 The bathroom is to the right of the picture behind the blue and white lamp. Sitting in the larger part of the living room, behind the camera, and looking over you would never guess there was a powder room behind the wall. |  My mother-in-law Wynn and Jim who is now gone. |
We have the smallest bathroom ever...I've hook bigger rugs! But it does the trick and that's all that matters! The room is so small it was difficult to take a picture so you can't see the beams in the ceiling or the hardwood flooring but now that it's all said and done, we don't know what we ever did without a downstairs facility.
Although our house has a very large full bath upstairs and an an ensuite off the master bedroom, we didn't have a powder room downstairs. We're still youngish and hoofing up and down a full flight of stairs didn't raise an eyebrow until my mother-in-law was coming for a visit. Panic set in as to how we were going to handle the situation when she can't do stairs with her bad knee. We bought a twin bed that covered the sleeping arrangements but the question of a bathroom facility had to be addressed. The choice came down to washing up in the kitchen sink and a commode chair, a chamber pot or a chemical toilet and although she said it would be fine, none were appealing to me, as they all required some kind of emptying. How well do you need to know your inlaws? I've worked in a nursing home so I'm no stranger to cleaning up behind (pardon the pun) the elderly, but maybe that is why I'm more adamant about not doing it now. So, I called a plumber and a carpenter and in one week we had this little powder room up and functional.
We have a large L shaped living room and we took a corner of the top of the L, and you would never know that there was a bathroom there. Friends have come by and couldn't find it. Our house isn't very large so I was happy it didn't jump out as who wants a bathroom in the living room no matter how cute it is! The plan someday is to build a downstairs bedroom on and then that part of the house will become a hallway to the addition and it's perfectly suitable to have a bathroom off a hall.
The layout had to be well planned. We had a pocket door installed so the toilet and sink had to be the right distance apart to open the door and enter. I had to do a lot of measuring to come up with the size of 60" x 28" which is the inside dimensions for the room, making it so small you have to step outside to change your mind but enough room to take your elbows in and your knees don't touch the sink when sitting on the john.
Because of the confined space, I tried several very small pedestal sinks but they were still too big and in the way. Finally I spied this very expensive corner number that fit perfectly although I found it weird the smaller the sink the higher the price. And then on top of that, the facet had to be a certain size and a one holer, so that turned out to be rather expensive as well but you only go this way once and it's only money.
We don't have any wallpaper in our house but 22 years ago I found this delightful blue and yellow print that I hoped to fit in somewhere and bought three bolts of it. It was a perfect match to the Blue Willow themed fabric I'd been holding on to for the last few decades so it was time to bring them out of storage and get our money out of them. The paint on the wainscoting was a match to one of the blues in the skirt. Paint samples can sometimes fool you. I tried three different cans of paint before I found the perfect match. They all looked good on the sample but on the wall it was three strikes and out!
The little Blue Willow pattern cross stitch pieces were done by me once again, twenty or so years ago. (I get the feeling I was a shopaholic in my thirties) and I dug them out and had them framed. Small room big art. The mirror was the only one that would fit over the high chair rail. Once again it's an oversized piece for the area so that makes it work even better. It pivots like a Cheval mirror, doesn't have a frame but is beautifully beveled. A yellow and blue tassel completes the look. I wanted the wainscoting extra high because of the size of the room. Exaggerated elements fit better in a smaller space. My opinion and I'm sticking to it!
I looked around for an antique wall cabinet to house the toiletries but there was nothing that could be modified to fit the space so I design what I wanted and had a chap make it up. I painted it a soft yellow and then crackled the outside areas with white paint over top. This was my first attempt at crackling and I think it turned out very nicely. I bought some large knobs from Lee Valley that matched the colour theme.
If you lift the sink skirt you'll find reading material and a waste paper basket. There is a cute little stool next to the sink with an antique blue and white chamber pail that also holds an extra roll of toilet paper. Speaking of which, the room was too small for a wall dispenser so I bought one of the free standing ones and it's tucked nicely by the sink.
When my mother-in-law arrived she was so surprised and probably relieved. Of course it wasn't painted or pretty like it is now but it functioned beautifully and all she had to do was roll out of bed and there it was. And in case you are wondering what she did for showers, we took her to the pool every second day for Aquasize so she used their facilities for bathing. At 94 she exercises at the pool three times a week at home in BC. She believes exercise is key to optimal health in older age and she's living proof it works, accept for that troubled knee she's in excellent health!
