Black and White Kids' Bathroom Renovation

We recently finished a big renovation project in our home, and I wanted to share the before and after photos with you guys. We bought our house in 2007, and we are still working on remodeling projects little by little each year. Isn't that always the way? Well, we just marked THIS one off the honey-do list!

At the beginning of this year, we decided that the boys' bathroom was long overdue for a makeover. I'm going to just cut to the chase and show you the finished product because I'm just so happy with how it came out that I just can't stand it anymore!

We chose to makeover the boys' bathroom in black and white for the main pieces and fixtures. We figured that we could always add color with paint and accessories, but that a black and white bathroom would hopefully be a classic choice that would give us more options down the road.

Right now, we've let them choose the wall paint color and accessories that they liked (a dog theme), but with the main colors being a basic black and white, we could easily transition down the road to a farmhouse bathroom or a modern bathroom without much effort.

I will post a list of links to many of the products we used at the bottom of this post in case you are interested in using any of them for your own project.

The Bathroom Before Pictures

This is how the bathroom looked before we did our makeover:

It probably looks OK at first glance. But who remembers this scene from the 1990s hit movie Clueless?

I'm probably dating myself there, but it IS an accurate description of this bathroom.

We really didn't do anything special to this bathroom when we first moved in because we had a lot to do in other areas of the house and this room was (by comparison) not so bad. We painted the beadboard the same color green as in the polka dots in the shower curtain and called it a day. 

Aidyn helped me to pick out the shower curtain specifically because we had a new baby on the way, but we didn't yet know the gender and I wanted a gender neutral space for their bathroom. But we left everything else the same as it was when we purchased the house.

Fast forward 11 years . . . 

And on closer inspection, the fixtures were starting to show their age. But that even wasn't the biggest problem; one of the sink faucets was broken beyond repair and needed to be replaced altogether. And if we were going to replace one of them, we needed to replace both (since they needed to match each other).

The original paint in the bathroom was starting to chip in places. And the ceiling was painted the same color yellow as the walls courtesy of the former homeowners (so this was my chance to give the whole bathroom a fresh coat of paint)!

The floors were lineoleum that had deep cuts in them, and the linen closet had a 1970s gold pattern that was different from the rest of the bathroom. Thankfully, you could only see it when you opened the closet door!

The countertops were a cream colored formica with a tile backsplash that (although hard to see in the photo below) didn't quite match in color. And the walls were a butter yellow that didn't quite match either the tile or the formica. So it was time for an update!

The Bathroom After Pictures

So here's what the boys' bathroom looks like now that it has been renovated!

We replaced the countertops with cultured marble in white with the slightest hint of a light gray swirl and upgraded the faucets and the light fixtures.

We upgraded all the hardware and fixtures and put a fresh coat of paint on everything.

The boys chose a dog theme for their new bathroom, so I accessorized with vintage Avon bottles that look like our Chance and Smitty.

The German Shepherd bottle is Avon Noble Prince Wild Country aftershave and was new in the box with the original box included. The Scottish Terrier milk glass bottle is Avon Unforgettable cologne.  I purchased both of these from separate Etsy sellers. 

If you were paying close attention in Harris Sister Deanna's post about her Grand Old Opry trinket box, you might have spied a milk glass Cocker Spaniel Avon bottle. If you are looking for small dog figurines or are a collector of milk glass, these often turn up in thrift stores and antique shops, so keep your eyes peeled. Of course, if you are looking for specific breeds (as I was) then Etsy and eBay are your best bet.

Pretty good match, right?

I also found some very cute retro wall decor for their bathroom.

I added a few other dog-themed accessories here and there, but mixed them in with other black and white bathroom accessories.

Project Notes

• We chose to use a contractor for this project because it involved demo, tile work, plumbing, and electrical work. While we probably could have tackled each of these things, it would have significantly lengthened our timeline for this project. And since this bathroom already had a broken sink faucet and a broken shower faucet, we were anxious to get this bathroom up and running again as soon as we could!
• We kept our original wood cabinets and had them repainted. They were in good shape and were the same size as ones we would have replaced them with.
• We kept our original tub and shower. We did need to repair the faucet in the shower, but it turned out to be a simple fix.
• We kept all the original beadboard and molding in the room. It had been installed correctly and just needed repainting.
• Note: When laying this particular floor tile, the installers had to be very careful about matching up the pattern so that it matched correctly when they were finished. While the overall effect is stunning, apparently hours of staring at the pattern while laying the tile is a bit taxing on the eyes. So, keep in mind that you'll need to be patient and take a few breaks if you choose this pattern. And make sure that you don't accidently mismatch your patterns!
• With the exception of a few accessories that I purchased from Amazon and Etsy and the countertops that we purchased from a local vendor, we purchased all of the other materials from a Lowes Home Improvement store, which helped to keep project costs low.

