Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Frost A Window

We wish we had a giant bathroom update to share, but we’re at that phase of the project where some of the bigger things have been checked off (building a shelf, painting the walls) and a few little mid-point upgrades are on the agenda since we’ve been flying around a lot lately (10 flights in 11 days!!). But now that we’re back home, the next bathroom installment will be bigger (either framing out the mirror and making a shade from some amazingly bold fabric that I’m obsessed with) so hopefully this tides you guys over. And since I hate to mention “amazingly bold fabric that I’m obsessed with” without showing it to you… behold:

Newfabric1

Remember it from back here? I snatched it up for $16 a yard at Mary Jos (it’s called Ubud by Iman Home/Waverly and it can sell for up to $27 in other places). I think it’s going to be the perfect punch-in-the-face-of-color that the mostly white (and slightly plummy-gray) bathroom needs. But since that has yet to jump off the counter and make itself into a window shade (boo inanimate fabric!) while we hit up seven cities in the past week, I’ll get back to the completed updates at hand. The first one is new knobs… because these country looking painted wood ones just weren’t doing it for us…

Knobs1

These new guys hail from Hobby Lobby and were just $2.49 thanks to a 50% off knob sale. Quick tip:never buy anything there that’s not 50% off there since the sales just seem to alternate by a week- so if the item you want isn’t on sale, wait a week and try again. 

Knobs3

I love that they’re irregular, sort of like green jade or even some sort of dyed bone. And the gem-like shape is faceted and pretty without being too long and pointy (the counter’s edge extends nearly the same distance as the knobs – and they’re about the same depth as the previous white painted wood ones – so there are no worries of knocking knees).

Knobs2

I love how they mimic the little pops of dark tone in the floor tile and carry them up to the vanity. And I totally want to get one more for the false drawer over the sink – they just didn’t have anymore the day I picked them up, so I’ll have to check again the next time we’re there.

Knobs4

We’ve been asked by more than a few folks if we’re thinking about painting the vanity a darker color (charcoal, black, etc) and we’re definitely thinking about it but not 100% sold yet, so we’re waiting for more of the room to come together (we’ll revisit the possibility after we add the shade, frame out the mirror, etc). Our reason for not immediately painting the vanity darker (which we think could look awesome with the dark tile that we’re working with) is because the room is smaller than it looks in photos, so we like how the white wall tile, vanity, and tub all feel balanced and light- and we worry that one dark object on one side of the room might feel side-heavy and cramped). But either way, we’ll just wait it out and see where we end up. You know we’ll keep you posted!

Knobs6

Oh and in keeping it real news, guess who popped up when I was shooting the pic above? #Clarabomb

Knobs5

The other upgrade we squeezed in there between all of our flights and marathon Clara and Burger smooching when we were reunited (yeah, we overdid it but we couldn’t help ourselves) was that we frosted the window. Buh-bye old paper-ish accordion shade (which we always had to keep closed to maintain privacy since this room can be viewed from the deck)…

Knobs62

… and hello modern frosted window that’s crisp and private (even with the lights on in the bathroom on a dark night you can’t see anything from the deck except for vague shadows – nothing graphic at all). Here I am in my pajama pants getting my frost on. #morekeepingitreal

Knobs7

As for how we applied it, we took the process pic above, but this post and this post have the best specific instructions for applying it, so hopefully those help. And since we’ve never posted a video, here’s that for ya below – or you can watch it on YouTube. We thought maybe seeing it “in 3-D” (well not really but you know what I mean) might help:

So that’s where we are. Don’t mind that brassy old knob. Haha. Just added that to the list!

Bathroom After

Speaking of the hall bathroom list, here it is:

  • rehang a shower curtain at ceiling height
  • trim out the unbalanced window (more on that here)
  • switch out the light fixture (more on that here)
  • add some meaningful art (more on that here)
  • build in a shelf over the toilet for some leaning art (more on that here)
  • paint the walls a fresher color to help the original tile pop (more on that here)
  • upgrade the vanity hardware
  • frost the window
  • frame out the mirror over the vanity for a less builder-basic look
  • ORB/upgrade that brassy gold doorknob
  • make a bold fabric shade for the window
  • possibly paint the vanity (we’re still mulling it over – but we promise we’ll keep you posted)
  • add finishing touches/accessories and dish out a budget breakdown for you guys

Can’t wait to cross more off! And in the meantime let’s circle back to my fabric obsession. Doesn’t it look great with the new knobs and the fish canvas? #everybathroomneedsafishcanvas

Fabricwithknobs

What were you guys up to this weekend? Any small mid-point upgrades or bigger fun ones that made all the difference? It’s so funny how sometimes giant things like hanging curtains or painting the walls can make for a giant change and sometimes it really is the details (like hardware) that finally make a room feel special, like it’s all yours.

