baseboards and realized that they would look better if they were cut in half at both the top and the bottom. Chair rails feel best when they are about 1/3 from the bottom so that’s what we were aiming for, but we also had to take into account where the shapes were going to end. We took into consideration the width of the chair rail too, so we stopped the pattern at around 32″ and then the chair rail took up another few inches leave it at around 34″ ish.

    Paper mockup of DIY wainscoting on a white and blue wall.

    Trim and finish painting

    Once I decided on a height, it was time to install all the trim and finish painting. Don’t you love the feeling of a space progressing with every step? I remember walking into the bathroom once it was painted and breathing a sigh of relief. It was coming together!

    Interior shot of a room with wooden floors and blue and white walls.Interior shot of a room with wooden floors and blue and white walls.

    Prepping the squares and circles for paint

    You will paint the squares and circles before applying them to the wall. My painter, who is the absolute best, took him the squares and circles, sanded them, sprayed them lightly from 4 different angles with an airless gun (you can rent them for cheap!) two different times. He placed them on plywood to spray them. He said it’s all about the prep! We had 280 pieces total so it was a bit of a process.

    A hand reaches into frame from the left and holds up blue painted cutouts against a blue and white wall.

    Applying the squares and circles to the wall

    After painting and verifying my design, it was time to start the installation. We had a great team installing molding and trim to the exactly correct height. Then came the fun part: gluing up the wooden cutouts!

    How to do a DIY geometric 3D wainscoting

    Materials:

      • Standard construction adhesive (He used Liquid Nails)
      • pencil
      • ruler/measuring tape
      • circles and squares (I got mine custom sized from this Etsy seller)

    Instructions:

    • Draw a straight line on the wall of where you will be installing the squares/circles. Make sure it’s level and perfectly straight.
    • Use standard construction adhesive (he used Liquid Nails) like 3-4 dabs per square/circle. You don’t need too much of it. The squares are easy to affix because we placed them on each points like a diamond so we could align them perfectly. The circles were eyeballed.
    • He used a saw to cut off the bottoms prior to painting so that the ends were nicely finished.

    Interior shot of a bathroom with wooden floors and blue and white walls. There's blue-painted trim at waist-height around the room, and some boards and materials are cluttered in the corner and under a window.Two workmen glue up wooden cutouts as a custom DIY wainscoting.DIY custom wainscoting installed in a blue and white room.DIY custom wainscoting installed in a blue and white room.

    Because I knew that I’d be installing wallpaper after we finished the DIY wainscoting, I didn’t worry about any paint that reached above the waist-level wainscoting. It all got covered up once we wallpapered!

    Interior shot of a room with red floral wallpaper and blue custom wainscoting.

    Why Custom Design

    I know that some of you are wondering why I insisted on installing my own custom wainscoting design instead of using a pre-made one. It certainly would have been easier! But I love living in a space that I designed myself. There’s just something about seeing something develop from the very beginning and tweaking it along the way so that it’s just right. Having Meta’s help was also very encouraging, because she has such a talent for making a space really reflects its occupant. I knew that with her help, we could make my custom DIY wainscoting dreams a reality.

    Interior shot of a bathroom with a dark emerald green vanity and red floral wallpaper. There are flowers on the vanity countertop, brass knobs and fixtures, and a blue custom wainscoting.Interior shot of a custom painted cupboard and blue DIY wainscoting in a red floral bathroom.Horizontal interior shot of a bathroom with red floral wallpaper, a green vanity with brass knobs, and blue diy wainscoting.

    More Bathroom Remodel Inspo

    Remodeling the bathroom took a lot of time and turned out to be a lot of steps. You can read more about everything that came together for our remodel here, so even if you aren’t ready to install DIY wainscoting there’s lots of bathroom inspo for you on the blog!

    Wallpaper from Svenskt Tenn

    My Bathroom Remodel Reveal

    Brittany
    -
    7
    My Bathroom Remodel Reveal

    The road to our bathroom remodel was long and winding, and part of that is because Paul and I have such different sensibilities when it comes to style and design! If he had his way, we’d live in a sleek warehouse with Brutalistic concrete floors. Ha! So you can imagine that we had lots of negotiations and conversations during our ideation faze, which ultimately led to “do whatever you want”. I will, thank you very much 😉

    the top of a painted armoire against a red floral wallpaper background. On top of the armoire is a sculptural duck, a candle and candlestick, a paper money plant, and some cute odds and ends.

    I get by with a lot of help from my friend, Meta Coleman

    Interior shot of a colorful, eclectic dining room with red chairs, wallpaper and blue wainscoting, a green cabinet, and plants.
    Hannah Carpenter home by Meta Coleman

    I would be sadly remiss if I didn’t start out by singing the praises of my friend and designer, Meta Coleman. Meta is a rockstar designer who’s work is like actual magic. I’m convinced that she knows everything there is to know about interior design because she eats, drinks, and breathes it, and I’m the luckiest to be able to work with her and be her friend. Having Meta at the helm of this bathroom remodel made everything possible. Read more about Meta being my dream designer!

