HERE WE GO. Welcome to 2023 and with it some natural shifts around here. After much debate, I’ve decided to bring you along the process of fixing some mistakes and showing you rooms that aren’t ready for their birthday party but are pretty darn close. I wanted to wait to show you the kids’ bath when it was fixed, perfect, etc – but things are taking longer than I had intended and I’m wanting to shift the blog this year (now that I have a wonderful team up here to help me) and really bringing you in on every part of the process – not just construction and reveal. That should have always been the intent but this last year, transitioning the company and my family up here, I was so underwater renovating that I couldn’t physically do more than 1-2 blog posts a week, without a team to help. And honestly, it was just such a construction zone for so long that it was really hard to understand what was happening visually. That’s all to say that with my small and mighty team up here and in LA, and my willingness to show you my mistakes/regrets/changes, we’ll be doing more quick process posts in hopes that you’ll still come back for the final reveal. Can I get a collective pinky swear?? Ok great. Here we go…
Where Is The Kids’ Bath?
The kids’ bath is on the second floor, exactly where it was originally (I think it was the original primary bath) and with almost the same footprint (it was a good layout and we attempted to save some money here by not moving the plumbing).
Before – The Mid-90s Renovation
This was the only bathroom that felt like we could leave as-is (beyond updating paint and light fixtures) and we almost did. Now, this bathroom wasn’t original to the house, it was redone in the 90s in a really sweet way and now that it’s almost 35 years ago, it was pretty run down. Once ARCIFORM came over they were concerned about how it was remodeled and pointed out a lot of oddities/flaws. They advised us that we would ultimately be bummed that this bathroom was left as-is, while the rest of the house was a more fresh, high-quality remodel. I’m obviously so glad now that we made that call. Had this been a “doing this over time” situation we would have kept it and waited til the end, but this was more of an “all at once” renovation which is more painful at the time, which obviously means less long-term construction. Had the house been more livable downstairs and not needed full electrical and asbestos/mold removed everywhere we would have done that – I’m only saying that so that you have full information in case you are in that predicament. Slower is better – over time is the wise way to do it if you can. But often you can’t.
I do kinda miss that toilet (although I love our new one and I don’t think I’ve ever said that before). All the plumbing, lighting, and medicine cabinets were given to the ReBuilding Center and sold to those remodeling on a budget. Now that I’m looking at these “before” photos I’m hoping that we have the train rack shelf thing (below) in the garage as it will work so well in the guest bath!!
So yes, it was all demoed out and new plumbing and electrical were done (in the same location. Then we added drywall, tile, and our beautiful new fixtures. It wasn’t quite the snap of your fingers that I’m suggesting and you can read about the design process HERE. And if you want to see a quick video update check it out here! (just wait for the ad to play…THANK YOU!)
Where We Are Today
I love so much about it – the green and white tile, the lighting, the plumbing fixtures, the light switches, the shower door – the whole vibe is super special. That tub nook is so cute, and so is the vanity – a lot to love here.
BUT… MY BIGGEST REGRET/PROBLEM
Welcome back to the nightmare situation of publicly dealing with my very own mess up – the “too cool white”. Now when we chose this color there was some confusion on my end when deciding between Pure White (which we chose for the exterior and love) and Extra White (which we love in the rooms and has a lot of blue in it). It was a dumb and very expensive mix-up. And honestly Pure White might have been too cool for this tile anyway. But we chose this white when the bathroom was all covered in plastic and the tile was seemingly a pure white. Y’all, this was the wrong white. I wanted to repaint before I showed you, embarrassed of my own mistake. But it’s taken a while to choose the right “white” and then we have to book a painter, it’s a 3-4 day job with prep and dry times (and the walls and trim are two different finishes – satin and semi-gloss). The whole thing sucks, but now that I’ve had some distance from the initial nausea. I’m accepting of it and have transitioned into problem-solving mode. As I tell my kids “every problem has a solution” and now I’m ready to show my friends:)
As you can see the paint color makes the tile look yellow and THE TILE IS NOT YELLOW. So many lessons learned. I’m not going to harp on it too much here because there are so many other pretty things to talk about. But yes, I messed up and have felt a lot of anger and frustration with myself (ARCIFORM wasn’t involved in paint decisions due to scheduling and needing to make some decisions really quickly – I was like, “I got this!” *hand in face emoji*). I haven’t even let Anne come over yet to see it because I’m too embarrassed. It’s all so dumb. Anyway, I have my strengths – one of them is styling and the other is admitting fault then solving problems.
So as you can see we have three different Sherwin-Williams whites that we are choosing from. Rene from Some Kinda Landscape came over and helped pull the whites that she thought would work (she painted our prop closet and part of her service is color consultancy so I figured I’d get someone else to weigh in on this with me). Above we have these three colors – all of which look identical to each other and are creamier, but as we have all very well learned in this process – all whites are very very different.
