From Drab to Fab: Downstairs toilet makeover.

One of the many reasons this house was a winner when I saw it was the handy downstairs toilet as well as a fully functioning bathroom upstairs. I imagined that once I began toilet training the kiddos, not having to dash with child or potty outstretched in arms, up the stairs would be a big plus.

As you might notice this room is naturally dark, owing to the tiny window  with bumpy privacy glass, which looks out into our closed porch. The cold, uninspiring lavender walls did not help the gloom factor, added to the fact that during the winter months, because this washroom backs onto to the porch, it is  f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g.

The living room and kitchen-diner in our home are fairly calm and soothing in palette, but I really wanted to have some fun making this small, dark room a pleasant place to tend to the call of nature. Once upon a time in my early 20’s my decor tastes were much more far out….I  once rented a tiny wee cottage where the previous tenant had gone to town with the paint brush already, so I painted the bathroom bright orange and decoupaged, (and sealed!) the toilet seat with  comic strips (the toilet seat was wicked mind you). Where better to release my inner 20 something than in the crapper??

Enough talking, already….here are the afters.

I  had fallen hard for some of the botanical designs by  by Hanna Werning and Josef Frank; especially the beautiful Eldblomma wallpaper, all sadly out of my price range and mostly impossible to buy in the UK. After browsing online retailers I found  ‘Acorus’ wallpaper by Holden Decor and ordered three rolls.

Although this room is tiny,  it was a pig to wallpaper as there are so many corners, obstacles, pipes, nooks and crannies. It took me the best part of eight hours to finish completely. But I am so happy with the final product (sorry about the not so fab pics).

The art work is the front cover of a Rifle Paper Company calendar (bought from a UK supplier, sadly now out of stock) I bought last year, framed with an inexpensive Ikea frame.

I have since swapped out the plant for a fake orchid as the natural (lack of) light in here will not sustain any plant life.

To add the the secret garden that is now our downstairs toilet I also made a Birdcage Lampshade inspired by La Voliere lampshade, but at a fraction of the price. I need to get my electrician friend over to switch out that flush mounted ceiling fitting for a pendant, but other than that , the job’s a good’un!

Hope you enjoyed.