Mirror in the Bathroom

Hello, friends!!  I hope you are all having a fabulous Summer!

A little bit ago, while on one of my infamous jaunts through antiquity and curiosity via locality, I came upon a wonderful gilded mirror.

I was immediately attracted by its ornate detail and impressive heft.  It was definitely a statement piece.

So gorgeous!!

ALAS...

There was but one wee problem. 

I am typically not a huge fan of gilded gold.  I usually prefer the understated elegance and calm of cool silver, and when I want something exuding warmth, it is usually a beautiful oil-rubbed bronze.

Our little casita is a Spanish Colonial Revival, or at least that is how we have styled it; yet the aesthetic inside is what I like to refer to as European Hodgepodge.  There are Spanish, French, Italian, and English Country elements, all of which lend to a home that is comfortable and cozy with a sort of old world charm.

A while ago I shared in this post how to add fabric to your walls using starch.

Well, while I was on hiatus last year, I repeated the process in another powder room, which is the guest powder room.  This time, I decided to go with a warm damask which incorporated all of the colors in the home.  Here is a look at the fabric.  Isn't it fab!?  I had 'interviewed' several, and none of them spoke to me until this one.

When the walls were barren, Mr. Parsimonious picked up a mirror.  While the color was fine, this mirror looked much more African Safari or British Colonial than Old World.  It wouldn't work with the new damask fabric.  Quel dommage!!

When I started blogging, I shared in this post how I made over another thrifted mirror.

Utilizing the same process, I stained the new mirror, but this time, I used an oil rubbed bronze antiquing glaze by Valspar sold by Lowe's.

I decided I didn't want to deplete all of the gold completely, but have it act as an accent of the piece.  Therefore, I didn't cover the mirror in an opaque fashion as I had done previously, and I used a much lighter hand. 

I made sure to apply glaze into the little crevices, and on the higher points, I wiped the glaze back off.

Here is a side-by-side comparison.  This mirror now is much more to my liking.  It doesn't shout, "HELLLLLOOOO, NOTICE ME!!! I'M GOOOOOLLLLLD!!!"  Now, it is much more elegant and less gaudy; it doesn't look like inexpensive faux plastic, and the gold is instead a fine detail of what now looks like something much older.

Doesn't this look like it has always belonged in this powder room!!?

Alongside dainty dancers,

the beautiful damask,

an antique stone toothbrush receptacle, a (DARLING!) monogrammed towel, and lavender;

it is now also much more complimentary to the stone architectural elements,

oil rubbed lighting, sink, 

and other elements of the powder room.  It becomes a perfect melding of Old World rustic charm and pretty.

What is your style aesthetic? 

Until next we meet...

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,  

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Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Adding Instant Refinement To a Powder Room

Hello dear friends!  Thank you so, so much for stopping in to visit today.

Sometimes, when life knocks you down, you have to grab yourself up by the bootstraps (or in this gal's case, the fabulous pump straps, ha-ha) and move on.  As one of my favorite TV personalities Tim Gunn would say, 'Make it Work!'  Thank you so much for all of the sweet messages I received at the passing of our dear family friend.  I truly and greatly appreciate it.

Today, I am sharing how to take a powder room from blah to wow with just a few simple steps.  I hope you enjoy the post!  

Choosing a Theme

Look at this powder room.  A bit forlorn and sad, isn't it?  Also, the paint isn't as fresh, so over the years it has begun fading in different areas...all the toiletries are visible (which looks like clutter).  Just embarrassing!  I decided to give this sad, sad room some much-needed love.  I wanted a powder room that was elegant yet masculine (the hubby would like that too); pretty without being too frou-frou.  I also wanted a color palette which was cohesive with those already existing in the house.

To accomplish this, I chose a very bold pattern for the walls.

 

Prepping the walls

Begin by removing all artwork, mirrors, light switchplates, and coordinating hardware.  Goodbye, Picasso, we will see you soon!

 

The next step I took was to thoroughly wash the walls.  I used an old terry cloth and water to remove any debris or dust from the walls.