Psst- We’re finally sharing Clara’s hidden talent with the world over on Young House Life. Does Name That Tune have a toddler edition?

Comments

  2. Renee says

    Are you going to make a roman shade out of mini blinds (and the fabric)? I’m in the process of doing that and was wondering if you ever had…

    Reply

  3. Lucy says

    Ooooh, I’m loving the knob upgrade and can’t wait to see the bathroom with the new shade up.
    When it comes to the vanity, I think if it was me I’d just paint the top dark, make it look almost like a granite top if you know what I mean. I do think a whole dark unit might bring the wall in a bit and make it seem small.
    Can’t wait to see it whatever you decide. X

    Reply

  7. Maria @ Inspiration Affirmation says

    Wow, I’m loving where this is going! The fabric and the new knobs look great together, absolutely. I can see your dilemma about painting the vanity. I think it could look really great, but the beautiful, airy white look is really gorgeous, too. Looking forward to seeing what’s next!

    Reply

  8. Megan S. says

    You guys I’ve been trying to find that frost paper for awhile but was only able to find the fancy decorative stuff! Can you guys help a gal out and let me know what brand that is and where I might find it? Our two story neighbors are a bit too close for our closet bathroom, thanks guys!!

    Reply

  9. Ashley says

    I am excited for the “how-to” on framing out the mirror. I have 3 that need this same upgrade (as I am hoping its much cheaper than replacing the mirror).

    Reply

  10. Alison says

    I love Hobby Lobby!!! We just bought a house within walking distance of one and I have a lot of knobs to replace. Good to know about the sales!

    Reply

  11. Val says

    Three cheers for Hobby Lobby knobs at 50% off!! I think next time you score there, you should write about it in a post titled “Knob-by Lobby”…not that I need to provide you with corny puns…

    I am super proud of myself for actually finishing a small project this weekend. I made some paint-chip art that was NOT inspired by Pinterest, which made me feel insanely creative. I’m sure some version of it really is on Pinterest somewhere, but I came up with it on my own so I’m staying with my blissful ignorance on this one. Free paint chips + $2 thrift store frame = maybe I should re-think some of my plans for Christmas gifts…

    Reply

  12. AnnMarie says

    Wow – looove love love the fish art + fabric combo…Gorgeousness! And super fun colors! How the heck do you constantly find fabric marked down like that?! Sheesh lady ;-)

    Reply

  13. Rebecca says

    What about a false knob in front of the sink for balance? You guys decide no because of bumping into it when washing hands?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we mentioned in the post we’d love to add one, they just only had 6 knobs for sale and then they were out, so we’ll have to hit them up again to grab a seventh one!

      xo
      s

  14. Robin says

    I was painting my kitchen table white!! Final coat of paint on, now to finish it… AND I made it to the HD to get supplies for two other projects! Woot woot!! (And I love that fabric! It’ll look great in there.)

    Reply

  15. BlairR says

    I’m sure you’ve addressed this already, and I just missed it, but where do you find shower curtains long enough to be able to hang them at ceiling height? Love the knobs, by the way!

    Reply

  16. Koliti says

    Fosting the panes and taking the shade off the window adds an interesting architectural layer.

    A Hobby Lobby is opening soon in Tucson, AZ – not too far from my house! YAY!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yeah, bathrooms like this are so neutral and classic there are about a million ways to go! We just picked paint, art, and fabric we loved – but anyone else out there could do a ton of different things!

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Fair enough! We’re just picking paint/fabric we love- but it definitely won’t appeal to everyone! We think this house is so much less Pottery Barn than our last one (which was all neutral/soft) and a lot more us (fish paintings! bright hardware! ceramic animals! etc). It’s all personal preference though :)

      xo
      s

  19. Kristen @ LoveK says

    That fabric is GORGEOUS! I have some new knobs from Hobby Lobby that I got to switch out with the plain Ikea knobs on our night stands. It’s fun how such a small switch can make a big impact.

    Reply

  20. Lauren says

    It looks so good… i was cracking up when sherry made that face and pit 2 fingers up in the video… totally something i would do lol!

