An Update for the Cottage Bathroom

Hello, cafe friends!

Today I thought I'd show you a recent update here at the cottage: the guest bathroom.

We've been living in the cottage for less than nine months now, and we are still in the process of figuring out what works and what does not work for our needs.

For example, the master bedroom has a very small bathroom: walk in shower, no tub, small linen closet, and one sink and vanity. And it is fine. Speaking as someone who lived without a master bath ensuite for the first sixteen years of marriage, I can appreciate just having a bathroom so accessible to the bed.

But in the last dozen or so years of marriage, we have been spoiled with two-sink bathrooms.

It turns out that my husband and I don't share well.

After one recent Sunday morning, trying to scramble to get ready for church at the same time, I finally decided this was not working and something had to change.

I decided to move in to the guest bath room. It is just two steps outside of our bedroom. Why not?

I moved my things next door, made a few additions, and now the bathroom situation has been solved.

For starters, we installed a curved shower curtain rod. This made SUCH a difference! It feels much roomier and not so claustrophobic now. Love it.

I installed this sweet little wicker shelf unit over the towel bar. This shelf came from our colonial home in Pittsburgh. Remember the pink tiled bathroom? This lovely vintage piece hung there. I meant to leave it with the house, but the terrible packers and movers (who shall remain unnamed) packed it anyway. It has been in storage, and I decided to get it out and use it.  It adds just a little vintage shabby chic to the space.

And speaking of vintage, this shower curtain is from Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic at Target, and I have had it for more than a dozen years. I love the print so much!

A vintage painting picked up from a flea market hangs on the wall.

I also added a Command Strip hook for the back of the door for bath robes and other necessities.

Some favorite Burt's Bees products in a handy basket.

And here's another thing I like to keep handy: my Vitafusion women's vitamins!

I bought these vitamins ( and the men's formula as well) for the family when my husband decided to book a trip to Florida back in January. It was the height of cold and flu season, and I wanted to boost everyone's immune system. Let me tell you, I love these tasty little treats! They have done wonders for my hair, skin, and nails. And more importantly, they have helped to keep us all healthy, too. My son, Sam, said that the only problem with the vitamins is that they taste so good, he wishes he could eat more than two a day. I know what he means! In the past, I've purchased vitamins with the best intentions, and then they stay in a cabinet and I forget about them. But these are so good! I leave them on the counter as a reminder each day, and so far we're developing a pretty good habit of daily vitamin supplement.

So there you have it! Not an earth-shattering reveal. No dramatic "before and after" photos. Not even a new paint color. Just a few tweaks and adjustments to make the cottage our own.

When you downsize, you will have to make some compromises. For me, the biggest compromise will be that I have to keep this bath room neat and tidy for guest use as well. No biggie. For my adult sons who often spend the night? Well, the compromise for them will be that they have to shower in a slightly girly/slightly pink vintage styled bathroom once again. God bless 'em.

Thanks for visiting the cafe today!