ONE ROOM CHALLENGE BATHROOM REVEAL DAY!!!

DIY PROJECT

Ahh!!! ONE ROOM CHALLENGE REVEAL DAY!!! Grab a cup of coffee because I have one heck of a post coming your way, with a bunch of pictures and details/links to all the items in this small, but mighty, bathroom! A little recap: 6 weeks ago we started demo on this seriously neglected bathroom in the 1890-built duplex that my hub and I are renovating, here in Milwaukee. Check out my weekly ORC updates here: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4. EVERYTHING had to be gutted because besides being ugly, there were some serious safety concerns that we had to fix. And so began our journey to turn the space into something beautiful. I have to say, it turned out better than I imagined. It feels more like an old library than a bathroom, a place where I would want to dim the lights, soak in the bath, listening to classical music and read for hours. Nothing makes me happier than giving rooms that have been abandoned in these old houses a new life, and a new storyline. I know, I know, I am getting gushy, but I am really proud of this one 🙂

The Before: This is what we were working with… a hot mess. If you are wondering, that pipe into the tub was some sort of laundry drain set up. Everything had to go!

The After: And here is what it looks like NOW!!! My goodness, I love this bathroom! The space is 6.5×9.5, and we used every square inch to squeeze in a freestanding tub and corner shower. I have a slight obsession with putting a tub in every house we renovate. When we started on this room, I had a lovely vision of a tub in front of a big window, and knew it would have a beautiful impact! But let’s not forget the show stopping console sink, which was a last minute change from the vanity I had picked out. It’s stunning, and even though we lost storage, the openness was SO needed to make this room feel more open and airy. I’ll talk a little more about storage, and our future plan for the house (which changed the storage needs) later in the post!





Also before I launch into the details, I have to give the biggest THANK YOU to my hub, the great Mr. Yolo, for working so darn hard on the bathroom. This was a total DIY renovation, and I was blown away at his commitment to making my vision come to life. This was way more than he ever planned on doing to the bathroom for this renovation, and I am just so appreciative of the time he committed to it while we have a whole duplex to finish. Just love that man so much!





The Plan: I shared a bit about the plan in my first ORC post, and overall stuck pretty close to it, except for the change up on the vanity, and the wallpaper! I was set on just painting the space above the beadboard gray…and then the room felt like it was missing that WOW factor, so I dreamed up an idea and ran it past my friend Elizabeth, who founded the wallpaper company Chasing Paper….

Wallpaper: If you all have been following for a while you know how much I LOVE antiquing, and one of my favorite things to buy is old pages from botany books. They are great as inexpensive pieces of art (usually $2-3 a page)! Well, I thought it would be pretty to take the flowers on these pages and turn them into wallpaper. So I used some of my thrifted pages, and some from library archives online and designed this wildflower print. Then Elizabeth from Chasing Paper was super amazing, and custom printed it for me on their AMAZING removable wallpaper. This is the third bathroom I’ve put Chasing Paper in, and trust me when I say it sticks through ALL the shower humidity. I am super happy with how the print turned out! It just adds that visual interest the bathroom needed!

Paint: I am so happy with Behr Chimney on the beadboard! It’s a deep blue and it just looks so rich in the space. I was nervous about it being too dark, but a room with this much light, and ceilings this high can totally handle it!
More after the break!

Lighting: I have been eyeing up this Sawyer Chandelier from Troy Lighting for a loooooooong time, and was super excited to order it for the bathroom. I’ll admit, it might be on the large side for this small space, but I love how it makes the bathroom feel so grand. Just imagine, dimming the lights and taking a long bath…pure magic. I will definitely put this fixture in another house, it looks way more expensive than it is, and the matte black finish combined with the shape is the right mix of classic and modern. The Marcel sconces worked perfectly with the chandelier, but almost did not make the cut after a little husband/wife team miscommunication, and the bathroom got wired for a single light mounted over the mirror. After some sweet talking, the hub made the change, and thankfully installed these two beautiful sconces. I love how they look flanking the vintage mirror I found for $30. The mirror that I managed to drop…and somehow it survived the fall without cracking (the very dramatic moment was captured on film and can be found in my ORC highlight on IG).


Tile: I was excited when I saw that The Tile Shop was the tile sponsor for the ORC, because I’ve put their tile in EVERY bathroom and kitchen I have renovated, and I just love their product and selection! I’d been eyeing up this Siberian Pearl Chevron Marble Tile for a while now, but never had the right space for it until this bathroom. This tile is stunning! The mable is so classic and the variation in color is so beautiful. After Mr. Yolo installed it, I could not stop staring. We used London Fog grout, and then sealed everything, and I have been so impressed with how resilient it’s been to footprints.