    Reply

  21. KathyG says

    wow, I love, love those knobs. and that awesome fabric. I am still not sure about that purple, are you sure about the purple paint? Maybe one shade deeper of that color? The room feels like it’s floating to me. BUT…things never read the same in person as in a photo, so real life will always trump blog pics! ha.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we LOVE the color! I think it photographs lighter than in person so maybe it would help for you to pull the swatch? It’s a rich gray with plum undertones- called Elephant Gray. Nothing pastel about it! Hope it helps :)

      xo
      s

  22. Amanda says

    have you completed painting vanity the next shade darker gray than the walls, similar to what you did in the office? It might break up the white without being too busy or too lopsided.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, if you check out the post we’ve mentioned were considering all sorts of things for painting the vanity but aren’t sold yet for a few reasons listed. Will keep you posted!

      xo
      s

  25. Jenn Leigh says

    Wow, it’s really coming together! I’m still in love with the painted ceiling. Do you typically purchase or make your shower curtian? I like the idea of hanging them at the ceiling but everything I see in stores (ahhheem Target) are for the “normal” height.

    Reply

  27. Vanessa says

    I think the vanity would look awesome painted a dark purple-y or mauve-y gray color, to add some depth and complement the color in the walls.

    Reply

  28. Audrey P says

    Call me crazy, but the brass is working for me! It looks like the fabric has some brassy tones, too. If you didn’t already have decent faucets, I’d say go for brass faucets and add brass accents and ORB only the hallway-side of the door handle (to fit with the house). I can’t believe I just vouched for brassy home fixtures… Who have I become? #grandmaStyle

    Reply

  29. Kristen S says

    Aw, man. With “frosting” in the title I thought there was going to be cake ;)

    I’m looking forward to your post about framing out the mirrors. We have 2.5 bathrooms in our house and all 3 mirrors have that builder-basic, unfinished look and I’ve been thinking about framining them out, but they have a little plastic hook in the 4 corners and I’m not sure what to do about it. Does yours have that little hook?

    I think you guys have done a great job keeping up with the blog during your book tour! Thanks for working so hard!

    Reply

  30. Diana says

    I love how the bathroom is going towards playful. I’m in the “leave the vanity white” camp. It’s Clara’s bathroom, after all. Great work, great planning.

    (Have you seen pictures of the baby yet?)

    Reply

  31. Rosemarie says

    I was excited to accomplish a lot of mini projects on our house this weekend. And a lot of them were inspired by you guys.

    We have a lot of wallpaper we inherited with our house that I have been dying to tear down but my fiancee insists we should wait until we are married to tackle it. However I was able to de-wallpaper a small alcove in the hallway and paint it. I was inspired by your bookshelves and picked a dark bold color and white on the sides. I can’t wait to tackle the rest of the wallpaper!

    I took a tip from your book as well, and wrapped some cardboard with wrapping paper to put in the back of the china hutch (also inherited with the house). It’s an older style hutch but the paper helps make it feel more updated.

    I also got around to finally hanging a few things. We still have a pile of things to hang (trying to still get settled into the house and see where we want things), but it was nice to get a few things out of the pile.

    Speaking of frosted windows. Do you thinks it’s a bad item to put on a wedding registry? Because I totally did it. Hopefully someone will get it for us, it will be nice to have some brighter bathrooms.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw you’re so sweet! Thanks for the kind words! And all those projects sound awesome! If I were looking at a registry I’d totally buy the frosting film for someone! Haha!

      xo
      s

  33. Chelsea says

    Love the knobs! I think painting the vanity could definitely be neat. Are you still weighing the possibilities of repainting or further painting the shelf that the fish print is on?

    I picked up your book this weekend for a train ride, and LOVED it. I probably looked like a crazy person marking up a new book as much as I was, but I circled and starred a whole bunch of stuff, and you inspired me to get my husband to IKEA for a bunch of baskets for our bathroom to organize it. And I painted a small lamb toy gold to jazz up a potted plant. Small details, but it’s a start!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we’ll revisit that once the mirror is framed out and the shade is hung! And as for marking up our book- yessss!! We always hoped folks would use it and beat it up and fold pages and circle things because… we do that! It means progress! Haha. Good luck with everything.

      xo
      s

  35. Kelly says

    I love the small steps you guys are taking. I’m in the same boat with my bathroom. Can’t wait til you guys frame out the mirror. I sorely need to do that.