Project Materials

• Wall Paint Color - Valspar Dreamy Clouds
• Ceiling Paint - Valspar Ceiling White Flat Latex
• Cabinets & Trim Paint - Valspar Signature Semi-gloss Latex
• Mirror Trim Paint - Black Gloss
• Floor Tile - American Olean Alameda Satin White Honeycomb Mosaic Ceramic Wall Tile
• Tile Grout - Pearl Gray Unsanded Powder Grout
• Light Fixtures - Millennium Lighting 3-Light 24-in Chrome Vanity Light
• Faucets - Delta Foundations Chrome 2-handle 4-in Centerset Bathroom Sink Faucet
• Toilet - Sterling Stinson White WaterSense Labeled Elongated Chair Height 2-piece Toilet
• Cabinet Pulls - 3-in Center to Center Chrome Cabinet Pull
• Hardware - Bathroom Hardware Set & 2-Hook Chrome Towel Hook
• Retro dog wall decor - Etsy seller DexMex

So that's our big home improvement project for the year! We think this bathroom renovation project turned out great and more than anything, we're so happy that it's finished.

Hope we've given you some ideas for your own black and white bathroom makeover!

This post contains affiliate links.

Bryson City, NC - Girls' Weekend 2018

Another summer and another adventure under our belts! This year, The Harris Sisters traveled to the mountains of nearby Bryson City, NC, for our annual Girls' Weekend vacation, and it was too much fun!

We kept you guys updated with posts here and there on our Facebook page, but we wanted to wrap up with a blog post to give you all the details of what we did while we were there. 

We arrived Thursday afternoon, so we didn't get to exploring in earnest until Friday.

Riding the Rails

On Friday, we spent most of the day riding the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. They have several different excursions to choose from.

We chose their Moonshine Experience, which included a tasting of seven different flavored moonshines, lunch, dessert, a souvenir tote bag, a souvenir Carolina Shine mason drinking jar, a round trip train ride in a renovated first-class train car, and a free ticket to their train museum.

Our train left from the station at Bryson City and traveled to Nantahala Gorge for a 55 minute layover. We explored a little bit by the river and a few of the shops there before heading back to the train.

During the train ride, Mountain Man Tim went from train car to train car and stopped to tell stories about the Appalachian area and the history of the railroad and how it was built. He was quite the character!

Here's a video of one of Mountain Man Tim's visits!

And we also got to hear some authentic banjo playing too! Although our banjo player clearly stated when he introduced himself that he was not adverse to playing anything from Beyonce to Pink Floyd, in between his own storytelling (which was quite entertaining), he ended up playing the bluegrass favorites Fox on the Run and Rocky Top, by request of the passengers on our train car. 

(And if you're wondering, yes, Harris Sister Deanna - the one who lives in Tennessee - is the one who requested Rocky Top.)

All in all, we would definitely recommend that you check this out! They have so many different trips to choose from - and special ones during the holidays - that there is surely one that you and your family will enjoy!

After our train ride, the skies opened up and it poured buckets of rain. We waited it out under the train boarding platform for about 30 minutes. That cut into the time we had planned to walk around downtown a bit, but we still got to visit some unique shops in the downtown Bryson City area. There is a lot to see!

Antique Stores in Downtown Bryson City

The most notable shop we visited downtown was Calby's Antiques and Gifts. The easiest way to find this is that it's located in the historic 1905 Bennett's Drug Store building on Everett Street. And it still has the old drug store sign - can't miss it!

We found a lot of milk glass, depression glass, china, and other decorative items there. We spoke with the owner and found that his business partner teaches music lessons in the loft (which was formerly the pharmacist's office).

I found two vintage tomatoes (one Holt Howard salt shaker and one vintage sugar bowl marked Made in Japan) and a vintage piggy bank that will make a perfect gift for Jaxon in a few months when his birthday rolls around (not pictured here).

Here are the tomatoes with some stacks of vintage Pyrex in my Spring/Summer kitchen cabinet display:

A note about most antique stores in this area - cash is king! This store did accept credit and debit cards, but it was a very long checkout process!

We wound down Friday night with some time in the hot tub and a movie at our rental cabin!

Our cabin had this sign posted near the hot tub - so funny!

We cooked our own dinner with a meal service that we ordered right before we left for the trip. That way, we had just the right amount of food for the trip and not a lot left over that we would have to bring home with us.

Hunting for More Vintage Treasures!

On Saturday, our plan was to set out to explore around town. We started our day off with our traveling Donald Duck orange juice with breakfast. Ever since we were children, we would drink this particular brand of orange juice when we were on road trips. We have since taken to doing this on Girls' Weekend too!

Our first stop of the day was an antique store near our cabin. We have affectionately named this store "The Bigfoot Store" because they have large Bigfoot signs in their front yard - you seriously cannot miss this store when driving by.

