Every year we do gift baskets for friends and neighbors and we do our very best to feature a small business that we love. We figure we are spending the money anyway… we might as well pay it forward with small businesses and make an even bigger impact. This year for our “small business gifts” we chose Semper Savage, a truly kick-ass salad dressing and marinades company.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
Christmas Hostess Gifts From Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Semper Savage
Why them? I don’t know if you knew this, but in Rainman’s previous life he was a helicopter pilot in the Marines. I know. He wins the “my dad has a cooler job than yours” competition with some regularity.
I sometimes picture him in those Vietnam Era films with a Huey zooming along rice patty fields… because he’s pretty much my hero (please insert theme music: Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival).
It was a no-brainer figuring out what we were getting for our small-business gifts this year when we discovered that a fellow-cool-guy-helicopter-pilot-friend of David’s owns a small business selling om-nom-nom salad dressings and marinades.
Christmas Hostess Gifts From Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Semper Savage
Want to try these for yourself or for Christmas gifting? Use code callsign at checkout for great product discounts!
Christmas Hostess Gifts From Veteran Owned Small Businesses
The dressings, that are homemade and made with authentic, actual natural ingredients, are getting rave reviews and we think you’ll love them!
Christmas Hostess Gifts From Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Semper Savage
Have you purchased any Christmas gifts from small businesses this year? We love Semper Savage’s fast, free shipping and cannot wait to get these cute dressing sets out to our friends and family.
Semper Fi friends and Merry Christmas!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
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Why should I care about staging my bathroom or powder room for sale (or entertaining), you ask? And I’ll tell you (because that’s sort of just what I do): This is the one room where your party guests, or potential buyers, are going to (probably) spend some alone time.
And you know what? They’re going to look, and they’re going to notice: how clean is it? How cluttered is it? You know what else they’re going to do? They’re going to look through your stuff. (Trust me, they will).
They’re also going to, hopefully, relax and feel like they might want to stay a while. Stay tuned and I will guide you through bathroom decor ideas, bathroom cleaning, and staging.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
Your bath guests are looking to see if you’re Miss Piggy or Mary Poppins (practically perfect in every way). And although I don’t always like being Mary Poppins, in this case you should DEFINITELY be aiming for perfection and cleanliness and not being a disgusting, egotistical, irrational character that denies that she is anything less than absolutely perfect. Nobody likes Miss Piggy.
Ideally, your bathroom should be pretty… but, even if it’s not, you can still stage it to create a welcoming, spa-like space that will wow potential buyers and guests alike.
Here are the easy steps to stage your bathroom or powder room like a professional (with a complete source list at the end):
Staging A Powder Room Or Bathroom Like A Pro
Deep Clean and Declutter.
I can’t emphasize this enough: This is the single most important step of bathroom staging. Scrub that sucker until it shines. I’m talking, rubber-gloves-and-buckets type cleaning.
I recommend unloading the vanity and reorganizing it (people will definitely look through your cabinets and drawers during a showing… but also during a party). If you unload the countertops and all of the floor items, you can wash and shine to your heart’s delight. In a bathroom, it’s okay for it to smell “bleachy”, it just tells people it’s clean.
Pay special attention to the toilet (that part right behind the seat hinge where hair and BLECH accumulates), under the rim, the toilet seat (above and below), in front of and behind the bowl, and the floor (and wall) around the commode.
Stock.
Provide:
plenty of toilet paper and a stock of extra rolls in the cabinet/drawer: this is a great time to splurge on a new freestanding toilet paper holder that you can take to the next house (if you’re selling)
spare toothbrushes and toothpaste in a clearly marked container (I like bamboo toothbrushes for my guests that are both biodegradable and compostable). You just never know who has goat-butt breath and is looking for rescue
ladies’ toilet essentials in a basket in a cabinet/drawer (in various sizes and shapes)
toilet cleaning brush and plunger: If you have room to keep the toilet cleaning brush and the plunger under the sink, that’s the best place for them (out of sight but accessible in case someone needs them). I don’t want anyone feeling mortified because they clogged the uncloggable toilet or made an unsightly mess in the toilet with no way to remedy it. (For staging, if you can’t hide it, put it somewhere else. They take all the magic out of the beautiful, photo ready bathroom)
reading material in a water hyacinth magazine basket: keep these within reach of the toilet, but not so close that they soak up overspray from the commode
a lined, clean trash can
De-stock.
