Bathroom Storage Can be A B**ch!

 

Sorry for the language #sorrynotsorry, but I am not kidding about the b**ch part. The pic below is of the over-the-toilet cabinet in my bathroom. Lovely don’t you think? I hate it.

 

Beautiful carpentry, yes?

 

The cabinet was custom built for the space above the toilet and whoever did it was an idiot. I know, that isn’t a nice thing to say, but you don’t have to drag a step-ladder into the bathroom every time you want something that is stored on the top shelf. Which is why nothing is stored up there!

I had another one exactly like it in our other bathroom, but the guy who demo’d that one took the cabinet home. Yay!

In my Design Planning for Real Life 2015 series, I have been talking about designing your home for happiness, and this week I wrote about using what you already have, but adding in ways to make all of the activities you do in your home easier and more enjoyable. This way of designing is different than just designing for function and grabbing whatever the market has to offer. Design should be personal and have meaning. (Yes, even in your bathroom!)

I am currently unhappy with my bathroom. It is tiny and there is hardly any storage space. Below is an image of the floor plan. I am actually going to re-design the space to fit my and my husband’s needs for storage. So this baby is coming down as soon as I figure out how to hang the open shelf I want to put in it’s place.

 

I know you’re jealous of my 59 sq.ft. closet of a bathroom, right?

 

I know. I look at this as an opportunity to make positive change in my own home and show you that it can be done in yours at the same time. You can also see how I work and decide if what I do is right for you and your home. If you aren’t ready to make changes, that’s okay too. I will have lots of tips and ideas you can use (steal).

There is more to come on this one. I am researching ideas and will show you some next time.

What are you doing to make changes in your home this year? Leave a comment below or ask a question.

If you’re feeling stuck or unsure about how to transform your space, head on over to Diva by Design and let’s get started decorating your home for real life today! And, hey! Show me some love by leaving a comment or sharing my post with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, even Pinterest!

You can still sign up for my free Design Planning for Real Life 2015 series on my website www.mydivabydesign.com for  more details on how to design happiness into your own home.

Copyright© 2015 Christina Rodriguez. All rights reserved.

Can’t Change Your Bathroom Fixtures Right Now? Just Go With it!

Sometimes we inherit a beautiful 70’s color like Goldenrod in our bathtub, counters, sinks, etc. Today I am going to show you why that isn’t all bad. Sometimes you just have to go with it because you can’t afford to change them. I personally think that you should always stick with white for your tub, toilet, sinks, etc. because you don’t have to worry about matching them. White goes with everything. In my post, You’re Not Stuck With Ugly Interior Design (Unless You Want to Be) I showed you a room transformation using a yellow, gray and white color palette. Such a pretty color combination, don’t you think? I also promised to show you the bathroom that goes with that room. This room is why I chose the yellow color to use throughout.

Pretty, right?

Here’s another before pic:

Yay! Yellow!

Yeah, I know. Not so much. This was pretty much the reason that my client wanted the whole place updated. The place was built around 30 years ago and had never had anything done to it. He rents to Winter Texans and he wanted their experience to be even better than it already was during their stay. Enter Diva by Design. Since the yellow was staying, I just went with it! I used the color throughout the entire rental but in an updated and modern way. Ready for the new bath?

Big difference, huh?

The difference that just a coat of paint can make is significant, don’t you think? Lighter, brighter and the yellow isn’t so obnoxious. (And no, I wasn’t going to scour the internet for a yellow toilet seat!)

Yay! Yellow! part 2

You can do the same thing in your home if you actually ARE stuck with the ‘ugly’.

Yellow everywhere!

The little butterflies on the wall were there originally. I just painted them yellow and hung them back up on the wall. Getting rid of the dark paneling also helped a lot. It kind of made the bath feel dirty and dingy even though it wasn’t. This feels much cleaner and brighter. I think it turned out pretty good on a limited budget. What do you think? Feeling stuck or unsure how to go about transforming your space? Head on over to Diva by Design and let’s get started on your room transformation today! I even have Thanksgiving and Christmas mood boards to help you with your holiday decorating. Click here to see them. And, hey! Show me some love by leaving a comment or sharing my post with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, even Pinterest!

Shameless plug for my Holiday Mood Boards + Shopping lists

Copyright© 2014 Diva by Design. All rights reserved.