this old foreclosed home: a half-bath with history

Well this is what we had to work with when we bought our place, a half-bath that was dark, dingy and pineapple-y. Lots and lots of pineapples. Pineapples on the wallpaper, pineapples etched into the cabinets, pineapples on the toilet paper holder, apparently the 80's were good to pineapples. It was rough to say the least. In fact, it was the only room with wallpaper, thank goodness, because 30yr old wallpaper is stubborn.

So here's where it started, and the extent of how far we had to demo to get it going. The ceiling was a surprise fix, but it all worked out in the end. When we removed the vanity we found this interesting note, and thought it was great to find a little history buried behind the walls.



Here's our after, much brighter and a lot less fruity. In fact, there's not a single fruit or vegetable in the joint.


The upper half of the walls were stripped of the wallpaper, and the lower half were covered in wainscoting. The paneling was attached horizontally on purpose. I promise. Although we did it to avoid seams, it gives it a little more of a modern feel. I did all the trim myself, so the easier the better. The sink and vanity are from Lowe's Allen&Roth collection and it's a deep java color. It works well with all the white, and the counter space is amazingly ample for a small bathroom like this one. The mirror is from IKEA, and cost about 40-50$. The neat thing is, it was the perfect size to cover the giant hole left by the built-in cabinet. We didn't cover up the note or the hole, which gives us easier access to the lighting wires.


And here's a nifty trick for storing toilet paper in a pretty and functional way. This covered glass container cost $5 at TJMaxx and it sits right below out towel rack, so keeping water out of the jar was essential.


So there you have it, a half-bath worthy of showing off. The only odd thing that gets people every time? The light switch is outside the bathroom!