Lock up your medications
Lock up your medications
Lock up your medications
I’m not even going to get into this. Just please, do this one thing for me. If you fail to heed this advice: not only could your medications disappear, but I also find it to be a massive invasion of privacy when people are checking out your medications in your cabinet. AND THEY WILL.
See again: People will snoop. Put your stuff away.
Hang Fantastic Art
Bathroom wall art is an often overlooked item in bathrooms. You’d be surprised how an amazing piece of art in an ornate frame can make a whole room feel upscale (even if the room is just meh)… or how a bunch of little art pieces can make a bathroom feel a lot like your Great-Aunt Betty (Bless Her Heart) decorated it in 1978 (with add-ons from the entire decade of the 80s at which time she declared it perfect and never changed another thing ever again). I prefer one big piece to many little ones: it seems to make the room feel bigger and much more clean and uncluttered.
The Easy Way To DIY Breathtaking Landscape and Scenery Paintings
Flowers or Greenery
An orchid is a fantastic choice for bathroom staging… it doesn’t take up much countertop space and is easy to care for. It adds a dramatic flair and I just love ours in the new bathroom (like the brave woman that I am: I sent Rainman to the grocery store with directions to buy a tall, skinny flower arrangement and he NAILED IT). For staging, I also like a single palm frond or even a small branch, attractively arranged (just make sure these are bug free before you drag them inside!).
I prefer the orchid because no one harrasses me about it, like they do with the branches. (“Is that a tree branch?” “Where’d you find that tree branch?” “What’s with the tree branch?” “Is that a tiny snake on that tree branch… just kidding ha ha ha ha.” You see why it’s easier to just buy a plant).
Staging A Powder Room Or Bathroom Like A Pro
Staging A Powder Room Or Bathroom Like A Pro
Staging A Powder Room Or Bathroom Like A Pro
Buy A New, Pretty Shower Curtain
Seriously, when was the last time you inspected your shower curtain? It might be icky. If you haven’t thought about it in a while, it probably is. Even if you clean everything, if that shower curtain is greenish… that sends the buyer a message that you’re not taking care of the house (and will send them running out of there like an Alfred Hitchcock movie). Our bathroom here is quite masculine in design, so we went very feminine with the art and accessories to balance it. The clean, white, cotton ruffled shower curtain we used in this room is absolutely perfect and very economical.
During a recent party I may, or may not have, tucked the new shower curtain into the tub so it didn’t get peed on by the guests that were partaking. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
Staging A Powder Room Or Bathroom Like A Pro
Scent Your Space
Even once you have deep cleaned, sometimes there are lingering noxious gasses in the bathroom. There are three good options: If you’ve read our Showing Day Checklist, then you already know that the ultimate scent for home buying is Apple/Cinnamon. I guess it takes people back to the smell of grandma’s apple pie or something. We use:
Glade Apple Cinnamon Spray (which I like for showings, and I used an entire can just before we left for each showing)
Oil diffuser: This is varsity level sexy for entertaining. We like our black stone oil diffuser especially for a small space like the bathroom
Also, make sure your guests/prospective buyers have access to Lysol, Febreze, or Poo-pourri, or something to prevent them from dying of embarrassment if your shrimp, spinach, sausage, garlic cream sauce doesn’t agree with them halfway through the evening.
Skip the bathroom sets. They come across as really matchy and unimaginative.
We like pretty, artisan soaps in a fancy ceramic pedestal dish. I like to provide lots of options for hand washing, so we have bar soap, liquid soap, and hand sanitizer available so there is absolutely NO excuse for not washing hands. Our favorite, aromatic artisan made goat milk soap is from Viney Creek Farm and I highly recommend them!
Bathrooms are best kept minimal with regard to accessories: other than soap, just a couple interesting items are needed:
We have an antique jar filled with sharks teeth, a small glass pitcher with twinkle lights, the Orchid on one side and the soaps on the other. You seriously DON’T need to buy anything for this. Shop your house and you’ll find something wonderful.
