What a process! The Hot Mess Powder Room that died and has gone off to bathroom vanity heaven! As we moved into our first home we were excited to update the bathroom/powder room vanity. It was a necessary fix and it has transformed the house once again.
So let’s begin with this Powder Room. This was by far the biggest change. The original space had very old 1970s carpet like wall paper that was on the walls and ceiling. It really made your head spin a bit. Check out the original photo from when we first visited the house. Here were the top 3 reasons this powder had to be re-done:
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Wallpaper on wall and ceiling was a major eye sore.
The cabinets were 30 inches heigh – This was not going to work seeing that I am 5’7″ and my husband is 6’8.” He was basically on his knees trying to wash his hands.
No overhead lighting – the previous owner used lamps and tied them to the wall. The cords were neatly attached to the wall, but after our cousin came who is an electrician, told us that that is a fire hazard. So yep…we had to get rid of that.
Countertop – The counter top famously sagged in the middle and we were not fans of chocolate brown color tops either.
Needless to say this set up had to go! So we decided to gut it and start over. The toilet and flooring were the only elements that stayed. My husband and I decided to raise the vanity to 36 inches, plus we wanted a calming color story in our powder room.
We went with a glossy gray finish on the cabinets, and to make the space modern/bold I went with black matte exposed sinks and faucets. I love utilizing simple colors with bold finishes or pieces, I guess you can say I am a hard/soft person when it comes to decor. Here is a before and after picture below:
What a change right? I am a amazon queen so most of these items came from Amazon & Target. Here are some links to items I bought to create this powder room vibe:
Gold Mirror – I love a beautiful brass gold round mirror. It was a nice compliment to the very square like sink, it was a good balance of structure and curve appeal. Bought it from Amazon!
2. Foam Molding – Yes its foam! It was a perfect way to elevate the open white walls in this space. I am looking forward to decorating the corner of my powder room soon!
3. Feature Wall – I wanted to have a accent wall of some kind vs just painting it. Painting takes a bit more time, and we decided to just do contact paper. I found a very nice white brick paper that would go with anything when I finally decorate the rest of the room in the future. I suggest ordering 3 to 4 rolls, but it depends on the size of the wall.
4. Faucets – My contractor got the sinks for me but I ordered the matte black faucets. I just love the entire look and it has elevated this space so much.
These are some of the key pieces I bought to bring this powder room together. I also love the bath accessories which I received from my wedding 2 years ago and the candle on the counter is from Target! But here are so good substitutes for the bathroom accessories and candles from Amazon.
In the end we were so happy with the results and we plan on changing out the flooring in the future and decorate this sweet corner as well. This is by far one of my favorite renovation projects. More to come! Any renovation projects you have enjoyed experiencing or seeing? Share below…
Within Coral Gables, FL there are various homes that have such history and appeal. I grew up in this area with my parents and have always admired the taste level of our neighbors with their homes.
One of my favorite places has to be our neighbor’s home…Vivian’s Kitchen Island. It’s just one of my favorite spaces to come visit and have a cup of lemonade or coffee. Hear the story of the renovation and concept behind this wonderful space.
This family saved money for over 15 years to renovate their entire downstairs of their home practically. And it has paid off! The #1 priority was the kitchen, Vivian and her family are like mine. They gather around the kitchen table to not just eat but to converse. Check out this island…this is the island of all islands!
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First, the island feels like a mile long, it can sit easily 12 people and still have room! She picked out an amazing pure white quartz counter top to match the overall white theme to her kitchen. I love the hidden refrigerator with the long exaggerated handles. It gives it such an elegant but simple feel. The backsplash is so pretty and has a hint of gray in the print. I really love it because with the kitchen being white already, the backsplash just gives it the complete look.
Second, the amount of drawer space is out of this world as well. This kitchen island alone has 12 drawers! What an amazing use of space.
One of the most charming stories from the owner was her standing firm on getting this kitchen island. This space originally had a wall separating the kitchen and the dining room table. Just picture a wall lining up next to the now refrigerator…that was the size of the kitchen.
The interior designer that she worked with wanted her to keep it separated. They even drew up plans and everything to persuade Vivian to do what they suggested. But Vivian held her ground and said no.
Lastly, I personally felt she made the right decision based on the needs of her family. Family is all about conversing with each other and hanging out. This 117 inch long by 66 inch wide kitchen island represents that for her family dynamic. This is why I view this as a “Jessi’ I love Places.” What piece in your home means the most to your life or family dynamic?
Most of this kitchen’s pieces came from Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrell. However, I do have some great dupes or options from Amazon. Check out the links below.
The last 7 weeks moving into our new home has been an experience. We have done already some massive things to the home but on of my most treasured memories will be re-doing the entrance. The previous owner had massive amounts of couch grass that led up to the front door as well as planted cactus plant and poinsettas. I was not a huge fan of it because it attracted lizards to the 100th degree and they were constantly hanging out right by the door. It was challenging so we decided to remove it and oh gosh was it bare. See the before and after.
