But before we get to that: an armadillo in the bathroom. Let’s talk about it. Everyone needs one, right?
I mean, we can argue that a lot of decorating “rules” are personal preference and yada yada, but seriously, can we all agree that a bathroom is not complete without a golden armadillo?
That’s a print we bought from this craft fair from an awesome local artist named Rachel that I finally got around to framing and hanging up. I especially love it in the burlap-y/grasscloth-ish frame (an old Pottery Barn Outlet find) hanging above the framed instagram photo of Clara holding a naked doll (felt kinda bathroom-esque).
The linen-like fabric behind the instagram photo looks great with the textured frame above it, and I actually have a secret agenda when it comes to bringing these cream/straw tones into the room. After looking at the gold-tones in our soap containers and even that loofah on the toilet tank, I realized they help the oddball cream sink feel less out of place.
I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s still shaped like a shell and won’t be here forever, but it’s a lot cuter and a less clashy when it’s paired with other things that we already own in that color palette (like the soap pumps, the art, the loofah, and the frames). So there’s gotta be a design lesson in there, right? Say it with me: everyone needs an armadillo in the bathroom! sometimes adding a little bit more of a color that feels like the oddball can make it feel more layered and intentional. At least for that Phase 1 (in the meantime) type of decorating.
And I know it’s hard to tear your eyes away from that gorgeous armadillo, but we also got a new light fixture. We dug it up for $9.99 at the Habitat For Humanity ReStore (see the chrome guy hiding in the middle of this shot?).
We just gave it a few thin coats of Rustoleum Universal oil-rubbed bronze spray paint with the light bulb parts taped off to protect them. It’s self priming, so it was an easy one-step update.
Then we grabbed two cheap frosted bulb covers at Home Depot and called it good.
It definitely helps the whole room feel more crispy and updated. And since we’re planning a deeper room makeover down the line once we save our pennies (perhaps with a tiled accent wall or some grasscloth wallpaper?) we love that we could find some cheap secondhand charm in the meantime. Psst- Notice how the red flowers on the sink from the first shot are gone? I added those for a pop of color after I took these shots, and love ’em. So pretend they’re here too.
UPDATE: We’ve finally transitioned our entire house to LED lights (they save tons of energy & money, and they’re a lazy person’s best friend because you never have to change them). For anyone wondering, these are our favorite interior LEDs. Their glow is warm & natural (not weird/blue like some of the others we’ve tried) and they use around 90% less energy.
* This post contains an affiliate link
Nice call-it does make the counter look a lot better. That is a good design lesson that I will keep in mind when I am less than thrilled with a feature I can’t change.
Cute! An armadillo never goes out of style!
That armadillo reminds me of Burger for some reason. :D
you guys have the most fun art! love!
What a huge difference! I love the mirror. I am getting ready to DIY our basement man cave bathroom. Can’t wait to get started. Have you ever used Insl-X Cabinet Coat 1-gal?
http://thedomesticlady.com/2013/07/23/monday-randomness-for-tuesday-trip-to-mi-and-a-new-cook-book-giveaway/
Never tried it. Anyone have tips for Rene?
xo
s
While my husband and I were dating he bought me a brass armadillo because he thought it was funny. Now we love it and keep adding to our brass zoo!
That’s awesome. I’m completely jealous of your brass armadillo.
xo
s
There’s an antique mall a mile from my house called the Brass Armadillo.
Best. Name. Ever.
xo
s
Ahh, I love the restore on the light fixture! Why do I never think of these things!? You can bet I will from now on! I’ve got some boob lights that need replacing.
Considering how this room looked a few weeks ago, it’s come a long way! I’d say it’s pretty gorgeous for Stage 1 of the decorating process!!
Te bathroom armadillo reminds me of the episode of friends with the “Holiday Armadillo”!
YES. Love that episode!
Ani, that was my first thought too!
Yes! Everything in my world somehow comes back to a Friends’ episode. I’m glad there are others of us out there. :)
me too! couldn’t help but google: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCowrXGwdjs
I totally said “the bathroom armadillo” in the voice Ross used to say “the holiday armadillo”!
YES!!! Just watched that a few nights ago and instantly thought that. SO funny!! “the bathroom armadillo” must be said in the Ross voice :)
I was going to say the same thing! Now instead of the Holiday Armadillo, we can all shout, “It’s the hall bathroom armadillo!”