Ugh. How pretty is that faucet? I’ll be talking more about the plumbing and lighting in the final reveal – all from Rejuvenation, but will certainly link up everything at the end of this post. This is the faucet that made me want to reach out to Rejuvenation on partnering on the plumbing – It’s from their Conner line and is just so beautiful.
The Vintage Dresser Turned Vanity
Vanity Base (vintage)
I love that vanity so much. I found the dresser at a flea market a few years ago in LA and up until now, the kids have used it for clothes. But when we were designing this bathroom I wanted something that felt special and soulful (and wanted to save some money). There are a million beautiful vanities on the market, but when you want something unique, your options tend to be vintage or custom…and anything custom is always like thousands of dollars. So Jamie retrofitted this (cut out the plumbing in the drawer) so that we could still have storage. The keyholes just kill me, in a good way.
Anne and Stephyn helped draw this backsplash design that I had referenced for like a year and it was a lot more to do it (and we had a tile backsplash so it wasn’t necessary) but now that it’s done we LOVE it.
Regarding the backsplash – the countertop and backsplash were supposed to be a white Thasos – a creamy white marble. But after spending some time this summer at the mountain house where we have Thasos in the kids’ bathroom, I was reminded how annoying it can be for kids (on honed Thasos you can see all toothpaste or soap marks, and they often stain for months). So I stopped that and went stone shopping. At the same time, the kitchen and main bath stone (a beautiful Carerra) was picked up from Bedrosians and dropped off for fabrication. They had enough to do this bathroom (the vanity and the shower jamb). So my options were to keep shopping and see what I could find that works with the green/white that wasn’t a full slab or just literally give them the green light to fabricate this as well out of the same stone. I chose the latter (mostly out of ease) knowing that this stone is beautiful and more forgiving than Thasos (Thasos is so white that it almost doesn’t even look like a real stone and you may as well get a Quartz IMHO). That’s all to say that the stone is also cooler than the tile so when choosing the new white color for the walls I need to make sure that it shares the undertones of the stone as well. This is hard for someone who I’ve come to realize sees colors differently than other people – not saying I have any sort of color-blindness, but the number of times I’ve gotten in debates with people over what color something is, is A LOT.
The Tub/Shower Area
Should we talk tile here??? I wanted to do something unexpected but not crazy busy so I brought the floor tile up the wall, mixing the different shapes (and mixing the grout on the wall). It’s pretty darn fun if you ask me. The tile is from Pratt + Larson and install was by Level Plane Tile and Stone. On the other side of the room, we have the shower “room” and tub nook. I like the shower room versus one that is more open with glass so we did this twice in this house.
Shower Door (custom) | Shower Set | Shower Head
At first, I thought that the shower door came in short, but then realized its likely for venting. I’ve gotten used to it and it’s not something we are going to redo but wish that we had put a venting transom above it. Not a big deal though at all. I love the brass around the glass and the little knob (all per ARCIFORM’s recommendation).
The clawfoot tub was something that Brian specifically wanted to keep from day one. We didn’t keep the one that was in there because I wanted to give my partner Rejuvenation rooms with 100% of their product (if they sell it). So we donated the tub to the ReBuilding Center and it’s in someone else’s house now 🙂 We do like that this one is double-sided and allowed us to do the faucet behind it and have perfect symmetry in this nook.
The Tweaks And What We Are Adding
We want to change out the white shades to glass shades so we don’t obstruct the future mirror too much.
Mirrors (vintage)
Add a mirror over the vanity:) And yes, we wanted an inset medicine cabinet but I don’t totally remember why we couldn’t. It was due to framing/electrical I think…it’s definitely something we could have had if we planned better for it, but I think it would have had to be really small between framing (or we would have had to reframe). Near the end, I just wanted to move in so no, we weren’t going to re-frame (it’s the kids’ bath after all).
Changes/Ideas For The Tub Wall Side
Changes/Ideas For The Vanity Wall
Looking at these photos while writing this post, not at the house (on vacation) makes me so excited. I can more objectively see the potential with one final layer and a couple of tweaks. Oh, one more thing I want to call out that someone recently said. Ahem, “Ooh the tile looks like grass,” which wasn’t exactly what we were going for by bringing it up the wall but of course, I can see it. I thought about it for a while and was like, “Does it look like grass? Would blue or pink have been better?” But then I reframed it quickly, as I do, reminding myself that we love grass and actually moved back to Oregon so that our kids could have grass instead of concrete to play on at recess (something missing in most LA schools). Anyway, so if you are thinking “that tile looks like grass” you aren’t alone, and yet we are still very into it 🙂
Bathroom Resources:
Plumbing Fixtures: Rejuvenation
Switchplates and Hardware: Rejuvenation
Elongated Picket Tile: Pratt and Larsen
1×4 Herringbone Tile: Pratt and Larsen
Clawfoot Tub: Rejuvenation
Sconce: Rejuvenation
Semi-Flush: Rejuvenation
Vanity and Mirror: Vintage
Toilet: Kohler
Shower Door: Custom/Local
Tile Install: Level Plane Tile and Stone
Stone Fabrication: Alphaworks
Renovation and Carpentry: ARCIFORM
*Photos by Kaitlin Green
K don’t be mad…but I think that tile is definitely pulling off white/yellow! Then with the green tile and the very white tub and door, the warmer tones are really coming through. As I’ve learned, there are 27k shades of white. It’s insane actually. Faucet is smokin’ and I love love the retrofitted vanity. We currently have Sparkle Fun toothpaste on our kids’ counter (quartz) so I feel your pain.
