Before I go into detail on the e-design services, let’s get a few things out of the way.

Having someone put their trust in you—especially with their own home—is a huge honor and responsibility I do not take lightly. This is what I love doing and I’m committed to treating every client’s space as if it were my own. But I’m not kidding when I tell you how much time and consideration I put into planning before I actually get started on a room makeover—it often takes longer than the actual renovation. It’s completely consuming, but in a good, exciting, fulfilling way and it’s my favorite part of the process (apart from getting to enjoy the completed space, of course).

For those reasons, I’ll only be able to take on a small number of clients at a time. Because I’m offering several different price points, some things will be quick while others will take quite a while, so I’ll just have to plan and adjust as I go based on my schedule.

And because this is all brand new, I can almost guarantee there will be changes to the services, structure and/or pricing along the way. Think of this as a trial period where I’m testing out what works and what doesn’t, so that I can optimize this service to best benefit everyone. Just like my blog and other aspects of my life, it’s always a work in progress.

Here’s how it will work: there will be a Design Help page with a list of services and pricing. You can select the option that best suits your needs (including a “create your own plan” if you have more specific needs). You’ll click on the option of your choice which will bring up a simple form (just a couple questions) that you’ll submit from the website. Once I receive the form, I’ll follow up with you via email and either send you a Paypal invoice if I have an immediate opening, or let you know that I’m currently booked and add you to a wait list with an estimated availability date. (FYI, Paypal payments can be made in just a few clicks with any credit card, bank or your Paypal balance without you having to sign up. Very simple.) Once payment is made, the design process (including completing a questionnaire and emailing photos/measurements if needed) will begin.

Here’s how I think it will differ from a lot of other e-design services: I’m approaching this the same way as I approach my own remodels—getting in the trenches, hustling and putting in the work to achieve the best possible results within your budget. That doesn’t mean you’ll get the same results spending $500 on a room as you will spending $5,000, of course. Smaller budgets require a lot more creativity, time and energy (and I'm up for the challenge!). But regardless of the budget, I will stretch every dollar by focusing on “bang for your buck” solutions and products, repurposing, low cost and high impact projects, so no dollar is wasted. There are so many factors that go into this process and it’s completely different with each individual situation. It’s not about buying the right “stuff” to fill a space (that’s an entire topic I’ll have to cover in a separate post), but creating the right foundation through architectural details and spatial planning.

Ready to hear the options? Here’s how the services will be structured (pricing will be revealed upon launching):

Simple Question

Perfect for those with a simple design dilemma on a budget needing a quick answer. Questions must be formatted as either/or or yes/no—though they will be answered with a full explanation.

Advanced Question

Have a complicated question that requires a longer explanation? This option may work best for you. Via email, you’ll receive a detailed written response/solution to any specific design question or concern you may have.

Mini Consultation

For those wanting visual guidance and help with creating and executing a design plan for your space, the Mini Consultation is a great affordable option. After reviewing your completed design questionnaire and photos of your space, you’ll receive:

1. A private Pinterest board with customized product links, ideas, paint colors, tutorials and inspirational images to help guide you through the transformation.

2. A list of recommended design solutions, project suggestions, product links with prices and actionable steps to take to transform your space.

Full Consultation

Ready for your dream room to come to life? A full consultation is perfect for those wanting a new space from start to finish, that will meet your specific needs and look amazing in the process. You’ll end up with an easy to follow design plan and real designer tips, leaving you feeling confident and ready to execute a simple plan of action at your own pace.

1. You’ll complete a design questionnaire via email and include measurements and photos of your space.

2. I’ll follow up with any questions to determine the best design strategy for your needs and budget, and we’ll set up a FaceTime/Skype call to walk through your space.

3. I’ll create a private Pinterest board with product links, ideas, paint colors, tutorials and inspirational images for you to review and select from under my guidance.

4. Once you review the Pinterest board and choose your favorite items/ideas, I’ll create a design board with your chosen pieces so you can visualize how the space will come together.

5. Along with the design board, you’ll receive a detailed checklist of steps to take to transform your space, a budget breakdown and full product source guide/shopping list.

On Call Service

Ever wish you had a designer with you at all times to help you make decisions on the spot? Now you can! With on call service, you can text, call, FaceTime or Skype me personally anytime you’re in the middle of a shopping trip or DIY project and need extra help or a quick design decision. Perfect for those in the middle of a renovation or working under a timeline with a lot of decisions that need to be made.

Custom Plan

Just wanting to add a few finishing touches or need a more personalized service that doesn’t fit with any of the options? No problem! Contact me with your specific requests and I’ll put together a quote via an hourly rate to address your needs.

Let’s Meet

If e-design isn’t your thing, I’m available for projects both locally and worldwide. Contact me about your project today and we’ll discuss rates and availability.

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There you have it—a wide range of services and flexibility in hopes of making it work for most of my readers. I spent quite a bit of time structuring these options and while I am excited about each of them, lately I’ve really been drawn to traveling. Being there in person eliminates a lot of obstacles and uncertainty, and I’d really just love the opportunity to connect with my readers in person and have new experiences. I’ll be in Seattle in a couple weeks and I was hoping to road trip to Southern California in July. Just putting this out there—are there any of you who would be interested in this? Many of you said this appealed to you in the survey, but if you are serious about it, please contact me (jenna@jennasuedesign.com) with your location and a sentence or two about what sort of help you’d like. If there’s enough interest in a certain area—or it’s someplace I really want to visit—perhaps we can make something happen :) International readers—I’m especially talking to you!

I know one-on-one design help is something that a lot of you don’t have the budget for. And I completely understand and hope you’ll continue to find value and inspiration in my posts—and as I mentioned a few days ago, I do plan to incorporate more instructional and how-to type posts based on your feedback. I sincerely enjoy sharing my thought process and what I’ve learned if it can help others.

Time to get back to work—I’ve got a launch to prepare for! Any questions/comments/concerns, leave them in the comments, shoot me an email or find me on Facebook & Instagram! Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll be here with the new site on Monday!