Bathroom fixtures: I talked a lot about the bathroom fixtures in my ORC update Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4. I worked with Kohler again on this bathroom because they have the most beautiful fixtures and they are a Wisconsin company, and I always love supporting my home state! I have to thank my father-in-law, because I was planning on sticking with a shower/tub, but he did some measuring and mentioned that a freestanding tub and corner shower would work. He did not need to tell me twice, I’ll take any opportunity I can to put a freestanding tub in a room! I took a trip out to Kohler’s showroom and saw this Spectacle freestanding bath from Sterling, one of Kohler’s brands, and just loved the simple shape and the fit was perfect for the bathroom. I wanted a mix of modern and classic in this bathroom, so decided on Tempered sink faucet and deck-mount bath faucet in matte black faucet for both the tub and sink. Speaking of the sink, the console sink is SO beautiful!!! The vanity I originally had picked out was way too bulky, and Kohler helped me with a last minute switch to this Memoirs Stately console table bathroom sink and table legs, and it MADE the bathroom! I honestly can’t imagine a better fit. This is the third bathroom that I have put a Kathryn black toilet in, and I KNOW they are controversial, but to me, they are fancy. And the shape on this one is the most fancy, plus the way it looks against the blue background makes me oh-so happy (which is something I never thought I would say about a toilet, ha!)  We ended up having to get the black Shower Base and Door on Amazon because the space was a super odd size…we paired them with Kohler’s Choreograph Shower Wall Surround and matte black shower fixture, and I am just so happy with how this little shower corner came together.

Art: Once I installed the wallpaper, I knew I would only need a couple pieces of art in the space because I did not want it to look too busy, I talked about these two pieces from Jess Blazejewski in the ORC Update Week 4 post, but they are worth another mention here. I have ordered art from Minted before, but the quality of these new Limited Edition Fine Art Prints are on another level. The art they have curated, combined with the antique gold frame and heavy mat, makes the art look so rich. And I could gush forever over Jess’s work, and am so happy I found her and the two pieces I used in this bathroom,  Figure Drawing No.17 and No.16 Limited Edition Art through Minted.  The simplicity of these two pieces worked so great against the wallpaper and the blue beadboard.


Ok, storage: I have a feeling some of you all are going to say “where is someone going to put all their stuff!?” Great question! First, the photograph the bathroom, I elected to add flowers, and pretty things like vintage books, where toiletries would most likely go. I am also planning on squeezing in a little shelving unit next to the sink for makeup and and there is a plug for a blowdryer, etc. But, as we were completing this room, we really talked about the future of the house, and the plan was to rent it out for a couple years, and then Airbnb it, but we decided to try it as an Airbnb right away, so storage was not as necessary for short term guests.  The house is turning out even better than we hoped, so we are excited to open it for visitors to Milwaukee!

THERE YOU GO! Thank you so much for following along on the 5 week renovation, and thats to the One Room Challenge for asking me to be a Featured Designer! Although a tiny bit stressful, I always do my best under pressure, and I am SO SO SO proud of what we accomplished in this bathroom! I would love to hear what you think!
Below I’ve listed all the shopping sources, and I am sure I forgot to answer some of your questions, but leave a comment below and I can answer questions later today! 

KOHLER
Memoirs® Stately24″ console table bathroom sink basin with 8″ widespread faucet holes
Memoirs® Stately console table legs for K-29999 Memoirs sink
Spectacle™  65-3/4″ x 34-1/4″ freestanding bath
Choreograph 60in. X 36 in. x 72 in. 5-Piece Bath/Shower Wall Surround in CrossCut Dune for 72 in. Bath/Showers
Tempered™ Widespread bathroom sink faucet
Tempered™deck-mount bath faucet trim
Kathryn compact toilet with concealed trapway
MINTED
Figure Drawing No.17 Limited Edition Art
Figure Drawing No.16 Limited Edition Art
BEHR Chimney PPU25-22
THE TILE SHOP
Siberian Pearl Chevron Marble Wall and Floor Tile
Pro-Grout Excel London Fog
THE HOME DEPOT
Hy-Lite 35.5 in. x 59.5 in. Baroque Decorative Glass Picture Vinyl Window – Bronze
Paintable Bead board Panel
TROY LIGHTING
Sawyer Chandelier
Marcel sconces
ANTHROPOLOGIE
Lusso Hook Rack
AMAZON
LinenMe Towel Provence, Black Striped
DreamLine SlimLine 36 in. D x 36 in. W x 2 3/4 in. H Corner Drain Neo-Angle Shower Base in Black
Aston Neoscape 34″ x 34″ x 72″ Completely Frameless Neo-Angle Shower Enclosure in Oil Rubbed Bronze
VINTAGE
Vases, Toothbrush holder, mirror, books, bowls

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the ORC Featured Designers rooms!!!

At Charlotte’s House | Design Addict Mom | Erika Ward Interiors | Erin Kestenbaum | Girl & Grey

Gray Malin | Hommeboys | I Spy DIY | Jewel Marlowe | The Learner Observer | Making it Lovely

 Nicole White Designs | Old Brand New | Oscar Bravo Home | Place of My Taste | The Rath Project

Room for Tuesday | SG Style | Undecorated Home | Veronica Solomon | Media BH&G | TM by ORC

The Yolo’s Travel Guide to: Croatia!