This your house is coming along and I love seeing the progress!
Yeah, I actually like the contrast between the white paint and the creamy tiles.
Agree — the tile looks like a beautiful cream, set off nicely by the white paint and plumbing fixtures. Your toilet, tub, counter/backsplash all look to be very cool whites. Keeping the paint cooler makes this look deliberate and puts focus on the tile. If you paint to match the tile, I think the white fixtures will stick out like a sore thumb. Maybe it looks different in real life, but based on what I’m seeing in your photos, I would NOT repaint, especially not to match the tiles. It looks great.
are you considering brass window hardware??
Yes, this is what I was thinking! I would definitely keep at least the trim the same white. I think part of the problem is that there is this huge block of bright white at the ceiling that makes the room feel off-balance. Once you put in art work (if you are), this may balance things out. Or just paint the walls a slightly creamier white.
Emilie, I was thinking the same thing about leaving that large piece of upper trim the cool white color. With so many cool whites (countertop, toilet, bathtub) lower in the room, there needs to be something in the same tone higher up to tie things the room and make the mixed whites feel deliberate.
i agree that the paint and tile look good together. maybe different in person, but i am not at all offended by the colors. i think you should try styling it out before you go ahead and repaint. go full emily on the bathroom and i betcha you will like it way more than you do now. some accidents are happy mistakes!
Same! I think the trim color and the tiny bits of wall tie in the color of the tub, the toilet, and the marble on the sink. They are definitely going to stick out too much if you put a warmer white up there.
Agree with this! I think it needs cool white at least on the trim or the very white fixtures will look weird. I really like the creamy white tile.
I agree I think the white/creamier white tile can work really well together- at first I agreed with what Emily was saying, but when I saw the warmth that the vintage mirrors brought in, I think it balanced it all out really well. (Btw i like the round one in there I think). And adding a couple more things like that could achieve that even balance even more.
Also when the bathroom door is open into the bathroom, it shows that the door is painted the same bright white that seems to match the bathroom walls- so I think keeping it for that reason could be good, too.
It’s not just the paint – the toilet, countertop/backsplash, bathtub are all a much cooler white than the wall tile. Maybe there’s a paint color that can bring it all together, maybe something slightly warm. Benjamin Moore simply white? I’d almost be tempted to retire the wall with something cooler.
Same — at least as it appears on my monitor, the white and cream look both deliberate and lovely. If the wall is painted to match the tile will the tub and toilet then stand out as cooler in tone? I think the cream of the tile lands between the wood & brass as a warm link to the whites in the room. I’m sure it will look nice painted as well but certainly doesn’t look like a “mistake.”
I agree! The tile and paint look great together, as is!
I like it too, and would definitely keep trim as is. Would green be nice on upper wall and maybe ceiling too? Something like the green tile but mid tone? Again, I think it all looks amazing as is!
ABSOLUTE PINKY SWEAR!!! Oh this is so exciting!!!!! And the more we can get of it, the better – I am certainly not complaining and will definitely be excited every time you post whatever you want abou the farm <3 proccess posts like these are so cool to see and its so comforting to know that other people also sometimes make small seeming mistakes that still bother you a huge lot. I don’t actually think its too bad – it is reveersibly after all and definitely a lesson learned – but I get why it would feel extremely annoying and “dumb”. I so look forward to seeing more progress and regrets posts and also to at some point see the reveal on this sweet bathromm 😉
Ahhh I think it’s a really tricky one! Because the toilet, bath and sink all read to me as pure white but the tile is so much creamier. How do you find a shade to complement both? I would almost be tempted to go for a totally contrasting paint colour because it hurts my brain imagining what white would work! But it’s such a beautiful room, and I’m absolutely not an expert… and luckily you are! So I have faith you’ll be happy with the finished room. The green tile and that vanity and marble backing are so pretty.
