DIY, Life Kim Britton DIY, Life Kim Britton

Main Bathroom Reveal

A Before and After look at our bathroom renovation.

bathroom reveal

Hi there! Today's post is the much-anticipated bathroom reveal!! And I am so excited to share it with you.

We moved into our split-level house in the fall of 2015. Since then, we have completed a laundry list of home improvement tasks. We changed out all the windows and exterior doors, demolished the downstairs bathroom (it was a mess with mold and needed to go), and put down new vinyl tile flooring in the downstairs. We also added board and batten walls and custom cabinetry to the mudroom. We gave our staircase a make-over and put down new engineered hardwood flooring in the upstairs living room, hallway, and bedrooms. Our next big project was going to be the kitchen, but after some design plans and an initial cost estimate, we decided to tackle the only remaining bathroom first.

So Fresh and So Clean Clean

We looked at our calendars and chose the first weekend in November to tackle this project. Now I have to admit, I leave all the how-to and task management of the home projects to my husband. He loves creating things and working with his hands. And he is amazing at it. While I enjoy the finished product, I am less enthusiastic about the actual doing of the projects. I begrudgingly agree to be the assistant, but if I could hire someone to come in and do all the work, I would.

So when my husband showed me our five-day task list, I assumed he did all the research, and this was our plan to ensure completion of our bathroom by the end of the five days. However, two days into the renovation we were still on tasks listed under the day one column. I asked my husband why we were so off track. He not-so-pleasantly explained that this task list was not a "what we can accomplish each day" list, but more of a "what we have to get done each day to make our deadline" task list. Once my expectations were cleared up, I knew we were in trouble.

Renovation Realities

Not only was our five-day timeline unrealistic, but we also ran into some minor delays. Our old bathtub weighed 500+ pounds and took way too many hours to remove. The vanity light electrical outlet couldn't be relocated, which meant the light fixture we were planning to purchase wouldn't be centered over our larger vanity. The linen and vanity cabinets that we thought were blue-toned grey looked more green-toned grey after they were installed. The blue wall colors we chose now clashed with the cabinets.

The herringbone floor tile pattern my husband had his heart set on, was a little more complicated than we expected. After the third attempt to lay the floor, our frustrations got the best of us, and we scraped the herringbone pattern for a more typical running bond pattern. But we (my husband and father-in-law mostly) muscled through and crossed off task after task, changed up the plan to tackle the roadblocks, and made the best of the issues that couldn't be remedied.

Thankful for Family

A huge shout out to my in-laws for allowing us to take over one of their bedrooms and bathrooms for four weeks while we were without an upstairs toilet and vanity sink. Our lower level was equipped with plumbing, so we moved our old toilet downstairs for when we eventually add a second bathroom back. We could have stayed in our home throughout the renovation and went up my in-laws only to shower, but I get up at least once a night to use the bathroom. I could not image stumbling down the stairs and through a few doors to use the restroom and then come all the way back upstairs to fall back asleep hopefully. Yikes!

While it may have taken us three + weeks longer than we had initially planned, the end result was well worth the frustration, exhaustion, and hard work. There are still some minor tasks to be completed. We had to order additional trim for the tall cabinet, we have to install a hand towel rack, finish some touch-up painting and caulking, and add some decor pieces. Also, we need a bathmat and some additional towels to match our now green/grey color scheme. But those things will happen eventually, and at least our bathroom is fully functional. It's good to have another home project checked off the list.

bathroom reveal
Bathroom reveal 2
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How did we do? Leave your thoughts on our bathroom renovation below. Have you completed any home projects recently? How did they go?

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Style, DIY Kim Britton Style, DIY Kim Britton

YouTubers You Must Watch for Halloween Inspiration

Looking for some Halloween costume inspiration…check out these social media halloween badasses.

Christmas is my favorite holiday - an entire month of family traditions, shopping, gifting, that warm & cozy feeling of being with your favorite people. BUT...the creative, makeup lover in me makes Halloween a VERY close second. However, I didn't always feel this way about Halloween. It was fun to run around with friends getting all the candy, but it was not about being creative. I remember wanting to choose a fun costume, but they were always store bought and rarely required crazy fun makeup.

As I've gotten older and more comfortable with makeup, Halloween is now a time to release my creative energy. Every year I hope one of my friends will host a Halloween party because then, it's over. I stop all other projects or hobbies to focus on creating an awesome costume. And I freakin' LOVE it! I comb Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube for costumes I've never done before. And I’m not talking about cutting up a sheet, throwing it over your head and calling yourself a ghost. I'm talking full face of makeup, creating a costume from scratch, spending night after night working on my costume.