There were so many great questions/concerns that were brought up in the survey results, and I’d love to address each of them. I am SO thankful for anonymous surveys because it gave you the opportunity to ask questions and give honest opinions that you normally wouldn’t have brought up. I have a much better idea of who you are, why you are here and what you are hoping to gain—and I am so ready to deliver. Your responses have been so insightful and I plan to keep the survey open and do a series of posts with my thoughts on those topics. Deep down I’ve been wanting to focus this blog more on honesty and clarity, and have it serve as a place where you could come to feel inspired, motivated and connected. Based on your responses, that’s what many of you are looking for too. Perfect. Let’s make it happen.

Here’s a summary of the most common feedback I received, along with my thoughts:

1. Money/budgeting is my biggest decorating roadblock.

No surprise there! And I get it. I totally get it. Neither Brad nor I come from wealth or privilege and it is honestly through hard work, determination and sacrifice that we’ve made it to where we are. We set goals, save for them, and pay for everything in cash as we go. This topic is actually very fascinating to me and something I strive to work on personally, so let me know if you’re interested and I’ll write some dedicated posts on this in the future.

Your second biggest concern was lack of time, followed by being able to commit to a style and overcoming your design paralysis/fear of making mistakes. While I can’t provide you with more time or money, I’m already brainstorming ways to approach these issues, help you overcome obstacles and work to maximize your current situation.

2. I read because you are real & honest.

That means a lot, and I’m so glad that’s reflected in my words. I share the same desires/goals/needs as many of you, so if I can come up with a great solution that saves money, time, functions well, and looks great, I am all about sharing! That is really the purpose of this blog. Your trust is super important to me so I couldn’t imagine publishing something that I didn’t believe in for ulterior motives and losing that trust.

I have no problems saying no or turning down something that doesn’t feel right or is forced. For years I resisted even putting ads on the blog because I didn’t want to “sell out” or feel obligated to post because I was dependent on that income. I realize now that it’s silly to not be compensated at all for something I put so much time and effort into, but I think most of you understand that (for what it’s worth, I don’t depend on this blog for an income at this point, so luckily I don’t really feel a ton of pressure to post). Everyone is different, but for me that pressure would make it not fun anymore, and that would lead to uninspired, forced posts, which would lead to burnout and the end of this blog. Not good!

I’m sharing this so you know that any decision I make regarding the blog has been thought out with the future in mind. And my interests/goals may very well change over time, but right now I’m doing what’s right for me.

3. Post more budget breakdowns + step by step tutorials (including learning how to use tools).

I know how helpful these can be—I love when other blogs share it too. I try to provide those details when I can, however they do take the most effort and time when putting a post together so I haven’t done it as much as I’d hoped. But I’ll work on that more.

4. Post more realistic projects that serve a real purpose/function.

I do try. As a designer I just can’t bring myself to put energy into something that I deem hideous to look at, but there are some projects like our subwoofer side table that are necessary. I’ve only worked on projects we personally needed/wanted, so keep in mind that we all don’t share these same needs. For example, we don’t live with a lot of “stuff” so extra storage isn’t a huge priority. We also have no children so child or dog friendly isn’t a factor. This is definitely something I’m looking forward to challenging myself on with client work. Bring it on, let’s get creative!

5. Post more about using what you have to decorate.

I don’t love the idea of acquiring and spending a lot on “stuff”, so I think I do pretty well here. If you’ve been here for a while you’ll know I buy most things at flea markets, thrift stores, inexpensively at places like Ikea, or DIY it if possible. And that’s only if I don’t already have something that will work. However, since we all don’t own or have access to the same things, this will be different for everyone. Our last home was half the size (and still pretty minimal) so we did have to invest (inexpensively!) in most of our furniture and basic decor, but that’s not going to be a regular occurrence.

6. Show some less rustic/farmhouse and more [insert style here&91;.

That’s the beauty of e-design! Not all of my clients will share the exact same style I do, and that’s perfectly okay. Exciting, even. It will be nice to explore other styles and challenge myself in new ways, and of course I’ll share as much of it as I can with you all.

7. Share more personal posts so we can get to know you better.

To be honest, this is the direction I’m feeling compelled to go in anyway. I’ve kept the content pretty much “business” since I know that’s what a lot of you are here for. But there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. I have a lot of important things to say. A lot of intensely personal thoughts I haven’t shared with anyone—many are still forming and developing in my mind, some i haven’t even put into words to yet as I am still trying to sort everything out and haven’t had the courage to share. When the time is right I’ll share/publish those words (and if you think you know… there’s a lot more to it). I could fill a book with these thoughts, but I’m only beginning on this journey and there’s so much more to come. Just stick with me.

Aside from changes in content, the actual blog will undergo some much needed updates when the e-design portion of the site launches June 1st. The design will look pretty much identical, however I’m switching to Wordpress and there will be a handful of differences:

1. The blog url will change from jennasuedesign.com/blog to blog.jennasuedesign.com

This is the only bummer if you’ll have to update your bookmarks, but Bloglovin readers shouldn’t have to do anything (I’ll have it auto-updated) and I’ll also update the email/RSS feed signup. All of the old posts and content will be automatically redirected so there won’t be any broken links, don’t worry!

2. The old jennasuedesign.blogspot.com blog will be imported into/merge with the new blog

I am SO relieved about this. It is such a hassle trying to direct people to two different blogs for different posts. All of the posts/content/comments will transfer over like it’s been one continuous blog all along. Whew!

3. There will be a list of archives and a separate search function within the blog

I know you guys will appreciate that! No more clunkily searching the entire site for post content.

4. Goodbye Disqus

I’ll be using the standard Wordpress commenting system. Shouldn’t make much of a difference at all, except unfortunately all of the Disqus comments left on this current blog will be deleted.

That’s basically it. A new url and better functionality. Sorry to drag you guys through two blog switches in one year, but I’m pretty certain this one will stick.

I’ll end this post with this: your stories and words have made me realize that this is much bigger than just decorating/remodeling. I’ve never really understood, until reading your comments, how much I’ve been able to not just inspire, but impact so many of you. Powerful stuff, and it makes me take this more seriously. Because it was anonymous, I was expecting at least some harsh words and negativity, but everyone was surprisingly very civil and constructive. Thank you for that. I feel so fortunate to have you guys as readers. Group hug.

