3 Ways to Refresh your Bathroom (without a major renovation!)

Bathrooms and Kitchens often scare us when we’re thinking about upgrading or refreshing our home design, because so many different things are involved in a pretty small space:

plumbing
electric
tile
fixtures
hardware

lighting
backsplash
storage
paint
(and finally….) the decor

Immediately, you might be imaging the dollar signs, mess, and stress that would come with a bathroom renovation… and I get it. But today we’re going to talk about 3 ways to update your bathroom WITHOUT a renovation, either to tide you over until you’re ready to invest in a larger project, or to make do with what you currently have- and hopefully learn to love it!

Bathrooms are an easy spot to add luxury to your home, improve the function in an area that everyone uses daily, and increase the market value of your house for when you’re ready to put it on the market.

Today I’m sharing three steps to update your bathroom that don’t require a major renovation. Either try one, or all three, and see if you can upgrade your sorry bathroom from junky to the jewel box it deserves to be!

1) Paint

One of the easiest, most cost effective, and DIY-friendly ways to make a huge impact in your home is with paint. Tile, bathtubs, and lighting fixtures might all look completely different if they are against a new backdrop. Vanity cabinets can also be painted to make a serious update to the style of a room, for much less money and hassle than replacing a bathroom vanity.

First, identify the color palette of the things that are absolutely staying in the bathroom.

It is tempting to want to match the colors that are already in your bathroom- but if you’re looking for a big change- Don’t do it!

We had a bathroom with a dark tan travertine marble tile on the walls and floor, and the previous owners had color matched a peachy-orange for the wall paint. The room felt small, dark, and dingy (and it was terrible for putting on makeup, too!).

I repainted the room in a simple creamy white (still with a warm undertone to not clash with the tile) and it completely opened and freshened the space. I had *thought* that I hated the tile, but what I really hated was the orange color on the walls. As soon as it was painted white, the tile looked rich and luxurious, and that half-bath didn’t bother me any more.

In another bathroom, I couldn’t update the tile because it was from 1925 and could no longer be matched perfectly. So, I drew inspiration from the accent tile and painted the walls a pale green that was close to the tile. The previously buttercream paint made the old tiles look dingy and dirty all the time. When the paint was updated to a cool green- the white and green wall tiles looked fresh and updated!

Have a bathroom you’re considering painting? Show us in the busy mama’s home design club!

2) Textiles and Details

For a quicker fix, let’s assume everything permanent in your space will stay as it is, and you’re not ready to commit to a weekend of painting.

The textiles and other decor items in a bathroom can be updated quickly and can change the whole style of the room.

First, clear ALL the clutter from surfaces. This includes towels, soap dispensers, shampoo bottles, makeup, medicine, towels, shower curtains, window treatments, and rugs. If you leave *just a few things* in the space, you really can’t see what you’re working with, and it’s harder to imagine a new color palette when you’re looking at your old things.

Next, as you’re getting started, stick to a SIMPLE color palette. Simplifying the amount of colors and textures that you look at will make the space feel more pulled together and intentionally designed. You can get your color inspiration from a piece of artwork, or a towel or rug that you love. But Keep. It. Simple.

When you’re sourcing things for your bathroom update (from around your home, vintage shops, or your local big box store….) only add functional/decorative items that are a) absolutely necessary and b) that you like! When you start wondering where something “could” go- it shouldn’t go in the bathroom at all!

Only after you have a combination of the necessary things (towels, curtain, etc) should you even consider non-essential decor! 😉

3) Storage and Non-Traditional elements

Finally, if you’re looking for an update that will truly define your space and reflect your unique style- look outside of the “bathroom aisle” for items to add to your space.

Storage and function are top priorities in this hardworking space in our homes.

Vanity cabinets, countertop trays, towel storage, drying racks, and light fixtures can all be included in bathrooms by using furnishings designed for other living spaces in our homes.

For inspiration, I put together a curated collection of items to include in your next bathroom update- from storage to decor- that will add a designer’s touch to your powder room!

Each week I host a LIVE video series on Facebook to discuss {real} design + decor solutions for {real} family homes! This episode is all about updating your bathroom (on a budget, in a weekend, however you need to!) so that it works the best for your busy family home (and you love it, too!).

What bathroom dilemma are you trying to solve right now? Is the color off? Not enough storage? Are you scared to invest in anything permanent, so you just do NOTHING?

