Bathroom sneaky peeks

After quite some length of time living with a schizophrenic bathroom (not to mention the "part of your bathroom is nice..." comments from well meaning visitors) The DIY bug stepped in and compelled me to, at last, tackle the half finished job that constituted our smallest room.  And so ... I chose my weapons, picked me out a tester pot and set off - in high spirits and completely unaware of the perilous adventure that it would prove to be.. (ok maybe thats over-egging the pudding somewhat, but let me tell you that there was more than one point during this journey that I had cause to regret ever deciding to get involved)

first a reminder of the bathroom as it was when we took ownership of the house....

 

 

I had chosen a lime green tester pot for the top half of the walls.  My original idea had been to keep to a strictly monochrome scheme but as much as I loved how the entryway and linen cupboard turned out...

... I felt that it would be too stark and cold and needed just a dash of colour.  I had agonised over exactly what colour for quite some time when I decided to relocate a green plant pot (that we had inherited with the house) from our bedroom to the windowsill in the bathroom.  This was purely an act of mercy towards the poor houseplant that resided within said plant pot - as I thought that it had more of a chance of getting watered in the bathroom than in the bedroom.  And there it was... my colour choice.  Yes I know - lime green??  But it seemed to make sense.  I could visualise it.  It WOULD work..

I rushed home and tried out my tester pot and this is how it looked... be afraid...

 

The next job was for me to break out the sugar soap... I needed to sugar soap all the tiles as it was my intention to .. Wait...Are you sitting down? .. It was my intention to paint the tiles.  

Some things I have learnt about painting tiles:

1. the mere mention of tiles and paint within the same sentence causes hysteria
2. tile paint strikes fear into the hearts and minds of the biggest, sturdiest and manliest of men
3. everyone (and I mean e.v.e.r.y.one) you consult about painting tiles will try to dissuade you using the most persuasive tools that they have at their disposal
4. The Good Lord giveth and if he could he would taketh away the tile paint
5. Tile paint is the Devil - not the work of the Devil but the Devil himself in D.I.Y form

So... armed with all the above information - I was determined to paint the tiles.  I could see how it would pan out:- I would be the one to conquer the almighty tile paint.  I would succeed where all the experts had failed.  I would write books about it.  I would start a tile paint revolution....

Firstly - I painted the remaining (un-tiled)  top half of the walls with the green then sugar soaped the tiles.  I had bought both white and black tile paint as the plan was to paint the blue border tiles in black and the pink lower tiles (everything below the border) in white.  After deliberating the best course of action - I decided to do the black tiles first. 

Some more things I learnt about tile paint...

1. It is viscous beyond the levels of all viscosity I had ever previously encountered
2. just taking the lid off a tin of tile paint causes hysteria in the immediate vicinity (i.e. Me)
3. The fumes from tile paint immediately locate and kill all brain cells connected with artistic ability and in particular - how to hold and use a paint brush
4. It bleeds
5. It drips for days and days and days
6. Applying tile paint with a roller does not result in a flatter finish

At long last I finished the black tiles... By this time I never wanted to see another tin of tile paint again.  It looked bad.
The next day I touched up the grout around the painted tiles - it started to look better. 
It started to grow on me...
I asked my very talented designer husband (graphic designer not versace) to make me some decals for the wall... it all started to come together. 

I repurposed (I believe that is the 'in' word in lifestyle circles) a vintage mirror that had been hung in the kitchen (I'd never really gotten attached to it there)

and fixed a wooden 'Love' plaque that is identical to the one in my living room - my two year old son had broken it in half and I'd kept it just in case..

I just need to paint the woodwork (doorframe and bath panel) white and dye some of my towels and my work here is done...  Watch this space for the grand unveiling within the next couple of weeks.....

Tata for now peepholes x