I agree about the white paint to match. That’s a nightmare assignment to
match the creaminess of the tile and the pure white of the toilet and tub. Another reason I think the paint makes the tile look yellowish is the brass/gold/yellow coloring of the light, switches, faucet, even vanity dresser is the same gold/brass- yellow tone. I would choose a complimentary green that works with the floor tile and scrap trying whites. I fear another white will just have the same effect because of all the yellow/brass/gold tones still in the room! It’s a beautiful bath though.
I think once it’s styled it won’t look yellow. I agree that the pretty brass has a part in that. My bathroom is similar color scheme: creamy tiles, bright white tub/ sink/toilet, deep green beadboard… once the rest of the stuff is in the room it will be lovely
It’s already SO beautiful!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing the progress! Even with the minor tweaks you have planned, it already looks great and I can’t wait to see the finished room.
I love it and thank you so much for prioritizing process posts!!!! As someone going through my own reno right now, it’s just the content I need.
Curious if you would consider wall paper above the tile that ties the green into the walls? Something sweet and farmhouse-y.
LOVE this idea! The bathroom is beautiful but I feel like it’s screaming out for something, and I wasn’t sure what but you called it!
Love the wallpaper idea! But would it actually work in a PNW bathroom? That’s an awfully moist environment.
Yeah, a painted ticking stripe with green would be cute!
So agree!
Actually , I wouldn’t spend the money to repaint unless you choose a color. For me too much white altogether. However with your decorating tweaks coming , spending the money to repaint in a white will not do anything but cost you $$ for nothing! IMHO. Beautiful room whatever!
I came here to say the same!
It needs a fabulous wallpaper that carries onto the ceiling, which will solve the white-on-white paint issue and give the room a lot more personality.
I’m also very curious to see how they add storage. As a shared bath for 2 kids, the lack of storage makes me anxious!
I would style the different tones together. I personally liked how the paint color brought warmth out in the tile, basically balancing out the tones in the room.
Use of paintings, curtains on either side of the tub area and other accessories will bring it together creatively. Maybe use of natural ( grass cloth shades ) will help balance.
Even though I love how the vanity counter was cut to show off the curves in the dresser drawers, I am interested to know how vanity holds up w/ kids, since you did not create an overhang with stone to prevent water from dripping onto the wood.
I love the process posts! Please know it’s very validating for the rest of us to hear about mistakes/regrets and it’s also very helpful to hear about how you fix those things. The right white will make the tile NOT look yellow. And I think it’s ok to have a truer whiter white in the toilet and tub etc. I’m not sure you need to tie in with those – they tie in with each other and the cooler colors of the stone, so I think you can just focus on what wall color is right with the warm white tile. Also I love love love what you did with the green tile and never thought grass but even if it DOES read grass to some, it’s really creative/cool and looks especially cool against that great vanity. It’s already a beautiful room – can’t wait to see how awesome it will be after the tweaks and styling! Yay!
Emily, do you think a very light GRAY paint could work to cool down the warm tile tone? Would gray paint also tie in nicely with the gray veining in the countertop/backsplash?
That is a great idea too. I think there is too much white with the tile and think something contrasty but complementary would be best.
No no gray is so out, unless maybe a green-gray but wallpaper is the way to go , again IMO.
Yep, all signs demonstrate that gray is out, all over the world.
My god. Stop worrying about what’s “in” and “out.” Grey is still beautiful in the right space, but that is not here. People following trends instead of designing what’s best for their actual space is what I wish would go OUT!
Or maybe beige
This was so fun, thank you Emily!
It’s already gorgeous. Somehow both playful and sophisticated.
I have very picky eyes about colour HOWEVER I’m confident that the cool white walls can work because:
1. Other things are cool white as well (vanity top, toilet, tub) so it feels intentional.
2. When you add art, plants, fabrics, and wood accents, the warmer tile will fit right in.
All this to say, you could certainly repaint and it’d look great too, but due to the cost/headache involved, I wouldn’t! 🙂
I agree with this. Just style the space and it will feel good. The tile will always ready cream because the toilet, tub and vanity top are not creamy at all. No amount of creamy white paint on the walls will change that the tile is in fact a warmer white than the fixtures. Stick with the true white walls and style the heck out of that space. Use more wood elements, use art that mixes whites and creams.
This was my thought as well.
Yes–I agree with Vera & Amanda!
Or maybe the trim could stay the current white color even if the walls are painted a more creamy white.
First, I thought the green was intentionally designed as a nod to grass and super clever. Like, a playful touch for the kids’ bath that is still beautiful and will grow with them.
Second, agreeing with everyone else saying to consider color above the tile. There are currently like four very different whites right now and the one that should be the star is pulling yellow. If anyone can do it, it’s EH, but finding a white that does everything it needs to sounds impossible…Actually, I wonder if a wallpaper with yellow in it would make the tile appear more white?
