This week we have managed to replace the baseboard that had the missing piece, and paint all the trim white. Already it looks a lot more finished and less scruffy. Can't wait to tackle the walls and sink. Hopefully we can get started on it soon. Happy weekend! 

It's finished (for the most part)! It has taken us weeks to get this done, mostly because there has not been much time to work on it. I'm loving the new vanity we created. So simple, yet very modern. It was created by sawing a piece of pine to size and staining it! Here is all about our process. 

First step was to rip out everything we didn't want in the bathroom anymore. This included the mirror, towel rack, toilet paper holder, all art, lighting, and of course the sink and vanity. After all of that was out we cut open the wall, where the plumbing was, in order to be able to move the pipes for the new floating vanity. 

We marked out in pencil on the wall where the sink would sit, so that we knew where the new pipes would have to be placed. Then my father helped us cut out the old plumbing, and inset the pipes in the right spots for the new sink. This included sawing out the old pipes and soldering the new ones in place. 

Under the old vanity was simply the subfloor, so we needed to put tile down. Luckily we found a few extra tiles under our stairs to use for this corner. These are not my favourite tiles, but as they continue out into the kitchen we will keep them for now, and perhaps replace them all one day. We also ended up using the grout we had bought for our fireplace project, so it didn't cost us anything. The tiles needed to be cut to fit along the sides, then we added a layer of glue to the floor and spaced out each tile. The glue took about 48 hours to dry. Once dry we added the grout, washed down the floor, and waited for that to harden. 

We also had to replace the baseboard where the vanity was. Which consisted of painting it with a coat of primer and then a coat of white paint before they were on the wall. Then we nailed them to the wall, covered the nails with compound, and then added the last layer of white paint. 

Next we created a support structure for the sink to sit on out of wood. We screwed the wood supports into the wall studs and added brackets to the outer corners. Then we added a cross support (as seen in the third photo above) for help as the sink was really heavy. The sink then just simply sits on top of the supports. We actually ended up gluing the back of the sink to the wall, as well to keep it in place, using silicone chalking. 

Next we had to finish connecting the plumbing to the new sink, and then replace the dry wall. 

Next we took down the old lighting and added the black track lighting seen above. We also repaired all the walls with compound and painted!

We new vanity is simply two pieces of pine cut to size and then sanded and stained. They butt up against each other at the corner of the sink and are simply screwed into the support system we created. Simplistic, yet modern! Last step for the sink was to add a boarder of silicone chalking between the sink and the wall. 

After everything else was up we then added the towel rack, toilet paper holder, and art! We also took the mirror that was there originally, turned it on it's side, and added small mirror clips to hold it up.

I'm so happy with the results! A new, fresh powder room, all done without too many huge changes. One more thing I would like to do in the future is paint large horizontal stripes across the wall that holds the towel rack. Maybe in a soft silver/grey. Still trying to convince Jeff of that one, but that wall definitely needs something. Overall we are very excited for the new powder room!

I have been wanting a more storage in the baby's room, especially as she out grows clothes I'd like to store for the future. The closet in the baby's room only has two huge shelves in it, which are not at all practical for the tiny baby stuff. We came up with a great idea that wasn't going to cost much! We took one of the many white bookcases we have hanging around and cut it in two to create a shelf for the bottom of the closet and another for the top. Then we bought a bunch of storage bins that fit on the shelves, and I used my leftover chalk board labels from the kitchen storage project on the bins. We then cut the white bookcase in such a way that they would work well as two shelves. Gotta love having a saw! 

The small shelf (seen below) fits on the lower shelf in the closet. For this shelf we used the original top of the white bookcase. Since the top was more secure by being screwed together it created a strong bridge for the new construction, especially since there wasn't going to be a bottom for this shelf. For the second taller shelf, to be placed in the upper section of the closet, we measured from the bottom up to the mid section of the original white bookcase. We did this for the same reason as the first shelf, that the mid section was screwed together so it created a strong bridge across the new top. And being taller, it also had a strong base by using the original bottom of the bookcase.  

They are working so well in the closet, giving me lots of extra storage space. Everything is much more organized and stored better for long term. Part of me hopes baby number two will be a boy, but it would also be great to have another girl considering how much stuff I already have. Ah well, that's far into the future. For now, everything is all stored away and organized. Now it's time to play with the baby!

We have started the gathering stage of the powder room renovation. We will probably start tearing out everything this weekend. Exciting! Below is the official lookbook for the bathroom, as we have finally picked colours and items for the room. 

Here is the bathroom as it currently sits. We are changing everything except the toilet and the floor. In fact we will be adding to the floor. We found extra tiles in storage that we will use to cover up the hole left behind when we take out the vanity. I'm not a big fan of the flooring but it continues into the kitchen, so we will change it at the same time as a kitchen renovation. We will also have to add more baseboard behind the current vanity, but we are now baseboard pros. We recently replaced the ceiling fan so that's all set to go. 

