Boredom Buster - The Most Boring Bathroom EVER gets a much needed Make Over!

 

 

Welcome to the saddest little room in my whole house.  The main floor bathroom.  I have never understood the thought process of what possessed the previous owners of our home to paint the absolute tiniest bathroom the darkest color possible, with the exception of actually painting it black.  This picture really does not do it justice.  It's like 70% cocoa dark chocolate brown, (somehow I can always relate things to chocolate, I consider it a talent. LOL!) and the room probably measures 5' x 5' if I'm being generous.   

 

 

I am actually in the process of refinishing our kitchen table & chairs, so the last thing I needed to be doing was starting another "project".  BUT.....  last week I woke up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea...I was going to stencil the bathroom walls!!!  Now I don't know about you, but when something comes to me in the middle of the night, I become completely consumed by it and well, I make it work.  Literally, the next day I headed out to get the necessary supplies.  After all, the Mr. was away on a business trip, so the timing was perfect.  I would "surprise" him.  Isn't that what every husband wants to come home to --- a fabulous bathroom makeover. LOL! 

 

My original plan was to repaint the bathroom a more tranquil color, like a pastel grey-blue, but my excitement got the best of me and I literally found myself taping up the stencil, climbing a ladder and stippling on my first square while still in my heels and skinny jeans.  (So glad I don't have a picture of that for you...it was quite a sight. LOL!)   

 

 

 

 

I came across this fabulous metallic paint to help brighten up and embrace that boring, basic, dark brown.  This stuff is so super cool.  It's perfect for stenciling because it's so thick, almost lotion like.   

 

And in case you were wondering, this is the company that makes the stencil I used.  It took everything in my power to keep me from buying the zebra stencil...as you'll soon discover, I have a tiny crush on anything animal print.

 

 

 

 

And here is the big reveal!!! 

 



Isn't it FUN!?!?!  Because the paint is metallic, it really shines when light hits it, otherwise it is very subtle.  My kids now call it "The Fancy Bathroom".    How cool is that???  My 10 year old daughter even brings her clothes downstairs, changes in it, and has practically claimed it as "hers" despite the fact that she has her very own bathroom attached to her room.  I assured her we will stencil something equally as fabulous in hers this summer, and rest assured she will hold me to it.

If you are interested in trying this for yourself, DO IT!!!  I am seriously the most craft-challenged person, and if I can do it, anyone can!  I learned a few tips & tricks along the way so please take the liberty to learn from my mistakes. :)

**  Change into appropriate painting attire before starting. LOL! 

**  Attach stencil to wall using painter's tape.  Do not use the stencil spray.  It leaves a film on the wall, and can effect the paint as well.

**  Use a Styrofoam or a coated paper plate to pour a small amount of paint on.  I used about a tablespoon "glob" at a time.  It dries fast, and this amount is manageable and about how much you need for one square, so you can stop at any time without wasting paint. 

**  Buy an actual stippling stencil brush.  It helps contain the bleeding under the stencil and it goes much quicker. 

**  Dip the tip of the stippling brush in the paint and dab a few times on the plate to help evenly distribute the paint in/on the brush before starting on the actual wall.

**  Buy a stencil that has guides on it to make even spacing easy & quick.

**  Remember that walls are not all "square",  so make sure the stencil is level with a tool before starting.

**  Start in the middle of your wall and work to the sides.  Something I learned after-the-fact, and will have to cope with.  LOL!

Have a fabulous "fancy" day!