Although our house has a very large full bath upstairs and an an ensuite off the master bedroom, we didn't have a powder room downstairs. We're still youngish and hoofing up and down a full flight of stairs didn't raise an eyebrow until my mother-in-law was coming for a visit. Panic set in as to how we were going to handle the situation when she can't do stairs with her bad knee. We bought a twin bed that covered the sleeping arrangements but the question of a bathroom facility had to be addressed. The choice came down to washing up in the kitchen sink and a commode chair, a chamber pot or a chemical toilet and although she said it would be fine, none were appealing to me, as they all required some kind of emptying. How well do you need to know your inlaws? I've worked in a nursing home so I'm no stranger to cleaning up behind (pardon the pun) the elderly, but maybe that is why I'm more adamant about not doing it now. So, I called a plumber and a carpenter and in one week we had this little powder room up and functional.
We have a large L shaped living room and we took a corner of the top of the L, and you would never know that there was a bathroom there. Friends have come by and couldn't find it. Our house isn't very large so I was happy it didn't jump out as who wants a bathroom in the living room no matter how cute it is! The plan someday is to build a downstairs bedroom on and then that part of the house will become a hallway to the addition and it's perfectly suitable to have a bathroom off a hall.
The layout had to be well planned. We had a pocket door installed so the toilet and sink had to be the right distance apart to open the door and enter. I had to do a lot of measuring to come up with the size of 60" x 28" which is the inside dimensions for the room, making it so small you have to step outside to change your mind but enough room to take your elbows in and your knees don't touch the sink when sitting on the john.
Because of the confined space, I tried several very small pedestal sinks but they were still too big and in the way. Finally I spied this very expensive corner number that fit perfectly although I found it weird the smaller the sink the higher the price. And then on top of that, the facet had to be a certain size and a one holer, so that turned out to be rather expensive as well but you only go this way once and it's only money.
We don't have any wallpaper in our house but 22 years ago I found this delightful blue and yellow print that I hoped to fit in somewhere and bought three bolts of it. It was a perfect match to the Blue Willow themed fabric I'd been holding on to for the last few decades so it was time to bring them out of storage and get our money out of them. The paint on the wainscoting was a match to one of the blues in the skirt. Paint samples can sometimes fool you. I tried three different cans of paint before I found the perfect match. They all looked good on the sample but on the wall it was three strikes and out!
The little Blue Willow pattern cross stitch pieces were done by me once again, twenty or so years ago. (I get the feeling I was a shopaholic in my thirties) and I dug them out and had them framed. Small room big art. The mirror was the only one that would fit over the high chair rail. Once again it's an oversized piece for the area so that makes it work even better. It pivots like a Cheval mirror, doesn't have a frame but is beautifully beveled. A yellow and blue tassel completes the look. I wanted the wainscoting extra high because of the size of the room. Exaggerated elements fit better in a smaller space. My opinion and I'm sticking to it!
I looked around for an antique wall cabinet to house the toiletries but there was nothing that could be modified to fit the space so I design what I wanted and had a chap make it up. I painted it a soft yellow and then crackled the outside areas with white paint over top. This was my first attempt at crackling and I think it turned out very nicely. I bought some large knobs from Lee Valley that matched the colour theme.
If you lift the sink skirt you'll find reading material and a waste paper basket. There is a cute little stool next to the sink with an antique blue and white chamber pail that also holds an extra roll of toilet paper. Speaking of which, the room was too small for a wall dispenser so I bought one of the free standing ones and it's tucked nicely by the sink.
When my mother-in-law arrived she was so surprised and probably relieved. Of course it wasn't painted or pretty like it is now but it functioned beautifully and all she had to do was roll out of bed and there it was. And in case you are wondering what she did for showers, we took her to the pool every second day for Aquasize so she used their facilities for bathing. At 94 she exercises at the pool three times a week at home in BC. She believes exercise is key to optimal health in older age and she's living proof it works, accept for that troubled knee she's in excellent health!
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This is the rug I designed for the floor. The actual yellows and blues blend perfectly with the decor so the photo is a bit off. I took elements from the Willow fabric for the design and added the big central Chinese Shou to tie in the cross stitch Oriental theme.
Done in all yellows and blues the rug will be a perfect match for the room. I've hooked the Shou and the background and now it is time to get started on the birds. I'll probably hook one to work out the colour pattern first and then work at the other three all at once. It is a very light rug so I don't think I'll put it on the floor unless company pops in, just leave it curled up on the toilet tank top until it's needed.
Done in all yellows and blues the rug will be a perfect match for the room. I've hooked the Shou and the background and now it is time to get started on the birds. I'll probably hook one to work out the colour pattern first and then work at the other three all at once. It is a very light rug so I don't think I'll put it on the floor unless company pops in, just leave it curled up on the toilet tank top until it's needed.
Working in a #6 cut it is making for fast going. I stylized the tail feathers to incorporate the border for more interest.
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