See how this couple used grouted peel and stick floor tiles in their bathroom renovation.  It looks good to me, see for your self though.

Submitted By Lovely Nest

Hello! I'm Amy. I have a degree in graphic design but I love to spend free time working on DIY projects and decorating my home. My husband is Kyle and we have a cute little beagle/lab mix named Sydney. This is our first home and we've been here almost three years. Things are always changing as I take on new projects, but it's always an adventure! I'm so excited to be here today to share our recent bathroom remodel. When we bought the house, the bathroom still had the original orange tile throughout. We lived with it for a couple of years and finally decided it was time to update it with grouted peel and stick floor tiles. My main goal was to create a space that felt relaxing and spa-like and I feel like we did a great job accomplishing that!

Here are few of my other favorite projects: Master Bedroom, Easel Tripod Lamp

Installing the Grouted Peel and Stick Floor Tiles

I figure I should probably explain our strategy with the bathroom. We have one bathroom in our house, so gutting a whole bathroom and being without a working one for weeks on end just isn't possible for us, unless we want to go stay somewhere else, which we don't. So, we started looking into other options and ended up going with Bath Fitter. They're able to upgrade the bathroom in basically a day, which is great for us. They were actually out last week to do the install, but had an issue with the shower walls being damaged, so they'll be back to finish it up this week.

In preparation for them, we removed the vanity and toilet so they were able to tackle the wainscoting. I should say now that I'm very grateful for indoor plumbing. Even one day without a toilet wasn't very fun. I made a trip to Target pretty much to use the bathroom. I made it worthwhile and picked up some dog food at least! Anyway, back to our bathroom. After the Bath Fitter guys did everything they could do last week, we took the opportunity, with everything out of the bathroom, to install a new floor.

We checked out various options, but in the end settled on grouted peel and stick floor tiles. I did some research and read multiple blogs from people that have used it and people seemed to be pretty happy with it. Most importantly, it was within our budget and within our skill set.

You can see a preview of the wainscoting above. The patched parts in the shower are from putting new plumbing in, but since they couldn't do the full shower yet, they sealed everything up so we can shower this week! For the tile, we decided laying them on a diagonal was the best option for our little bathroom. It would hide any imperfections with walls not being straight and aesthetically I think it looked better. Above you can see my test run without sticking any tiles down. I did this to get a feel for how it would look and to figure out the best place to start. Generally, I think you're supposed to start in the middle of the room and work your way out, but since our bathroom is so tiny and some of it is covered with a vanity and toilet, we decided to start from the corner of the doorway, which is the most visible area.

I don't have photos of the actual tile cutting and laying down because I was pretty focused. We used 1/8" spacers to keep the tiles evenly spaced for the grout. The full tiles were actually kind of fun to lay down, but once I got to the edges, I had to do measuring and cutting, which wasn't so fun. It wasn't terrible though, it just took some patience.

Hubby did the grouting, which was super easy, according to him. I followed with a sponge to wipe up any excess grout on the tiles. If I were estimating, I would say laying the tiles took approx 4 hours and the grouting took maybe 30 minutes.

Here she is looking all pretty and new. We're really pleased with how the floor turned out. It looks so much better than I expected and it feels just like real tile. I think the grout really helps with the tile aesthetic. I have to admit I wasn't really a fan of laminate flooring before, but grouted peel and stick floor tiles have come a long way.

The final bathroom images.

I'm doing a little celebration dance over here! The bathroom remodel is finished! You can read about our progress posts about the hole in the wall here and the new floor here. To read about our paint color selection, read this. Sources for everything are listed at the bottom of this post.

Every good reveal needs a before and after! Here's what we started with when we moved into the house.

We made the orange work for a while with some paint and accessories.

I think those photos speak volumes about how much paint and accessories can help a room. But we have been wanting to update the bathroom since we moved it. It was just too dated for our taste, so we finally did the big remodel and are really happy with how it turned out. It flows much better with the rest of the house now.

A new mirror was a priority on my list. I wanted to get rid of the medicine cabinet that was small and had chipped corners. Since the wainscoting sticks out from the wall, we needed to find a mirror to accommodate that. A tilting mirror turned out to be the perfect solution and we were able to get more mirror coverage that way. We also added a new towel ring to hold a pretty white towel.

After removing our medicine cabinet, we lost some vital storage, so we added two shelves above the toilet. Baskets bring in a natural element to the room, while concealing all of our bathroom necessities. The shelves also provide space for extra toilet paper and a jar with q-tips. A cute little succulent sits on the back of the toilet to add some color and plant life. This is my first one, so I'm hoping I can keep it alive!

On the opposite wall, we have hooks for towels. I also framed a print from Etsy. Thanks for your suggestions! I ended up going with the one most of you chose. I love it in here!

