The Studio Bathroom Walls

Yesterday I shared how I painted the studio bathroom tile black, which I'll admit, was sort of a big commitment. I wanted the room to feel girlie and fun, but still modern and interesting. It's technically our guest bathroom as well, but since Heather is living with us in the guest room, it's mostly just her and Kate and I that ever are in the space. So basically, I felt like I had free reign to go as girlie as I wanted!

The previously white walls felt really stark in here since the only light source was (and still is) a pair of wall sconces, so I decided to warm up the color and to get a little experimental with a fun pattern.


After swinging by The Home Depot and picking up a few rolls of Scotch Blue™ Painter's Tape to experiment with, I finally had a lightbulb moment.

 

I used a roll of .94" ScotchBlue (it's the Original Multi-Use 2090) to make an abstract line pattern on all the walls above the tile and even on the ceiling. I was inspired by this uber-talented artist that Domino featured in the current issue. He did a similar treatment to the walls in his home using duct tape. I love how these little lines are so simple and they make such a big visual impact.

To make a pretty fast process go even faster, I cut the tape (5-7" or so in random lengths) in large batches all at once before applying the strips to the walls.

It's easy to make the abstract pattern and it actually looks best if you don't over-think things while you're placing the tape on the walls. 

Like with any painting project, it's important to really press down the edges of the ScotchBlue tape before you paint. 

Don't forget to let the line continue in and through the corners and be sure to start some pieces below the actual starting line (the tile in my case). This makes the pattern look more like wallpaper.

We have some slight texture on the wall in some places so I did my little trick of sealing the edges with a quick layer of the base coat before painting the top coat. Works every time!

I like to peel the tape off while the paint is still wet. I don't know if that makes any difference in the end result, but it feels like it would, right?

The color we used for the base coat is my favorite white, Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace, and the top coat is the prettiest blush color called Spun Sugar by Sherwin Williams (I had both color matched at Home Depot). We don't have any windows in this bathroom, but I'm thinking this color would be gorgeous in natural light. So pretty and soft for a bedroom.

The pattern is playful enough that it would look adorable in a kids room, but when paired with black and brass accents and with lots of art hanging on the walls, the abstract pattern feels modern and cool.

I added lots of white to the room to break up the sea of black tile and to balance out the warmth of the Spun Sugar walls.

I also came up with a new way to reface old 80s cabinets that I'm really happy with. The basic idea is to use hardboard to create a faux front. I think I'm going to put a twist on the technique for a redo of our kitchen cabinets, so stay tuned for that tutorial!

The pretty horn knobs are from Anthropologie. I LOVE them!

Lots of big artwork helped to brighten this space too. I picked up these frames at Target and I love their extra-wide mats. 

Luckily the mat openings were meant for 8x10 prints and I had just picked up this book of Matisse prints in the same size for just a buck at a used book store.

Doesn't get much more girlie than this right?

Also did you notice how I moved the Safevieh gold and marble table in here? It fits well and I love the way it looks against the black tile.

I had to turn down the contrast in this photo so you could see the new sconces. I talked about them here. They're from Triple 7 Recycled on Etsy and they literally could not have been easier to install, especially since the mounting hardware is exposed. I had these babies up in about 20 minutes! I love them and I love the way the light from the exposed bulbs plays on the abstract line pattern on the walls. It's really soft and dreamy in person.

I'm all for complicated, time-consuming DIY projects (you know I am!), but sometimes simple-and-quick hits the spot, you know? I love the way this one turned out! :) A big thanks to ScotchBlue Painter's Tape for coming through for me yet again. 

(PS Check out their Pinterest page for some really great painting ideas!)

(PPS ScotchBlue™ Painter's Tape gave me a $50 e-giftcard to the Home Depot to share with you readers. Just click here to enter.)

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I am proud to be a 3M- sponsored blogger, and, as part of my responsibilities, I get the opportunity to evaluate new products from ScotchBlue™ Painter's Tape. Opinions are my own and additional product used in the project were selected by me.

  

Adding Paneling to Hollow-Core Doors

I've been pretty obsessed with raised paneling lately and when it was time to figure out something to do with the closet doors in the studio, I knew I wanted to experiment a little with moulding and see if I could make the cheap hollow-core door look more interesting for not a lot of money.

Here's a sort-of during shot of the studio, after we had painted the walls and done the floors and other trimwork, but before I did any decorating.

I remembered these wooden rounds from Home Depot and found some trim (it's called brick moulding) that was the same thickness as the rounds.

When I got home I experimented with tape patterns to try and figure out something that would work with the door proportions. It can be a little tricky to get it right with the door hardware and while leaving a sort of toe kick/kick plate area at the bottom. These doors are short too, so it felt extra difficult. At first I tried to make three circles work and they didn't really fit, but mostly it just looked like a giant stop light. Not cute.

I knew what my circle + square dimensions had to be, so I cut out four of the squares first for the two doors. Then I played around with the scrap moulding to figure out a rectangle for center area. I tried a few different sizes and even tried a rectangular panel to match the layering of the circle + square, but in the end I decided to keep it simple and small with just the brick moulding.

So the real trick with adding moulding to any door is to spend your time on the top shape and get that one perfectly perfect and squared with the edges of the door. And then the other shapes can just be placed using the lines of the first shape. Hopefully your first square is not at all crooked, but if it is, it's better for the other shapes on the door to be equally slightly crooked. That sounds weird, but your eye won't really notice if the whole thing is just a little tiny bit off, but if the individual shapes have been corrected and are off in relation to each other, that's when thinks start looking wonky and bad-DIY.

So, after I measure out and spend a lot of time getting that top square right, I just used a piece of scrap wood to line up the trim for the next square. The line will be perfectly even and straight this way.