I know many of you are curious about the e-design details, and that’s coming in a separate post in a few days. Thank you for your patience :)

A couple days ago I mentioned we just had solar panels installed on Instagram:

Several of you were asking to learn more—your wish is my command! I'm not an expert in this field by any means—I actually just recently found out these companies existed, so I'll share the extent of my knowledge (aka quick and to the point).

Last month we visited a new friends' house and Brad and I noticed their solar panels and were curious about them. They're not terribly common to see up here, and I had always falsely assumed that they were primarily used by wealthy and/or super environmentally conscious folks. So we were both quite surprised when our friend said they not only saved them money every month on electricity, but they were entirely free and there was zero work involved. I thought, "too good to be true—why doesn't everyone have them?" Well, I'm assuming a lot of people are like we were and just didn't know these companies are around.

Here's the jist of how it works. The solar company owns the panels and they take care of all of the evaluation, permits, installation and maintenance at no cost. Once installed, you start paying them for the energy it produces instead of your current electric co. (at a lower rate). Any excess energy they produce is bought back from your existing electric company in the form of a credit on your bill (ours is PG&E). When the panels are not producing (i.e. it's dark outside) you just switch back over to your current electricity provider. This is all a completely automated process and you don't have to do anything differently, aside from paying two separate (smaller) electric bills instead of one. And you're using green power!

After 20 years you own the solar panels—still at no cost to you. You have the option to buy them before that time, although that's not something that we'd want to do, and they're under warranty for 25 years. The only catch is not everyone will qualify. At least part of your roof has to face south or west and have exposure to the sun, and you need a 700 or higher credit score (for liability).

Before the process begins, they send someone out to do a site survey to evaluate your situation, and if it will work, they'll submit a proposal for permits. They'll even take care of cutting down branches/trees that are in the way if it helps them to be more effective (though I'm not sure to what extent). A few weeks or so later after you're approved, you schedule your installation and it takes about a week (at least in our case).

Since we are still paying PG&E we aren't off the grid—you'd have to be on batteries to store the extra power (or a generator or both) for that. But we're excited to find out how much our bill will drop each month. Before this we were averaging around $175/mo (but as high as $300+ some months)—our house is 100% electric so we should see a decent savings. They estimated $40k over the life of the panels to give you an idea.

Fortunately for us, you can't see the panels at all from the house—neither from the front nor the back deck—you have to be on the roof.

The company we used is California Solar and, as you can guess, they operate here in California. There are similar programs in other states so I'd definitely recommend looking into it wherever you are—I haven't been able to find a downside yet. If you need more time to think about it, feel free to reach out in a few months or so and I'll let you know how things are going and how much we've saved.

One cool thing is that you can monitor your output online (or on a phone app). This was taken from yesterday after they turned it on (it was cloudy all day but still produced 4.5kw in 3 hours. Pretty neat to watch (especially for Brad, he gets excited).

They do have a referral program (we were happy to refer our friend whose first told us about this) so if you call, please be nice and tell them Jenna Sue sent you ;) And then you can tell your neighbors and friends and we can all earn some money and be green together! Woo!

Before I go, I just had to share a few exciting things that happened in the last week! Our foyer is in the June issue of Good Housekeeping... remember this photo from our Spring Tour?

And then what was even more exciting... I shared it on instagram, and look what happened:

She totally replied. #fangirl moment.

The same day that issue came out, Country Living gave the biggest compliment when they called our bathroom "One of the Most Beautiful DIY Bathroom Renovations Ever"... I mean... what?! Craziness. A few days later House Beautiful picked up the article and shared it on their site. So between that and the overwhelming number of heartwarming survey responses I received, this week has been extremely humbling for me, so as always... THANK YOU.

Big changes ahead... talking about those here next week. Hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend :)

I don’t have all of the answers right now, but I’ve been making thoughtful decisions, setting new goals and shifting the way I envision my future. I’m fortunate enough to have a voice in this community of like-minded individuals who are all working towards the same common goal—to create a home they love—and I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to connect with an audience and help people reach their goals. That is really what I want to use this platform for—to connect with you. I'm here not only to help, but to build relationships and make a difference in others lives.

Never would I have thought five years ago when I started this blog that I’d be where I am today. I had no power tools, no money, and no one to teach me what to do, but the desire to design a space I loved was stronger than my fear of failure. Little by little I worked my way up from the bottom and through both failure and success, learned so much along the way. When friends and family would encourage me to pursue this as a career and emails would come in asking for help, I’d always dismiss it as “just a hobby” and “My background is graphic design, not interior design”.

The truth is, I just needed time to grow, learn, make mistakes and gather up the courage to do what I know I’m really meant to do. After thinking this through for a very long time, I’ve decided to take the leap: I’m starting my career as an interior decorator. While I’ll be taking on local clients, I’m also be offering e-design services for anyone, anywhere, on any budget—and that’s where I’ll really be focusing my time since so many of you have personally reached out to request this.

I have a ton of ideas on new ways to make this all happen, but before I make it official I need your honest feedback. The first step is really getting to know you and what you want from this. What interests and excites you? What type of content do you want to see? How can I provide value to you personally?

I’ve set up a simple, anonymous survey which will determine the future of this blog. If you’ve ever received any sort of value from anything I’ve posted or shared, please give back by taking a moment to answer a few questions so I can know a bit more about you, why you’re here and what you hope to gain as a reader. Your encouragement and support have been what’s kept this blog moving and challenged me to push myself in many ways. While I haven't been able to respond to every comment and question in the past, I do read them all, so thank you. Even if you’ve never spoken up, thank you for just being around and reading what I have to say. None of this would still be here if it weren’t for you guys.

This survey is 100% anonymous, so please don’t hold back! I want you to be completely honest and open as possible. Nothing is too weird/crazy/off limits. The more honest you are, the more you’ll get out of this. Promise.

I’m sure this announcement also raises some questions, so here are some answers:

What will happen to the blog?