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So the next step was plant something that is low maintenance and pretty to go with the brown and cream color of the house. I work retail and am a Beauty Director for 12+ doors so my time is limited and I need something that does not take a lot of time to keep up with. We decided to go with Green Island Ficus which is a beautiful simple plant with deep color and glossy leaves and Various Bromeliad plants, which are priced pretty well and on budget.
Then last but not least the rocks…this just set the tone. It’s called Alabama White Rock and I love it. I don’t have a link to the exact type of rock, but here is a substitute that should work out pretty well…Click Here The white rock was the most expensive thing to purchase but it was so worth it in the end. It made the chattahoochie entrance look actually better! We were going to remove the chattahoochie but to save some money now, we decided to re-seal it soon and paint it a darker color to match the house.
Finally, the next big transformation was around our mailbox. I totally hated the massive forest we had around it and anything could have been living in there, seriously. We moved all the vegetation there and it was not easy to do since so much of it had deep roots in there for many years. But we managed to pull out the stumps and really start over. See the before & after below.
Day and Night, right? What a difference! The house looks bigger to me with just that change. We used Bags of Cypress Mulch which also won’t attract as many bugs and possible termites. Termites are attracted to mulch and it’s best never to put mulch right up against the home. We planted Wart Fern around the mailbox, it will grow but not at a massive rate like the previous plants that were there. We were so happy with the finished product and I want to thank A Touch of Grass for installing such a simple but amazing entrance to our front yard! Contact them on Home Advisor for the Miami, FL area. Click Here…https://www.homeadvisor.com/rated.ATouchofGrass.2141906.html
Thank you and check back for more home renovations soon!
The Bar…The Bar…I can honestly say before I met my husband I could care less about a bar of some kind in a home. I grew up without one and my parents don’t drink at all. So it was not a necessity or a luxury to have one. However, I have learned to enjoy a drink or two and being able to have what you need in your own home is so convenient these days especially.
So back to the bar…our new home we just purchased is 40+ years old home and the original owner turned this before closet into a bar. It’s made completely of wood and it has a cool vintage look that my husband and I liked when we first saw the house. We were excited to decorate it and enjoy it with guests, but I felt there was something missing from it.
Since I was in the mist of using contact paper in my bathrooms I decided to some pinstripe gold tape to jazz up our bar space. It cost about $14 from amazon and it was worth it.
And see below the final product. I showed it to some friends and they felt like it was a completely different piece of furniture! I topped it off with a nice gold tray I received from Macy’s. It pulled together nicely…
So drink up! Enjoy your spaces in your home because what 2020 has taught us is…you need to make your home as comfortable as possible because you never know what can happen #covid19 Signing off and concluding another Jessi’ I Love Places!!!
Have you done any simple design changes to a space that just made a huge difference? Share below!
The Bar…The Bar…I can honestly say before I met my husband I could care less about a bar of some kind in a home. I grew up without one and my parents don’t drink at all. So it was not a necessity or a luxury to have one. However, I have learned to enjoy a drink or two and being able to have what you need in your own home is so convenient these days especially.
So back to the bar…our new home we just purchased is 40+ years old home and the original owner turned this before closet into a bar. It’s made completely of wood and it has a cool vintage look that my husband and I liked when we first saw the house. We were excited to decorate it and enjoy it with guests, but I felt there was something missing from it.
It's time to share my favorite 2023 home trends. At times I am nervous to discuss 2023 home trends because at times they come and go. However, there are trends that will last or evolve with time and I am excited to share what 2023 home trends will bring. Here are my...
It's time to share my favorite 2023 home trends. At times I am nervous to discuss 2023 home trends because at times they come and go. However, there are trends that will last or evolve with time and I am excited to share what 2023 home trends will bring. Here are my...
It's time to share my favorite 2023 home trends. At times I am nervous to discuss 2023 home trends because at times they come and go. However, there are trends that will last or evolve with time and I am excited to share what 2023 home trends will bring. Here are my...
which is a beautiful simple plant with deep color and glossy leaves and 
The white rock was the most expensive thing to purchase but it was so worth it in the end. It made the chattahoochie entrance look actually better! We were going to remove the chattahoochie but to save some money now, we decided to re-seal it soon and paint it a darker color to match the house. 
which also won’t attract as many bugs and possible termites. Termites are attracted to mulch and it’s best never to put mulch right up against the home. We planted Wart Fern around the mailbox, it will grow but not at a massive rate like the previous plants that were there. We were so happy with the finished product and I want to thank A Touch of Grass for installing such a simple but amazing entrance to our front yard! Contact them on Home Advisor for the Miami, FL area. Click Here…