We went with a subway tile look in the shower area and took it to the ceiling to make everything feel taller. New plumbing and fixtures were another exciting thing. You can see in the photo at the top, we also got a curved shower rod, which is awesome! It makes everything feel so much more luxurious.

I made the shower curtain myself. I was hoping to share a tutorial for you, but I had some setbacks and the process took way too long, so step-by-step photos didn't happen. Here are my quick thoughts on DIY’ing a shower curtain. I only recommend it if you cannot find one you like in stores. I absolutely love the way ours turned out, but I have no plans to make one again, ever. Since most fabric doesn't come in a standard shower curtain width, I had to sew two panels together. It was a tedious task to make sure the pattern lined up. I also had some issues with my sewing machine deciding it didn't want to work during this process. After getting everything sewn, I decided grommets would be the best option for the shower curtain rings. The grommet pliers broke half way through this part and I had to make do with broken pliers. I got it finished and it looks really good, but I think the entire curtain making process took me about 6.5 hours. In the end, I spent just as much, if not more, than just buying one from somewhere like West Elm. Again, I love it and I think it makes the room, but it was a blood, sweat and tears project!

Another new feature is our corner storage. I love that we don't have to use a caddy over the shower head anymore and that everything is in one spot. I should also mention the new bath rug. After striking out on two options, I was able to find one that coordinated well with my towels but didn't conflict with the pattern in the shower curtain. I think that sums it up! It feels so relaxing in there now and I think I captured the spa-like feel that I was hoping for!

What do you think of the grouted peel and stick floor tiles option?

Sources:

paint: Benjamin Moore Ozark Shadows matched to Olympic
shower curtain: DIY by me, Premier Prints, Chipper Twill Storm fabric
mirror: Lowe's
light fixture: Lowe's
clock: Target
soap dispenser: Target
toothbrush holder: Home Goods
towel ring: Home Goods
white towel: Home Goods
shelves & brackets: Ikea
baskets: Michael's
q-tip jar: Ikea
succulent: Home Depot
white pot: Ikea
chevron towels: Kohl's
towel hook: Hobby Lobby
art print: Mae Chevrette
white frame: Ikea
bath rug: Bed, Bath & Beyond

You can also find other great bathroom tile remodels with these image links.

It's Ruth again, visiting from A House in Holland.  This month I'm sharing tips for living rooms that I've collected from around the blogosphere.  Has your living room been featured, yet?  Cassity and I would love to see what you've been doing to turn your living room into a beautiful, functional space, and we're giving you the opportunity to share it with other Remodelaholic readers, too.  Next Saturday (May 26th) you'll be able to linkup your projects, and we can't wait to see how you live in your living rooms!

 {Elements of Style}

Until then, let's talk about televisions.  Raise your hand if you agree with my opinion that television is fun to watch, but the fun ends when it comes to decorating around a TV.  Those sleek, black, giant screens don't exactly fit seamlessly into every decor style.  If you've worked hard to create that coastal cottage or elegant traditional or funky vintage decor vibe, then there's a good chance you'll develop a nervous twitch when your husband carries in a big screen TV and asks you where he should put it.  So, if television is something that you can't live with and can't live without, then I'm here to tell you there are lots of ways to enjoy the big screen without having it completely take over your living room.

Concealed

The great thing about flat screen televisions is that it's not too difficult to find a way to hide them behind, underneath, or even inside something.  Below, you can view some really creative DIY projects that homeowners came up with for concealing their big screens.  Look carefully or you might miss these TVs completely!

{The Pleated Poppy}

{John's Journal}

{It's Just Laine}

{Pretty Little Green Things}

{Today's Creative Blog}

Hidden in Plain Sight

Cassity's family room is a great example of how the appearance of a television can be minimized.  She had Justin mount their TV above the fireplace and frame it with some weathered wood, making it feel more like artwork and less like an electronic.

Some other tactics I found for hiding a TV in plain sight are hanging similar sized artwork around it, putting an eye-catching accessory nearby so that the screen isn't the focus of the room, and incorporating it into the overall decor of the room (like the TV on the chevron wall, below).

{Nesting Place}

{Brooklynn Limestone}

{Elements of Style}

 Great ideas, right?  Well, I'm excited to see what some of your great ideas are for living rooms and the things within them.  Make sure you are ready to linkup your living room projects here next Saturday!

 Want to pin this post to Pinterest?  Pressing the "Pin It" button below will let you create a pin about the post in general.  If you'd like to pin specific inspiration photos from this post, please follow the links to the blogs they came from and make your pin directly from there.  It's good Pinterest etiquette!

What do these three great nursery mood boards have to do with the new movie release of What to Expect when You’re Expecting?  Well I’ll tell you!  (and NO this is NOT an announcement!)  Featured image from this Striped Nursery Feature.