I was thinking the same thing! I hear armadillo and my first thought is always the HOliday Armadillo
Ah same here! I said it in the same voice. Now when I get home I have to watch Friends!
Same here. =)
Me, too! “It’s the BATHroom armaDILlo!”
I know so much of your reader base loves the bright quirky colors—don’t get me wrong, they are cute. Personally though I really love layered neutrals and so I actually really like the way this bathroom is coming together even if it’s just a “for now” style until the sink gets replaced. It makes the pop of color from flowers in there stand out even more.
Thanks Heather!
xo
s
Ah ha! There is an armadillo figurine that has been languishing at our local Goodwill and I haven’t pulled the trigger yet because I didn’t know what I would do with it.
But this? I could totally get on board with the armadillo/bathroom trend. Thanks for validating that (slightly irrational and completely unnecessary) purchase!
I am now picturing a tiny armadillo sitting on top of a toilet tank. It’s a really cute picture.
Looking good and I agree, the flowers do add a lot with that pop of color. Nice find on the light fixture, too!
I love how the cream accessories make the sink colour look so much more intentional. Nice updates!
Love a good subtle friends reference!
While you guys were at habitat did you happen to look for vanity tops? We replaced an oak top in our bathroom with a white porcelain one from our habitat for about $10- and it came with the faucet! I know you guys are in “stage 1” but I’d personally rather spend $10 on a new counter top than look at a seashell sink- but then again, those things just make me itchy from the get-go.
Man, you’re so lucky! We looked high and low, but not sink tops that would fit on our vanity were around (they were either too deep, too wide, or too short on one of those sides. Maybe ours isn’t standard?
xo
s
I am in awe at how amazing this looks. It the most claustrophobic looking bathroom ever before and now it is gorgeous, spacious, light and airy!!! I love love love it.
xo Lauren
Thanks so much Lauren!
xo
s
I’m sure you guys probably looked, but a lot of the Habitat Restores here in Maryland have great looking light covers for $.50-$1.00/ea. I used your rustoleum metallic spray paint suggestion to paint towel bar sets I found at Home Depot for $0.01 (not a typo)from ORB to satin nickel :)
And an armadillo in the room is vastly preferable to an elephant in the room :)
Such a great tip! And so funny that you remember the elephant in the room post. I totally thought of that one when I was writing this one!
xo
s
I too thought about the elephant in the room post. Actually, while on our honeymoon last week we bought a small hand carved stone elephant as a souvenir. The only way I was able to convince Jeff I needed it was by telling him YHL says every room needs an elephant (leaving off the fact that it was a dream….)
Love the way the bathroom is coming together!
That’s hilarious!
xo
s
Nice armadillo skills!! And woo, plumbing :P I’ve built three under-the-sink plumbing setups now but I’m still not the biggest fan! But it comes in handy…a couple months ago I was washing my face late at night getting ready for bed, and my washcloth hooked my diamond nose ring (engagement stud ;) ) and pulled it out and down the drain with the running water! Gasp!
Thanks to my aforementioned, grudgingly obtained plumbing skills, in 15 minutes I’d shut the water off, taken the plumbing apart with a pan underneath, found the ring in the trap, cleaned out the pipes some for good measure, rebuilt the sink plumbing, cleaned the ring, put it back in and hopped in bed, sleeping husband none the wiser. Haha. Till he woke up the next morning and noticed the pan left in the bathroom….Funny story, dear…. :)
y’all are so smart.. i think i would have just given up until i had enough money to get a new bathroom (which is what i did in my house – hunter green, bronze fixtures, chipped pedestal) this really works for the time being. and i seriously LOVE the color of that vanity right now!
I sincerely hope that was a Friend’s reference at the end, because I just nearly spit out my tea on the computer monitor.
“I’m the holiday armadillo… Santa’s represenative for all the Southern states… annnnnnndddddd MEXICO!”
That episode is in my Top 5 for sure!
You know it ;)
xo
s
Me too! I was so hoping that someone else started thinking of the Holiday Armadillo!