DIY PROJECT

The hub and I had an 8.5 hour flight back yesterday from our belated honeymoon/babymoon/family vacation to the Motherland, so we thought we would spend a chunk of that time reminiscing and compiling of things we loved and some tips for our 7 day trip to Croatia. First tip, you NEED TO TAKE a trip to Croatia!!! For real, this trip rated high, if not the highest, on my favorites list. It has beautiful scenery, loads of history, great food and is inexpensive, something everyone will love!

A little back story: Our last name is indeed Yolo, but before getting married almost a year ago I was Jenni Radosevich, and the most asked question after I introduced myself was “Where is your last name from?” The answer, Croatia! Sidenote: I always said I would never change my last name because of its uniqueness… and then I met a man with the last name Yolo…and HOW could I say no to being Jenni Yolo!? I digress. My Great-Grandparents came over to the US from Croatia, and even though I am a couple generations removed, my family has always been super proud of our Croatian heritage. After my Dad turned 80 last year, he started talking about road tripping with his kids through Croatia. My parents went there a few years ago to connect with living relatives and I spent a week there in college, so we both got a taste of the beauty of the country, so it was not a hard sell to go back. Plus, my little Sister lives in Prague, so road tripping from there to Croatia was a no brainer. After a flurry of family emails, the trip was planned, slightly modified, because I have a babe on the way (and road-tripping in a foriegn country was a bit out of my comfort zone) My parents, little sister, and our uncle would road trip from Prague to Split, and Mr. Yolo and I would turn the trip into a Babymoon in the city of Split (we set up homebase there and took day trips to Krka Waterfalls and a ferry to Vela Luka) and the family would meet us in Split for a couple days of exploring. It was incredible! The time spent with my hub and family is something I will hold in my heart forever. I woke up in the States this morning wondering if it was all a dream because it was just that good!
Before you read anything, watch this video of our trip on IGTV!! 

Now on to the review! Mr. Yolo was happy to pass a chunk of the flight time sharing his thoughts:) 

MR. YOLO: We spent 7 nights in the beautiful, ancient city of Split, Croatia.  This was technically the offseason (last week of October), but the weather was sunny and 70’s every day.  We officially love the off season. We spent all but one night in the Diocletian Palace a hundred meters or so from the Adriatic Sea.  There’s thousands of years of history here and it’s all fascinating. The need-to-know is Roman Emperor Dioclese had this place built in the mid 300’s AD.  Since then its been occupied by the very rich and the very poor. And only in the last couple decades has it been protected and preserved by the government.

I don’t have a star or point system established for travel reviews just yet, but this place gets all the stars and all the points.  We felt like kids navigating the narrow streets and passageways.  Every turn has a cool shop, cafe, or restaurant. 

The Diaclesian Palace checked all the boxes; entertainment (tours, bars, dining, etc), natural beauty, and more history than one can digest in a week, and inexpensive (read INEXPENSIVE!!!)

LODGING

MR YOLO: Staying in the Palace was the first best decision we made.  Our Airbnb was a third floor apartment that we later found out was in the old brothel.  The place was beautiful and proved to be the perfect amount of space for the two of us.  I would recommend staying in the palace and or just North of the palace. The price for 7 days was incredible, and we used it as a homebase for the week, and would take day trips. It was walking distance to the ferries, and transportation to trips like the Krka Waterfalls, so we never needed a car staying here.  

JENNI: Sorry! I forgot to take pics, but the ones on Airbnb are great! A big selling factor of the Airbnb for me was the glorious tub. Every single day, after walking around, I would come back to the apartment elevate my prego puffy feet and relax in the bath. It was a dream. In the evenings, if the museum below us was having an event, you would hear the beautiful voice of classical music or an opera singer echo through the streets and in through the window. Unreal. The only thing I will note are the stairs to get up to the 3rd floor, but if me and bump can make it (with some heavy breathing) you should be just fine!

KRKA WATERFALLS 

JENNI: I booked a trip to the Krka Waterfalls on Airbnb, but you could just as easily head to the tourist kiosk by the water and book it there…possibly for cheaper. It was a 1.5 hr drive from the city, and a perfect day trip. The Falls were stunning in person, we hiked a few kilometer loop around the waterfalls. The first half was a nature hike on a boardwalk and the second half was on cobblestone road and took you through the early industry of the area.  Only downfall was that the base of the waterfall felt super touristy, but this Mama-to-be appreciated that I could stop for a snack and some water. The hub and our new Aussie friend we met along the way enjoyed a cold beer. The plan was to meet my family at the Falls, but they got on a different hike then us, and said it was much more of a hike, with no pit stops for food or water, and more waterfalls. So you can definitely pick a route based on the experience you are looking for!

GREEN MARKET
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