    Meta’s process begins with really getting to know the people who live in the space she’s designing, which is part of what makes her work so immaculate. You can see this part of Meta’s designing process through this video of Paul and me talking about our history and design preferences. I really respect how thorough of a designer Meta is, because even though she already knew me and knew my style, she checked in to get really clear on my vision.

    Four children lounging and laughing on a green bed with a striped quilt. One is holding a dog and there's a window behind them.
    Hannah Carpenter home by Meta Coleman

    Then, with my style clearly in mind, Meta brought in so much magic! I was astounded by the way that she totally understood my taste, then surprised and stretched me through her design. All I can say is that I’m super lucky to be close friends with such an amazing interior designer! I highly recommend it.

    It’s also thanks to Meta’s incredible interior design that our bathroom was featured in Domino Magazine, which is such a fun honor. Get to know Meta a little bit better through her Becoming interview, check out her website, and definitely follow her on Instagram @MetaColeman_ to keep up with her work.

    Our Big Bathroom Remodel

    Like I mentioned, our bathroom started out rough. It was a total bare-bones cavern! I mean, look at this:

    a blank, unfinished room with sheetrock walls and a dusty subfloor. There's a doorway that leads to a dark, grey space in the imagea blank, unfinished room with sheetrock walls and a dusty subfloor. There's a doorway that leads to another unfinished space in the image. One of the walls has mysterious plumbing coming out of it.a blank, unfinished room with sheetrock walls and a dusty subfloor. There's a doorway that leads to another unfinished space in the image. One of the walls has mysterious plumbing coming out of it.

    Depressing, right?

    With Meta’s help, we came up with a mood board that both Paul and I loved. As you’ll see, the final design departed just a bit from the mood board while still very much holding on to the essential spirit of Meta’s original design.

    moodboard mock up of the bathroom, including red floral wallpaper, a green vanity, our towels and paint colors, and lighting.

    I’m a big believer in starting out with a great mood board. It makes everything so much easier and provides an invaluable frame of reference for later, when you’re in the middle of building your design and feel stuck. Check out this tutorial on making mood boards!

    Stuga Studio

    The very first step was to install flooring, and we fell in love with this amazing wood floor from Stuga Studio. The color we chose is called Tivoli, and it’s perfect–warm but not too yellow. It’s such lovely, high-quality wood, and it has so much personality. We installed it throughout pretty much the whole house, and instantly felt so relieved about our plans to totally update a blank slate fixer-upper. Check out this post to read more about the flooring.

    Vertical image of the bathroom. There's warm wooden flooring being laid over light blue plastic sheeting.process photos of Stuga flooring installation

    Signature Hardware

    Early on in the design process, I got this gorgeous vanity from Signature Hardware. I knew that I wanted an accent piece of furniture, but I didn’t have an overarching design planned out yet, so it was a tricky choice. Still, I had a deadline, so I went for a strong color that also serves as a neutral–the Olsen vanity in a deep emerald green. The green vanity informed lots of the remaining design choices for the bathroom remodel.

    I’m so glad I went with the green! I’m a strong believer that green can count as a neutral color in design, and this bathroom is a strong example of that: it grounds the rest of the colors, which is what neutrals do best.

    As you can see, I put the vanity to use long before things were finished or ready. Just keeping it real!

    Emerald green vanity with clutter around and on it. The walls are mostly painted white, but are very unfinished.

    Closeup shot of an emerald green vanity.

    I also got a beautiful wooden hutch from Signature Hardware. It had an unfinished surface, so I wanted to do something to customize it and came up with a Swedish Wedding Cabinet as inspiration.

    Antique swedish wedding cabinet

    So beautiful, right?? I love the intricate floral designs and I think that cabinets make such perfect heirlooms (sturdy and useful? Check and check), so I decided to paint my wooden hutch with flowers. Stay tuned to learn more about that process in a future post!

    A painted cupboard. It is burgundy with green, mustard, and white accents.

    Signature Hardware also has beautiful towel racks and wall hooks, which are so important for a bathroom remodel. I installed the Vintage Towel Bar and the Vintage Towel Ring in brushed gold, and they land at the perfect intersection between simple and refined.

    A yellow striped towel hanging on a brass towel rack.A yellow striped hand towel hangs on a brass ring on the wall. The out-of-focus silhouette of flowers in a vase shades some of the image.Close up of a brass towel ring. A yellow and white striped hand towel hangs from it, and there's red floral wallpaper in the back.

    To complete the set, I also got the Vintage Robe Hooks in brushed gold.

    A pink and blue batik-patterned bathrobe hanging on a brushed gold hook in a bathroom. You can see a doorway and a red, floral bathroom on the side of the image.

    For the faucets I used New York Widespread faucets in polished brass from Signature Hardware. I’m a big fan of ceramic knobs, so I switched those in for the brass knobs to feel super classic.

    gold faucet on a marble countertop. The handles are ceramic.Brushed brass faucets on a marble countertop with a periwinkle vase of flowers. There's red floral wallpaper in the background.Brushed brass faucets on a marble countertop with a periwinkle vase of flowers. There's red floral wallpaper in the background.