It’s not going anywhere! We’ll still be renovating our home and posting about it like always. I also plan to share client renovations (I have a few local projects in the works already!) which will be something very exciting to look forward to. You’ll be able to follow along with me on those journeys and witness real life before + afters working with different spaces, budgets and styles.

When will your design services be available?

I plan to launch the new site June 1st.

How much will it cost?

My experience comes from working with a budget and I know most of my readers can relate. I’ll be specializing in real life, creative solutions for real life budgets with options starting at just $10. I may end up making adjustments to my services depending on the answers I receive in this survey, so tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll strive to make it happen!

What about the print shop/your Etsy stores?

Don’t worry, I have no plans to change that right now. I was actually in the middle of developing a brand new product line (which I am still super excited about!) but put that on hold to focus all of my efforts into this e-design launch. The future of everything really depends on what happens with this new path, so only time will tell. I’m prepared to embrace any direction it takes.

Again, thank you all so much for the support you've lent over the years. If you have any questions/comments/concerns that you don't want to be anonymous, please don't hesitate to leave them in the comments below! I'm listening carefully to every bit of feedback so I can move forward confidently on this new path. I can't wait to get started...

A rustic, aged look was one of the main qualities I wanted for this room, so using natural wood pieces was a no-brainer. Aside from the vanity, I came up with three accent pieces I could create by myself, in one afternoon, at a very little cost. If you already have a pile of old wood lying around (or heck, even new wood that you can make look aged) you may not have to spend a dime!

First up, this storage ladder:

This was the only project I spent money on. I didn't have any wood pieces long enough, so I made a trip to the local lumber yard and grabbed a handful of pieces ($10 for everything) that could potentially work:

You can make this any size/shape/scale you need—it's completely customizable. I went with the widest piece of wood next to the mirror and ripped it down on our table saw into three pieces:

I used one for each leg, and cut two pieces to use as rungs from the third. You can add as many rungs as you want—I decided to keep it simple and stick with two.The width and height was based on the size of our toilet—I just measured it and added a few inches for breathing room on all sides.

Before securing everything together, I quickly went over the edges with my hand sander to eliminate any splinters/rough edges. Then once I marked where I wanted the rungs (measuring the distance from both ends to make sure it was square), I dabbed a bit of wood glue and secured with finish nails:

I actually ended up going back later and adding two screws from the back at each connecting point since the rungs didn't seem 100% sturdy once I added weight.

Love projects that are cheap, easy, nice to look at and serve a functional purpose!

This bath caddy project falls under the same category....

Our neighbor had left a pile of wood in the road after ripping out his deck, so of course I jumped on it. These 1x4's were calling my name:

After measuring the width of the tub and adding an inch or so to each end, I cut my pieces to size and gave them a good sanding:

I filled the holes with wood filler (since it will be around water), touched them up a bit with stain and flipped them over to attach a couple blocks of wood from underneath (which were just cut from scraps):

One screw in each board on both pieces is all it takes to hold everything together, and the blocks also serve as stops so the caddy stays in place and can't slide off the edge. Once it was built, I coated the entire thing with three coats of heavy duty (matte) furniture varnish from Maison Blanche to make it waterproof.

So simple and functional!

Lastly, this valance....

I love finding ways to add a unique details to a space—those are what really give it personality and leave a lasting impression. I had stumbled upon an old wood piece used as a valance on Pinterest and knew right away it was something I wanted to make for this room. I still have wood leftover from our laundry room barn door so this was another free project.

First I measured the distance between the two walls and cut my piece to that width.

Then I decided on the overall height I wanted and ripped it down with my table saw. I could have left it as is, but I thought it would be interesting to carve a simple shape into the bottom.I cut a piece of cardboard to half the length of my board (so I could flip the template and have two equal sides) and drew a shape I liked.

FYI—this is the same process I used to make my DIY upholstered headboard way back when.

After cutting out my shape and lining it up on the board, I traced it with a pencil, then flipped it over and traced it onto the other side.

Then I used a jigsaw to cut it out (I don't have photos of this process as both hands were occupied!). Since I was going for a rustic look, I didn't worry too much about it being perfect.

In the final step, I flipped it over and screwed down a small piece of wood (leftover from ripping it down). I made sure it lined up at the top but left a bit of room at the sides for the shower tile. This piece was then screwed into the studs in the ceiling in order to hang it.

Not too bad, eh?

It makes the shower/tub nook feel like it's own separate little cave which I love. And it hides a lot of the shower curtain rail which I don't exactly want to bring attention to.

So there you have it, three great ways to add a rustic touch to your own bathroom—that anyone can do on any budget! What is your favorite? Will you be DIY'ing any of these in the near future? Find me on facebook or instagram and let me know!

Shifting gears for a second here... I've made a couple quick mentions of this recently but I have a big announcement coming Monday. It involves the future of this blog (and you!) so it's very important that you check back next week. That's all I can say for now, but I am so excited to share this next chapter with you guys. See you Monday :)

Let's start with the design. I put in just as many hours (if not more) gathering inspiration, planning the design and sourcing products as I did on the actual renovation. Of course this part is so much more fun than actually doing the work, so I gladly dedicated myself to the planning stage every chance I could get.

Pinterest was an invaluable resource. I shared my Bathroom board and many inspiration photos in Week 1, and pulled elements from each to create my design board. It's not as simple as just choosing your favorite ideas from each photo, and I certainly wouldn't want to just duplicate another room someone else had designed. There was a lengthy phase of determining the direction for this space (and changing my mind a few times) before finally committing to the type of atmosphere/environment I wanted to create. After focusing in on that style, rounding up my favorite photos and letting them soak in, there were several images that kept popping back into my head.

The taupe horizontal planks and gold wall mounted faucet:

A rustic repurposed table as a vanity:

Graphic encaustic cement tiles:

A painted clawfoot tub and romantic sheer curtains:

This rustic wood valance:

It was these photos that had imprinted into my mind, putting my design plan into action. I think knowing which elements will work together cohesively is just a combination of experience and intuition.

There were still a few small unknowns that would be worked out over time as everything started to come together, but I had a solid foundation to work with and began ordering my materials.

One of the biggest decisions you'll need to make when pulling a space together is wall color. This proved to be a challenge for me after many paint samples and trips to Lowe's—I didn't even make a decision until week 4! Ultimately I kept going back to that original photo in my mind with the planked walls and gold faucet, and went with the closest match I could find—Valspar's Gray Silt.

It's neutral but warm and reads as almost a green in person under certain lighting. I love the complexity of it and am very glad I took the time to go through so many samples. Valspar was a sponsor this year and gave me the opportunity to try out their Reserve line. If you read my blog often, you know I've used Valspar almost exclusively for years and am the biggest fan of their Signature line, so I was definitely curious to try this new Reserve formula and see how it compared. To be honest, I didn't notice a difference at all. Maybe it will prove to be more durable, but at least on the application side, it didn't cover any better than normal so I'll definitely be saving my money and sticking with Signature. For the sheen I used satin just because it's better suited for a bathroom—I normally stay away from paints with any sort of sheen, just a personal preference (I prefer the look of flat/eggshell paint) but I had to be practical.

The verdict: Valspar's Gray Silt is my favorite paint color of the moment, satin is my favorite sheen for bathroom walls, skip the Reserve line and stick with Signature.

The biggest purchase and decision to make was floor tile. I was so determined to have that cement tile look, but boy are they expensive. After hours and days spent researching, I found some amazing options but unfortunately wayyy out of budget. The best deal I found was at The Cement Tile shop, and luckily they had a few options I loved. Ultimately I went with Agadir White at $6.90/sf—still way more per sf than I've spent on any flooring, but it's something that I decided would make the room, and I only needed 12 boxes so I decided it was worth the splurge.

The verdict: They're definitely more high maintenance than your standard porcelain or ceramic tile—they're thick and heavy and fragile and you have to seal them—but I love that they are handmade and unique. It just makes the bathroom feel that much more special. If you're on a strict budget I'd spend the money elsewhere, but if you're looking for that specific style that only encaustic cement tile can bring... it's worth considering.

The other big purchase was our clawfoot tub.

This was tricky because the standard minimum tub length is 60" but we only had a 59" opening. There aren't a lot of small vintage tubs out there in our price range. I scoured Craigslist for weeks and found a couple, but after adding up the cost of reglazing/refinishing (plus the hassle of picking it up, any DIY involved and time constraints) it just made way more sense to buy new. Luckily I found this 57" Randolph Morris model for a very reasonable price:

I have no prior experience with clawfoot tubs or their requirements, but the rep I worked with was super helpful and I was able to get everything I needed there in one shot. I added this shower enclosure:

And this chain & stopper tub drain:

So all together, the tub setup definitely ended up being the most expensive investment—but probably not much more (if at all) than hiring out labor for a built in tub system—plus the room feels so much larger without a built in tub, and again, I think it adds so much to the style of room.

I ordered the tub in white and added the patina myself (more on that later) but they do offer custom tub painting at a very reasonable price. I almost went that route but it was too risky without seeing the color first in person.

I should also touch on the fact that this serves as a shower as well.

I've heard from others that these tubs are not ideal for showering in because you're enclosed in a small space. I can understand that, but as I've mentioned before, this is our second guest bathroom and the shower was used by only one guest during Thanksgiving. We have a more private shower downstairs that our guests prefer to use, so the main objective here was to have a tub to relax in. We thought about removing the shower completely, but decided to keep it for the future if we have multiple guests staying with us at once. I don't think they'll mind too much :) And I haven't spent much time with the faucet but I'm very happy with the color and price and would definitely buy it again.

The verdict: I actually still haven't had an opportunity to break it in, but I've bathed in clawfoot tubs before and loved it. The quality of both the tub and accessories were exactly what I had expected/hoped for and I'll definitely be returning to Vintage Tub & Bath if I need another in the future.

While we're still focusing on the shower... these curtains were the happiest accident:

I was planning on buying simple gauze fabric (from my inspiration photo) and making them into curtains, but I was at Ikea last month and just happened to walk by when these jumped out at me. At $10 for two panels, I realized I had stumbled upon the best score ever and picked up two packages. Now, I realize these aren't designed for keeping water inside the tub and I do have plastic liners that I will need to clip on when it comes time for someone to shower, but as I mentioned earlier, that's only happened once so I'm more than willing to deal with that and stare at these beauties the other 99.99% of the time. This one detail is perhaps my favorite thing in the entire room—and to think it just came from being in the right place in the right time!

Moving onto this area...

I mentioned in Week 1 that I found this antique buffet on Craigslist and scooped it up right away—and I'll go into more detail later this month on the refinishing process. For now let's focus on the sink, faucet, mirror and sconces.

The mirror was one of those things where I knew exactly what I wanted from the beginning. In Week 2 I had linked up to this mirror I ordered from Wayfair...

However it was out of stock, so I ended up ordering it from another website, only to be notified a week later that it was also out of stock there. Upsetting, but I managed to find another from Wayfair in a similar style for basically the same price:

I wasn't sure how it would look next to the faucet color so I was half expecting to have to paint it black. I ended up actually liking the way the tones played off each other so I left it.

I did, however, have to paint the sconces black after ordering them. These were found on Wayfair also but unfortunately they're no longer up and I managed to not take any before photos—but they were a rustic orangey bronze that wasn't very well represented online and completely clashed with the gold faucet and mirror, so it was an easy choice to paint them black.

The sink was another Wayfair find. Wayfair was one of the ORC sponsors this year, but I've been a long time customer and honestly probably would have purchased these items even if they weren't sponsors because they were the best deals I was able to find and exactly what I was looking for.

Which leads to my favorite part... the faucet! I was biting my nails with this one because it was a dirt cheap (almost too good to be true) no-name brand from Ebay being shipped from the other side of the world and therefore a big risk. A reader chimed in saying she had the same faucet and loved it so that eased my worries, and I was so pleasantly surprised when it came in the mail and appeared to be good quality. Our plumber installed it without any issues and it works like a dream. What a great score... I love Ebay success stories.

And lastly, I spent a long time searching for the perfect storage basket.

It needed to be the right size, shape and color. There are millions of baskets out there so you think this would be an easy task but I was coming up short at my go-to basket sources (The Container Store, Overstock, Wayfair, Pier 1, World Market, Ebay, Target, Walmart, Ross, Ikea, TJMaxx) so I ventured into new territory: Pottery Barn. Don't get me wrong—I'm madly in love with the Pottery Barn/West Elm/Crate & Barrel product lines but I've never once, in my life, brought myself to splurge at one of those places. I always allocate my budget to materials/labor and have never been able to justify spending a lot on decorations and "stuff", relying solely on DIY, flea markets/thrift stores/craigslist, and bargains online. However, there comes a point when you just can't find what you're looking for and it's worth it to invest if it's an important piece in the room. And an improperly sized basket just wouldn't have cut it. So I made a "grown up" purchase and spent $60 on a basket. It's big enough for lots of storage, it looks like it was meant for the vanity, and yes, it was worth every penny.

The verdict: Absolutely love every purchase here. No regrets at all.

A few more details...

These framed prints were courtesy of our generous ORC sponsor, Minted. I had selected a handful of different styles and frames, and ultimately liked the simplicity of these ferns so this set was the winner. I also love the vintage black & pewter detailing of the frames and thought they complemented the style of the room the best.

I also loved the idea of creating a unique storage area while incorporating reclaimed wood. This ladder was a super quick and easy DIY and cost just a few dollars (tutorial in the next post). You can't go wrong with wire baskets, so I picked up two from Overstock and filled them with some bathroom basics. Rather than buy a towel holder and add more holes in the wall, I simply draped a hand towel over the ladder rung and placed it within easy reach of the sink for guests. The ladder is nailed to the wall at the top for sturdiness.

The verdict: Details are what make the room unique and they don't have to cost a lot (or even anything if you're a creative DIY'er). I love using items from a wide range of sources (independent artists, makers from across the world, local lumber mills) which work together to bring personal significance to a space. That's just as important, if not more, than simply looking pretty.

Hopefully this post helps to answer any questions and give you some insight into the design process and how I work to pull a room together. In a couple days I'll be back with simple tutorials for three awesome reclaimed wood projects for your bathroom, and how you can make them all in one afternoon for less than a few dollars (or free if you know where to look!). These really helped define the style of our bathroom so I can't wait to share how easy they are so you can get out there and make your own! Check back soon...

If this is your first visit, here's the weekly recaps:

Week 1: Introduction & Inspiration

Week 2: Demolition & Design plan

Week 3: Rebuilding

Week 4: Tile & Shower

Week 5: Walls & paint

And here we are in Week 6—the process seemed to move really slow during the first five weeks but there was a lot going on behind the scenes, and it all came together literally in the last few days (just in time!). I was somewhat on the fence about participating in this challenge in the beginning because I know how stressful renovations can be, especially when you're DIY'ing most of it, and especially when there's a time constraint, so I'm overjoyed that we were able to pull this off. And I have to admit—I am more proud of this renovation than anything I've ever taken on. I challenged and pushed myself as designer and DIY'er and I hope it translates through these photos.

Now let's get down to business!

Six short weeks ago, we were living with "that 70's bathroom"...

After many long days and nights of shedding blood, sweat and tears, I present to you our new guest bathroom:

In the initial stages of my renovations I like to choose a handful of adjectives to describe the style/atmosphere I hope to achieve with the end result. It helps me stay on track when looking for inspiration and planning the details. For this room, I went with "natural romantic vintage boho"—a bit riskier (design-wise) than my traditional modern farmhouse look.

But I figured if I'm going to experiment, why not in a guest bathroom?

I find that you can blend nearly any style as long as there is some element of consistency and cohesiveness to tie it all together.

Mixing metals, bold patterns and playing with tone-on-tones makes for a layered effect with lots of interest packed into a tiny space... I see more design risks in my future.

And this nook.... swoon.

I treated myself to a new camera for these shots (Canon 6D) and wow, wish I would have upgraded sooner.

It captures the details and atmosphere beautifully...

It also makes the room appear a bit larger. It's still a small 7' x 8' space, but when it's filled with pretty details and moments, you tend to focus on those instead...

So glad I took the time to add a patina on this tub. It's subtle but adds so much to the room (tutorial on that technique coming later).

I made this valance in about 30 minutes from a piece of reclaimed wood (leftover from our laundry room barn door) and a jigsaw (tutorial to follow).

Every single detail, like this DIY paneled door, was very thought out. Planning is the most important part.

Lighting is also critical, especially in a space where the mood is essential. These candelabra bulbs on dimmers will make the perfect glow for evening bubble baths.

An easy DIY ladder made from reclaimed wood is a fun way to utilize the wall space for extra storage.

This vintage buffet-turned-vanity (a repurposed Craigslist find) is one of my favorite parts of this room.

Sources

Floor tile: Cement Tile Shop

Wall color: Valspar's Gray Silt (satin)

Door color: Valspar's Dark Kettle Black (satin)

Trim & ceiling color: Kelly Moore's Swiss Coffee

Vanity: Craigslist (tutorial coming)

Vanity knobs: Ebay

Mirror: Wayfair

Sink: Wayfair

Sink Faucet: Ebay

Sconces: Wayfair (painted black & no longer found on website)

Woven basket: Pottery Barn

Metal wire baskets: Overstock

Plush white towels: Mark & Graham

Turkish bath & hand towels: Etsy

Artwork: Minted

Clawfoot tub: Vintage Tub (custom refinished, tutorial coming)

Lace curtains: Ikea

Toilet: Lowe's

Shower faucet: Faucet Direct

Shower wall tile: Floor & Decor

And now I'm ready to pop open a bottle of champagne and take a nice, long bubble bath to celebrate and soak it all in. I haven't taken a single bath in this home since we've lived here so it's about time!

Because this renovation moved a lot faster than my normal process, I want to take some time next week to go more in depth about the design process and finishes/products I chose, the costs, and tips/advice for those of you looking to recreate this look. If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments and I'll cover them next week. A huge thank you to those who have been following along with me on this journey since the beginning! Your encouragement (both on this blog and instagram) has been so helpful in motivating me to push through those tough days and end up with a result I truly love and hope my guests will enjoy for years to come.

I'm so excited to see how the other participants rooms turned out! Let's go find out:

Jana Bek

Autumn Clemons

Coco+Kelley

The English Room

Vanessa Francis

Greige Design

Hi Sugarplum

I Heart Organizing

Jenna Sue Design

Stephanie Kraus

The Pursuit of Style

Julia Ryan

Savvy Home

Simple Details

Simply Grove

6th Street Design

Jill Sorensen

Swoon Worthy

Waiting on Martha

Kimberly Schlegel Whitman

Trademarked by Calling it Home

I'll be sharing more on instagram if you can't wait another week! Don't forget to check back then for more on this renovation and to find out what's next for this blog (hint: big changes are coming...)

If you're just visiting for the first time, make sure to get caught up with Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4!

Today's check-in is going to be short and sweet. I mentioned last week that I was taking a few days off for a birthday weekend trip which left hardly any time to get things done. For the past two days between trying to recover from our trip, get caught up with work, planning Brad's birthday, attempting to get the house back in order/running errands, not feeling well and frantically trying to cram a typical month's worth of DIY projects into one week right before the deadline... I may have had a small meltdown yesterday. Sometimes it all just catches up with you at once. I've since regrouped and have a game plan to get everything together in time. Deep breaths (and extra caffeine).

One of the best decisions I made on this journey was hiring out our shower tile at the last minute. Our tile guy knocked it out last Wednesday by noon and it was a huge weight off my shoulders!

I went with a simple large white tile ($2/sf from Floor & Decor) in a classic subway pattern for a clean look that won't distract from the floor tile.

I grouted on Thursday and let me tell you—a complete 180 from our laundry room grouting experience! It was actually quite enjoyable as far as DIY's go. White grout + thin, minimal grout lines = easy. There's something so satisfying about watching it all come together.

Now that the shower was out of the way, I could finally start on the wall planks! Instead of the thick tongue and groove pine boards we used throughout most of the house, I decided to go with a different look—something much more inexpensive, readily available and easy to work with—plywood. I bought five 4x8' sheets at Lowe's and ripped them down to 8" strips on our table saw. I've actually used this method before in the master bedroom redo of our Florida house—it was my first planking experience, super easy and I loved the way it turned out. There's a tutorial in that link so I'll skip the in-depth details and give a quick photo recap instead.

Oh—since there are small gaps between the boards, it helps to paint the wall the color of the planks before starting. Rather than wasting paint + time painting the entire wall, I quickly brushed a strip every ~8" where the seams would fall. So much easier!

I'm using Valspar's Gray Silt (in satin, from their Reserve line).

Starting from the bottom, I slowly worked my way up, spacing each board evenly with a nickel.

The walls in our house appear to have been haphazardly thrown together, so I had to use shims in a few areas, like along this shower wall to keep them aligned. I plan to add a strip of flat trim covering this transition to the tile.

Normally I place trim in the corners and along the edges to hide where the boards meet so they don't have to line up perfectly, but I wanted a cleaner look for this space so I decided to challenge myself and take my time to miter the corners. Thankfully there's only one outside corner wall—it went pretty quickly though, you just have to measure and cut carefully.

Once I sand down the sharp edges and finish them with caulk and paint, it should look really nice and seamless.

Here's how that wall looks now:

There's a handful of objects to work around in this room which I cut out using either a jigsaw or a hole saw for perfectly round cuts.

If you are reading this before Wednesday night... this is exactly what the room looks like right now:

5 days left to get this thing photo ready. Seems crazy with the way things are looking now. Are you nervous for me? Here's the plan of action to get it all done:

Wednesday: Finish planking the walls, patch nail holes, sand and caulk seams

Thursday: Paint the walls, refinish the vanity and tub, buy toilet + trim

Friday: Plumber comes back to install tub/drain/shower fixtures, shower enclosure rod, valance, vanity, sink, faucet and toilet

Saturday: Install + paint all trim (window, door, crown molding, baseboards)

Sunday: Finish + hang door, install lights, hang mirror + art, towel hooks, accessorize

Monday: Photoshoot

Tuesday: Edit photos + write post

Wednesday: Reveal Day!

Talk about down to the wire! If one thing goes wrong... well... let's not think about that. Positive vibes only. I'm sure all the other participants are totally on their A-game...

Jana Bek

Autumn Clemons

Coco+Kelley

The English Room

Vanessa Francis

Greige Design

Hi Sugarplum

I Heart Organizing

Jenna Sue Design

Stephanie Kraus

The Pursuit of Style

Julia Ryan

Savvy Home

Simple Details

Simply Grove

6th Street Design

Jill Sorensen

Swoon Worthy

Waiting on Martha

Kimberly Schlegel Whitman

Trademarked by Calling it Home

Wish me luck! I'll be sharing my daily progress over on instagram so feel free to check in there (and cheer me on during these last few days—we're almost at the finish line!)

Furniture refinishing is one of my favorite ways to personalize a space and make an impact without spending tons of money. What I really don't like, however, is all the prep work in the form of stripping and sanding off paint, varnish and old stains. I've always been curious about trying different types of paint that eliminate the need for extensive prep work and also give that higher-end finished look, so when Maison Blanche Paint Company reached out to see if I was interested in trying out their line, of course I happily accepted! I'll be experimenting with different types of paints, waxes and varnishes on several different projects and documenting each one so I can share the results with you guys.

For my first project, I actually have a friend (Bonnie) who had an old dresser sitting in her garage that she was dying to transform so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity.

She picked this painted brown dresser for $10 on Craigslist a while back but was stuck on what to do with it.

Bonnie's style is very eclectic—a mix of vintage, rustic and handmade with a healthy dose of color and personality. I'm always up for the challenge of stepping outside of my typical decorating style and this was the perfect opportunity to have a little fun!

We found this photo on Pinterest and she knew right away this was the style she wanted—chippy turquoise with a natural wood top and gold hardware:

For the paint color, she selected Riviera vintage furniture paint (which is a bold turquoise), and also a clear wax to finish it off:

Then we found these fun arrow handles at Hobby Lobby—there were only 5 left so we picked up a sixth in a similar shape/size to use as an accent for the top drawer, and spray painted them all metallic gold to match:

For the dresser prep, we simply removed the old hardware, removed the drawers, and filled the old holes (along with any bigger cracks/holes) with wood putty:

Once dry, we sanded it down smooth and gave it a quick wipe down. Prep work = done!

Then it was time for paint. I've never worked with chalk paint before so I didn't know what to expect, so I can describe the texture as thicker, creamier and richer than standard latex paint.

You can leave the lid off and the paint will thicken if you want to experiment with different applications.

The paint dried pretty quickly and we gave it a few coats for full coverage.

Once dry, we decided to add a subtle distressing so we went over the edges with 220 grid sandpaper by hand.

The paint dried to a velvety finish and sanded nicely—no peeling like you can get sometimes with latex paint.

The fact that it had been painted once before was actually a good thing, because in some parts we sanded it down more to the bare wood so there was different layers of color and it looked more aged/authentic.

When we were satisfied with the amount of chippiness, it was time for the finishing touch—clear antique wax.

I've used wax once before on our DIY living room cabinet and love the texture/application process much more than any other poly or sealer! It glides on like butter and makes the color richer...

After a couple layers of wax, it was time to update the top. Bonnie has a coffee table in her living room with the top made out of stained paint sticks and she thought it would be fun to make a matching top for this dresser. After collecting enough large paint sticks, her husband made the cuts and they were nailed directly onto the top and then stained:

Such a great (and inexpensive) way to add dimension and texture!

For a hidden finishing touch, Bonnie found some scrapbook paper at Hobby Lobby and used spray adhesive to stick them to the sides.

Seriously, this whole project was probably the quickest and easiest furniture makeover I've ever done. It helps to get a friend involved :)

Here's how the dresser looks now in her living room...

Bonnie has so many amazing "props" she's collected over the years... I had the best time shopping her house and looking for fun accessories to style this piece with.

And how good did these handles turn out? Loving the gold...

Even though it's turquoise, it doesn't give off a beachy vibe at all. It's more of an "eclectic boho spring" feel which really suits her personality.

I had so much fun on this project—trying out a new type of paint, challenging myself to step outside of my comfort zone and pulling accessories from around the house to create a new stylish corner for a friend's home—I could do this forever! Thanks again Bonnie for the good time.

What do you guys think of this makeover? Not bad for an old $10 dresser, right?

It's amazing how far a little paint, hardware and accessorizing can go! And guess what? There's four other fabulous bloggers who are participating and have their own paint project to share today—I can't wait to see what they came up with!

Southern Hospitality

The Golden Sycamore

The Wood Grain Cottage

Liz Marie Blog

I'll be back again tomorrow for another One Room Challenge update—one more week to go, ahhhh!

One of my favorite things about blogging is that I'm able to discover and share new ideas/products/shops/bloggers I really love and think you'll love too. A few of these recent finds were perfect for our laundry room and actually helped shape my vision (remember the french countryside lavender field scene I talked about in the reveal?). Once I figure out that feeling I want the space to evoke, I have a clear sense of how to transform it—from the layout, to colors, to textures and fabrics, etc. It's all pulled from that initial vision. Just a little insight on my thought process for pulling a space together :)

Anyway, it was perfect timing when Crane & Canopy reached out to me a few months ago to introduce their shop. They're a local company (my hometown of San Francisco!) specializing in luxury modern bedding at affordable prices. Their duvet covers are their big sellers, but we finished our master bedroom not too long ago so I wasn't in the market for new bedding. However, as you may know, I have a slight blanket obsession and this gray knotted throw was speaking my language:

You may recall seeing it in our Spring Home Tour...

Or on Instagram...

I love the texture of this throw, and the fact that it works with any season and in any room. (I think Biscuit agrees^).

And it was Crane & Canopy's Lavender Shop that sparked my laundry room vision, so of course I ordered some Lavender Vanilla linen spray and sachets.

I like to mist our towels when they're fresh out of the dryer and throw the sachets in with our towels or sheets.

I store the sachets in a glass canister (from TJ Maxx) along with these dryer balls (also TJ Maxx) which help reduce drying time. At some point I'd love to make my own dryer balls from wool and essential oils (I have a few tutorials pinned—anyone ever try that?)

The spray and sachets makes everything smell so yummy and fresh—I wish your monitors had smellivision. Trust me when I say the room smells as peaceful and calming as it looks in the photos! And now that I think about it, a room's scent is just as important as what you see in front of you. When you design a space, you're creating an environment which in turn creates an emotion for anyone who enters—the purpose in decorating is to be able to dictate that mood/atmosphere/feeling you get from being there, correct? To be truly effective you must take into account all of your senses—smell being one of them. Just like hearing your favorite song, or looking at something beautiful and inspiring, scent has the power to alter your state of mind (even subconsciously). Consider that when you're designing your space and use it to your advantage.

Sorry for the slight detour in thought, but I think it's worth mentioning! Along with the Crane & Canopy goodies, I ordered a bundle of dried lavender from my friend Shayna to further enhance the environment:

That's also where this amazing cotton wreath came from that some of you had asked about—so fitting for a laundry room, don't you think?

I gave the wreath a few spritzes of my C&C lavender spray so the room will always have that fresh scent when you walk in.

Shayna's blog has been a huge inspiration for this room (and our entire home in general) and I'm counting down the days until her shop opens! You'll be seeing a lot more from her in my home I'm sure (go to follow her if you aren't already, she has the best DIY projects!)

So there you have it, a little background info on how I plan/decorate a space and some recent finds of mine that I hope you enjoyed discovering as well. If you see anything from Crane & Canopy you can't live without, make sure to use the code JennaSue10 at checkout for 10% off orders over $150 until 5/3. They just launched a couple new reversible bedding patterns (Ellis in Coral and Grey) that are super cute for a Spring refresh. And a you're helping a good cause—a portion of all proceeds go towards their cause initiative, “A Safe Night’s Sleep,” which benefits women and children affected by domestic violence.

Tomorrow I'll be back with a fun dresser refinishing project that is something I've never tried before! Switching things up here on the blog... check back then!