Making Base Housing Feel Like Home: Small Bathroom Decor Ideas

Anyone who lives in military base housing knows all too well how challenging it is to create a space that feels like home when painting or major DIY renovation projects aren't always an option. Even the smallest changes or DIY project is done with the knowledge that time in base housing is temporary and any change made will have to be changed back when we move out! This usually results in living with things we don't necessarily like about our house.

When we moved into our home on base, I knew the small downstairs powder room was going to be a challenging space to brighten up because of its size and shape. The room is narrow and deep in a hallway with little natural light; so it is usually dark. Like the rest of our house, the walls are bright white and textured so any DIY bathroom decor ideas needed to include color to brighten the space. We knew we would be moving and because it's on-base housing any bathroom vanity makeover needed to be temporary, removable, and inexpensive. For just a bit more than $100 and without paint, the small powder room was transformed using materials that could move with us to our next home.

Here is the bathroom when we moved into the house. The room felt cold, sterile, and dark despite the bright white walls.

Because so many details bothered me, including the face-height towel bar nowhere near the sink, it was hard to decide where to begin. The 3-bulb vanity light was not very pretty and the sink itself had no storage or way to conceal the plumbing attachments. My main goal was to prevent that from being the first thing people would see looking into the room!

A serendipitous online clearance sale on rolls of blue vinyl stripes that perfectly fit the bathroom vanity wall width made the decision to create a striped accent wall an easy one. I love a red, white, and blue combination for a nautical-looking room; especially in a small one like a powder room.

I purchased two rolls of 10 pre-cut navy blue vinyl stripes for $28 for the accent wall.  I ended up using eleven stripes for the accent wall and although I was worried that it might be difficult for the vinyl stripes to adhere to a heavily textured wall, they stayed in place perfectly.

I found a wood look mirror at Homegoods for $32 and knew it would fill the area over the sink much better than the flat, boring mirror that was there and hold up to splashes or cleaning. We hung the new mirror right over the top of the old one so we didn't even have to worry about re-hanging it when we move. When I found a clearance three light vanity light with metal shades for $40 at Home Depot, the vanity area came together exactly how I wanted it to!

I shopped the rest of my house for the accessories we used. The blue whale was sitting in our toy closet.

By itself, it seemed out of place on the white wall but after adding metal hooks, rope, and a burlap ribbon, it fits perfectly next to the wood toned mirror over the sink.

After hanging the whale, the red lobster towel hook and red metal octopus joined in and basically turned the blue and white bathroom makeover into a red, white, and blue color scheme with a nautical/ocean theme I hadn't really planned but went with anyway.

I added one of our red gas station number signs and moved the toilet paper holder back into the nook where the toilet is because it made better sense to have it there (base housing) and so it wasn't one of the first things you see looking into the room.

The red octopus looked strange to me on its own, like the whale did before adding rope and ribbon to it, so I used an old reclaimed wood frame to give it more of a space of its own.

The last things I added to the bathroom makeover were two $18 Ikea shelves that matched the same wood color of the vanity mirror and with metal brackets similar in look to the metal vanity light. The two shelves sit over the toilet and help break up the tall, plain, bright white wall.

I added a tall vase soon after installing the shelves and took away the happy sign which made even more of a difference in how stark and bland the wall looked back there in the little cave-like area where the toilet is.

For just over $100, our small base housing bathroom was transformed with a vinyl stripes accent wall, new mirror, new vanity light, and two floating shelves. Colorful wall hangings that we had on hand finished brightening up the stark, all-white bathroom. Even though it's not usually possible to make permanent or expensive changes to military base housing, try small changes like these to make your base housing feel like home!

Places We've Called Home Sign

After getting some inspiration for military family crafts last week, we finally got around to making our own version of the duty station plaque that a lot of military families custom order online. We used poplar boards, spray paint, a combination of mdf and stick on letters, and sisal rope to make a Places We've Called Home sign for our entry.

The boards needed two coats of paint and the HOME letters were already black. The top piece was from a 1x4 and each board below from a 1x2.

I chose to make the boards about eight inches wide because I had a narrow space in mind to hang the sign.

Here's a quick look at the steps to creating the sign

Threading the rope through the drilled holes wasn't easy and it's a very snug fit but the small boards can be adjusted up and down without falling so it works well. I used hot glue to attach the HOME letters on the top.

I asked Stephen if he could help me hang the sign from a drawer pull and even though he didn't initially see where I was going with it, in the end we hung the sign from this black pull and I love it.

I hung the sign up to measure the boards' distance from one another and slid them up and down until they were straight and even.

I don't have a vinyl cutter so the easiest option for me was to use some black adhesive lettering.

Placing the letters was a little time consuming but I'm happy with the outcome. When I think that we're done moving maybe we'll replace this sign but for now we can continue to use it and just add more boards to the rope each time we move.

The sign filled a tall and narrow space in the gallery wall above our entry table.

Here's one more look at the finished sign.

Here's to Summer

A year ago we were getting ready to move to our fifth house and say goodbye to our family and friends. I had just found out I was pregnant and was ecstatic at the same time I was dreading and sad about yet another move.

