Tag: home design ideas

SMALL BATHROOM REMODEL IDEAS: MAKEOVER TAKEOVER FOR BILL & VAL

As I mentioned in THIS POST – some fun new features were added during the website re-design, including the member only benefit that I am calling MAKEOVER TAKEOVER. Simply put, it is a FREE digital home design consultation, available to anyone who subscribes to this website.  Give me a few photos of a trouble space in your home, or an exterior that could use a little help, and I will offer a solution + inspiration through 3d images and sourced items.

FREE virtual design consultations. See what your home improvement project might look like before you even lift a hammer.

This post contains affiliate links to products for your convenience.  If you purchase via my links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Thanks for supporting Arrow Hill Cottage!

For the very first Makeover Takeover installation, the pilot project if you will, my own parents offered up their basement bathroom. Located in the same home I grew up in, this bathroom is obviously a room that I am familiar with. I know its strengths (linen storage + great ventilation) and weaknesses (lack of counter space and cramped shower stall). As teenagers, my two sisters and I would fight for our turn at the sink and use of the tiny mirror that hung over it.

My parents are no strangers to DIY projects – they aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. There have been some minor updates to the room over the years. New paint. Different flooring. But a major bathroom remodel, which has been discussed and daydreamed about for quite a while, has taken the back seat to other more important home improvement items.

This is how the room looks today – (photo taken from the door looking in)

It is actually quite a spacious room, at 9′-0″ long by 6′-4″ wide; But the awkward layout of fixtures and the inclusion of the large linen closet (which is ‘mostly’empty) visually squeezes the space, making it seem smaller. On their wish list, my parents requested a larger vanity, jetted tub, and convenient storage.


PROPOSED PLAN CHANGES

Step 1: Demo the closet – opening up the floor plan. Step 2: Move the position of the toilet. Though this will require some extra plumbing work, it should not be too costly and would greatly improve the function of the room. Step 3: Remove the shower stall to make way for a large jetted tub. Step 4: Replace the existing small vanity with a larger, more up to date model.

FINISH INSPIRATION

I sourced some really amazing finds to create an inspiration board for the space. My goal was to make the bathroom feel like a relaxing retreat – a place to go to unwind at the end of a busy day. You can learn more about each product by clicking on the titles below.

Modern + Beachy Bathroom makeover. This small bathroom virtual makeover will give you plenty of ideas for your own small bath remodel. Links to each and every product in the inspiration board!

1. JETTED TUB : Who wouldn’t love to soak at the end of the day in one of these?

2. VANITY: By re-arranging fixtures, I was able to place a 3 foot vanity – a full foot longer than the previous one. I think the open bottomed vanity, which looks like a piece of furniture, helps to keep the room feeling open and uncluttered.

3. LINEN CABINET: Ok, really – how cute is this?  I love the style, the shape, the color.  Love, love, love! Includes plenty of storage space, both in drawers and shelving. It’s technically an entertainment cabinet – shhhh!

4. VANITY LIGHT FIXTURE: Simple, sleek, and polished.

5. FLOOR & WALL TILES: I chose to keep the field tile a light neutral color because it covers such a large area. It provides a nice basic backdrop to all the other fun pieces in the room.

7. ACCENT TILES: Pretty with a bit of iridescence. This blend is called ‘Lake Illumini’ – quite fitting!

8. BORDER TILES: This bronze border pulls colors out of each of the main tiles, and is really complimentary.

9. WALL ART: Just looking at this art can transform your mind to a more relaxing place.

10. RUG: The colors of this rug are beautifully muted, adding the perfect accent without stealing the show.

11. LARGE BASKET: The generous size of this basket serves as a great place to store rolled towels.

12: BATHROOM ACCESSORIES:With a bamboo finish, these accessories really fit the theme, and the price is great too!

13. TOWEL BAR: Another chrome accessory to tie with the light fixture.

14: SHOWER CURTAIN: A simple grey color helps to pull the wall color throughout the room. The fabric adds some much needed texture to the space.

15. WALL PAINT COLOR: The color name says it all.  Sea Salt.


AND NOW FOR THE BIG REVEAL!

Looking at the Before and After side by side you can easily see the changes.

A few more images of the proposed space:

I also put together a fun little video, which I think probably shows the room better than still images can – like a virtual tour!

I’m happy to report that my parents are excited about the ideas I laid out for their bathroom. If they decide to go ahead with the project, I will get to enjoy this space in real life – super pumped about that prospect!

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

Do you have a home project you are struggling with? Do you want an extra set of eyes to take a look? I’m here to help. Simply subscribe to this blog – then email me at angela@arrowhillcottage.com with a few pictures and a description of the problem you are having, and your wish list of how you would like it to function and/or look.  If your project is chosen for a digital makeover, I will contact you via email and ask for additional information such as dimensions and more insight into your personal design preferences.  My goal is to have at least one Makeover Takeover per month.

Go ahead and use the share buttons below to show others this amazing bathroom transformation.  Or if you know someone else who could use this free service, make sure you get them the information on how to sign up!

 

COTTAGE ROOM DESCRIPTIONS {LOWER LEVEL}

It’s time to describe the final level of our future cottage/home!  If you missed the other levels, go ahead and click the links below to get caught up.