I nailed on the paneling with my angled nailer with 1 1/4" brads, since the wooden round and brick moulding were so thick. And then everything got caulked and a light sanding.

I guess I didn't take a photo of this step, but before I painted the doors and paneling, I sprayed the door handles gold outside (without removing them first! Rebel!). I also replaced the old door hinges with new solid brass ones.

I regret not taking the time and effort to spray the doors with my Critter spray gun, but I was up against a time crunch, so I just brushed them with oil-based paint tinted to Benjamin Moore's Gentleman's Gray, which is actually a really beautiful, deep navy. 

The finish is not bad since I laid the doors down to paint them and oil-based paint spreads really beautifully. But it's not exactly perfect like it could have been if I had sprayed them. :(

I'm still happy with the doors though! They make the weird closets that flank my desk sort of a fun part of the room now. Eye-sore-turned-room-feature is my favorite kind of DIY.

I especially like how the light catches the dimension of the paneling in such a pretty way. I love all the shadows.

The Studio Tour! (and a HUGE Give Away from Domino and Keep!)

We've been working hard to decorate my little studio space this month! It's been SO fun to finally add color to the all-white room! I have a million projects to share with you all soon (Here are the tutorials on the DIY plywood floors and the baseboards, in case you missed them.)

Just like in my home and in my client's spaces, I wanted a good mix of vintage and new furniture and accessories in this space. I had been doing a little too much vintage shopping lately (gasp! possible?!) and we needed some newer pieces to sort of brighten the look up. My pink ikat Henredon sofas, the Widdicomb table-turned desk, the seriously beat up Plycraft chair, the reupholstered leopard Eames management chairs, the old Italian marble coffee table, etc. -- basically everything in the space was vintage, except the IKEA DIY malachite pattern desk.

Domino and I teamed up with Keep.com to add a few of those new pieces I so desperately needed to my vintage mix, and I love what we came up with. But here's the great news: you can enter HERE to win a $2000 GIFT CARD to Domino's shop! Instant remedy for those of you in vintage overwhelm (like I was), or those of you who want vintage style, but don't love the endless hunt/bedbugs. :)

Here are the pieces I chose from the Domino shop, and a ton more photos of our studio below:

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Let's start by the back door. We have the malachite desk along the west wall and I put the just-delivered, freshly reupholstered Plycraft chair just next to that. I love how it looks next to the new Safavieh table. That thing is SOLID. Seriously built to last. The table top is a beautiful piece of sparkly marble and the tapered legs are gilded iron. The base has a really pretty organic quality - sort of perfectly imperfect.

The horn vases are my favorite for office supplies, but I've used them for flowers before too and the mix of textures is really beautiful. 

The New Yorker cover from the 60s was a Conde Nast Store find. I love it next to my new vintage etching (especially after its recent upgrade).

On the north wall, against the wall of windows, we put the ikat sofas and the marble coffee table on my old Persian runner.

I got these one-of-a-kind kilim pillows a few weeks ago when they were one of the Domino Deals (50% off baby!) and they're gorgeous. (psst...this Otomi pillow is also awesome)

And on the coffee table is this pretty little black hex planter from Dwell Studio. There might be no less than three succulents in every room in my house at this point.

This light blue-green chair is more comfortable than you might give it credit for since it's so small. It's adorable and the linen upholstery is well done. The color is pretty with the sofas too, huh?

I'm SO in love with this Blu Dot lamp. I bought the IKEA knock off a couple months ago, and let me tell you, that one is complete junk in comparison. This lamp is worth every penny, just for the shade alone! It's a gorgeous statement piece. Look at that pretty base.

I found that little knoll table for (get this) $24 here at an antique mall. I could hardly believe my luck.

Just to the right of the sofas on the east wall is a bunch of new pretty stuff that I'm so excited to share with you! The perfect little cherry on top though is this Cy Twombly print that I've been wanting for years now. I LOVE the colors here. And it was nice that the print came framed.

This Arteriors vase is so crazy and unique, I keep moving it around the house because I love seeing it everywhere. Recognize the nubbins? Totally inspired one of my concrete planters.

These little brass hand sculptures are new too and I love how they look against the black table. I think a person's hands are so beautiful (especially really old ones and brand new baby ones! Oh, my heart!), but I'm starting to realize that my hand sculpture collection is getting a little out of control at this point. Maybe.

More the share later, when I get to the projects posts, but I just wanted to say that lilac and poppy red will forever be a favorite color combo.

Then just a little to the right, in the window bay, is my sunny desk nook. Those white S chairs were originally going sit at the malachite desk and one or both of the leopard chairs were going to sit at my desk, but I decided I liked the white S chairs in a pair at my desk instead. When people come over, we all sit together here, and the girls come up and sit with me if I need to work after they get home from school. They color and I type away. 

I painted the base of that Widdicomb table with chalkboard paint and I love the ultra-matte finish. And remember this little guy? My brass colored pencil holder has a star spot on my desk top now. I love it.

I picked up the gray wool office chair at a thrift store and it is so, so comfortable. It's cleaned up pretty well, but I think it's going to get a little more love sometime soon. The wooden arms and base need some work. But for now, it's just about my favorite place to sit and the arms hit the table at just the right spot. The perfect fit.

There are still a few more projects we're working on (some giant inspiration boards!!), but I'm so happy with the progress in here. It's bright and cheerful and it feels finished, but not overloaded. There's tons of floor space for spreading out our projects, but also places to sit and work when we're just doing computer work. I am so happy and grateful for this studio space. It is seriously saving my sanity. :)

NOW!! Don't forget to enter the $2000 GIVE AWAY from Domino and Keep.com. Think of all the pretty things you could put in your home! My fingers are crossed for you! :)