    Hope the book tour is going well. Loving the updates. I’m holding off on getting the book until I find out if you guys are coming to Los Angeles. Then I’ll buy it there where ever the signing is to support the local vendor. But I’m itching to read it!

    Reply

  36. Amanda E says

    Wow, I absolutely LOVE the direction you’re going with the colors here. I just had a meeting with my graphic designer for my wedding paper goods yesterday and we’re going in a teal + orange direction too – even though there’s no orange in our wedding colors! I told the designer I might have to make one of the bridesmaids switch to orange!!

    Reply

  37. Allison says

    I just had a headboard upholstered in that exact same fabric!!! We’ve painted the walls a light/warm gray, and bought a great orange/creamish Morrocan style rug, but are having a really hard time finding bedding to match – everything just looks a little off – any suggestions?? (I’m getting desperate!!)

    Reply

  38. Linda says

    I love the picture of the fabric next to the knobs, well done!

    I didn’t know about ikat as a dying method till today, but visually the bathroom fabric reminded me of your dining room/office fabric. The similar dying effect is a great tie-in or whatever the term is. :) I like it.

    Reply

  39. Kim says

    Obsessed with that fabric! So pretty.

    I see people asking you questions about your extra-long shower curtains so I just had to share my solution! We just rented a house with really high ceilings and the shower curtain rod is at least 8′ off the ground! I ended up finding a table cloth at Home Goods (marked down to $8!) for it!

    You can see it here: http://instagram.com/ispellkonfusion.

    I just hemmed the bottom with no-sew iron on tape and cut little slits into the top to hang with my shower curtain liner on the rings. Easy peasy! And SO much cheaper than some of the $45+ extra-long shower curtains I’d have to pay for online.

    Reply

  40. holiday says

    Your bathroom refreshing looks a lot like mine (dealing with what you have, bringing in frosted film and color fabrics, etc,) and I encourage you to consider another thing when deciding what to do to your vanity – make it kid friendly with a built n step stool for Clara! Trust me, with a long and narrow bathroom, the step stool on the floor in front of the sink gets old, fast! See what we did here: http://holidayhouserules.typepad.com/house_rules/2011/12/bathroom-vanity-conversion.html

    Reply

  41. Ana says

    Thanks for the recommendation on the frosted film. I frosted my bathroom window a couple of years ago using IKEA’s film (since it was only $4), but it’s starting to peel and roll up at the edges. (And to be honest, it never really seemed to stick well on the edges from the beginning.)

    So if anyone is considering that to save some money, it’s probably better to spring for the $20 roll at Home Depot since you can use it on more windows/doors and maybe have a more long-lasting result. Anyway, that was my experience using the IKEA film on very thin single-pane mid-century aluminum windows.

    Reply

  42. K.E. says

    I love the window frosting! We did that in the little windows that line our front door and I love it.

    I’m looking forward to when you guys frame out the mirror, I’ve been wanting to do that in our master bathroom but haven’t “gotten on that” yet, dude :) Looking forward to how you tackle yours so I can follow suit!

    Reply

  44. Michelle says

    We were fixing up our hall bath this weekend too! We added a new black granity vanity top since I could no longer stand to look at our ancient one with swirly gold streaks! Our bathroom has the same wall tile as yours except its light blue with the black border. Now the black granite top ties in with the wall tile and looks great! We also added a new faucet that has a pull out hose, kind of like a kitchen faucet. My husband already figured out that he can use it like a drinking fountain!

    Reply

  45. Megan says

    Hi guys! Long-time blog stalker here but first-time commenter. And, uh, my comment doesn’t relate to this post (although the bathroom is looking snazzy!). My hubs and I just tackled cork flooring in our kitchen (yay!) and we’re gearing up to seal it with a water-based poly a la Young House Love. The options are sort of limited up here in Alaska, and I have to pick a semi-gloss, gloss, or satin version of the poly available. Any advise?

    Reply

  46. Lana says

    I used a similar product from Home Depot for cutting down glare on my south-facing livingroom windows. Goes on in the same way, and now the glare is gone and during the day from the outside no one can see into the house. It keeps the room much cooler in the summer.

    Reply

  47. michele says

    the knobs are AWESOME!!! so good to know about Hobby Lobby… the one here is a drive, but if might make it worth it for the nursery knob project i have in mind…

    also: totally love that your “pj pants” are black. so very you. (and also, as a result i would have NEVER noticed they were pjs. unlike the blue and white fleece stripey pjs i’m wearing currently.)

    Reply

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