Nature Calls

As the Hubs and I have been planning our remodels, we constantly have to remind ourselves about the new-to-us, unique style of this house.  While others might have seen the golden oak 1980s trim, heard the faint sounds of Debbie Gibson in the background and ran the other way, we saw the large angled windows and beautiful wooded lot as a way to embrace the wood and bring the outside in.  This style is absolutely nothing like the dark wood trim and craftsman style of The Bungalow though, so we always have to double check our style.  Nothing is funnier to me than my previously design clueless husband asking me, "Yeah, I love those curtains, but are they really modern lodge?"  Go to the bedroom baby, because that's hot. 

The Master Bath from Brooklyn Limestone, a classic style I love and would have looked great in The Bungalow, but not so much in The Lodge.

Since we have 3 complete bathroom renos in this house, it has been really fun to find sample bathrooms we like that embrace the natural look, but will give them each a unique, distinctive style.  The most literal interpretation of the "bring nature in" will likely be in the Main Bath.  While the Master Bath took the cake in terms of ugliest bathroom prior to our Bath Crashers adventure, we'll need to get to work on the Main Bath next since it is much more likely to be frequented by guests, and it's a close second on the ugly list.  Remember these painted tiles with the clouds, rain and grass?

And have we showed you the textured pink walls yet?  

Here's another nice shot of the tooth-pastey texture:

How about the sweet row of lights?

And the really gross tile and vanity, that can't get clean.  Ever.

If you think this is dirt, then you would be wrong, because I swear I just scrubbed it within an inch of my life prior to taking this picture.  With bleach!  It's just a really bad tile and grouting job.

Put them together and what have you got?  Vomit.  Pink Vomit.

Trust me, our friends that have seen it in person always say something along the lines of, "Wow, it doesn't look this bad in the pictures."  But it is, it truly is.

But enough about the old, let's talk about the new.  We went totally out of our comfort zone on this mood board and really tried to embrace the oak wood to tie into the main living spaces of the house and continue the natural feel.  Here's what we came up with:

We'll paint the walls a white that has a hint of gray/taupe in it, with a creamy tan travertine tile on the floor and soft accents of green in the towels and shower curtain.  I love the casual simplicity of the ladder shelf and towel rack which were from West Elm once upon a time, but I'll have to make them now because they no longer sell them.  No problem, it will likely save me a ton of cash, and I was already feeling that "I could totally make that" vibe.

The vanity and mirror are both from Ikea, which will mean major budget savings for us, especially considering the price of a typical double vanity.  We found dozens of similar floating vanities like this for hundreds and even thousands of dollars more, so "Jag Tackar" to our Swedish friends for their modern and affordable style.  Adding another sink to the one we have now will be key since this is the main bath to three surrounding bedrooms. While I dig the vessel sink look right now, this will primarily be a kid's bathroom, and I'm not crazy. (Debatable) They also might start to date the room more quickly when they are no longer a fad. 

Our initial instinct was to tear down the wall to the separate "water closet" room, but after a lot of consideration, we think that this door might save us hours of fights from a teenage Ryder and his future brother(s) and/or sister(s).
   "Get out, I have to go to the bathroom!"
   "I'm still brushing my teeth!"
   "Maybe we should be quiet so Mom and Dad can sleep in this morning."
(That last one is my imaginary third child, who will be sweet as an angel and always do what I ask the first time.  It's possible, right?) 
So instead of tearing out that door we plan to upgrade by turning it to a statement piece and building one with clean lines and frosted glass.  

So what do you think?  Does this say modern natural to you?  Does anyone else love the floating vanity craze as much as I do?  I think it helps make small spaces look so much bigger.  What about the sink- are you pro or anti vessel?  I love them in a Powder Room, but not so much in a bathroom that needs more utility.