This little before and after (x3) is so very over due that I could have had a baby in the time it took to pull it together.  If you’ll remember, about a year ago I signed up for the One Room Challenge to rework my powder room.  And, while the time frame of six weeks was motivating and doable, I absolutely hated the result.  Well… maybe that’s a bit strong.  I loved the wallpaper, the cabinet, the mirror and the lighting.  (Changing the floor and counter were not in the budget.) But the art and pink and blue were decidedly not me.  And they were pretty jarring to look at, I’ll be honest.

The good news was that the things I loved were the things that would be hard or expensive to change.  So, what was required “after the rose” on the One Room Challenge was really just a complete swap out of all accessories.  I realized that what I really wanted was a neutral, moody room with all grays and whites.  Not a room that had punches of color that, while I love it in other people’s spaces, wasn’t true to my own style.  Here’s where I landed.

Simply swapping out the pink flowers for white made a huge difference on the vanity.  And, I love all white flowers anyway because they can easily move from room to room on a whim.  (Watch my video on how I arranged these flowers HERE!)  I also added fabulous gold and white monogrammed guest towels in a darling brass bamboo tray.

My parents gave me the brass lion head door knocker and since I didn’t have a door to use it on I repurposed it for a towel bar.

I am still extremely happy with the new lighting and adore the mirror.  Both of those will live a long happy life in the powder room.  As part of this project, we removed the low hanging wall light from over the sink and added a ceiling light instead.  This made the room look SO much bigger as I was able to go with a mirror that used the full amount of space between the vanity and the ceiling.

On the flip side, the thing I hated most in the room and the change that made the biggest impact was the art.  Honey constructed the DIY floating frame for the previous colorful poster and, when I told him it had to go, he simply hung a command hook right on top for my moody  marsh canvas.  Genius!  Luckily it was the exact same size as the poster and no one would ever know what lies beneath.  Speaking of the canvas, it is one I’ve loved for YEARS!  It’s called Storm Over the Marsh and is by Atlanta artist James McLaughlin Way.  I found it in the store here in Atlanta and was so happy to finally have a place to bring it home to.  Due to its generous size, I never had a place it would fit until now.

Like the art, changing out the other small accessories for white made a tremendous difference.

I swapped the pink and aqua modern towels for traditional white linen with a monogram.  I already had these upstairs and think they are perfect here now!  The towels are from Cottage and Cabin and a friend add my custom monogram.

On the DIY shelf, I printed a picture of Savannah’s Wormsloe Plantation off the internet for the frame, swapped the pink match boxes for some covered in white, and added a neutral candle.

The wallpaper was busy enough (although I LOVE it) without all the additions of color.  It’s much better with only touches of white and gold.

Here’s a full rundown of the DIY projects in this space:

Lucite Floating Frame
Easy Flower Arranging Tips and Tricks Video
Easy + Inexpensive Cafe Shelf
Geode Box

And the list of sources:

Wallpaper – Thibault South Seas
Moroccan Gilt Mirror – Wisteria
Dahlia Chandelier – Pottery Barn Kids
Storm Over the Marsh Canvas – Ballard Designs
Toilet paper holder – Home Depot
Towel Bar & Vanity Pulls – Lux Hold Ups
Rug – Home Goods
Monogram Design – Number Four Eleven
Towels – etsy
Vase – Ikea
Lucite Tissue Box – The Container Store
Lucite Trash Bin – The Container Store
Guest towels, tray & candle – Emily McCarthy

I think we will be happy with this room for many years.  It’s hands down the hardest room to photograph in my whole house – with it’s tiny footprint, two doors and utter lack of natural light.  So, I’d say its much prettier in real life than I could convey with my amateur photography skills.  :-)

Have a happy Tuesday, y’all!

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