Shoot can one of the powers that be please remove my last name? First comment, amateur mistake 🙂
A fun wallpaper would make this bathroom a lot more playful and add depth!
I had the same though about grass when the tile was first revealed and loved it. Maybe a wallpaper with birds/butterflies to tie in?
call me crazy, but i actually like the contrast between the whites of the tile and wall. it looks intentional. and i like that it makes the tile look like a creamy white. i like a creamy white tile as opposed to a cool white tile. also, the green tiles didn’t look like grass to me until you said it. they actually looked like mountains, so i thought maybe it was a nod to the mountains of the west coast. but now i totally see grass too.
love what you did with the vanity. those wooden feet are so good!
I was about to write the exact same comment (down to the “call me crazy” part). I really love the white/cream contrast! It’s the best of both worlds to me — the warmth of the cream easing into that crisper white up top. I love it and would 100% keep it on purpose.
twins 🙂
oh, and i think you should keep the white sconce shades. i feel like the clear ones would be too harsh on the eyes when in actual use at night.
I agree. I think you should leave it alone and style it. I think it’s an interesting choice. Unless the photos are more flattering than real life?
that’s true. we don’t know what it’s like IRL, but i think i would still like it. our kids bathroom has off white tiles and we painted the walls in there above the tile a white that’s whiter than the tiles and i like it. so i bet it’s nice IRL as well as these pictures.
I also immediately thought “ooooh, mountains!” when I saw the green tile. I love it!
I don’t think it looks “yellow” just off white and I think it looks FINE. I think it would be too overwhelmingly white if it was all completely matching nd that is only if you are successful in finding a match. Then the paint on the wood will age and be affected by light at different times of the day /year, so you will never be happy. I would just leave as is and get over it. It really looks OK as is – just live with it and see if you can adjust.
I think it’s beautiful but I do have one question…will the kids be able to see themselves in either mirror? It seems very high.
I agree! And how will they reach the faucet? They’re little still. The bathroom is beautiful and the shades of white and cream are totally fine, imo. While the vanity, faucet and backsplash are pretty, they are not practical for small children. I know they won’t be small forever, but…..
I was loving all of your ideas until you showed us the mirror choices. In my opinion, these mirrors do not blend with the rest of the room. I also really enjoyed the look of the bathroom in the before pictures. It is a darn shame you couldn’t keep the built-in medicine cabinet. It was a nod to some history. Honestly, I agree with you and think leaving the bathroom the same would have been okay too. Good Luck with it all. No matter what, It is gorgeous and will be in its finality too.
Agreed – the mirrors are too dark for me. I like the idea of a playful, colorful, natural wall paper and a brass or maybe even frameless mirror. And a show stopping light fixture above the tub.
I think the vintage mirrors are an attempt to bring something old into the space.
Otherwise, there’s zero hint at it being an ‘original’ farmhouse building and it’ll just looklike a new build.
it’s a sweet bathroom. The white paint on the walls looks good and it balances the tub color and the stone. So it doesn’t seem to be the lightest white in the room
Forgot to add that I’d prefer a bigger mirror myself. Your kids are short so wouldn’t it be a little too hard to see themselves with a small mirror hung so high? I did notice that lots of designers hang tiny mirrors. And it’s counterintuitive to me. I can’t understand it.. I will admit that I prefer bigger mirrors. I also like how a bigger mirror compliments the smaller things cluttering the bathroom.
I had the same thought about the mirrors. The bigger one seems to make more sense.
Wallpaper is the key! Several different whites are in the space, and I think a fantastic paper would pull them all together. Maybe the peaks of a mountain scape mural peeking over the top (see what I did there?;)), or go with something more traditional with cream, white, and gray tones. “Grass” tile, pine cabinet—I say run with the vibe and never look back!
The wallpaper from Birdie’s first bedroom would be perfect here!
Bellewood from Rebel Walls https://rebelwalls.com/bellewood. Here’s a link to the nursery reveal: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/a-baby-girls-blush-and-green-nursery
Okay can I just say I love it the way it is. The tile does read creamier but I kind of love it. I love how the brighter white ties in with the Tub, and the Marble, and if you keep the white glass shades. To me it feels very intentional, and layered and special. Obviously change it if you hate, but I feel like if you paint the upper the exact shade as the tile it will feel flatter, and less interesting. To me painting the walls the exact colour of the tile feels more mountain house, but the contrast here reads more modern farmhouse but in a new way.
We bought our house with a bathroom like this—warmer walls (BM Swiss Coffee) and cool trim (BM decorator’s white). Plus marble accents and a white tub/the same toilet you have. The cool trim makes the walls look quite yellow and I often debate repainting. Some thoughts… I think your marble and white tub look great, and perhaps the marble even ties the tile and the tub together by being lighter and a bit cooler. I’d match the paint to the tile, as closely as possible. If you want white curtains, match them to the new trim color. Or, paint the trim and walls green to match the tile! I think that would be dramatic and extremely fun to look at. Maybe you can mock up that option to see what it would look like?