My Online Home Design+Decor Consulting services are designed to help you solve your design problem, make great decor decisions, and implement so you can hurry up and start living in your dream home!

If you’re tired of waiting to love your home, and you’re ready to get started- book a free design chat today!

Not sure how you would update your space even if you felt ready to get started?

Create your Signature Home Design Style with my 5-day email course. Because having a clear plan is the first step towards making that dream home a reality!

find out your unique home style

5 Ways to Have a More Durable & Stylish Family Home

I see it all the time: busy families living in hectic, pieced-together, stressful homes that have no intentional style or design. Mamas who have resigned themselves to waiting for their dream home until 1) they can afford it & 2) there are no kids in the house to ruin their nice things!

Why do we let children make us feel like we don’t deserve to love where we live? And why do we convince ourselves that our children can’t coexist in the house we really want- so we let them dictate our lifestyle? (I feel like we could draw this line of questioning out WAY further than home decor… but that’s outside my realm of expertise, so I’ll leave that to the other professionals.) Now, back to your home design dreams. 🙂

I’m going to give you 5 simple ways to improve the style in your home while also keeping it kid-proof! Kid-proof in our house means that my entire family can live in our home, they are comfortable, relaxed, and can access everything they need. It is organized in a way that is clear and easy to navigate for each person (grown-ups and 5-year-olds, too!).

1. Don’t over-invest in your home before your lifestyle can allow for it

What I mean by this is that the first thing you need to establish is what is the standard of living that you are willing to uphold in your home. Do you religiously make everyone take off their shoes at the door? Or do you sometimes like to have “couch-dinners” (my daughter LOVES to have special dinners while watching a movie on the couch!)?

The standard of living that you are willing to uphold sets the stage for the types of items you have in your home and the future design choices you make! A very formal home filled with expensive furniture can be so beautiful, but if it adds stress and friction to the lives of the people who live there- (in my honest opinion) the beauty isn’t worth it!

Work on setting the stage in your home so that the design and decor supports the type of life you want to live.

2. Introduce a simple color palette so you can quickly dress up a space without scrambling

When I’m working on bringing the design of a home together, I always focus on only THREE main colors. A light neutral, a dark(er) neutral, and an accent color.

When there are 4 or more colors in a room that are competing for your attention, your eyes become fatigued and confused, and aren’t able to really take in the entire space. Adding backpacks, extra shoes, the dog leash, Legos, and art supplies…. and that is one HECTIC place to live!

Simplifying the color palette of your homes is a simple way to begin updating and adding peace to your home without making a huge change with furniture or decor.

3. Choose floor coverings that are washable and withstand foot traffic

I love dark wood floors and white area rugs. I’ve heard over and over- how in the world do you keep your rugs clean? Do you just keep the kids in their rooms or in the basement? (Ha! no way, Jose!)

To read all about the rugs I use in my home, check out this round up!

My tip for purchasing rugs that will stand up to all of the foot traffic, shoes, food, pets, etc- is to choose indoor/outdoor quality rugs that are made from synthetic materials. If it says “can be sprayed with a hose” – EVEN BETTER! Now, I don’t take my living room rug outside and literally spray it with a hose. BUT- I do soak it with soap and water when it is inevitably spilled on, and scrub it when needed (WITHOUT freaking out about ruining the carpet).

Seriously- check out this video of me spilling my Saturday morning coffee on our ivory and silver rug!

4. Be sure pillow cases, throws, and other covers are washable and dry-able for easy clean up

Pillow cases and throws are one of the easiest ways to update the decor of a space. They are relatively affordable, can be removed and washed (hello- couch dinners!) and can also be updated and changed for seasonal decor if you want to refresh your decor. Pay close attention to the care instructions for pillow cases (Dry Clean Only is NOT ALLOWED in my house! LOL).

Also check the care instruction of sofa and chair cushions when you’re investing in new furniture. All of the seat and back cushions on our couch are machine washable. A quick wash and dry, and the couch looks brand-new!

5. Designate kid spaces and be mindful that EVERY thing in the room is kid-proof

The final component to planning a kid-proof home design is that you are clear in your home where each activity belongs, and where all of the people “fit” in your home.