When we purchased this home, we paid to have the walls textured.  Shown here.

I used pre-mixed compound and a medium-sized putty knife to fill all of the texture and any existing nail holes so that the walls would be smooth.  I wanted the walls smooth so that 

A)  the fabric would adhere to the walls easier, and 

B)  the texture of the walls would not show through the fabric.

Allow to dry completely.

Walls:  prepped!

I used simple office-style pushpins to hold the fabric in place.

 

Using a standard paint roller and liquid starch, I saturated the fabric by rolling the liquid starch onto the wall.  Hindsight tip:  you may want to use a drop cloth because it does drip and is very messy!

I used a large taping knife to get rid of any ripples in the fabric.

The taping knife especially comes in handy making the fabric adhere in the corners!

 

Once the fabric was semi-dry, I used a very sharp utility knife to score and cut away the fabric around the doors and also on the wall where I wanted.

After the fabric was cut away, I added very thin and simple pre-painted chair rail to create a faux border.  Measure the wall, and leave a tiny bit extra for cutting.  In the corners, cut the chair rail at 45 degree angles so that the two pices meet.  I used the same compound to fill any tiny gaps to ensure a seamless fit.  Note that below the rail, there is dripping of starch.  Prior to painting, I cleaned the starch with a wet towel.  I painted below the chair rail white.

Once everything was painted, I added the hardware,

art (welcome back, Ms. Blue Nude!),

mirrors, and accessories.

The toiletries are put away in another cabinet, leaving a much prettier open shelf.

What a difference!  If I ever decide to add the toiletries back for easier access, I certainly will be adding doors!

Here are a couple of side-by-side comparisons.

How has your Summer been?  I hope well!

 

Shoes,  Badgley Mischka

Fabric, Joann's Fabric

Liquid Starch, Wal-mart

Roller, pre-mix compound, taping knife, chair rail, putty knife, and paint, all, Lowe's

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,  

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

 

Easy Flowerbed Makeover

Hello, friends, welcome, and thank you for stopping by!  Do you have fur babies?  I do.  We have two lovable, adorable, and sometimes mischievous little monsters.  The first is our Cockalier Brody.  We bought Brody from a local pet store.  Brody Aloysius is docile, sweet, loves to play fetch is obsessed with playing fetch, and follows mommy around like a lovesick puppy.....he was, after all, her very spoiled baby when he first joined our family.  :)

Our second is named Spike....a name so befitting, although when we took him home from the front of a pet store where two ladies were giving him away, we didn't know just how much.  We believe him to be a sort of Westland Terrier mix, but we aren't completely sure.  Spike is a truly brilliant (sometimes stubborn), sweet dog who would be content if you pet him all day, and is too clever for his own good.  Look at that face!

We love them both very much....but owning them does come sometimes with bits of trouble; my doggies sometimes have a craving for "salad" and graze on the grass like cows.  It bemuses me (growing up, I'd seen cats do this, never dogs) and makes me giggle, unless they start digging to eat the grass.  They sometimes also have a random penchant for digging in my flower beds.  This does not amuse mommy.  Lol.  In the cooler months, I don't tend the garden as much as in the Spring of course, and once the seasons change, it's again time to renew the flower beds.  

Here is what I've been left with over the last winter in one of the beds.  Most of the mulch is gone, the roses could definitely use some attention.....ooh, those naughty boys!  ;)

For just over $50, I was able to give new life to this much-in-need little spot.  First, I removed dead fronds, debris, et cetera.  Next, I dug a large hole for iceberg roses, and I wet the soil generously.

I filled the hole with a mixture of potting soil and natural, but whenever I plant, I always use the potting soil as a foundation first.

Shown here.

The roses went in easily...I make sure to break apart the roots a bit so they can breathe.

The whole area was then covered with more mulch.

To add a little bit of whimsy, I added this very inexpensive concrete birdbath I found recently at Lowe's.

   The base was only $12.99!

The top was $14.99....super cheap!

Filled and ready for little birdies [I'm sure Brody will give chase :)  ]....all set!

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