Newbie Summer Link Party!

May I just say, I am loving the coastal style right now. It is a trend I don't want to see going anytime soon. However, living smack in the middle of the desert, I feel a little ridiculous putting up oceanic decor in my home. So, this is my small attempt at "hinting" the coastal style without feeling like a fool.

The inspiration for this began with a lantern that I found at Goodwill for $4. It was a lovely, brassy thing, and the glass panes were still perfectly intact. After a couple of coats of some black spray paint, it looked good as new:

I filled it with some Dollar Tree rocks, a candle, and paired it with a votive holder turned Q-tip holder. :) I found that votive holder at the Dollar Tree and thought it kind of looked like a sand dollar. I also added some coastal looking shower hooks and a hurricane vase:

The shower hooks and vase were clearance finds at Target ($3 for each hook) and Walmart ($7 vase). The base of the vase was brown so I gave it a quick coat of black. This is what my guest bath looked like before:

A bit empty, wouldn't you say? And now: 

We bought the picture frames a long time ago and they had been sitting in storage because I didn't know where to hang them. I put some of my favorite pictures of the hubs with his ladybugs.

So, there you have it. This is my summer, coastal inspired, guest bath. I really didn't know how long I would enjoy a "gray room," but all the white and black accents just make this guest bath feel very crisp and refreshing. Perfect for a candlelit soak! Now, it's your turn! Let's see those summer inspired projects.

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Here's a quick reminder about the rules and who can post:

* You don't have to be a follower to link up (although, I really hope to meet new friends at my party)

* Please link back to my party somewhere in your post AND/OR post my button

* You must be qualified as a NEWBIE

Installing Knobs and Pulls for Cabinets

Our bathroom cabinets are D-O-N-E, and I cannot stress enough what a little bit of paint and some knobs and pulls can do for cabinets. They went from looking dirty, old, and dated to new and modern. For under $45, this is how we updated our guest bathroom:

In case you forgot, this is what they looked like before:

After two coats of Behr's "Espresso Beans," this is what they looked like:

Just what I wanted? Yes! However, I wanted them to look really new and custom, so I purchased some knobs and a pull at Home Depot. This is how I installed them:

First, I used a template to mark off where the middle of my drawer was.

Then, I colored the screws with a sharpie and pressed them firmly against my template.

This will give you an exact mark on where you need to drill. I used a similar technique for the cabinet doors.

With the knobs, there wasn't as much measuring. I knew where I wanted the knobs to be, so I marked it on a template. You can use the same template for each door, just flip the paper over for the correct corner.

Alas, the cabinets are done and look brand new:

Our guest bathroom the day we moved in:

And now:

Walls: Glidden "Smooth Stone"

Cabinets: Behr "Espresso Beans

Cabinet Cost:

Gallon of Behr paint: $33

Knobs and Pull (Home Depot): $5

New Hinges: $3.50

My darkest color yet...

Once again, Behr has made my heart skip a beat! I am in love. Really.

I told you in this post about wanting to give my guest bath cabinets a fresh coat of white.

Well, that was the plan, but then I started looking online for pictures of bathroom cabinets. It took one picture from a dark colored cabinet to change all of my plans for this bathroom. I tell you, I ran to Home Depot and bought a gallon of this beautiful dark color. I didn't even bother with the samples. Daring, I know!

I removed the cabinet doors and the springs inside of the hinges crumbled in my hands. No joke. I'm guessing they were as old as the house, so back to Home Depot I went to purchase new hinges.

I lightly sanded the cabinets and doors and cleaned them with TSP. Since I bought Behr's paint and primer in one, I only had to do two coats to achieve my desired color. The paint is semi-gloss (recommended for bathrooms and kitchens).

Behold, Behr's "Espresso Beans"

Please excuse my dirty mirror. I was so excited to show you, that I didn't even think of cleaning it.

Isn't the color absolutely gorgeous? It's such a deep, rich, brown.

It looks black and I love that. It's not as harsh as black, but against my gray walls, you would never guess it's a brown.

I added tags to our baskets under the sink for my 9 year old because this is the bathroom she uses.

I am hoping this teaches her to put things away in the correct basket. We'll see if that works out.

Also, I found white towels on sale at Target for when guests visit. In a house with two kids, the darker the towels the better. Not only that, but the white towels match the white shower curtain. So, I'm keeping the towels hidden, but close at hand for when company comes over.

Today, the hubby and I are going to attach some new hardware to the cabinets. It will be just a little more "POP" to make our cabinets look new.

Before:

After:

Next for the bathroom:

hardware on the doors

frame the mirror

new countertop and faucet

white door and trim

tile

wall art

I am linking this to:

Thrifty Decor Chick

Keeping It Simple

The DIY Showoff

Sneak Peak

Aaaaaah, bathrooms ... probably one of the best rooms to start with when updating a home you have moved into. They are (usually) small and so you're able to test your skills in painting, tiling, and upgrading hardware. Even if you butcher it, the room is still small enough that nobody will ever notice it. And if they do, you can give them the 'ol stink eye and kick them out.

This is what our guest bath looked like the day we moved in.

Please excuse the sweet baby. She was mesmerized by the skylight...

Spacious, but in need of a paint job.

We finally found the shower curtain I wanted after hunting at 6 different stores and now that the fabric has been purchased, we will be painting for the next couple of days. If all goes well, we will have our "before and after" posting by this weekend! But... here is a little sneak peak at what we're doing.

Black, metal basket turned toilet paper roll holder. $1.99 at Savers.

Sorry for the bad lighting but I really didn't want to use the flash and drown out the details. This is my purty curtain from Target. We are using some of those colors for our walls...  :)

eeee! I cannot wait to be "done" with a room. My 9 year old has been begging me to finish hers since we moved in 33 days ago. Off to paint!