My Dream to Life

There are some projects that just get me deep inside.  Whenever designing a space, we think of all of the functions the room needs to have.  In this case- it was my dad's lakehouse bathroom and it needed to be practical and be able to handle lots of wear & tear from guests.  But beyond the functional, I always want something more. 

This cottage has been in my family since the 50s.  We've been been making memories here through now 4 generations.  I remember coming here as a little girl and the whole family piling into the cottage on summer weekends:  Beds pushed together, laughing & talking late into the night to the hum of the window air conditioning units.  This cottage was built in the 1930s and when my dad inherited it in the late 90s, he completely redid it.  I've been there helping along the way & we've had our disagreements believe me, but most of the time, I win.  I want to share with you one of my favorite finished spaces, the kids' bathroom.  We started with nothing.  There wasn't an original bathroom there, jusgt a small sitting room.  My dad raised the roof on the original cottage and made room for a large bathroom.  When I started on this space it was just rough- framing, sans-drywall. 

{Little galvanized buckets hold kiddie washcloths and toys}

There are details that my dad has filled in that were not the ones specified by me (such as the wall color, chrome outlet covers, etc.) but I am seriously trying to LET GO.  (It's not easy for someone like me..)  I got to this bathroom in spurts on visits and so it's not exactly as I want it but it feels good, which is what matters most to me.    I used fun bright colors- corals and aqua- to pull in the glass floor tiles and the scheme from the kids' bedroom.



A while back we made these little framed stamps of Christian's hands and feet:



I used the lobster print from the Natural Cuiosities centerfold:
{Still waiting to be properly matted}



And, finally, after years of waiting for the house to be finished, I got my dream last night:



The kids piled into the clawfoot tub!!  (It's not original to the house, but a new 7 footer.)  It was exactly as I'd envisioned and was seriously awesome.  I'm sure many of you feel the same way about creating a space:  you envision the way things will play out and "making memories" in the perfect setting.   We'd had a nice long day at the lake and then it was easy & fun to just run the bath water in the massive tub and pile them in at the end of the day.


i loved seeing them having such a blast. 


{Andrew, and poor Lily being squirted by Christian}



This is what it's all about and I just wanted to share with you.   When we're creating rooms we really are doing more than designing spaces.  We're affecting how we'll live.  I love it!!



xoxo, Lauren

*Sink: American Standard 
*Paint: "mountain haze" by Behr...  Eventually, I'll switch it to a more bluey/aqua-gray instead of the green-gray it is (the current undertones are wrong with the aqua floor tiles) or a creamy-warm-beigey-neutral  that works better with the glass floor   (...My dad used the leftover paint from another room ;)

62 comments:

JNoPie said...

Love this--thanks for sharing!

~Grace Happens~ said...

what a charming bathroom! i love the tub. but hands down the cutest part are the kiddos!

A Perfect Gray said...

wonderful. probably the best post I will read all day. Great pics of the kids...

A Perfect Gray said...

wonderful. probably the best post I will read all day. Great pics of the kids...

Janell @ House of Fifty said...

There is nothing like a get away home to create memories in, love the photos of the kids in the tub. Beautiful job with the bathroom. Does your Dad ever say, okay, you were right?! Janell

Taelor said...

I love this! We are renovating our own lakehouse bathroom. What is the paint color on the wall?

Chedva @Rooms and Words said...

You brought tears to my eyes. Yes, this is exactly what's it all about.
It's a beautiful space, to top it all.

Monique said...

Absolutly gorgeous!!!

Michelle Hughes said...

I love it! Orange and aqua-y blue is one of my favorite combos!

xo
Michelle

Bailey Quin said...

Love the tub and those precious nuggets in it!

Plantress said...

Hey there Lauren,
I can totally dig it. We have a place where we come every year that is near our own lake and I just love the continuity of the trip. I strongly feel that if you make memories there with the children the kids will come back as adults and will cherish the space just as strongly as you did. Family is so important!
More Later,

Plantress

Kate Riley said...

Oh I love the hand and feet prints, and especially what you said about 'doing more than designing spaces . . . we're affecting how we live." Well said. :-)

Gretchen O. said...

j'adore the turquoise and coral! Those little tow heads remind me of my own, I wish I had a clawfoot tub to take pictures of mine!

Just out of curiosity, what color would you have painted the wall??

Oh and that lobster print...FANTASTIC!

--gretchen

Gretchen O. said...

oh and where did you source that sink?

THANKS!

Momma Rhyne said...

So precious!! A 7' tub? That is awesome. Ours is only the 5 footer and I still pile my 3 in there... so sweet.

pve design said...

...and you are creating good clean fun in one fell swoop! Just posted a box to you today with a book that I think you will find stylish and right up your design alley!
pve

katiedid said...

Adorable! The kids AND the bathroom!

Jennifer Sergent said...

Lauren -- true summer lovin! What a great memory, and I love how the hand and foot stamps coordinate with the towels!!

Life in Rehab said...

Lauren, that tub is to die for, love the prints, love the little framed hands and feet, love EVERYTHING! But the kids in the tub just melted my heart.

Grace @ Sense and Simplicity said...

Such a pretty, fun bathroom. I'm curious to know what colour you would have recommended for the walls. We have almost the same colour floor tiles and I'm wondering what goes with it. I could see a framed copy of that photo of those 3 smiling faces hung in the bathroom.

Stephanie said...

Great photos and beautiful children! Love the stamps of the hands and feet - too cute!

Unknown said...

What a gorgeous space Lauren, wow! The sweet kids in the tub are the best! xx

Jade @ Flip Flops + Pearls Design said...

In the end, it's the memories that are created in the space not just the space itself. Sometimes it's hard for designers to grasp...we're always thinking of what could be changed or what could be better. But, looks like those kiddos are as good as it gets!

bluehydrangea said...