We are planning to turn the current mirror sideways (if it doesn't break during the process). It's quite tall, and I thought it would look neat going all the way across the wall, covering both the sink and toilet. Originally we wanted to add a funky mirror, like this, but practicality won out. As Jeff stands a foot taller than I, we noticed with the fun mirror, only one of us would be able to see our selves depending where it was hung. So we decided to stick with a regular mirror. However, I still think it will look quite modern, with its clean lines. Then we will add new track lighting to sit across the top of the mirror (as seen below). 

I also ended up getting the towel bar, toilet paper holder, and soap dispenser at CB2 (pictured below). 

Below was our inspiration for the vanity. Of course this is much fancier than we will be doing, not to mention we have a much smaller space. However, we are buying a sink/vanity top and then building a shelf underneath using planks of wood. Should look pretty neat!

We picked paint by Behr called Bermudan Blue. It's a dark blue mixed with a bit of green. I think it will be quite rich in the small space, giving it a luxurious feel. I also found this fun drawing (below) I think will look great on the wall. Can't wait to see how it looks! Lots of work ahead, I will post more next week on our progress. Wish us luck!

I came across this post from Design Sponge, and I thought these little papier mache cacti were so adorable. Plus they will never die! I haven't attempted making one yet, but they look like a really fun project. There are complete instructions on the Design Sponge website. The design is by David Stark Design. 

It's painted! We finished the painting step of the shelf for the baby's room. Once we bring it up to the nursery it will be laid down lengthwise along one wall. I'm still deciding if I want to add feet to the bottom, I think I will have to see it in the space first. 

We started by taking the shelf a part for easy rolling. Then we sanded each piece down, so the paint would stick easier, and then applied a layer of primer. After we let that dry we started painting the orange layer followed by the purple. Now we are just going to let it sit for a few weeks to make sure the paint is really hard to prevent chipping. It's very bright, but I think it will look great in the nursery. 

We finished installing the new tiles for the fireplace this week. I love the vertical lines, and how they match the mantel. We actually used left over tiles my father had from a previous project he did in my parents place. They worked perfectly for us. 

First, we had to remove the old tiles and glue with a chisel. Then spread a thick layer of fresh glue and carefully placed the tiles down with spacers to keep consistent spacing. 

It took us forever to choose a design we liked with the pieces of tiles we had. We kept coming up with endless design possibilities. Eventually we found one that we all loved! I'm so happy with this design. I like the striking vertical lines that lead the eye up to the mantel (and eventually to the great art piece that will sit there). 

After letting the glue dry for about a week, as it was very thick, we added the grout. The process was fairly straight forward. Just apply the grout making sure to press lots into all the cracks. Then wash the excess away with a sponge. Overall, I'm extremely happy with the results, so much better than the blue/pink tiles that were there before! 

We got up to lots of house projects this weekend. My father came up again to give us a hand with the never ending list of things we want to get done before baby, also known as BB. One of the major purchases of the weekend was a new fancy table saw! It took us a long while to put it all together, but it should be great for future projects, and for getting the living room shelves made more quickly. Very exciting, real power tools!

We also managed to get the old carpet out of the nursery, and have ordered a new one. Should be coming in a couple of weeks. Then we can focus the fun part of the nursery, decorating! 

The guys took out the tiles in front of the fireplace, that we will replace with a more modern design. Can't wait to see it all finished! Meanwhile, I took a part the shelving unit we are going to use in the nursery and started painting. Overall I very productive and busy weekend. We had lots of fun too! There will be more finished project posts very soon!

We have finally started in on the nursery! Big plans ahead! First step was to remove the white bookcases. Of course the wall behind has not been painted. We decided to keep the colour that we had painted it for my office, as it's a nice neutral, calming colour. 

Step two was to fix up the walls and paint the rest of the room. Then we are going to remove the carpet and get a new one installed. The current carpet is really stained and old. We thought it would be nice to have a fresh one seeing as the baby will probably play on the floor.

Lots still to think about in terms of furniture for the room. However, we have this shelf sitting in our office downstairs that we are not using. I'm thinking of painting it some fun colours, and using it in the nursery for books and toys. I plan to lay it down lengthwise so it's easy for baby to reach, and maybe even add some feet to the bottom.

I'm thinking of using some nice bright colours, one for the outside frame and the other for the shelves. Here are a couple paint chips I'm looking at below. The orange is Behr Tart Orange and the purple is Behr Just A Fairytale. Can't wait to get started!

I've spent the last week painting endless white. I painted all the baseboards in the main room and the front balcony doors. I also painted the gold hinges white so they would blend in more. We bought a new door knob and lock to match the rest of the house. However, the lock didn't fit, so in the meantime the gold lock is still in place. Hopefully we will get rid of it soon, and then we will be gold free in the living room.

I also painted the window trim white, it looks a lot fresher now. It will look nice and crisp once the walls are all painted too. Now, I am painting all the baseboards and closet doors in the downstairs office. I'm trying to fix that room up a bit, as I am going to be moving my office down there, and my current office will become baby's room.

Staying with the white theme, we bought these posters and frames for the nursery. They are going to hang side by side over our baby's crib. We are slowly starting to plan out the nursery, so exciting!