Fake it 'til you make it - Creating Character

Okay so all this talk about finding the beauty past all the yuck.... weeeeell, sometimes it just isn't there.  But fear not!  In that case, you just create your own.  When we bought our house there was a lot that you could tell used to be beautiful, it just needed to be gussied up.  There was buried beauty- walls closed off and hardwood floors covered up in the era of separate smaller rooms and olive green kitchens.

If your home has no character, fake it 'til you make it, sister.  One easy way to create character is with molding.  Even a chair rail adds visual interest.  If you have a modern home, iron and glass are awesome.  If you have an historic home, look to the style of the home or the year it was built for suggestions on what would have been popular back then.  If your home was built in a time when including architectural elements wasn't the focus, add them in whichever style you like.

Our now kids bathroom is a perfect example of a space where we had to create character.  When we first moved in, there was a lovely 1960s vibe happening in there and it was certainly spacious.  But we were running a hallway right through it to access the new master bedroom a bathroom, so it was a great time to update this baby.  And no one was more excited than I, when her day finally came.  Since I really loved the tub, I knew that it had to stay.  But it needed to be refinished and spruced up a bit.  And it needed to also function as a shower, since it's the 21st century.  Jason wanted to bag the whole thing.  He wanted to sell the tub and put in a regular tub/shower situation.  (I know, I gasped at the thought too.)  Fortunately, I am stubborn and refused to compromise.  Phew.  That was a close one.

The sucker literally weighs half a ton, so once it was unhooked from all the plumbing the specialist came onsite to refinish it. The fumes were so toxic no one could be in the house for the weekend.  Party at Grandmas!  It also had to be turned 180 degrees to face the other direction, because the roof lines didn't allow for enough head space to accommodate a shower head.  Everywhere else in here, we had to add details to create character and make the space interesting.  When it was time to pick out finishes, I wanted it to reflect the time period of when the house was built.  Nothing original remained in this bathroom except the tub.  So we brought in new, old features.  We chose a small hexagon tile on the floor and more period plumbing fixtures and bought mirrors that had some etching on them that looked antique.

 But here's the thing.  It's not 1917 anymore.  So the rest of the space is just fun and more "of today" because those are the things we like.  I really believe in mixing in the old with the new.  It makes your house look more lived in.  It makes everything appear as if you didn't just go out on your lunch break and buy it all off of page 32.  If you have a cool antique dresser, there are no rules that say you have to display your great great grandmothers bedpan on top of it.  Put contemporary art on top if you like modern.  Or better yet, paint the dresser aqua.  And I know, it's often hard to paint antique furniture, and I'm not saying that's always the answer- the point is just that your home should make you happy and it should work for you.  In the case of the bathroom we chose square sinks, and tiled the walls 3/4 of the way up and added a fun iridescent tile border.  We painted it a very pale purple by Benjamin Moore called Hint of Violet, because at the time it was shared by two little girls and I couldn't imagine that they would ever be so lucky as to have a brother.  I found the shower curtain at Anthropologie and fell in love and it inspired my main color theme.  Lastly, I added the accessories to match and when John did come along, we got him an orange towel to match the orange hues in the shower curtain.  And the towels are of course monogrammed.  I love a monogram. 

Below are a few more details we chose and a step by step tutorial on how to style your bathroom.  

New fixtures in a old style to match the time period

clawfoot and hex floor

Start with the basics.  First, I chose a shower curtain because that occupies the majority of the visual space.

Add a rug for more visual interest, and to keep little tootsers warm. (Don't be afraid to use something other than a bathmat)

Add some accessories on the vanity. Functional soap dispenser and cups (these are heavy duty plastic so if they break they won't hurt my babies).  Add some fun accessories too, to make the space happy.

Since it's a bathroom, why not a picture of the kids playing in the bath?
And since it's a bathroom in a home built in 1917, why not an antique soap dish? 

Add some towels.  Hooks are easier for kids than racks.  And yes, any kind of personalized embroidery is always a good idea.   

Add some stools to help the little ones reach the sink- and you're done!  

 (In case you were wondering where the toilet is (What's that? You weren't? My bad.) it's opposite the tub- and that's a linen/laundry closet on the right)

And Tada!  You did it!  You're done!  Scrub a dub dub, enjoy your loves in the tub!