Staging A Powder Room Or Bathroom Like A Pro
Holiday Decorating Tip: Give your bathroom a little love… and keep it generic (especially if your house is on the market). Some green lighted garland and twinkly Wine Stopper LED Twinkly Fairy Lights inside an antique bottle will go a long way!
Staging A Powder Room Or Bathroom Like A Pro
Staging A Powder Room Or Bathroom Like A Pro
Here is the complete source list for our bathroom staging:
You can shop it all in one place on our LTK store! Shop this post!
What are some of your favorite ways to stage a bathroom? Let us know in the comments below!
Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, LTK, and other affiliate programs: affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and other sites. These programs offer a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to a product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. These links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
One of the biggest challenges living in a new, or newer, home is making the house feel like it’s been there forever: lived in, loved, cozy, warm. I know. I’ve been there. I am also CURRENTLY there… We’ve been trying to accomplish this task room by room here. It’s slow going (because Rainman has to go to work… which is super frustrating and also QUITE INCONVENIENT WHEN WE NEED TO BE RENOVATING OUR HOUSE) but we did finally get to our downstairs bathroom remodel.
The neighbor had the audacity to remark to my husband that he thought our downstairs bathroom was fine and that time would be better spent fishing. I haven’t egged his house yet, but I’m considering it. Do people still TP houses or is that frowned upon? Asking for a friend.
And the bathroom?
It. Is. Awesome.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
As usual, the budget did not allow for me to hire a bathroom contractor (bathroom remodeling near me is SUPER EXPENSIVE- but, isn’t everything?). Apparently, every tradesman in my area has a ton of work and they can charge whatever they want to show up and work on your house (and that’s a BIG IF you can get them to show up).
Of course, it’s not like Rainman would hire out something he is “perfectly capable of doing himself” even if they can do it in under a decade, unlike us.
But… I feel like we got this amazing project done well under the average cost to remodel a bathroom because we did it ourselves (other than the plumber, who I begged Rainman to hire and ended up saving us probably about a week in work time) and I LOVE that we saved the money.
As most of you know: kitchen and bathroom renovations are the most expensive rooms in the house to remodel, but we managed to do this pretty reasonably, because I’ve been working on this for A WHILE. I’ve been sourcing pieces, researching,… cough cough… and buying stuff for this bathroom for about two years (and the guest room that was temporarily storing all of the construction stuff has finally breathed a sigh of relief and been emptied out again).
Long story short: how did we do?
This. Is. My. Favorite. Room. We’ve. Ever. Done.
Seriously. I am absolutely, 100% in LOVE… and have captured EXACTLY my design style. It doesn’t have a name.
It’s just me.
Without further ADIEU, here is the mood board we started with:
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
And the bathroom I was trying to take from boring and forgettable, to awesome…
I’m actually really lucky, because at no point did my darling Rainman suggest any silly things like, “this room is perfectly okay as is.” Or any other such nonsense. I believe he has truly embraced his fate in being married to someone who can’t just- for the LOVE OF GOD- leave well enough alone. I honestly don’t know why he puts up with me.
BEFORE (also see “Zzzzzzzzz” in the dictionary):
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
AFTER (and the clouds parted…):
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
BEFORE:
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
AFTER:
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
BEFORE:
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
AFTER:
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
BEFORE:
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
AFTER:
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
Here are some fun construction photos:
Don’t be discouraged by our two-week timeframe… we had to self-isolate for two weeks because we had a possible COVID exposure… so I very smoothly suggested that a lockdown would be an EXCELLENT opportunity to renovate the bathroom (for which we just happened to have all of the supplies)… This cut our normal construction time from about ten years per project to finished in about two weeks.
I think renovations are a lot like having babies: you only do it again because you forget how painful and messy it is. But, you keep doing it because the end result is AMAZING (even if the process involves pain, bleeding, and occasional screaming). I’m trying to remind myself of that because the ENTIRE downstairs is in a state of construction mess.
Also, the six year old has done 5000 drawings watching Youtube videos. She loves it when we’re distracted. Insert mom guilt.
For those of you who have ever renovated a bathroom, you already noticed the water damage (NEVER, EVER PUT A WOOD FLOOR IN A BATHROOM). And you were already thinking, “I wonder if they have any extra plywood on hand for that subfloor because I bet it has rot.” And you’d be right.