Since Halloween is only a week away, it's the perfect opportunity to share where all my inspiration comes from for my second favorite holiday. Below are my favorite Halloween Instagram/YouTubers. Take a look through their IG accounts and let me know what you think. I hope they provide you with the same inspiration they provide me.

#1. Nicole Guerriero

Glamour shots but make it Tim Burton.👀 #halloweenmakeup Inspired by : @abbyroberts 👑

92.7k Likes, 1,298 Comments - N I C O L E. 🦄 (@nicoleguerriero) on Instagram: "Glamour shots but make it Tim Burton.👀 #halloweenmakeup Inspired by : @abbyroberts 👑"

#2. Abby Roberts

#3. Alex Faction

#4 Shonagh Scott

 

Let me know in the comments below: Who are your favorite YouTubers or Instagrammers for Halloween? Where do you get your Halloween costume inspiration? I'm always looking for new ideas!!

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DIY Kim Britton DIY Kim Britton

DIY Coasters for ALL the Holidays

This easy DIY craft will have you making coasters for ALL the holidays. Also makes perfect gifts.

DIY Coasters 1

It’s that time of year when we pull out the storage bins of Autumn/Holiday Decor. The front entrances get dolled up with mums, pumpkins and skeleton wreathes. The dish towels, place mats and throw pills are changed out with seasonal colors or patterns. We even swap out our candle scents. Coconut and Pineapple get replaced with Spiced Apple Toddy, Marshmallow Fireside and eventually Frosted Cranberry. But with all the seasonal decor swapping we forget about something we use on the daily… our coasters!

I have a set of coasters that live in my home year round, but I also have a few festive ones to bring out once the weather starts to chill. This easy DIY craft will have you making coasters for ALL the holidays.

*Tip: While the steps are not difficult, there is quite a bit of drying time in between layers of glue so give yourself a few days to complete this project.

DIY Coasters 2

Materials Needed:

  • Scrapbook paper

  • Ceramic Tiles

  • Modge Podge

  • Thick Paintbrush

  • Felt or Cork

  • Glue Gun

  • Glue Sticks

  • Fine Grit Sandpaper

  • Scissors

  • Pencil or Pen

  • Matte Clear Coat Spray Paint

Instructions:

Step 1: Trace around a tile on the back of each piece of scrapbook paper and coordinating felt. Cut out enough scrapbook and felt squares for the number of tiles you want to make.

*Tip: If your scrapbook paper has a pattern or has some color variation, decide which section or orientation you prefer before tracing and cutting. For example: a piece of scrapbook paper might have vertical stripes, but by laying the tile on an angle on the paper you get diagonal stripes on your coaster instead of vertical. Play around with orientation and see what jumps out at you.

Step 2: Cut out the scrapbook paper and felt squares.

DIY Coasters 3

Step 3: Brush a thin layer of glue on the top of a tile. Place the paper square on the tile then do another thin layer of glue on top of the paper. Repeat for all tiles and let dry.

Step 4: Brush a second coat of glue on top of the paper. Repeat for all tiles. Let the tiles dry for 24 hours before moving to the next step.

Step 5: Once the tiles are have dried completely, take a fine grit sandpaper and sand around all edges. Along with the edges, I also sand down the top corners and where the paper meets the tile. The gives a vintage look to the coasters.

Sometimes the paper may not stick when you start to sand. If this happens, no worries. Just peel off the paper, cut another square and start the process over again.

Step 6: Once you’re happy with the sanding, brush a thin layer of glue over the edges of the tile. Let the tiles dry another 24 hours before moving on.

DIY Coasters 9

Step 7: After 24 hours, in a well ventilated area, spray an even layer of clear coat across each tile to seal the coaster. Repeat with a second layer of clear coat. Allow at least 15 minutes between coats.

Step 8: Add hot glue around the perimeter on the bottom of the tile. Lay the coordinating felt square over the hot glue and press down with fingertips.

Step 9: Pour yourself a cup of coffee or glass of wine and enjoy your new coasters!

DIY Coasters 12

Be as creative as you want!

The fun doesn’t stop here. These coasters make great gifts! Make a set for brother that just bought a house or give them as a Christmas gift for your friend that loves to entertain. Use family photos printed on cardstock and they are a perfect Mother’s Day gift. Personalize individual coasters for your favorite co-workers to leave on their desks. You can include a set in a fundraiser gift basket or make some for your church craft fair. I’ve even made coasters with motivational quotes for a corporate meeting. The options are only as limitless as your imagination!

So go run to your local craft store or use the paper scraps you already have and get to DIY’ing. Don’t forget to share your coaster creations with me on Instagram! I can’t wait to see what you’ve made.

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