ONE ROOM CHALLENGE: MASTER BATHROOM- BEFORE PHOTOS {WEEK 1}

Here we go again... it's been years since I've participated in a One Room Challenge Project.  I think it's taken me that long to recover and get psyched up to take on another project with a deadline!  And obviously, if you followed along with me through the Kids' Bathroom Makeover that started last Fall and didn't wrap up until earlier this Spring, it's clear that I need a deadline to finish a big project in a timely manner.  In the past I've participated three times, 5 years ago with our Master Bedroom, 4 years ago with our Powder Bath, and 2 years ago with my daughter's room.  This time, I'm so excited to be renovating our Master Bathroom.  You'll see, it's a project that is way, way, way overdue!

Master Bedroom ORC (more recent bedroom refresh post here)

Before we dive in, let me start with a quick introduction if you're visiting me for the first time today.  WELCOME!  I'm so glad you took the time to visit and hope you hang around and are inspired here.  I live in Oklahoma City with my husband who is a minister, college freshman son and high school junior daughter.  I've been blogging for almost 9 years and am so grateful for my faithful readers who enjoy my style and come back consistently to check in on whatever my current project is.  My style is grounded in traditional elements but as you can tell by these few makeover photos it's livened up with a strong dose of bold color and mixed patterns.  I love to transform thrifted and second hand pieces to use in my spaces, the originality and quality of pieces that are older can't be beat!  For a complete picture of my decorating style, you can view my complete home tour here.  

Powder Bath ORC

I'm also on Facebook, as well as Instagram where I share many more sneak peeks, quick tips, and content that might not necessarily make it here to the blog.  I'd love for you to join me on those social channels as well!

Teenage Girl's Bedroom ORC

Alright, with the introductions out of the way, let's get down to business!  We bought this house 13 years ago, and after moving in made some initial improvements to the Master Bathroom.  The house is now 25 years old and it was originally fully carpeted, covered in 90's hunter green and burgundy wallpaper, and was in dire need of updating.  We took out the carpet and had a tile floor put in and  painted an ORB coat over shiny brass lights for a quick fix.  I also stripped all of the wallpaper, then textured the walls and repainted (which I now regret, because now I want some wallpaper in here again... ha!).   So here's where we ended up after those few "improvements."

I mean... can you tell I made my design selections at the tail end of the Old World/Restrained Gold decorating fad?  Oh yeah, the glazed cabinets should have clued you in to that too.  And if you're a regular follower here you know that this color scheme could not be further than my current style, but at the time 13 years ago it was "in" and coordinated with my bedroom at the time.  We updated the bedroom over 5 years ago, but not a thing has changed in here since that initial update after buying the house.

Scratch that... I put paint samples up when were were trying to decide on a color for the bedroom too, probably 7 YEARS AGO!  That wall has looked just like this for years and years!

You know how one can tend to become blind to problem areas?  That would be us with this entire bathroom!  We've just put up with it for a long time.  In my defense, I never had a clear vision of what I wanted to do in here, and bathroom renos are $$$, so I took my time and we saved up until we were ready and I knew (almost) exactly what I wanted.

We knew when we moved in that all of the fixtures needed to be replaced.  13 years later... still haven't done it.  Yikes!

And how about that tub?  We got a bit overzealous with the demo before I remembered I needed some before photos.  We actually enjoy using the whirlpool when a good soak is needed, but it's so much wider than it is deep and takes a ton of water to fill it so it's not ideal.  I'm sure you noticed the classy "window treatment."  The huge window is awesome except in the Summer when the blazing west sun burns straight through and turns the room into a sauna.  The makeshift pipe curtain rod and random panels thrown up to block the sun have been there for I don't know how long.  #facepalm

There's a nice sized linen cabinet at the end of the room flanked by the water closet and my husband's closet, but it needs a little upgrade that we'll take a look at in the future.  I painted the doors in here black years ago, and the paint has taken some abuse but that's ok because they'll also be getting a makeover.  I've added moulding to several of my other interior doors and these are begging for some too.

The water closet is fine and just needs some cosmetic updates,  I'm so glad to have a separate little spot for the toilet.

Now, moving on to the actual worst part of the bathroom... the shower!  It's a walk in which we really like, it's nice to have a bit of privacy in the shower rather than a full glass enclosure.  However, it does get chilly and drafty in there while showering since there's nothing to hold the heat in, so I added the little curtain to retain warmth and block the breeze which helps a lot.

Obviously, the tile is dated and for whatever reason a lot of the grout is past the point of being able to clean and has permanent mildew stains.  Ewwww!  I can't tell you how hard it is to post these photos...  Trust me, we've scrubbed and scrubbed.  A little nervous about what we'll find when demo begins!

The actual shower stall is small-ish but sufficient, yet lacking much room for bath products.

And, let's take a look at this little area.  That built in hamper might have been intended to be a neat custom feature originally, but it's completely useless.  It would hold about 2 days worth of laundry, and is always mildewy/damp smelling inside.  My husband drilled some holes in it years ago so it would get some air flow inside and that helped, but all we use it for is to store cleaning supplies.  Such a wasted little space!

And lastly... how about those sliding mirrored doors?  I can't tell you how many times I've run into the side of one walking into my closet and expected it to shatter... 

So there you go.  The bad and the ugly.  Ready to get busy and make this space GOOD like our bedroom just outside those doors!!

Since we have a few extra weeks to share this round that's all for today.  Next week I'll share the design plan for the room (sooo excited!!) and a few things that I need your help deciding on right the bat.  I'd love for you to follow along each week, hope to see you then!

Be sure to check out the others participating in this round of the ORC, there will be some amazing makeovers to follow along with for sure!

ORC Media Sponsor:  Better Homes and Gardens

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