You noticed the color is different than the mood board? Yes, I changed my paint plan at the last minute (like THAT’S never happened before). I decided to go with Benjamin Moore’s Smoke Stack Gray. I think it’s going to have the cozy feel I want anyway, because the room is very small and I’m painting EVERYTHING the same color (ceiling, walls, and trim).
But, here’s for the really fun part: FINISHED!!!
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
One of the best ways to save money on your sink vanity is to do an antique dresser vanity conversion. Vanities are super pricey, even the junky ones. So, why not build a beautiful custom one that’s not only WAY cheaper, but also way more awesome in every way?
You can look for an antique dresser made into a bathroom vanity for sale (lots of people sell these on Craigslist), or you can just find the dresser and customize it with a smashingly fancy white porcelain vessel sink basin and any fixture you want.
I was the most surprised by this incredible faucet: I had no idea it could be that cost effective and be so beautiful. Check out some close ups.
One of the easiest ways to add depth to walls (and get rid of that horrid new house feel) is to add moldings. I wanted this already small room to feel cozy, but not claustrophobic. By painting everything one color, it feels bigger and taller. We added picture frame moldings, chair rail, and put in new baseboards. We were able to reuse the crown molding.
The Easy Way To DIY Breathtaking Landscape and Scenery Paintings
We pulled out the hardwood (why why why would you ever put wood in a bathroom???) and traded it for this gorgeous Travertine Field Tile in Ivory Honed (18″X18″). It is breathtaking but EXTREMELY finicky to install. We cracked two tiles during installation. The end result: SO WORTH IT. Travertine tile (limestone floor tile) is timeless and I made sure to pick one without the peachy/pink hues that I hate.
The commode we already had (we have upgraded every toilet in our last two houses to the American Standard Champion 4, because it is the UNCLOGGABLE toilet). It’s also very attractive, so win win. This just required a removal to put down the floors and a reinstall afterward.
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
In this shot you can see the antique Hall Tree I found on Craigslist for (I think) around $100. It was painted in a robin’s egg blue, and it was no small task getting all the paint off, but I used this paint and varnish remover, and that helped tremendously. I absolutely ADORE how it turned out (and that I can use the hooks for towels).
One little problem, though. It is ENORMOUS.
Remember Mr. “That Bathroom Doesn’t Need to Renovated” from next door? Well, as penance I asked him and his son to come over to help hang it. This involved he, his son, and my husband squeezed into this tiny bathroom, holding it up, and trying to line the bolts up with the holes we had dry fitted.
I was balancing on the toilet lid behind them, waiting with the drill to drive home the bolts as soon as someone signaled they had a bolt lined up.
So, Rainman says, “I think it’s in.” And, without hesitation, I leapt into action… RAKAKAKAK… and drove that bolt home…
Smashing Rainman’s finger between the mirror and the brick.
We might have to work on our communication.
But, I’m betting the neighbor probably won’t mess with me after that. I feel like the head of an organized crime family. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Then there’s my son, who is apparently NOT afraid of me. He thought I needed to replace the mirror part for one less “antiqued” (which he brought up no less than thirty-seven times prior to installation). Pffffft. What he doesn’t know yet, because he’s an amateur is that this is the perfect party mirror: everyone looks lovely in it. He’s just not old enough to appreciate the beauty of an imperfect mirror.
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How about those awesome Veneer Bricks from Old Mill? This is the third time we’ve used these (the Castle Gate color) and they are absolutely FANTASTIC. They are 100% authentic brick, just thinner and easier to install. We went with a medium gray grout this time to achieve the antique look we were going for and I’m absolutely over the moon with how it turned out!
Watch for our installation tutorial coming soon!
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
So, by now you’ve noticed those Dreamy 2 Light Sconces With Smoke Crystals. Yes, I’ll be buying more when they are in stock again. They match our RH Rococo Chandeliers (in smoke) perfectly, but with a much smaller price tag.
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
And more pictures of my “Smithsonian bath,” (as my sweet sister dubbed it).
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
How To Create A Historic Bathroom In A New Home
Here is the complete source list for our bathroom reno (and staging items):
Can you see doing something like this in your bathroom?
Check out more fantastic projects and design inspiration on the blog!
Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, LTK, and other affiliate programs: affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and other sites. These programs offer a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to a product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. These links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