Lindsay of Living with Lindsay

Melissa of The Inspired Room

Nichole of Making it Lovely

More info on the nursery post and giveaway here.

So let me tell you the long version.  Justin and I went to see a movie for my birthday (Mirror, Mirror! btw so cute!)  Anyway, while I was there I saw a poster of the four guys from the movie What to Expect While You’re Expecting… and honestly, I couldn’t wait to see it…. I still haven’t seen this yet, it is out, only in theaters today, but the picture is worth a thousand words…  It looks hilarious!

So imagine how fun it was for me when Glidden and My Colortopia asked me to share their interactive Nursery Color selector.  And we all know these little quizzes are fun to take… and take again (in the opposite answers than you’d usually select!)!  In case you don’t know, My Colortopia is a great place for people who want some advice for interior design decisions and painting.

Discover the nursery color that you and your baby will love with Baby Room Colors from Glidden® Paint, as seen in What to Expect When You’re Expecting (only in theaters).

In honor of the movie release Glidden is offering the My Dream Nursery Giveaway, hosted by Circle of Moms where they are  giving away a $2,500 Walmart gift card for a dream nursery that one lucky mother or mother-to-be could win it is open from 5/17 – 6/7, enter by commenting at Circle of Moms, the winner will be announces on My Colortopia the week of 6/18/12.

This just reminds me that my second daughter is 15 months old and I’ve never photographed her room (or her sisters...)… Oh man!  Someday I will get on top of this blog, and my house cleaning, laundry, and have dinner in the oven at night…. someday!  I have been sponsored by Glidden brand paint to write this post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

If you guys have been working on a project I would love to see it!  Please link up!

See how a you can make your own standing full length mirror to look like a door.  Get a vintage look by adding some nice scroll detail.

Submitted By Tracy @ Soul Style

Here are some other projects by Soul Style:

Vintage Lighting Tutorial, Vanity Serendipity Anaglypta, Upholstered Headboard Tutorial

I am a Professional Interior Decorator, owner of Soul Style Interior Decorating & Home Staging.  ‘Musings on the Pretty’ is where I share client projects, DIY projects, DIY Tutorials, and random craziness. I believe that your style, objects and accessories tell your story, and combined with fabulous design, will create a home you'll love coming home to.

Now below I want to show you how I made my own, standing full length mirror door.

First, look at all these beautiful old doors:

Flickr

All the carved details, weathered finishes, and architectural elements are amazing:

You don’t even need to do anything with them – just lean them against the wall:

fullbloomcottage

theparisapartment

But you CAN do some really cool projects with old doors, like these:

Mount bedside sconces on them – I love the color & interest they add to this space!

Cotedetexas

Attach half a table to it to create an original & functional piece of furniture:

Add corbels & planks to create shelves.

Plus about a zillion more – search Vintage Door Projects on Pinterest – Everything from picnic tables to garden decor.

Old doors are just cool.  And I was smitten…..But I didn’t have an old door, I had this:

IKEA Mongstad Mirror

And you do need a full length mirror in your bedroom.
How else can you avoid VPL, flood pants, and other disasters.
I believe the world might be a better place if everyone had a full length mirror to check before they left the house.
So the Mirror had to become a Door.

When we purchased the dressers on Kijiji, they came with a headboard (and 2 nightstands, which are still waiting to be amazing).  I have no ‘Before’ picture (as in, ‘Before‘ we cut it into pieces) of the headboard, but it was basically just all these wooden scroll-y pieces, which I thought were pretty groovy.

The groovy scrolls were glued on (after much deliberation on placement & angle).  Then it was all primed (Zinsser Cover Stain) and painted (Sherwin Williams Proclassic paint in Oxford White (Benjamin Moore CC-30), the same as the dressers.  Once dry, I lightly sanded in a few spots, revealing the original dark color underneath.

Now to add all the ‘door bits’ – metal backplate, glass door knob, and hinges.

I picked up the glass knobs (at the time, purpose TBD) at an Antique/Collectible place for $15 each.  I got 2 – and used 1 here.
The metal backplates were $10 each.
See how the door knobs are connected with a metal rod?

It’s threaded, so the knobs just screw off.  Good to know.

The glass door knob was epoxied onto the metal backplate.

I sprayed ‘Egyptian Brown’ 4” door hinges (Home Depot) with Rustoleum Antique Nickel then Rustoleum Oil Rubbed bronze – layering the 2 so that they ended up a bit mottled looking.

I really was not sure that the IKEA frame could be screwed into, so I took the heads off the screws and just glued them into the holes. I used PL2000 Adhesive to adhere the hinges and the metal plate to the mirror-almost-door.

And now we have a cool ‘old door’ in the bedroom.  Without risking fashion disaster.