I love the tile, the vanity, and the unlacquered brass should age beautifully! Here is the “but”, though. I’m thinking function for two soon to be tweens. Going to need way more storage! Not just towels and basics, but hair ties, makeup, deodorant, lotions, sunblock, blowdryers, curling irons, etc. Plus a bigger mirror when they are elbowing each other to get ready in the morning. One obvious solution would be to mmove the clawfoot tub (as the rare time they may want a bath as tweens they can use yours downstairs) and make an awesome large 3 sided vanity area in that nook, maybe even with seating, and a second sink. Could use something vintage there too. That would be amazing! Otherwise one of the kids will inevitably “move into” the guest bath with all their stuff. That might be fine as they get shy about sharing a bath as they get older? I think you are maybe designing the bath for the kids frozen in time as they are now, small, sweet smelling, and with no grooming needs. That is going to change in the blink of an eye! The clawfoot tub could move to the other house on… Read more »
Storage is needed somewhere but it doesn’t have to be in the bathroom.
I share a bathroom with my husband and three sons. It has a 24” vanity so we only keep the absolute essentials in there. Hair, makeup, and most other things happen in the bedroom!
I agree with all of this. My first thought when seeing the bathroom was, “what about all their stuff?” Is the only storage in this room the two vanity drawers? To share between two soon-to-be teenagers? The clawfoot tub might look nice in photos and fit the vibe of the house, but I have to wonder how practical it really is, especially when there’s no real storage in this bathroom. This setup might work today, but I’m concerned you’ll be unhappy with it in about 3+ years.
I echo the other comments about the white paint…I think you should consider either a color (blush?) or a fun bold wallpaper instead.
Cuuute! Looking forward to the reveal =)
I agree with some other commenters that at least in the pictures, the white isn’t so bad. Could definitely be distracted from with some styling. But if you hate it, it’s just paint. Good luck picking the next color! Sounds like a tricky one.
I wanted to post more generally too on the pressure you are feeling on the farmhouse project, and appreciate how open you are about sharing it!! It seems that there is a “perfect storm” brewing between delayed supply lines (COVID impact) and the shooting deadlines for commitments you’ve made to national magazines etc. for photo shoots on the house.–It is forcing you to rush, and one can sense that you are in an impossible position, thus your frustration. One can feel that the pressure is sucking some joy out of the process. Here is a revolutionary idea, and something important for us to consider as women: JUST SAY YOU AREN”T READY FOR THE UPCOMING SHOOTS. CANCEL THEM. BAIL. —think about it, there is no reason for you to rush this other than that you made commitments in advance that are, as it turns out, impossible to fulfill. My advice would be to “control,alt,delete” on this. Just bail. Think about it–You can post other awesome content on the blog–Caitlin and Jess are treasures, so are Mallory, Lea, Malcolm, Ajai, Orlando, and so many others in whom you have seen their wonderful talent! Let them be in the spotlight with lots of… Read more »
Could be wrong here but I’d venture to guess a not insignificant amount of the blog’s forecasted income is dependent on those commitments. Likewise, there are probably agreements in place with vendors (photographers, etc.) that could really hurt other small business owners.
Emily! Stop beating yourself up about paint color. It’s totally a pain but also totally minor. And something that everyone can relate to doing. If nothing else, it’s great Celebs They’re Just Like Us content. 😉
🤙 Pinky Promise!!!
Emily, your candour is inspiring.
It’s so sweet and luverly now, it will be even better.
I think the dresser is the highlight and look forward to seeing some other old touches and features added, to remind us that it’s an old farmhouse, not a new build to look old.
That smaller mirror was so perfect in your former powder room, but not sure it works here: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/powder-room-reveal. What about Rejuvenation’s Eldridge mirror in white oak hung horizontally? https://www.rejuvenation.com/catalog/collections/eldridge-rounded-rectangle-mirror/products/61c11351611bbde4734ad376.
It has potential but it needs some quirk and fun. You have enough white! You should repaint in a fun medium green with matching trim and then add a patterned curtain over part of the bath nook. Like a lot of fabric heavy drape sitch
wow! the close-up shots of the tile are AMAZING. Your design dilemma is super relatable – we have off-white tile in our bathroom and recently re-painted the bathroom yellow which now brings out the ‘brown’ in the off-white tile. I’m considering re-painting our bathroom blue-gray or white – but also, maybe I just wait until we have all the elements in the room (new vanity…new mirror…new towel bar, etc.) and decide if I still hate the yellow? (it’s easier to re-paint while the room is empty…but maybe I’ll change my mind on the yellow? color is JOY, right?)
