Beach-inspired Kids’ Bath

The kids/guest bath was a part of our big renovation when we moved into the house. It was originally a Jack-and-Jill (aka Brady Bunch) bathroom with no tub, and like much of the house, it was pink!  We wanted to turn it into a hall bath, which would be much more practical, especially because we were adding a new bedroom – the nursery – upstairs.  The reconfigured area also allowed us to move the laundry up from the basement, which is vastly more convenient.

It’s a simple space with a feel that’s the perfect blend of classic and contemporary. Since its also a guest bath, and these little boys are fast becoming little men, I didn’t want to make the decor too cutesy.  My original idea was to have a “Three Men in a Tub” theme, with a gallery of bath photos. Wet babies are so adorable, so why not a gallery wall in the bathroom? I still love that idea, but with our recent vacation in Hawaii, I hit on a beach theme instead.

Hawaiian beach-inspired bathroom.  Shared kids and guest bathroom.  {Jewels at Home}

As for function, there’s a lot of practicality in this small space.

When the architect first proposed the double vanity for a kids bath, I wasn’t sure it was necessary, but hubby, who comes from a family of four kids, assured me it would be put to good use, and he was right!

20130324-163234.jpgHawaiian beach-inspired bathroom.  Shared kids and guest bathroom.  {Jewels at Home}

My kids never seem to successfully get their towels back on a towel bar, so I opted for these robe hooks. The adorable monogrammed hooded towels from Pottery Barn Kids were a gift from a dear friend when our youngest was born, and they fit perfectly here.

Hawaiian beach-inspired bathroom.  Shared kids and guest bathroom.  {Jewels at Home}

The Hawaiian “honu” sea turtles were ceramic coasters I found at a crafts fair in Honolulu, and our little family adds some color and whimsy to this wall.

Hawaiian beach-inspired bathroom.  Shared kids and guest bathroom.  {Jewels at Home}

And finally, some pictures of life by the water, to transport us every day.  Every time JJ sees this wall, he yells, “Beach!”

Hawaiian beach-inspired bathroom.  Shared kids and guest bathroom.  {Jewels at Home}

A few more pictures:

Hawaiian beach-inspired bathroom.  Shared kids and guest bathroom.  {Jewels at Home}20130324-163217.jpg

Hawaiian beach-inspired bathroom.  Shared kids and guest bathroom.  {Jewels at Home}

 

 

Hawaiian beach-inspired bathroom.  Shared kids and guest bathroom.  {Jewels at Home}

Hawaiian beach-inspired bathroom.  Shared kids and guest bathroom.  {Jewels at Home}

Let’s make a splash!

“Jewels”

Upholstered Chairs: Beautiful from the Back

I love such a love for beautiful fabrics! And why use just one fabric to upholster a chair, when you can use two?! The back of a chair is a great place to use a more delicate, expensive, or ornate fabric that might not be ideal for the seat, and the contrast between the two materials adds a lot of interest. I’ve seen great examples of this from some of my favorite designers:

Candice Olsen dining chairs

Candice Olsen used a contrasting fabric on the outside of these beautiful dining chairs. The blue ties the seat and outside together.

Candice Olsen Design

Sarah Richardson chairs

Sarah Richardson strikes a great playful note with these chairs upholstered in multiple fabrics. Again, the color theme - in this case, red - tie them together.

Sarah Richardson Design

So, I was looking around my house for a way to try this, when my eyes landed on a pair of green side chairs that we’ve had for many years as extra seating in our living room. They were originally dining chairs that worked well for saving space, and I cut down the legs to make them more comfy for lounging. Our new house can get dark, so I’ve been trying to lighten up our furniture, and I just happened to have recently bought this gorgeous floral fabric. I didn’t even have a specific plan for it, but I knew that I had to have it (did I mention, I have a weakness for beautiful fabrics?!) I spotted it on Fabricguru.com, which is my favorite online fabric store. They have great prices on remnants and an easy-to-browse interface. The downside is that a lot of the fabrics are discontinued or almost so, so if you need more down the road, it may be hard to find.

Floral Noir

Robert Allen Waldemere Contemporary Floral Printed Cotton Drapery Fabric in Noir

Here’s what happened when the old chairs met my new fabric:

floral fabric on green chairs

Waldemere floral fabric on the outside of green velvet chairs.

To apply the fabric, I experimented with our staple gun, but in the end, it worked best to apply the fabric with just a regular craft glue gun. I folded about a half inch “seam” around the edge and just glued it on. I was prepared to cover the edges – or staples, had I used them – with some piping, but I lucked out, and the panels had piping already, so it looked very finished with very few steps. I think you could retrofit a variety of existing chairs with some creativity and minimal upholstery skills.

For some more inspiration, check out these beautiful examples found by other bloggers:

Saks chair

Spotted by Caitlin Wilson at Saks.

Caitlin Wilson Design

K-desgn chairs

Chairs by K-design, spotted by Decorati.

Decorati Interior Design Blog

Go give it a try! It might take some adaptation to work on your particular chairs, but keep in mind using nailhead trim, piping, or decorative braid to hide staples and seams, creating a transition as you turn your chairs into eye-pleasing conversation pieces!

“Jewels”

This project is shared at:
handmade projects