Wow! It looks MUCH better in there, now! What quick & easy “fixes.” I’m always impressed with how well you guys make things work – even when they’re not necessarily things you want to keep forever. Some very good lessons in there for those of us without the cash to go “all out” just yet! Thank you! :)
As funny as it sounds, adding the creamed colored elements make the sink color look intentional. I think that room is going to do nicely until you get around to the complete redo.
Not bad guys! In fact, pretty damn impressive for… what have you spent in here, like $75? Love it.
Thanks Kristina! I think $60-75 is about right! So glad we had things like our accessories, the second vanity color, and the art/frames on hand. We really only bought some paint, the mirror, a new tp holder, and our thrift store light.
xo
s
I love watching you guys do your first layer of decorating. I’m a person who feels like I have to do everything at once. Because that’s not generally possible, I end up doing nothing. I need to try more “live with it for now” decorating with the intention of doing more later. I think it would help kick start me into getting my home to look the way I want it to. Instead, I usually just dream of the big renovations I want to do and then wait around until I have enough time and money and that gets me nowhere.
I’m so excited you guys found something for a light fixture. The old was was throwing me off every time you had a bathroom post. It looks much more intentional now. Good work!
Wow, I never thought I’d say this, but I actually kind of like the counter top color now. It looks really good! If it weren’t for the seashell sink, I think I’d vote you keep it.
I’m sure you guys already know this, but here in Maryland I have found many nice light covers at the Restore for $0.50-$1.00 ea, and made my ceiling fan lights look less dated. Also, thanks for always mentioning the Rustoleum Metallics spray paint for fixtures, I used to it paint towel bar sets I found new at Home Depot for $0.01 (yes, 4 piece set for a penny) from ORB to satin nickel.
And it’s always better to have an armadillo in the room than an elephant in the room :D
We have a bathroom crane/egret! No matter how many times we have moved, he always seems to end up in one bathroom or another.
Love the light! It’s so simple but very effective. I’m not sure I would have looked twice at that restore pile. I may have to go back there soon!
An armadillo! That is so very Texas and Yee-haw of y’all! I love it! Can’t wait to see how this room progresses over time.
I have a question about hanging art in bathrooms. In a powder room like this one there’s no problem, but what’s the general feeling about hanging a framed print in a bathroom with a (regularly-used) shower? I have a professionally-framed print that would go perfectly in our bathroom, but I’m worried about steam from the shower sneaking into the frame and ruining teh print. I feel like I should probably find something cheaper/unframed just in case, but I hate going out to buy a picture when I already have one… Any thoughts?
I generally like to hang things that aren’t as precious in bathrooms with steam (art from a calendar, inexpensive prints, a secondhand find, etc) just in case any steam gets in there and messes things up…
xo
s
Not that either of mine were expensive/precious buti had a large canvas picture ha fing in the bathroom for 7 years and a framed ikea pro t in the ensuite also for 7 years – not a mark on either!
That’s awesome!
xo
I’ve always love the holiday armadillo from friends so have to love this from the very first time. The world needs more armadillos everywhere!
Previous owners left an abundance of sea shell sinks at our house (every one but the kitchen). So special. We’ve managed to get rid of just one in the seven years we’ve been there. We also have the same foyer tile, so I’m enjoying watching how you are working with the color, etc.
Love the picture of Clara and the naked Barbie.
The armadillo makes me wonder what other interesting finds we all have or have seen in our or other bathrooms. True confessions of the walls or stalls?
Looks great! I just did a mini-makeover of my own first-floor powder room–painted walls and vanity, replaced shiny-brass faucets and fixtures, broadway lights and framed out the builder mirror with faux barn board I made. I love the color you painted the vanity. Just repainted my kitchen table in a similar color, Gauntlet Gray by Sherwin-Williams. What color did you use?
Thanks Melissa! It’s Silhouette by Benjamin Moore. We used it a lot in our book and fell in love, so now it’s my go-to rebound color (our first vanity painting attempt was a big fat fail).
xo
s
The armadillo is too funny. I’ve got an elephant in every room of my house (ceramic, photograph, metal, etc.)
Y’all may have covered this already but WHERE is the mirror from? I’m in love…
Thanks Caitie! It’s from HomeGoods.
xo
s
Love the progress! Will you go with an ORB faucet to match the light and doorknobs? Or something more neutral (like brushed nickel) to make less of a statement)? This is where I get so confused–meshing finishes! We’re in the process of a basement renovation and will be paying special attention to your choices, I’m sure!