I see you have a lot of comments in favor of the white paint as it is. I feel the same way. I like how it matches other whites in the room. It actually looks intentional to me. I’m astonished that you would be so ashamed of the room because of that white. I’m concerned that if you repaint to match the tile, it will make other whites in the room look out of place. Look at the balance between the white paint and the white tub, for instance.
I vote keep the trim painted white as is and paint the upper walls a very light buttery yellow. I think the yellow would pair nicely with the green tile and be a very cool colour pairing. Love the idea of adding in a window treatment – perhaps a country floral integrating the butter yellow.
You replaced an original claw foot tub…with another claw foot tub? And you donated the original tub to an architectural salvage shop just so Rejuvenation (which began, in part, as an architectural salvage shop) could have an entire room (but not the vanity) with their product? This feels incredibly wasteful, and I would imagine most people don’t have an extra $2,615 to buy something they already own (even if it would not have given you perfect symmetry in the nook). I would’ve really liked to see you work with more of what was already in that bathroom. I love the look of the vanity and how you repurposed a piece you already had. I’m also curious how the drawers function and if they slide easily in an occasionally humid environment. Will the kids be able to see themselves in the mirror, which has to be hung higher because of the marble backsplash? Perhaps a little, fold-flat step stool could live under the vanity until they get taller. I like the cooler white paint, which ties in to the cooler white marble, toilet, and tub. I think it’s ok to accept that the white tile is not the white you expected.… Read more »
I agree with all your observations except the one about the tub. It’s not wasteful because as Emily pointed out someone else got the original tub. Of course most of us in the real world would not pay to replace one clawfoot tub with another, nor is Emily implying that we should. This isn’t a real world situation and no money was wasted.
Do you believe that “it’s not wasteful” because Emily got the tub for free from Rejuvenation? That doesn’t mean there wasn’t waste, especially because there is no guarantee how long the original tub will sit at the salvage shop (Have you ever been to an architectural salvage shop? There are clawfoot tubs EV-ER-Y-WHERE.), never mind the unnecessary manufacturing, shipping, and labor (which Emily did pay for) of the new tub.
Maybe the original tub was in bad shape. Maybe she just wanted a new one. That’s her prerogative, but let’s not pretend this was a situation free from excess (especially when Emily has written SO MUCH about sustainability and making environmentally-friendly choices).
I was going to say the same thing about the tub. It would have been nice to work with the original tub. Really disappointed that you bought a new one. I love the vanity and would love to see how the drawers were retrofitted, and it the kids can even see themselves in those tiny mirrors! The tile is beautiful!!
This bathroom is GORGEOUS. Tweak the paint if you want, but it’s gorgeous. The tile is amazing, and there’s such a wonderful combination of simple and special. LOVE.
Hi,
What an amazing project! It looks fabulous and has a wonderful sense of calm. If you are looking for a bathroom door, why not visit Online Door Store, they have a wide selection of doors and door accessories.
https://onlinedoorstore.co.uk/
Your posts are always a fun read! It looks beautiful! Fresh and clean. The dresser vanity and two tone whites make the room sweet in my view. In the photos and video the tile comes across as a pretty soft cream. It’s subjective, there’s no wrong or rightness about it- like you said, a mindset. Nothing to tear your hair out over, it’s art, no one is going to die over the choices made here. There’s something freeing and light about saying “Oh, well” and moving on. Spend the money on an infrared sauna instead.
Can you tell us the glaze/colors used on the tiles? The green is maybe the Parchment glaze in P210 (https://prattandlarson.com/product/p210/) or the Craftsman glaze in C60 (https://prattandlarson.com/product/c60/) or in C360 (https://prattandlarson.com/product/c360/)? I can’t even begin to guess the wall/picket tile glaze/color. Maybe the Parchment glaze in PUWM (https://prattandlarson.com/product/puwm/)?
This is a lovely space. I am looking forward to seeing how you style it: as it’s a kid’s bathroom it would be great to add some whimsical details. I wonder if styling it will draw attention away from the difference in the whites? I echo others on the idea that kids do love a bigger mirror: mine shove for space and ours is quite large. Excited to see the final reveal.
It all looks great so far! Like others said, I would style it with art, the mirror, the curtain, etc before repainting. I think the white / cream contrast might work really well!
Hurrah for process posts! Yay! Thank you! It looks great and I see how it’ll look even better.
Makes me want a shower.
Happy new year! This bathroom has been my favorite reveal so far- I think cream and white can work really well together and I particularly love it here with the brass. Years ago I remember a Houzz article about mixing white and cream and there were so many gorgeous examples. Repaint if you want but know that it’s warm and lovely as is. And the creamy tiles don’t read yellow to me. They’re rich; almost a pale buttery seashell with a hint of peach…. I also prefer the white light shades but only because I find nearly all “clear” glass shades to be too harsh on my eyes.