Perfect!!

Lilacandgrey said...

What a sweet space!!! Love it!

Teresa Meyer said...

Gorgeous! Honestly, I couldn't pay attention to the beauty of the tub because I was so distracted by the absolutely adorable children!!!!!

Kelli said...

I LOVE the turquoise and coral accent~Great Job!
Kelli

Rach and Todd said...

It's adorable. Can you tell us all where the sink came from??

Averill said...

Beautiful! Love the blue tile floor and the touches of orange. And that tub is FANTASTIC. Perfect for your darling little ones.

Kim@Chattafabulous said...

Congratulations on living your dream. I do love the pops of orange, too - so fresh! ... and the kiddos are adorable!

Erin said...

I have turq and orange in my guest bathroom and I love it! I really like your dark stained door w/ white trim too:)

Lauren said...

Hi all! Thanks so much for the sweet comments! :)

The sink is American Standard and the paint is Behr's "mountain haze" (leftover from another room... I do love the color just not in here... the undertones are wrong)

xoxo,
lauren

Laurel-Dawn McBurney said...

I love this clawfoot tub! I am a new follower and LOVE your blog... thanks for the daily inspiration!

Laurel-Dawn McBurney said...

I love this clawfoot tub! I am a new follower and LOVE your blog... thanks for the daily inspiration!

Maillardville Manor said...

So beautiful! The bathroom and the sentiment! and the Kids!! too cute! Love the vanity, the tub, the walls, the picture, awwww, the whole darn thing!! Great job!

LindsB said...

I know exactly what you mean about making memories, and this is the perfect place to make new ones now! love the tub, I have always dreamed of having a claw foot tub in my house!

Tammy@InStitches said...

It's lovely, I hope you got to soak in the tub too !

La Dolfina said...

Those kids are uber cute!!!
These photos remind me of the ones my Mom took of my 2 brothers and I back in the 60's. Such classic goodness. Thanks for sharing :)
The bathroom looks awesome by the way, great job!

Susie @ Maddie G Designs said...

It all looks great....but the smiles on the kiddos faces says it all!!! Great job and enjoy the vacation.

Andrea Johnson said...

Hi Lauren,

I came across your blog via Kerrisdale Design and have really enjoyed it!

Unknown said...

I LOVE THE LITTLE CUTIES IN THE TUB!
Kiss Christian and Justin for me.
Luv ya,
Ma

Emily A. Clark said...

So sweet! Love the artwork.

And, Christian's hair looks just like my little boy's :)

Charlotta Ward said...

It looks wonderful Lauren and the kids smiles say it all. Just look at them and see how happy they are.
They don't care that the walls aren't the perfect shade and I think that the important thing here is that you and your dad did it together! What a wonderful way to honour the memories created by the generations!

Thanks for sharing. I love what you guys did.
xx C

Megan Lee said...

Lauren, you have done an amazing job throughout your dad's house. I was just up there a few weeks ago for some boating on the lake and your dad let me take a peek at the progress. Each room is breathtaking!!

My Dream Canvas said...

Gorgeous!!! Yummy summer images :-) I am hosting a CSN Giveaway so do stop by, and if you can please spread the word. Thanks a ton Anu

EDYTA & CO. INTERIOR DESIGN said...

These memories sound so amazing.
I bet it was fun to update a space you had so much memories with.

:)
xo
edyta
http://edytaandco.blogspot.com/

Ness Lockyer said...

love it Lauren...thats what it is all about - living!
Ness xx

Susan said...

You did a fantastic job, loving it.
Susan

Unknown said...

Lauren, you really have a knack for making beautiful spaces! I love the floor tiles and that claw foot tub. And, I also love how you pulled together everything with the color scheme. Great inspiration as we begin embarking on a renovation. Elizabeth

paula said...

that clawfoot tub is a dream of mine too, gorgeous work.

diane@onlinefabricstore said...

I wouldnt worry too much about the paint color....the lobster print ties it all together. It would be cute to take the photo of the 3 kids and turn it into a canvas and hang it in the room to create personal artwork since it is a family home. Great post.

Champagne Macarons said...

Beautiful post! Those little darlings in the tub are having a blast!
xoxo, B

LiveLikeYou said...

Adorable Lauren!!! Looks like a special place to make memories. Love the foot and hand prints. Another great idea. Hope you're having a relaxing summer! xx Jill

Living It At Home said...

It is so lovely and very inspirational with its simplicity and soothing colors. Thank you for sharing it.

Velvet and Linen said...

I want my life designed by you :)
You have such a gift. All of the spaces you create just make people happy...
Wonderful job, Lauren!!!

xo
Brooke

Peggy and Fritz said...

Adorable! What a great memory. You should frame that picture of the kids on the tub. I always hang pictures of kids in the bathroom in a single photo right about the toilet paper holder. I know sounds funny but it always makes people chuckle. I once got my girlfriends son on the toilet and asked him to hold a newspaper...I took the photo and hung it in my bathroom for years. What a cute little space. Love the personal touches. Ann at Peggy Fritz.

Windlost said...

Gorgeous Lauren, so perfectly restfully happy there. Love the kids in the tub. Makes me wish for three...


xo Terri

My Galveston Cottage said...

a wonderful post!!! you got the right balance.

Suzanne Anas Jurich said...

I am somehow just finding your blog!
I LOVE those hand and foot prints! What a fantastic idea!!...I just may have to steal it. :P

Lorna said...

Fab pics Lauren, I just want to check - did you receive the PDF of the blog watch article I did? Sent it about a week ago.

Hello Lover... said...

So cute - love the clawfoot tub. I absolutely love family cottages - I'm really hoping we will have one of our own someday - such a great way to make lots of memories.

Unknown said...

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