MAIN LEVEL

UPPER LEVEL

As I mentioned in THIS post, our building site is quite sloped.  Therefore, it was the perfect candidate for a walkout basement.  We are super thrilled about that prospect!  Not only will we have great connection to the outdoors, we will also have a basement with decent lighting – which is the stuff dreams are made of.  I’m pretty sure that natural daylight is one of my love languages.

Below is the layout of the lower level.  Use it as a guide while you read through the descriptions, and take a look at our Pinterest boards (which are linked at the end of each room description).  They show some inspiration images we have found for each space.  And here comes the disclaimer…* As mentioned before, these floor plans are currently not showing any real detail – I will be working on adding detail for future posts.

Generally speaking, the lower level is laid out in a fairly straightforward way.  The bathroom is stacked under the main level bathroom, with the mechanical space nearby – to cut down on plumbing costs.  All of the rooms situated on this level, besides the mechanical room of course, are ‘extras’ – meaning that they are not as important for the day to day function of our family.  If money runs short while we are building the house, they can be left unfinished and DIY’d or hired out at a later date.

{ELEVATOR / LIFT} Let’s get straight to the obvious. This is not a typical feature in most houses, but we felt that it was an important addition for our family.  First off, we want to be able to live in this home for as long as we can – and there is always the potential that stairs may become difficult or even impossible at some point.  Secondly, our oldest daughter {K} has arthrogryposis and even now stairs give her some troubles – we want to make sure that the entire house is comfortable and useful for her.  We have dreams that she will one day live independently, but if that is not possible, the lower level can become her apartment. Lastly, if in the future either of our set of parents live with us, we want to provide accessibility for them. Essentially, the elevator/lift will allow us to plan for multiple scenarios – and ensures that all the awesome features of the lower level are not limited to only some inhabitants and visitors.

{BATHROOM} Probably the best feature of this room is it’s location.  Located near the stairs and the lift space, it will definitely be a go-to room when the main level bathroom is occupied.  It also is across from the pool room.  Handy. This will be the largest of the three bathrooms in the house, and will feature both a tiled shower and a separate jetted soaking tub. (PINTEREST)

{POOL ROOM} We aren’t talking about a room that houses a pool table.  No, this room will feature a pool pool, the kind you swim in. Something from Endless Pools perhaps – where the water jet provides a current to swim against. It is the one surprise luxury that we are having in our house, and it’s a useful one. Our daughter {K} will be able to do her pool physical therapy at home and the rest of our family will be able to get some good exercise as well.  There will be plenty of natural light coming in through large windows and a glass door that leads out to a lower level patio. (PINTEREST)

{MECHANICAL / LAUNDRY} This space is definitely still in the idea phase.  Essentially, right now it is just a large open space where all of the mechanical equipment will be housed.  It is also where the washer & dryer will be located. When I was first designing the house, the laundry was for SURE going to be located on the main level.  But, because we decided on a smaller footprint, some concessions had to be made.  Essentially we took the space that could have been used for the laundry equipment on the main level and replaced it with the lift/elevator space.  Don’t worry though, I have a back up plan if it gets to annoying to haul laundry up and down the stairs or if we need a second set of appliances.  There is a large ‘broom closet’ on the main level that will be fitted with water hookups, just in case a stack-able washer/dryer is it’s final destiny. (PINTEREST)

{DEN / GUEST} Craig has been dreaming of this space for such a long time.  On a day to day basis it will be used as his ‘man land’ – a place to watch a football game in private, read a book, or work on some computer programming in peace & quiet.  I imagine the vibe in here to be pretty laid back and cozy.  The room will have a couple of small closets and a pull out couch to accommodate guests.  (PINTEREST)

{HALL} Rule number one of small house design is to eliminate hallways – and such, this ‘hall’ is more than just a walking space.  It is essentially a connecting room.  It will house some pretty important features.  On the wall that connects to the pool room, we will design some nice computer/ homework niches for the kids.  There will be high windows in this location, to allow the natural daylight from the pool area to spill in.  A kitchenette will be placed on the opposite wall.  Again, planning for all sorts of situations, the kitchenette will have a fridge, small sink, microwave and possibly a small cook top.  Day to day it will be a place the kids and their friends can go for snacks. The hall space inspiration images are included in the family room Pinterest board, linked below.

{FAMILY ROOM} We are imagining this room as a great space for our family to kick back and hang out together.  I envision lots of comfy seating and a large TV for family movie nights.  In one corner I would love to have a table that can be used for arts & crafts projects, and also as a place to gather and play games.  There is a set of multi-pane glass french doors in our current farmhouse that we are hoping to remove and install in the cottage.  As of right now, we imagine the family room being the perfect spot for the doors.  When closed, they would create a nice separate room that could double as a guest space when we have visitors.  The family room will also have great access to the outdoor patio space through a set of sliding glass doors.  (PINTEREST)

{PATIO} This will be located, as I mentioned, right off of the family room and the pool room.  If you look at the above graphic, it will fit in the little ‘L’ shape adjoining the two. As of right now, I don’t have a separate Pinterest board for this space alone, but thought I could share the outdoor board which has a few photos of what I am imagining. (PINTEREST)

And there you have it!  The entire house layout / floor plans!  My next step will be to take you inside each room and add details, colors, and even furniture.  I’m hoping to have the computer video recorder up and working next week to share a video.  Now… which shall I detail  first?!