This was a really simple project.  You could use store bought wooden pieces to add the detail, and paint it any color that works in your space.  Of course, white was our my choice, but this would be gorg in a juicy bright raspberry, or in a bold teal blue.

If you’re planning to re-decorate, re-design, or renovate, I can help you create the extraordinary.
Fall in love with your home again.

Like the look of the standing full length mirror, check out these:

I wanted to give you all a heads up about an event we are speaking at this summer in Utah.   Yea!

The Jordan Valley Home and Garden Club asked us to speak at the kick-off Summer Soiree party on June 9th at 6:00 pm to celebrate the launch of the Club at Conservation Garden Park.

Something that I am very passionate about is continued education.  I love programs that offer great learning, and try to take advantage of them whenever I can.  And I WISH I lived in Utah so I could go to take part in these free classes. 

The Jordan Valley Home and Garden Club is a program of Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan, Utah.  The Club will meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month for a “brown bag lunch” class taught by local home and garden experts. Special tours and events will also be held throughout the year to local places of interest to Club members. Anyone who enjoys do-it-yourself home and garden projects and design is invited to become part of the Club. Membership is free as are the monthly classes. There is a nominal charge for events.

I love the purpose of the club and I think it is right up our alley.  “The Jordan Valley Home and Garden Club was founded to provide learning opportunities specifically geared to do-it-yourself homeowners.  We recognize that the landscape is and extension of the home and that education on interior topics also translates to the exterior.  The Home and Garden Club will endeavor to provide a mix of interior and exterior design and projects so there’s a little something for everyone.”

We are not going to be the only ones there! 

There will be some great hands on classes that night as well.  Utah Gardening expert, radio host and author Joy Bossi will lead a tour of Conservation Garden Park. Joy will discuss design, maintenance and plant materials.  More importantly, she’ll answer your questions about issues you may be having within your own landscape.  Or a Furniture Painting class. Sausha is the owner of “Sweet Pickins“, a local furniture upcycling business.  Sausha can turn even the homeliest of pieces into unique and interesting furnishings for home and garden. Come and enjoy a hands-on demonstration of how to paint furniture and add budget-friendly style to your own spaces. 

There will be a social hour after the classes too with door prizes!!  Hang out and enjoy an hors d’oeuvres table, live music and great company!   Music will be provided by critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Sarah Sample.  Sarah’s ethereal voice and evocative lyrics are the perfect complement to the lovely garden setting.

So mark your calendars for June 9th we would LOVE to meet any of you that can come!

And just so you know, regular classes will begin on July 17th at noon at Conservation Garden Park. Attendees can register for any class here.  They will begin with local Architect Ann Robinson who will discuss “Creating Curb Appeal”.  A complete listing of classes and instructors is available online.  Classes are free.  If you can’t attend the classes, a summary will be available via the Club Facebook Page.  If you have any questions or are interested in attending,  please check out their site.

See how painting oak cabinets white and gray, in the kitchen, can make a big impact to update the space.  New countertops with tile and shelving for dishes, also add a nice touch.

Submitted By Mom and Her Drill

Here are some other projects of hers: Pallet Wall, Tree House, Powder Room

I an engineer and single mom of 3, I like tearing up houses and building tree forts, and I'm currently building a beach shack without enough money.

When I moved into this house (my current house), I immediately remodeled the kitchen.

I did it quickly and with almost no money. I didn't put hardware on the cabinets, and I slapped some color on the walls that turned out to be a mistake...but I needed the extra storage and counter space, so creating a well-thought-out color scheme wasn't a priority.
Now that I've had time to live with these colors, I got tired of them. I only picked the yellow/red accents to go with the furniture I owned. It wasn't really me. I've been dreaming of an all-white vintage look for literally 10 years. Back 8 years ago when brown and "earth tones" were all the rage, I was dying for a little cottage where painting oak cabinets white could be done right.
I felt really constrained by a lack of money, and the dark, strongly colored furniture I already owned. It turns out all I needed was some time to think, and get myself to the point where I could "let go" of my things freely, (without living in terror that I should keep them to sell if we needed food).

(Excuse sink full of dirty dishes) heh.. and I'm debating on window treatments right now..
The blue tape on the front of the counter is holding the tile together while the Gorilla glue sets. I bashed a plate into the tile and broke it.
The top cabinets are still white, but i painted the lower ones Silver Mink by BM. The wall color is now Natural Choice by SW, which I decided to try after seeing it on The Lettered Cottage-- it truly is the perfect cream. I *heart* the blogosphere!!
I stumbled on this Milk Glass hardware!  I had never seen cup pulls done in colored glass. I found milk glass knobs for the cabinet doors on Ebay, but I couldn't resist these pulls..

Here are some updated final kitchen images.

You can also see how painting oak cabinets white in these kitchens made a great difference: