We bought our cottage for the gardens, for it’s proximity to the local co-op, and the gardens. Over the past four years, it has been a slow but steady process of making the space ours. We bought this home from the granddaughter of the original owners who designed and built this house. There are still a good many half-done, unfinished projects, aka our exterior paint (sorry neighbors). Our kitchen was the first project we took on and this bathroom is our last. I’ve learned the process of making a space feel like home can take time as you come to better know how you actually use a space + what you need from the space.

As our attention shifts to dreaming up and designing a new home, one that accommodates our children growing older and both AJ + I working from home, it feels good to be able to work on little projects to make this house more functional while we still call it home. The liminal place in between where you are going and where you are coming from feels uncomfortable, but at least we can make it aesthetically pleasing, no?

It is a strange thing to be sharing with you are one and only bathroom. For a long time this space was a source of dread for me. Paint peeling, a vanity + sink too big for the space so that two people could not comfortable stand at one time, linoleum flooring and a peel and stick privacy decal on the window so the neighbors couldn’t see in.

I’m not sure if I’ve shared this before but art, interior design + fashion were really my first love. I’ve been known to pull all nighters painting a room with my mom or by myself (now that she lives so far away). Painting a room one color to find out on the wall I actually loathe it and then repainting the following day. I think this is really one of the reasons I stick to neutral colors these days, using accessories + fresh flowers as pops of color. Either way design is a passion.

One summer, my mom and I painted her room yellow, it literally felt like we were inside a banana. The next day we proceeded to repaint the whole room a more subtle shade. I was raised on shows like Trading Spaces, Flip or Flop, + all things HGTV, so I enjoy, more than I care to say, designing a space.

What I found challenging about this bathroom was how to refresh the space, make it feel updated, and more spacious without spending a lot of money, time, and labor. As it is our one and only bathroom, we need it to function. At the onset of the project, we decided to keep the original tile in the shower stall because it is in good quality and instead I let the tile inform the rest of the design.

Flooring

Because the tile in the shower stall had to stay, the flooring was the opportunity to pull the design together. The linoleum flooring was out + fresh new tile is in with the help of Fireclay Tile, a California based company that hand makes the most gorgeous tile was in. Being a California native, it feels wonderful to support a company near and dear to my roots and values. Sustainability and craftsmanship is at the heart of what they do.

They are Certified Climate Neutral with their factory using 100% renewable electricity and they are the First B Corporation in the tile industry. They’ve spent the past 30 years refining their processes, such as recapturing water, recycling granite fines, and reusing glaze. Their tile selection is gorgeous and when you hold a tile in your hand you can feel the love, intention, and quality.

When working with Fireclay Tile, they were so helpful in conceptualizing a tile or flooring that wouldn’t match the old tile because that would be nearly impossible, but would compliment it. I chose the Fireclay Tile in Carbon in a 2X6 brick, dark enough, arranged in a square motif on the floor to echo the square shape of the tiles in the shower stall.

Color palette

For the wall color again, I knew a pure white would make the color of the tile in the shower stand out. Its not an awful color but it wasn’t my favorite, so I chose a color to neutralize it. I chose Sherwin Williams Eider White, in their Harmony a zero VOC formula, a color I had used in our former Milwaukee Bungalow + loved how it brightened the space and pulled the colors together.

For the fixtures I went for a mix of metals: brass, oil rubbed bronze, + chrome. I found this faucet from Kolher, a Wisconsin brand, with a perfect blend of black and brass, a French cafe style window rod in brass, and a handsewn linen curtain panel from Esty for privacy, light, and for those cottage vibes. I love how the wild grape vine has grown outside our window, I know I’ll miss its shadows in the winter months.

The simple hardware for the toilet paper holder and towel rack are from Shop Fog Linen. I love the simplicity + elegance of the design and forsee using them in our future home too. For me, there is an intriguing challenge in taking a space you dislike, with constraints, and seeing what can creatively come out of it.

Antique Stool | Light Fixture | Turkish Bath Towels | Shower Curtains | Vanity Mirror | Organic Cotton Towels | Hand Thrown Bud Vase

Originally, AJ was going to hand make a vanity from some reclaimed wood we inherited from a friend. This rich wood was from a barrel at an old chocolate factory. The same wood we use to craft our fireplace mantel, but this summer he was out of commission with a foot injury so to save time + his sanity, we ordered a small pedestal vanity, and I like it even more in terms of saving space and cleaning up after two small children.

I tried to find a before photo, before I changed out the light fixture, added the mirror and painted, but alas I could not. I hate this baby blue bathroom so much, the me who takes 1,000 pictures a day could not find one photo. Note to self: take more before photos to truly relish in how far you’ve come.

Thank you for following along. This project is the beginning of me sharing more of my design process, ideas, and inspiration as we begin to dream, from the ground up, what our new hearth + home will look like at the land. Our goals in that project are to try and source materials locally if possible, as sustainably as possible, reusing materials and thrifted finds. I actually already have our powder room vanity in the basement, if you ever want a sneak peek, let me know!

Please let me know if you have any other questions in the comments below.

x, alyson