I love mixing metals so either one could work – I think it depends what we can hunt down!
xo
s
The bathroom armadillo reminds me of the episode of Friends when Ross tries to make the “holiday armadillo” happen! If anyone can make the bathroom armadillo happen, I know you can, Sherry! I’m also loving the feel of the neutrals and metallics in this space. Have a great day, Petersiks!
Such a timely post, I was just telling my fiance the story of a friend/roommate who tried to tame an armadillo in our apartment and kept it in the bathtub for a few days before he realized what a thoroughly bad idea it was all around. His line was ‘everyone needs an armadillo in their bathtub!’. Maybe I’ll randomly send him a print of an armadillo now…
Not to be a party pooper, but… (whispers) I’m pretty sure that’s an aardvark. (sheepish smile)
It’s a super cute picture and frame. Your little half bath is shaping up quite nicely!
Hahahaha! I love the sheepish smile.
xo
s
Melanie is right — it’s an aardvark. Like this guy, they have long noses (for burrowing) and long legs. An armadillo (we live in armadillo country) has much shorter legs and a blunter snout. But in gold? Still terrific!
Love me a gold aardvark! Thanks for teaching me something new today guys!
xo
s
You beat me to it! I was having a serious Mugatu moment – “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!”
Not that an armadillo wouldn’t have been cute too. I just couldn’t figure out why nobody else recognized an aardvark when they saw it.
I had never seen a seashell sink until your blog – than low and behold I saw one in the TLF (military temporary living facility) for my sister-in-law on Friday! Bonus, these were a pale blue (mayhap an ‘ocean’ blue). Unfortunately no pictures as my phone was dead – all that candy crush waiting at the airport killed it.
They’re planning an uprising!
xo
s
What an incredible (inexpensive, fairly easy?) overall change!! I know you have more to do, but leaving it like this for a while is great. Looks very nice and “put-together.” Inspiring that one can work with a seashell sink and make it workl ;)
I feel like I’d never have been able to spot the possibilities with adding like-colors. You guys never cease to amaze and impress me!
xox
Bailey
http://akabailey.blogspot.com
You updated it so well and didn’t have to spend much money. Awesome! We all like doing those. And a Clara photo is what every room needs to make it complete. She is getting so grown-up and tall(seeing the pic of her yesterday under the table.)Such a feminine and pretty girl, as you know!
I wonder if that armadillo moonlights it as the Holiday Armadillo? Someone needs to fill in for Ross! Love the bathroom tweak-ages! It’s looking so cute!!
It definitely looks so much better than when you moved in! And I completely agree about Phase 1 decorating. Our bathroom has a teal tub and sink (I’m sure the toilet matched, but that had been replaced), and until we can afford to redo the entire thing, I’ve had to just work teal accents into the decor to make it feel more on-purpose and less “holy crap, that is a bright teal tub and sink.” I still can’t wait for it to go, but it works for now.
When I read that last line all I could think of was “the holiday armadillo” in Ross’s voice from Friends!
Phase 1 is looking really good. Nice find with the light fixture! How did you connect it to the existing wiring? Did it come wired, or did you have to add that?
It came with wires so we just had to detach the ones from the old light and reattach the new ones to those wires and it was ready to go (with the power off of course). You can search youtube.com for a lot of videos about changing lights if that helps!
xo
s
Looks great! I’m currently trying to come up with some cheap bathroom decor. and between you guys and Katie Bower’s seashell post yesterday I am inspired!
LOVE the armadillo print!! I collect armadillos (just none that have ever been alive)so I’m very jealous of it! A house is never really a home until there is an armadillo :)
I just went to a ‘before’ picture post for reference and wooza, what a difference! It’s amazing what can be done with paint and a few accessory changes. I’m loving the color of the vanity. It’s just gorgeous. I have to admit, though, I kind of like the shell sink for purely nostalgic reasons. When I was a kid, my parents had friends with a shell sink and I always secretly vowed to have one in my house when I grew-up. I’m grown-up now and never did get that shell sink. Of course now that I’m a grown-up, I think my feelings have changed toward the shell sink a little, ha ha.