    The Walls

    Apart from all the technical things (like flooring, plumbing, and electricity), the custom DIY wainscoting was a big part of the remodel. Meta presented the concept to me after seeing a photo of it on a door frame in Paris. She directed me to how to make it happen and then I was off to figure it out. I bought square and circular wooden cutouts, painted them in a soft, light, blue, and attached them to wall’s bottom third. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, the workmen we hired to paint and install trim didn’t think so. Haha! You should have seen their faces when I explained my plan! Thankfully they warmed up to the idea.

    The wallpaper came next, and at that point things started getting really exciting. It turns out that having finished walls makes a huge difference! Ha! At this point we started shooting some projects in the bathroom. Some of our eagle-eyed readers may have caught onto a few bathroom remodel teasers in the backgrounds of some past projects. For example, you can see some wallpaper and wainscoting behind these paper pansies.

    Paper pansies on a windowsill. There's a white lacy curtain next to them, and red floral wallpaper on the other.Paper pansies in a distressed terracotta planter. They're placed on a stack of colorful books on a chair. In the background, you can see some red floral wallpaper and blue wainscoting.

    I also couldn’t resist shooting these paper hollyhocks between the sinks, so you can see the countertop, wallpaper, and some of the mirrors in this picture.

    paper hollyhocks on a bathroom counter among ceramic odds and ends with a mirror and red floral wallpaper in the background.

    Hudson Valley Lighting

    Meta selected these light fixtures from Hudson Valley Lighting and I loved the classic feel. For the wall sconces she picked out the Beekman lamps in aged brass, and on the ceiling I got the Flare flush mount light fixture in aged brass. The shower and toilet are in their own separate little space, but I got the Ainsley flush mount in aged brass for that room. The art deco details around the edges elevate it without being too gaudy.

    close up of beekman light fixtures.beekman light fixtures above a two-toned mirror.beekman light fixtures against floral red wallpaper.Interior shot of a bathroom. There's red floral wallpaper and framed art prints on the walls, blue textured wainscoting and trim, wooden floors, yellow window treatments, and eclectic styling.Ainsley flush mount light on the ceiling.

    Adding Finishing Touches

    After we got all the main pieces installed, it was time to style the bathroom. Meta Coleman came back to lend a hand, and I truly love the way she put my bathroom together.

    The mirrors are custom made by Meta, and I love the way the two-tone glass reflects such warm, glowing light around the room. She used this two toned mirror technique on her own bathroom and generously gave me the remains. We tried a few different shapes included a wavy design and a flower, but ultimately, I wanted to keep it a simple oval.

    Interior shot of a bathroom with a dark emerald green vanity and red floral wallpaper. There are flowers on the vanity countertop, brass knobs and fixtures, and a blue custom wainscoting.

    Meta also custom made my curtains using Soane fabric. I love the mustard color, and the fabric’s pattern reminds me so much of Matisse’s paper cutouts.

    Meta installs the curtains over the window. Meta's silhouette is outlined against a glowing yellow and white curtain.

    Our Full Bathroom Remodel Reveal

    Whew! So many things came together for this bathroom remodel, and it was seriously so much work. I’m so grateful for Meta’s help all along the way! I truly couldn’t have done it without her.

    Shot of a green bench in a red wallpapered bathroom. There's also a blue wainscoting at the bottom and a green painting on the wall.Interior shot of a bathroom with a dark emerald green vanity and red floral wallpaper. There are flowers on the vanity countertop, brass knobs and fixtures, and a blue custom wainscoting.Interior shot of a bathroom with a dark emerald green vanity and red floral wallpaper. There are flowers on the vanity countertop,and brass knobs and fixtures.Interior shot of a bathroom with a dark emerald green vanity and red floral wallpaper. There are flowers on the vanity countertop, brass knobs and fixtures, and a blue custom wainscoting.A brass faucet with white ceramic knobs on a white marble countertop. The wallpaper behind it is red and floral.Interior shot of a bathroom with a dark emerald green vanity and red floral wallpaper. There are flowers on the vanity countertop, brass knobs and fixtures, and brown wicker baskets under the vanity.Brushed brass faucets on a marble countertop with a periwinkle vase of flowers. There's red floral wallpaper in the background.Brushed brass faucets on a marble countertop with a periwinkle vase of flowers. There's red floral wallpaper in the background.A yellow striped hand towel hangs on a brass ring on the wall. The out-of-focus silhouette of flowers in a vase shades some of the image.Interior shot of a bathroom with a dark emerald green vanity and red floral wallpaper. There are flowers on the vanity countertop, along with beautifully curated knick knacks.

    I have a closet attached to my bathroom, and I updated that, too! I’ve included a few sneak peeks in this post, but you can stay tuned to see more of it soon. 😉

    Interior shot of the red wallpapered bathroom from inside a pink and green painted closet.

    More Remodel Inspiration

    For an overview on our renovations so far, read about everything we did to our house in the first year of owning it. You can also check out our tiled bathroom progress and our kitchen remodel update.

    Would love to hear what you think! Let me know in the comments!

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