I talk with clients about 3 stages of a room design:
People & Purpose / Function & Flow / Design & Details

In each of the stages of designing a room, consider how your kiddos will fit in your home. What spaces do they live in the most? Where do they need self-guided access to their belongings? Can you help put systems in your home to encourage them to learn? grow? help you keep your home clean and organized? 😉

Every home functions differently, and my kids need different systems than yours. But by being intentional about making home design WORK to support your lifestyle can help every day tasks be smoother and less stressful.

For more support in designing your kid-proof home-
Join the busy mama’s home design club!
A free community for moms to get advice and support as you design and decorate your active family homes!

Family Friendly Design: Hide the Kid Stuff!

Do you ever feel like you’re living in a preschool playroom? You’re dreaming in primary colors? You consider decorating your mantle with teddy bears, or you’ve stepped on SO MANY LEGOs it doesn’t even surprise you any more?

Never fear, mama. I’ve pulled together some of my favorite, super-STYLISH, and always practical storage solutions that will hide the kid stuff so you can reclaim your home from your children’s belongings.

I don’t believe that you have to sacrifice great style when you have children in your home. I DO, however, believe that you need to put some care and thought into strategically designing your home so that it works for everyone in your household.

In my home, this means stashing a puzzle, coloring book, and magnetic blocks UNDER the ottoman we use for our coffee table. Our 5-year-old always has something to pull out for playtime, and she can also manage putting it away when she is done. There is NO reason for her toys to be floating around the living room.

My son is 15-months old, and his things are a little harder to corral. For now, we have a collapsible play pen set up in the living room where he can play while I cook or work on the computer. His toys go INSIDE the pen, and straightening them is a piece of cake! I keep only a few options out at a time, and they aren’t too much of an eyesore. The play pen can be quickly folded up and put away if we have adult company!

want more family-friendly home help? Join the club!

THREE strategies to designing around “kid stuff”

1) Give everything a HOME

Whether it’s a basket by the door, or a storage ottoman for each room- when everything has a place to be “put away” it is less of a struggle to keep it picked up.

2) Limit the amount of stuff stored in each room.

Depending on your lifestyle and the age of your kiddos, this will look differently for each family. My kids get three things to play with in the living room, and everything else needs to be put away in their rooms. It’s enough “out” that my daughter feels included in our home (there is LOTS of grown-up stuff, she says!) but easy to put away and out of sight! The less stuff, the easier it is to put back where it belongs.

3) Be intentional with your furniture and organization choices.

There are SO many products out there designed to hide, store, organize, and camouflage our JUNK- be tactful and intentional about how you incorporate storage solutions in your home design. Some of my TOP choices are below.

These links may include affiliate links which help support my business by contributing a small amount of your purchase without costing you an extra penny!

Storage Ottomans:

Storage ottomans are one of my all. time. favorite. pieces. You can find them in bold patterns or classy leather upholstery, and they are great for storing blankets, board, games, remote controls, and other living room essentials. This is an awesome example of an ottoman that could be used in an entryway, living room, office, or bedroom.

Stylish storage containers:

Fun storage baskets like these from ILovebarushka can be coordinated to your decor and give small items a designated place to belong. I would love to use these in a kid room design, or for a fun addition of organic color and texture to an office, media room, or reading nook.

For an even cleaner look, keep all baskets and bins in the SAME color. The fewer colors in a space to distract our eyes, the cleaner and more put together the room will appear.

Grown-Up Storage Furniture

Stick with storage furniture that matches the rest of your home. (NO primary colors! unless that’s your style….) And opt for pieces that encourage your kiddos to put their OWN things back where they belong. This piece is low and simple, and would compliment all types of white trim and classic design. The bins help children learn to put their own toys away, and keep it hidden so mama is happy!

Love the idea of hiding the kid STUFF- but not sure where to start?

Join the busy mama’s home design club- and we’ve got you covered!
Join other mamas in this free community working on designing and decorating their homes to be the perfect retreat for the families we love.

Join the club!

Create Playfully Chic Little Girl Bedrooms (for sisters!)

A client reached out to me with a dilemma: her two daughters’ rooms are always the last to get any design love in the house, and she had NO idea how to create special spaces for them to call their own. These rooms needed lots of personality, BUT also needed to grow up with the little ladies.

I dove in! My own 5-year-old loves “decorating” her room, and has LOTS of ideas about fashion and design. (Wonder where she gets that?!?!?) What a fun project to dream up not one, but TWO little girl spaces =)

My goal for these rooms was to create a design that would easily grow up with them over the years. Kid rooms do not have to be filled with cartoon characters and “kid furniture.” If you are creating coordinating designs, or designing across several rooms and keeping a theme- follow some simple guidelines.