As excited as I am that it's summer, I'm happy to have made it a year in a new place, happy to have made some great new friends, and most of all happy to have grown our little family to four!

My latest project (the first in wayyyyyy too long) is to give a bookshelf that my father built a makeover.

This shelf was in my house growing up and stayed until my parents remodeled the room it was in a year ago. They were going to throw it out but I wouldn't let them so we packed it up with the rest of our house and moved it with us.  Because my father built it there is obviously sentimental value but I also think it's cool and can't wait to give it a little facelift.

Stay tuned for the 'after' and check back this week for an awesome summer kick off giveaway from Thompson's WaterSeal!

Not So Buried Treasure Hunting in Switzerland

The aspect of military life that I've enjoyed the most has been the opportunity to travel. Besides taking trips all over the world for my husband's job, we spent an amazing two years living in Bern, Switzerland. I'm not kidding when I say that I've been trying to figure out how to move back there ever since we left. Here is a photo from one of our favorite hikes from First to Bachalpsee.

I used to hunt for furniture, art, and other Swiss mementos in nearby brocantes. If you haven't heard of a brocante, it's somewhat the same as a thrift store here in the U.S.

Source: MySwitzerland.com

One of the brocantes I visited often was Interbrocken Haus in Thun. I found beautiful furniture, colorful pitchers, unique baskets, and wooden shoes on my many trips there. When driving up to the store, there were usually paintings and other items for sale on display outside to draw people in. My best 'find' was sitting out in the sun for everyone driving by to spot but somehow it waited patiently for me. The price was written in marker right on the glass and was the equivalent of ten dollars.

I didn't pay attention to the signature but was happy to have found a piece painted in 1924.

This is a photo of the label on the back of the painting:

The title written on the back of the frame on the label reads, "Der Kleine Bernina- See" which I believe translates to The Little Bernina Lake and displays the artist's name, Hans Beat Wieland.

This painting immediately reminded me of the beautiful view pictured at the beginning of this post, from one of our favorite hikes in the Swiss Alps. Because of that I brought it home, completely unaware it was painted by a renowned Swiss artist. We went into the store and passed by this painting as it sat outside on the side of the busy road. On the way to the car to leave, I looked at it again and decided to buy it.  It's amazing to me that photographs I took of alpine scenery, no matter how breathtaking, don't capture the essence of the mountains and the way the sky seems to meet them as the brushstrokes on this canvas do. Here is a closer look:

After we had the painting for a month or so, one of our friends from the embassy in Bern noticed it in our house and asked if he could bring one of his Swiss friends by to see the painting. She was completely taken aback when she saw what I had found at what is essentially a Swiss thrift store. She told me about the artist,  and was a mix of astounded and disappointed to hear what I'd paid for my painting. She told me to take care of it as it was something special and made it clear that she wasn't happy it had been put out on the curb at a brocante! I've never had it appraised but it would be very hard for me to part with regardless of what it may be worth. Since it reminds me of one of the most beautiful views I was lucky enough to lay eyes on and sat in plain sight at the brocante for anyone to notice but went untouched, I feel like it was meant to be mine.

I'm a little embarrassed that I hung the painting in my house and went on my way without thinking to research the name signed on the canvas or displayed on the label on the back of the frame. I like to think I'm a more seasoned thrifter now and that I'm more careful to notice, at the very least, details like the artist's name! Although lucky for me it appears I'm not the only one that wasn't paying attention to that.
What about you? What treasure hunt find means the most to you?

Red, Black & White Kids' Bathroom

  

When we bought our house there were a few things that were on my "must change" list. The kids' bathroom was near the top of that list. I wanted to change the paint color from the too- close- to- margarine shade of yellow, replace the worn vinyl floor, add board and batten trim, upgrade the oak vanity and top, and change the fixtures. Keeping in mind that we are a military family and whatever I did, another family would end up enjoying (or hating), I compromised a bit to keep the cost from skyrocketing.

It's a tiny space so I wanted to make it bright, fun, and try something that might not work in a larger room. I knew I wanted the walls to be red and loved the look of black and white tiles for the floor. We found black and white vinyl sheet flooring in a diagonal pattern that looks as sharp as tile, cost much less, and requires little more than a damp mop to keep squeaky clean. I'm not sure how I could ever put grouted tile in a kids' bathroom after having it! The wall color is Ralph Lauren Stadium Red. In some light it looks almost maroon and at other times, a bright fire engine red.

  

I searched for months to find the cross handle faucets that I was after but seemed to cost way too much everywhere I looked. I also shopped around quite a bit before choosing the three light schoolhouse vanity fixture. 

 

A key factor in the DIY process around here is that whatever I dream up, my husband finds a way to create. He used a large sheet of mdf cut into four inch wide pieces and created what I think is an amazing board and batten look and painted it Acadia White by Benjamin Moore. He refinished the oak builder grade vanity in the same smooth white and framed the existing mirror to tie in with the rest of the trim. I can't say enough good things about Acadia White for trim.  It's just a beautiful white that reminds me of cream.

The above photo of the bathroom under construction doesn't come close to showing how unattractive the shade of yellow on the walls was before they were red. It was a stubborn, horrible yellow that didn't want to be covered- even by a dark red paint. Notice in the photo below how the yellow shows through!

