one room challenge // loft bathroom, week 1

You guys… this is beyond exciting: I am participating in this fall’s One Room Challenge! Over the course of the next 6 weeks, I’ll be walking you through the renovation of my loft’s bathroom, or as I refer to it “the bath cave.” I call it that because this room is truly the darkest room in the entire loft. I suspect it feels so cave-like because of the 12 ft ceilings and the narrow width of the room itself.

I also really despise the current paint color. What is that?? I’ve been calling the color ‘pesh,’ which is a combination of peach + flesh. It sort of reminds me of the color of my makeup. Not exactly the look I’m going for…

Then there’s the lighting… none of it is flattering or updated or pretty. Instead, it all feels really basic and boring, definitely not my vibe.

Storage is another issue in the bath cave, in that there really isn’t any! I have this wire storage shelving from my previous apartment, but I sort of hate how it’s currently set up. Basically, I’m one of those people who considers the labels on cosmetics bottles to be visual noise and it drives me nuts to have everything out in the open like this. Some really great storage baskets are definitely needed.

Speaking of driving me nuts… this pile of stuff on the back of the toilet. I kid myself by saying it’s organized because it’s in a tray, but let’s be real here… there’s nothing organized about this heap.

So here’s a bit of what I do like — the tiny tiles in the shower (and as a renter, there isn’t much I can do about that anyways), the stainless steel industrial vanity, and the exposed brick. I love that I have a window in the bathroom, a first for me. The floors are also the same wood as in the rest of the loft and provides a really great foundation for my design plans.

I want the space to feel restful and bohemian, so I’ve pulled together a bit of a moodboard to get my creative juices flowing.

A few of my favorite key elements that I want to incorporate:

• a statement mirror in crisp white
• freshly painted walls in a soothing minty hue
• soft and airy textiles with great trim details and stripes
• bohemian touches like reclaimed storage bins, simple bottles, and lots of plants

image sources: The Interiors Addict, Stil Inspiration, Frenchy Fancy, and Apartment Therapy.

I got really excited about this project and started a bit of pre-shopping for materials. Here’s a bit of what I’m thinking:

1. allen + roth pendant light from Lowe’s.
2. allen + roth vanity light from Lowe’s.
3. brushed nickle fixtures like this allen + roth wall plate and allen + roth shower curtain hooks, both from Lowe’s.
4. the Myrna wall mirror from Bassett Mirror Company — I have a major crush on this mirror and plan to use it as the focal point of the bathroom.
5. artwork by Jaime Derringer via Minted — I’ve had my eye on this piece for a long, long time and I think it’s the perfect inspiration for my paint color.
6. Teresa’s Green paint by Farrow & Ball.

I’ll be recapping each week’s progress on my bathroom on Wednesdays, so be sure to stay tuned! Also, check out everyone else who’s participating in One Room Challenge: