Feeling the Need for Rehab

Gotcha with the title, didn't I?

Our bathroom needs some rehab.  I love our house.  I do.  When we were house shopping nearly a decade ago, we looked at 17 houses in one day.  The minute we walked through the front door of this house, I knew deep in my being it was our house.  Even a decade later, there are very few things I would change.  Well, I would like a half-bath and a third-car garage bay for the myriad of bikes and mower and detritus a family requires, a pool, a built-out attic so Giles could office in the peace and quiet he needs.  Even without those things, I still love this house and it makes me cringe a little every time Giles says we need to move.

But wait.  We were talking about the bathroom.

We have a builder-upgrade bathroom.  The faucets are losing their chrome. The Hollywood light bar over the ginormous mirror is an eye-sore, an energy bleeder, and casts unflattering light - and is now terribly out-dated.

What's a Fancy Lady on a nearly non-existent budget to do?

First, paint.  I am very tempted to paint the bathroom while Giles is out of town.  A soft gray on the walls and a bright white on the woodwork would look clean and spa-like.

Second, new lighting.  My favorite design show is Rehab Addict.  Thanks to the show, I feel inspired to check out some salvage shops in town to find something clever to replace the Hollywood lights.  Maybe something exists that could use a good scrubbing or a wee touch of paint that makes my heart sigh?  Maybe?

We currently have something like this:  (Please imagine it with squared sides, very dusty bulbs, and a burned-out far left bulb.  Thank you.)

Third, a frame for the mirror.  While the size of the mirror fits our needs, it does not fit our style needs.  Okay, my style needs.  If Giles had his way, we would move into a 70's ranch with wood paneling, shag carpet, filled with mangy-looking sofas and dark, dark wood.  Ask him.  He'll tell you.  I lived through the 70's, and must say none of my parents' furniture, nor that of my friends' parents, makes me even close to interested in having any of it in abundance.  My sweet, throwback Giles.

Back to the mirror.  Thanks to Pinterest, I think I can manage to frame the mirror and get a custom look, like this:

Things on the wish list that cannot possibly be accomplished right now are new faucets and a "frame-less" shower. Maybe new towel bars would be good, too? Those are attainable.  


Alas, I just opened the water bill and it's higher than normal.  Combine that with a too-dry spot of lawn out front and the fact that I just ran through the sprinkler zones, I think we have a sprinkler system leak.  Guess who is about to step outside to see if she can find a wet spot on the lawn that might be the leak?  Guess who gets to dig, dig, dig and repair sprinkler system water lines?  


The Fancy Lady, that's who.