The before shot of the oak vanity was taken with my cell phone when we were looking at the house. My hand was probably shaking because the yellow paint was causing me stress. Changing the vanity top and sink out with a black granite top made for such a great contrast with all of the creamy white. We haven't added any hardware to the drawers mainly because I can't make up my mind about bin pulls. I like the sleek look of it the way it is.

I thought about adding some photos of the baby splashing in the tub but since we knew we were going to be showing the house in the near future, I didn't want to hang too many personal photos and instead went with bold black accents on the wall.

Overall, I'm so happy with the way the remodel turned out. It's a unique look and makes a huge impact in such a tiny space. I will miss this little room when we have to leave. Sigh.

There's a Tablecloth on my Window

I love the difference that curtains make in a room. One of my absolute favorites are the Pottery Barn Fresco Paisley drapes. They seem like they would work well in any room, the colors and the pattern are just beautiful, and I'm sure the quality is fantastic. BUT.... as a military family, it is not possible to buy a house full of new window coverings every time we move.

Fresco Paisley Drape | Pottery Barn

We splurged on some beautiful red sailcloth panels for the nursery but for our master bedroom, I just couldn't bring myself to spend a lot on something that might not work well in our next house. I bookmarked some blogs with great DIY curtain tutorials and was intrigued by the idea of using tablecloths for curtain panels. My only hesitation came from the fact that a lot of tablecloths just look too much like a tablecloth. I didn't want to sacrifice style just to save money. I'd rather leave my windows naked.

While I was browsing my local TJ Maxx, I spotted some pretty Ralph Lauren Veranda Paisley tablecloths. The key to what made them work is that they are a really pretty neutral beige and reminded me of the Pottery Barn pair that I love. I bought two 60 X 84 tablecloths for $16.99 each.

I really prefer to keep things as simple as humanly possible. To turn my tablecloths into curtains required an iron, some Steam a Seam fabric tape, and some curtain clips, all of which I had on hand already. Magic.

Step 1  Iron a 2 inch fold across the top of the panel. Making this fold prior to taping makes the seam easier to get perfect.

Step 2  When you are sure the fold is even and straight, lay the fabric tape on the inside, fold over, and iron with steam on a high setting. This should make a sealed seam at the top of the panel.

Step 3  Hang with your clips. I said I like to keep things really simple!

I followed this tutorial by House of Hepworths to make fake pleats using my curtain rings. Instead of clipping the ring to the top of the curtain, simply clip the ring to the back of the fabric in a way that produces a pleated look in the front.

Using the 84 inch long tablecloth resulted in curtains that touch the floor but there isn't a lot of room leftover. If you are looking for more floor skimming length at the bottom, I would just go for a larger size tablecloth then cut the length to your taste and make a folded seam on the bottom edge.

I thought about how a white sheet sewn or steam a seamed to the back would add to the thickness of the curtains and might provide more light blocking capability. If I make another pair I will consider it but then again, who am I kidding, I don't sleep very much during daylight hours.

Because I had the rings and the fabric tape on hand, this little DIY project cost $35. I have seen some reasonably priced curtain panels for sale with material that does not look or feel nearly as nice as these. The style and function provided by my little window tablecloths could have cost a lot more!

Our House in Yemen

Some would say that the riskiest thing I have ever done was spend a year living in Yemen. I'm not sure I can really catalogue my life choices in a way that one particular thing stands out as the riskiest but I'm not about to claim that living in Yemen was safe either.
We lived in the bottom two floors of the house pictured above. We had an enormous amount of space for just the two of us. It was crazy trying to clean it. For a time we had a local woman help us with housekeeping but it was too difficult for me to communicate with her and she did things like use my gallon Shout stain remover, that I'd meant to last me 2 years, in one week. (She cleaned our floors with it!) It was such a hard decision to let her go because we knew the poverty experienced by so many in Yemen. I then struggled for our remaining time there to clean a house full of marble, always covered in the thick dust that only someone that has lived there can comprehend.

I felt more at risk at some times than others. For the most part we worked during the day and watched satellite television shows at night. Our house was on a walled compound and we had two guards that stayed in a little house at our gate. I never had the courage to host any of our family members in our huge house. I guess I felt that the risk was worth the experience for me but wasn't willing to extend an invitation to take the same risk to my family.

 I wish I could have shared with them the view from our rooftop of local children playing soccer on a dusty, trash covered field at sunset. As the sun went down and they were backlit by it in a way that was blinding to look at, you could squint and forget for a minute where you were. The sounds of children playing are the same everywhere and their happy noise kicking a ball was calming to me especially after days that I was out and about in the noisy city, trying so hard not to draw too much attention to myself.
I took many pictures of children while we lived in Yemen. I look back on them every so often and can't help but wonder where they are and who they became.

 

As many photos as I have of children smiling and happy in a way only children can be like the photos of the boys above, I have photos with faces that haunt me as much today as they did 8 years ago. 

  

 It's difficult to consider that living in Yemen is the riskiest thing I have ever done when I try to imagine the path that some of these lives might have taken.