Powder Blues

A few weeks ago, a friend asked for help. Here is what she had and needed:

• She has a builder basic powder bathroom. Her floor tile, toilet, vanity, and sink are all in good shape. 
• She wants to add color and style in the room without going overboard.
• She has a budget of $500. 

Her biggest challenge was knowing what were the best things
 to change out to give her the most wow. 

Check my old post about fabulous powder rooms! 

Her Powder Bathroom:

Nothing wrong here, just boring. Needs a punch of color and style!

Challenge excepted! 

Tips for a In-Expensive Powder Bath Renovation

• Keep toilet and sink, if possible. Those tend to jump the price up if you are changing them. If you don't like the color of the vanity, paint it! 
• Unless the floor is damaged or hideous, don't change it! Most of the time, you can add a great rug that adds color and pattern to the room and will cover up most of the tile anyway!
• Go for punch! The wall that you see when you walk in the room should be where you put your focus for the redo! Make that wall be your statement!
• If you have brass fixtures, updating the faucet will completely transform and update the room. 

      S's Bath Budget

• Mirror         $ 125
• Rug            $ 100
• Paint          $  50   
• Art             $  50 
• Light          $ 100
• Accessories $   75

    Total               $500
 

Here's the design that I created for her to go by as she shops. 

Wall and Trim Color: 
$75 (extra because of the color- you need more coats 
of paint the darker the color.)
Emerald Green with A Soft Cream Ceiling Color.

Light Fixture: $75
This is a great light because it picks up the movement of the vanity, mirror, and rug while also picking up the straight lines of the sink bowl. 

 Mirror: $120
A mirror with some curves will match the vanity and 
add some movement to the square room.

4x6  Rug:$115

Art: CREATE YOUR OWN
Use children's artwork and frame like this. 

 

 Accessories:

Towel Ring: $34

Soap Dispenser $24

Waste Basket $36

Can't wait to see everything in place and for a grand total of:
$509. 
We went SLIGHTLY over budget because S added matting to her artwork- 
but it will be well worth it!



DIY TIPS

• Have a basic clipped mirror? For VERY Cheap (like less than $30) you can make a frame and paint it what ever color you want it!  Check out how Young House Love made theirs recently!

•  Have a basic cabinet? Two things to make it totally custom- 

1. Check out local granite shops. You can get remnants for very little money! They can cut the edges and sink hole for a small fee. You can even see what bowls they carry and get them to undermount the bowl for a completely up-to-date look. 
2. If you like the cabinet, but not the color you can paint or re-stain it. It's not as scary as it sounds. If you are unsure of your painting skills, check out youtube. There are plenty of videos on how to paint furniture (and walls for that matter!)

•  Art- I love personal things in a powder room. Have kids (or you can do it to) paint all over a piece of paper. Find your favorite view of the paper and cut it to size. Buy hanging picture frames and place your art in it. Hang it on the walls and you have a painting that is all about you and is completely custom (and cheap!)

•  Don't want to buy another vanity light? You can buy new globes for the lights at places like Home Depot and Lowes. For little money, you can get a new look and don't have to hire an electrician for it!

Thumped In the Forehead

This is not a design post. Sorry. This is something that has been 
weighing on me for a while and this past week I was given a revelation.
 I want to share with all the Moms out there. 
I know I'm not alone. 

Being a mom is the most wonderful thing that I have ever done. 

Is it hard? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. 

I remember my mom telling me that once you have a child, you are constantly thinking about them. I didn't understand that until now. I catch myself thinking about his little smile, 
his little prankster moves, the way he loves his books-- 
I could go on and on forever. 

I am also constantly thinking "Is he eating the healthiest foods, has he eaten enough/too much?", "Does he have enough diapers/wipes" "Is his runny nose a cold or just a product of daycare" "Does he get enough parent time"...you get the picture. 

I worry. 

I have never been a worrier before. This is a new characteristic 

brought on by motherhood. It keeps my mind spinning at night 

and going 5 directions at once during the day. 

My biggest worry for some time basically sums it all up:

"Am I being the Best Mama that I can Be? What Can I Do Better?"

This week at Bible study was one of those times where the Bible verses jumped off the page and dug deep into my heart. It was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. The discussion that followed thumped me on my forehead. While all of my worries are important, there is something much more pressing than that. 

Deuteronomy 6: 4-9

⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.


Deuteronomy 4:9 
⁹ “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children— 

In God's Eyes, what makes a great mom? 

 To teach our Children to love him as we do.

How do you do that?

1. Lead By Example. If you love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength, then his love will radiate from you. For example, on a person's wedding day- they are so happy and giddy that they glow. How great would it be to be so in love with God that we were always happy and giddy and glowing? 

2. Make it personal. Kids love superheroes. They love excitement. Let them know how God has been YOUR superhero and how he has worked in your life. 

3. Be open. Once your children see how much God is apart of your life, they will want to know more and more and more. They will begin to seek him as a friend and you can help guide them through their journey to Christ. Be open to questions and learning moments, they might come at the most unpredictable times but use them to teach the Glory of God to your children. 

 This was a great night for me. I feel so empowered with these ideas and am excited about sharing God with Brodie and our future children so that they can love the Lord with all their heart, mind, and strength.

Do you have any great verses that help you stay strong as a Mom? I would love for you to share them!

Have a design question?

Lately, I have had several friends ask for design advice.

 I will be posting a few of these questions in the coming weeks.

If you have any design questions, please email me at WBrockInteriors@gmail.com 
or Find me on Facebook at 
https://www.facebook.com/WBrockInteriors

and I will feature your question on an upcoming blog!

Drifting Away

Man at the rain! 

All this rain and flooding has me thinking about buying a boat and sailing away. I think I could survive on one of these gorgeous yachts. 

 

Could you?

A Horse of a Confession

Since we moved in our house, I admit that I have had art phobia. I don't know why. 

This past Christmas, we got a beautiful dining room table and chairs. This room is starting to come together and I love where it is going. I have an idea of what I want to do for art in there, but I can't find it.

I have the Goldilocks syndrome. This one is too SMALL. This one is too BIG. 

I haven't found the "JUST RIGHT" one yet. 

What am I looking for? 

HORSES!

I have decided that I want to commission someone to paint a horse similar to these photographs above. 

Here's What I Want:

-40 x 40 or so image- canvas or paper

-High contrast with little introduction of color. 

-Strong, masculine horse with beautiful mane.

If you know of anyone that could help me with this project, please let me know!

Have a great weekend!

And Moving Forward

This time of year always makes me a little sad. Taking down the Christmas decorations means the end of the year has come and gone. I begin to reminisce of the past year and what all has happened. This year has been a journey for me: emotionally, spiritually, professionally, etc... I feel like this year I have turned into a "grown-up" although I have been married and "old" for over 3 years now. 

One thing that helps me not get so down about the ending of a great year is to plan my goals for next year.

 I had planned to do a professional goals as well, but just haven't had that heart to heart with myself about where I want to go in 2013. 

I would love to hear your goals for 2013!