5 Ways to a Luxurious Bath

This week's "5 Ways" post is brought to you by DecorPlanet.com. If you've been following me for more than a week, you have probably figured out that I have put a lot of thought into bathrooms as of late.  With Millie the fliphouse's bathrooms finally coming together, I thought it would be the perfect time to share some of my thoughts on successful and luxurious bathrooms that don't have to break the bank.

1.  Splurge on the sparkle.  And by sparkle, I mean fixtures.  Spend the money on what draws attention.  What could be a generic sink can be instantly transformed with the proper faucet.  Whenever I use a vintage or thrifted sink, replacing the fixtures is imperative to making it look high end.  Joanna Gaines executed this perfectly on an episode of Fixer Upper with this upcycled dresser/simple vessel sink combo.  With a generic faucet, it would be just a nice space and you'd instantly forget it.  With those faucets, it's a stunner.

Similar to what I'm planning in the flip's new master bath, you can recreate this look with your own thrifted dresser, simple vessel sink  and a wall mount faucet such as this Rohl Acqui Bridge Faucet, both from DecorPlanet.com.

2.  Tile- think outside of the box.  With most of my projects, I admittedly try and save a bit of money where I can.  Often times, that money savings opportunity comes with tile.  Thinking outside of the box with tile doesn't mean you have to think outside of the box store.  All you need to do is look at tiles a little bit differently.  This bathroom from Apartment Therapy shows that varying the shape of generic white tiles shows the power of tile.

3. Enjoy the little luxuries.  If you don't have it in the budget for a whole bathroom reno, how about adding a towel warmer?  Who doesn't love getting wrapped in a warm towel on a cool day?  A little touch of luxe can go a long way to making the entire room feel more high end (plus you'll be all warm and cozy: win-win!)

4.  Maximize your storage.  Nothing makes a bathroom feel less luxurious than piles of towels, toiletries, and grooming tools.  Even in a tight bathroom, it's possible to find a place for everything with some creative organization.  If you aren't blessed with tons of built-in storage space, furniture and other vessels can really do the trick.

image via BHG

I'm swooning over this Fresca Oxford Antique White Linen Cabinet from DecorPlanet.  Cross my heart and kiss my elbow, I'd be saying this even without this partnership.  With it's slim footprint and classic door style, it can fit into almost any space and be exponentially useful.  Zazz it up easily with some Anthro knobs.  I can just see 2 of these flanking a beautiful vessel sink and it would be pretty epic.  Tons of storage in a small space.

5.  Accessorize.  Did you not expect me to go there?  It's always the last layer that makes a room, and it's no different in a bathroom.  In addition to a fun mirror and patterned or textured towels, think about what else might be useful and beautiful.  A vessel to stash your everyday items within reach, a stylish makeup mirror to make sure you're ready for your closeup (or selfies), and what about a basket with a few rolled towels for easy access for guests.

mirror: DecorPlanet/ box: Target/ soap dispenser: DecorPlanet/ basket: IKEA/ towels: Target/ makeup mirror: DecorPlanet

Thanks, DecorPlanet.com for collaborating on this post!

Snowed in Staging with Chairish

Ah snow days.  The rush to get things done before the snow starts, then the inevitable cleanup and catch up afterwards.  Over at Millie, I've got record amounts of snow to shovel.  Literally.  Yesterday's 33.5" apparently beat the old record by .5"  Luckily, Millie has super amazing neighbors who cleared the front sidewalk for me. Even though there's still quite a bit of work left to do (understatement of the year) before I can list Millie the fliphouse, my mind has already shifted to staging.  I don't want it to sneak up on me at the end and then run out of time to stage it properly.  She deserves better than that.  So when Chairish asked me to put together a styleboard using one of their latest rugs, it was right down my alley.

If you aren't familiar with Chairish, it's an online consignment shop for awesome furniture and decor.  Doesn't sound like anything I'd enjoy, right?

Today I was in the mood for a bit of rustic glamour and chose this Turquoise Overdyed Turkish rug to base my design off of.  I started simple with a few staple pieces:

1.  West Elm, Ainslie Sofa

2.  Serena & Lily, Reese Side Table

3.  Chairish, The Foundry Factory Cart

4.  Target, Carissa Shelter Wing Chair

The fun really comes into this room once you start adding accessories.  I wanted to balance out the rusticity of the wood and patchwork with some sophisticated metallics.

1.  Target, Nate Berkus Geo Printed Resin Tray

2.  Anthropologie, Arca Jewelry Boxes

3.  West Elm, Moorish Tile Printed Curtain

4.  Rejuvination, Merchant Floor Lamp

5.  Anthropologie, Ink Drop Pillow

6.  Tonic Living, Handcut Shapes, Rain Pillow

7.  West Elm, Beaded Corners Pillow Cover

Now I'm itching even more to get to staging!  Have I inspired you too?  Check out their other available rugs for more inspiration.

Make it Work: Door Headboard

In the series, Make it Work , I show you how to take a seemingly random thrifted find and hypothetically ‘make it work’ in an awesome space.  WWTGD (What would Tim Gunn do?) I'm getting the thrifting bug lately.  It's not tag sale season, and I'm at a point with the flip where I've purchased all the materials and lights but not yet ready to stage, so I'm at a thrifting stand still.  What better time to dream about new (old) awesome decor and share it with you guys.

In today's Make it Work, how about an old door as a headboard?

Currently listed on the Boston Craigslist, it's more than a little steep in price at $450, but I think it'll give you a good idea.

All over pinterest you'll find crafty- looking door headboards, but it doesn't have to be that way.  A door used as a headboard can look so sophisticated if done right.

This bedroom from Country Living shows a very successful door-turned headboard.  The key to this room is simplicity.  The headboard is the focal point and you don't have a gaggle of craftiness distracting from that.

So, how would I make the very different door from Craigslist work?  It's all about balance.

The heaviness of the headboard is grounded by a heavy rug, and everything else becomes a textural supporting character.  If you try and add too much pattern or color, that's when the bad crazy happens.  I'm also a big proponent for style mixing.  High/low, new/old, hard/soft.  It creates a nice, balanced, and interesting space.

Curtains: Cotton Canvas Stamped Dots, West Elm

Eggs Prints: OldAgePrints on Etsy

Sconces: Congress Wall Sconce, Rejuvination

Night Stand: Threshold Parson Side Table, Target

Bedding: Waiscott Oxford Weave, Serena & Lily

Rug: Kasari Printed, Pottery Barn

Bench: Vintage Steel and Vinyl, Chairish

I hope you'll think twice next time you come across an old door.  Doesn't this room just make you want to curl up?