It is located on on the corner of US Route 74 and Gibson Road in Bryson City.

It's a small shop, but we found LOTS of treasures inside. Here are some of the special items we spied.

A vintage metal Barbie Thermos from 1967.

A chalkware Indian bank in excellent condition.

A Peter Cottontail tin.

They had lots of vintage banks, but we thought this metal Popeye bank was pretty special.

And this 1987 Ronald Regan doll in original box is not super old but was the era that we grew up in.

And best of all, a vintage sign from Misty Valley Winery for Harris Sister Misty - sometimes it's just fun to see something with your own name on it!

This antique store had a sign posted "Cash only (Checks maybe)" - which we took as "if the owner personally knows you, he will take a check from you." So make sure to bring cash to this one too. Their merchandise was very unique, although we felt a little overpriced. We didn't make any purchases here but it was really fun to look!

Our next stop happened by complete chance. We were actually looking for a See Rock City barn on the outskirts of Bryson City. The only "directions" we could find online were a road and a 2011 picture of the barn that was starting to look a little overgrown.

We never did manage to find the barn . . .

We have since found out that by 2016, it was completely grown over with kudzu. What a shame! We probably drove right by it and there wouldn't have been anything left to take a picture of anyway.

BUT! In the process of looking, we found an AWESOME spot to look for treasures. It's in an old motel of all places and it still has the old motel sign! This is what the sign looks like today.

So while we were out driving around looking for the See Rock City barn, we accidentally happened upon the Warrior Motel. Its address if you want to visit too is 5731 Ela Road, Whittier, NC. It is between Bryson City and Cherokee.

Of course, we all said, "Look at that old motel sign!" And then Misty said, "There's antiques or something there."

Deanna and I had totally missed that because we were looking at the awesome sign!

We turned around to investigate, and here's what we found out!

It's a shop called Teresa's Treasures, and it has all kinds of stuff (antiques, cool junk, and weird stuff according to the sign out front).

Some of it is vintage, and some of it is random stuff you might find at a yard sale. You are going to have to sort through it. But, the stuff you will find is worth it!

They had a whole room devoted to vintage clothing and shoes - which you guys know is right up our alley for authentic vintage Halloween costumes.

Deanna found a hard cover Peter Pan book that was printed in Italy and inscribed with the date January 18, 1969.

It is beautifully illustrated in the way that you don't see in books much more nowadays!

Not bad for a $5 investment!

And I found a set of three Fire King Green Meadow pattern casserole dishes for $4 each. They are missing their lids, but I am only going to use them for display anyway.

I also found a Fire King Peach Lustre casserole dish (also without lid), but it nested right inside the other three, so how could I say no for $5?

This is how they look in my Spring/Summer kitchen cabinet display along with two Indiana glass sunflower bowls right now:

We spoke to the owner when we checked out, and she told us a little about the motel. She said that she remembered it from when she was a child in the 1960s and that she remembered swimming in the pool a time or two herself.

Like many motels and motor lodges of the time period, the Warrior Motel had postcards available for sale.

She had this postcard framed in the shop. It shows the motel in its heyday and the pool, which has since been filled in.

A little more research about the motel reveals that the tomahawk on the sign used to move back and forth, and of course, the neon on the sign used to light up at night time!

One More Adventure

Even though Sunday was technically our check out and head home day, we planned on one final adventure before packing up the cars and heading home.

We went on a small hike to see a waterfall at Deep Creek Waterfalls.

There are three waterfalls on the trail: Toms Branch (the closest to the start of the trail), Juney Whank, and Indian Creek. We visited the Toms Branch waterfall and it did not disappoint!

In this area, there are lots of folks who go tubing in the river, so we visited around 9:00 in the morning to try to beat the rush and to make sure we got a parking spot. We saw one group of people who had gotten there even earlier than us who were finishing their hike. Other than that, we didn't see a soul for another half hour.

Here's a little video of the falls so that you can see how big and beautiful it was!

We were brave enough to dip our toes in the water for just a moment, but at 9:00 in the morning, the water was ICE COLD!

You know what else was ice cold?

Our Donna, Deanna, and Misty Coke bottles!

You didn't think we'd go on a Girls' Weekend without leaving you with another Coca-Cola photo for you? Take a look here for a recap of all of the other Coca-Cola photos we've done over the years for comparison.

. . . . And you'll NEVER GUESS what Deanna found on her way back to Tennessee . . . 

Peeps, if THAT doesn't make you believe that the timing of your life is perfect, I don't know what will. We were never meant to find that first barn . . . this one is a different barn, about an hour out of Bryson City headed west. Sometimes we just all need reminders like this every now and then, don't you think?

That about wraps up this year's Girls' Weekend! We had a great time, and we'd definitely recommend the small town of Bryson City, NC for a quick getaway of your own.