Entering the ORC has always been a goal of mine and I am so glad I finally decided to stop letting the fear of failing stop me from trying and just went for it. I literally poured my blood, sweat, and tears into this room and yes, I had to be talked off the ledge a few times but I am so happy with the end result and how the bathroom turned out. And man, has it been a challenge!
Not only did I challenge myself as a designer but I challenged myself as a project manager. I was forced to make decisions and pivot faster than ever which has helped me grow immensely. Design is more or less my passion project right now. I still have two full time jobs. So I completed this room while being a full time REALTOR® AND a full time project manager- and that alone makes me really proud. I one day hope to do real estate and design full-time but right now it is a constant juggle!
I think the best part about designing for yourself is getting to see your vision come to life without client tweaks and revisions BUT the worst part is the number of options you have as a designer and the overthinking of everything. There is a method to my madness to every single piece that is incorporated into a design. Whether it is because of budget or because of scale etc. every single piece has a purpose and changing just one of those pieces usually means you have to change a few others. I am naturally an overthinker and I suffer from extreme perfectionism so add pressure and a timeline and it's almost crippling. Unfortunately, we didn't get quite everything done that we had hoped. The shower glass install was delayed because my installer came into contact with someone with COVID. Thankfully his test came back negative it but it caused an additional delay that we just couldn't overcome. Honestly it almost worked out for the better because now that we have the tree I am almost certain that if I hadn't told you, you probably wouldn't have even noticed the glass was missing. One thing I am slightly disappointed about, which I haven't shared with anyone because I was keeping it a secret for the reveal, is that I had plans to have custom vanity legs fabricated for the vanity which was going to be the crown jewel of this entire bathroom. I didn't tell anyone because I felt that it was going to be THAT good. I found an installer who was willing and able to do it and we had finalized all of the plans but he was unable to get the parts in material that I wanted which is called silicone bronze. I wanted that specific material because it wont rust over time and will create this amazing blue-green patina but it turns out it is very hard to find and that it has to be hand fabricated which is out of my fabricators wheelhouse. I went back and forth on changing the material but ultimately I decided to scrap the legs for the challenge because I want to get it right and not just done and ultimately I want that beautiful patina. So I still have some additional research to do on how to achieve the legs I have envisioned in my mind. But to be honest I love the vanity just the way it is now so I am not overly sad about it.
I've also been searching high and low for the perfect vintage piece to add to the room and had given up until last week when I stumbled across the most perfect piece. I knew when I ordered it that it wouldn't be here in time because it's coming from Europe but I know it will be worth the wait and I cannot wait for it to arrive. Because of that, the styling isn't quite what I had in my mind but I couldn't be more thrilled with the overall result... When I walk by the bathroom, I can't believe I live here. Honestly this bathroom transformation is more than I ever dreamed of. Alright, enough jibber jabbering and let's get to the good stuff: the actual room! But first, let me remind you of what it looked like before.
The Before
To be honest I guess the way it was styled makes the before not that bad but it's very outdated and still needed a serious face lift. I did my best to style the bathroom around what we had. I had planned to change the light fixture but I tend to be paralyzed by an all or nothing mentality, which I am working on.
Now to the After
Can we talk about a transformation?! I honestly still don't even recognize it. And I have zero regrets about changing my entire design to incorporate the Dover White marble. I mean drool! I just love how lux and glam it feels and I love that we can still call it "the pink bathroom". From the very faint blush walls, to the hardware, to the art, the entire bathroom is truly us - even though I never got that moody wall color I had originally envisioned. It's very glam and over the top and gives you an entire experience when you walk in.
One of the best parts for me was seeing my husbands reaction after the exposed plumbing was installed. When I initially pitched the idea to him he was completely opposed to it because he thought it was an additional cost that we could cut. After seeing it installed he said to me, "Babe, I know I thought this was excessive but this was the right move". Success!
The art and the tree in the shower really bring the room to life and pull everything together. I love how the zellige tile gives the room that old world, been-here-forever vibe while the fixtures and the marble bring in that modern aesthetic. It's drama filled, but in the best way possible. I mean have you ever seen a faucet like this?! I have been in love with the Isla faucet from waterworks for a long time and pictures just do not do it justice. It's even more that I imagined and 100% worth the splurge for me. The best part is that, to me, the bathroom does not feel trendy and feels very timeless all while incorporating the entire vibe of our house. Who ever said small spaces cant be grand?!
Also... the reflection of the chandelier and the waterworks showerhead in the antiqued mirror is pure gold and my absolute favorite moment. Ok I lied maybe the fact that you can see the art from the kitchen and the living room in the reflection of the antiqued mirror is my favorite part... The whole thing is just so incredible! It makes picking one favorite part nearly impossible.
The littlest details make the biggest impact. The books have been handed down for generations in my family and I practically had to steal them along with some brass candlesticks from my Mom. My Grandad used to read me these books when I was a kid, every detail is purposeful.
Thank you so much for all of you who have followed along and encouraged me over these past 6 weeks. I am forever grateful for each and every one of you.
Don't forget to check out the other Fall ORC participants reveals here! You definitely don't want to miss it as they are some truly amazing transformations.
Sources:
Marble - Petra Stone
Tile - Zia Tile
Sconces - Circa Lighting
Chandelier - Circa Lighting
Faucet - Waterworks
Showerhead - Waterworks
Mirror - Burke Decor
Paint (Walls) - Benjamin Moore White Opulence
Paint (Door) - Farrow and Ball Off-Black
Photos by James Furman
Now on to my next project!