- October 17, 2018
- Linda Weisberg
Cozy Guest Bedroom and Bath Refresh
Welcome to Week 3 of the One Room Challenge LW Interiors Cozy Guest Bedroom and Bath Refresh! The bedroom floors are finished, and there’s plenty more to do.
Let’s start with the bathroom. I chose Aldith in Grey, a whimsical floral patterned paper by Thibaut for the bathroom walls. Thibaut has wonderful fabrics and wallpapers. I used a Thibaut fabric for my window treatments in last fall’s One Room Challenge, so the Martin Group in The Boston Design Center was the place I went to look for wallpaper for this project. Aldith in Grey comes in other colors with coordinating fabrics, but instead of using the fabric, I chose a woven wood shade from The Shade Store to break up the pattern and add some texture to the space. Can’t wait to see it installed this week. I painted the bathroom cabinet, ceiling, trim and radiator in Ben Moore’s Coventry Gray. It looks great with the existing Carrara counters and tile floor. So all is good!
Sarah Smyth, who I’ve known for years, is hanging the paper as we speak!
This bathroom counter is about 15 years old. It held up very well over the years, but recently I noticed some brown spots near the sink. So I called Boston Stone Restoration where I learned a few things about restoring marble. Marble is a porous material, and though beautiful, can be challenging to maintain. Do you see the slightly discolored area near the faucet? That is rust coming up through the stone. If the discoloration is darker than the stone, it is a stain. If it is lighter than the stone, it is called etching. Etching which is on the surface of the stone, is caused when an acidic substance comes into contact with the stone, and surface restoration by a professional is recommended. Staining is when a product such as wine is spilled and absorbed into the stone or like my situation where rust comes up through the stone. To remove a stain, it is recommended to make a poultice. Boston Stone Restoration has a DIY recipe for a poultice – mix baby powder and hydrogen peroxide into a smooth liquid, spread it on the stained areas and cover with saran wrap for 24 hours. It might be necessary to do it several times. Here’s how I made the poultice and the before and after pics of the counter.
Most of the stain came out, but I’m going to apply the poultice one more time this week to get it looking even better!
Lighting. I’ve had a small 14″ high antique silver chandelier in the bathroom for years, since the ceilings upstairs are 7.5 feet. We are not tall people, and it was fine until my daughter married her husband who is 6’4″ and bumps his head every time he goes in there! So I found a lovely flush mount by Crystorama, one of the trade partners for the One Room Challenge! The flush mount is Broche in white, and looks great with the wallpaper! Now I need towels and a rug to pull it all together!
Stay tuned to next week to see the progress in the guest bedroom. The new daybed has not arrived yet, but it’s on the schedule to be delivered next week, so fingers crossed!
The One Room Challenge is a bi-annual online design event that is held every April and October. Each time twenty featured design bloggers from around the country take the challenge to design a space in six weeks and blog about the design process to their readers on Wednesdays. Guest participants link their room transformations with the event on Thursdays. You can check out their Week 1 and 2 projects here. Better Homes and Gardens is also sponsoring the event. Last fall was the first time I participated in the One Room Challenge where I updated the master bedroom in our 90 year old Tudor home. It was a great experience, and I’m excited to take the challenge again. See you next week when we’re back in the bedroom working away!