Your comment just made me realize that I have a cream, white, and evergreen color scheme in my Maine cottage living room (where I am sitting as I type). I LOVE the crisp white trim against the buttery cream wall color. I used evergreen on the porch floor that is adjacent to the living room with a few pale blue accents scattered around the room. The buttery cream and white are an easy neutral background to showcase the evergreen and pale blue. These colors are much appreciated in the dead of winter here – they remind me of the pine/evergreen trees and blue sky of warmer days.
Looks like it’s coming along nicely, once you change the paint! Will the kids be tall enough to see themselves in the mirror? It seems very high and small, with the wide frame.
Can you share the names of the white colors you’re considering for repainting?
I think it’s a great start! I’m going to have that same issue i think when i get my new vanity about creams and whites. It definitely makes the tile look cream, but i agree with the other posters that since there are other whites in the space it would be best not to try to match them all and do an entirely different color – i’d personally go for a blush, or even ochre. top choice would be a wallpaper that would pick up the greens, but that is a lot of work and can be tricky in a bathroom. Looking forward to seeing how you finish it out!
+1 for ochre
Also love the full shower door nook instead of a half glass door. It’s too cold for the north.
similar to others before me – I actually find the contrast of white paint and creamy tile nice… have a question about the shower – I see a lot of high end renos with no hand held shower – is this considered a desired look? how does one take a shower without wetting their hair?
We have hand held nozzles in our showers but never use them – I just stand slightly forward if I don’t want to wash my hair. The overhead rain head showers def seem like they need an extra option for this reason though!
Shower cap, anyone? 💦
Love the look, but all those hard surfaces are going to bounce sound like crazy … not ideal for a bathroom in my experience.
I actually LOVE the slightly creamy yellow of the tile. It really makes it not look too monotone. Also, it gets hard to read you continuously cutting yourself down. Be nice to yourself – I’m starting to cringe and avoid these posts when I’ve learned you’ll be calling your decisions stupid. The world could use more of that.
Finish styling the room before you repaint. Right now the cooler white of the walls ties in with the marble, tub, toilet, and shades on the lights. I think if you repeated both the pure white and the creamy white of the tile in your decor the layering of the whites will look intentional. If you repaint the walls to match the tile you’ll suddenly have the problem that the white fixtures will stand out, the tile will still look cream in contrast to that stark white, and it will still look like you tried to have everything match and missed the mark. Lean into the layered white and cream tones.
Emily-I know you are planning on repainting, but have you considered leaving the trim bright white and adding a cool wallpaper (like a bright floral that incorporates the green and cream of the tile)? I love wallpaper in a bathroom, and it could really give a fun pop of color in here. I think you have some wallpaper sponsors, too, so it might give you another opportunity to showcase that product.
Ok fwiw!!! I actually love the white you chose with those tiles — I think it makes them look creamy and delicious, still light and bright, simple and classic but with some visual interest. That was my first thought when I saw the first photo before I even saw that you regret the paint color!
Pretty bathroom, but could be anywhere. Doesn’t look ‘farmhouse’ to me. Also, need room for a stepstool for kids and why would you put candles in a kids bathroom? The problem with the white paint? Whatever. such a 1st world problem.
Thank you for sharing, I love seeing the process! My first thought: one of the keys to a beautiful room is repetition and right now, the green is not repeated anywhere. Even if you would bring it in with textiles and plants, I’d say it’s not enough to balance the floor. So I would suggest to solve the problem with the whites by painting the semigloss trim and the inside of the door in a green that is maybe around 30-40% of the floor colour and then continue the tonal theme and paint the ceiling and the upper part of the walls 10-20% lighter than the trim. Or just go for one shade of green and let the difference between satin and semigloss create the tonal thing.
I also agree with another commenter about the lack of storage. Only space I see available is above the toilet. A vintage wall cabinet matching the dresser would be lovely, but a new, pretty cabinet, painted in that same semigloss colour, could be a good alternative.
I do like the idea of a ‘call back’ to the green color on the wall, if it were most other colors. But a green tint on your face when looking in the mirror in the bathroom or putting on makeup there? Yuck. I had a sage green sofa and light green walls when my kids were little and we were taking a lot of pictures and everything/one has a weird cast to it.
The re-purposing of that awesome vintage dresser into the vanity is great, and so is the countertop/backsplash combo. Gorgeous! As far as that particular sink faucet, I mean this not as a criticism but rather a discussion point for others thinking about doing their bathrooms- this gooseneck with the far reach looks like it’ll be hard to wash your face in the sink. It sticks out pretty far into the sink, looking like it blocks access to most of the bowl. IMO, this faucet would be perfect for a powder room instead.
I was thinking the same thing about the faucet! Looks like it willbe hard for the kids to wash their face in that sink, as well as to reach the kobs until they are older and taller!