1) Keep furniture styles cohesive.

I chose basic furniture pieces for each room that were either identical, or could mix-and-match in a different space in the future. If pieces are TOO specific to one room, it’s hard to move them around in a new house (or after the kids rooms get converted into something else!).

2) Use variations on a (color) scheme.

For these rooms, I chose four colors to set my color scheme: Main, Accent, WHITE, and Metallic. This made shopping for decor SO EASY- when you know the colors you are restricted to- it’s much easier to say NO to all of the distracting decor that you see on the shelves! Especially in a kid room- keeping the color scheme simple really ties the room together and makes the design feel sophisticated and intentional.

3) Lean towards the multi-functional.

Kids don’t stay kids forever! I chose furniture, accessories, and accent pieces that could be re-purposed in other adult rooms in future years if necessary. Just because we have to buy our kids new clothes every year- don’t let them grow out of good design, too!

And now what you’ve been waiting for! The Room Designs!

Shared Design Elements

By including several matching items in each room, I wanted to keep the girls’ designs different enough, but still equal (to avoid future fights!). These simple, white, foundational pieces can be updated to countless styles as the girls grow and change their tastes.

Room A: Tranquil Turquoise

My daughter especially loves this room design (and promptly asked me to made a moodboard for her room, too!). I love turquoise as a base color, because it can pair with SO many other accent colors that help it grow up with your little girl. Coral here is a playful and aquatic color pairing that reminds me of mermaids and shells on the beach.

Room B: Pretty in Pink

The second room is a bit more muted with soft pink, gray, and gold metallic accents. Using the same base furniture, I created a entirely new design with a different rug, pillows, and wall art!

Let me know if you have a little girl room to makeover at your place, and share your style with me on Instagram! I’m hanging out over there every day sharing my home design adventures and soaking up inspiration from all over the world! If you won’t to connect, follow me at @alyssaturnercairns and tag your home design shots with #ATChomedesign. See you there!

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Create a Peaceful Farmhouse Bedroom (Steal This Style!)

Peg, a friend from my neighborhood, asked for some help pulling her master bedroom together this winter. She lives in an old home like I do, so we both know what it is like to navigate some challenges of a house in Michigan built in the 1920’s!

Luckily- she knew EXACTLY the look she wanted for their room, so we dove right in to see how it could translate to her space.

This project was the inspiration for my “Steal-a-Style” design package where I quickly and affordably give my clients a shopping list and plan to create an exact style in your home- pulled directly from your inspiration photo! Quick, easy, custom design that stays on budget and saves you SERIOUS time and effort. Score! Check out this service HERE!

The photo Peg shared with me was the peaceful and romantic, farmhouse-inspired bedroom designed by Liz at Love Grows Wild. Liz’s home improvement and design inspiration on her site are such a delight! If you don’t know her already, check her out at www.lovegrowswild.com, or follow her amazing feed at instagram.com/lizlovegrowswild

Based on Peg's inspiration and the layout of her room- we put together a Design Guide for her new Master Bedroom. Photos are examples of products, and are not mine. — Based on Peg’s inspiration and the layout of her room- we put together a Design Guide for her new Master Bedroom. Photos are examples of products, and are not mine.

When a client asks for a “Steal-a-Style” package, we start the project with a phone call or video chat to discuss the space she wants to design, as well as narrow down her inspiration photo.

The best part of Steal-a-Style is that the client has NOTHING more to do after that call! I take the inspiration photo, the client’s budget, and the dimensions of the room, and get to work. I put together a shopping list of as many design elements as possible and get back to the client with an implementation guide and the list. We might email a few times to make sure it all goes as planned- but it’s that simple!

Learn more about Steal-a-Style

For Peg’s Master Bedroom, I found the major furniture pieces, linens, and a few decorative touches to complete the transformation of her space. She and her husband found some awesome pieces at local antique shops and boutiques, and it was fun seeing how they worked these into the room.

Click each product photo for more information. This round-up includes affiliate links that help support my business at no additional cost to my clients or my audience. Thank you for your support! =)

We are working on the finishing styling details of this room later this month, so stay tuned for the reveal of this sweet farmhouse master bedroom!