Week 4.
"You know there will be days when you're so tired that you can't take another step
The night will have no stars and you'll think you've gone as far as you will ever get
But you and me walk on, walk on, walk on
Cause you can't go back now" - The Weepies
I've come too far to go back now!
And guess what - I don't want to!
I love this bathroom!
I started the week by going back and fixing the projects I wasn't 100% happy about last week.
I decided to paint the window trim black and I am SO glad I did.
They look absolutely incredible.
Not only do they completely fit the vibe of the room now, they also look so much bigger!
I love how they compliment the black mirrors I hung last week!
The other project I revisited was the bathroom door and the door trim. Something felt "off" about it.
While I love the color "nomadic desert" and it looked great on the bedroom side, I didn't fully love it on the bathroom side.
I decided to repaint the bathroom side the same color as the walls (wild truffle, behr).
Then I painted the trim to match. There are so many beautiful features in this room - (some which haven't even been created yet!) - so I love that painting it this way allows the door to just blend in.
Once that was taken care of, I began one of the bigger projects of the room: the vanity counter top! As you know, I am doing this whole bathroom on a very strict budget. This means I have found creative ways to use what I already have instead of purchasing all new things. I decided to transform my existing laminate countertop into a cement counter top to fit with the moody earthy vibe.
I did my research and didn't think this would be too challenging of a project - but I had never worked with cement before so I didn't really know what I was getting into.
Fortunately, it ended up being really easy and fun!
The product I used was Henry's Feather Finish, which I purchased at Home Depot for about $23.
I was able to take the countertop completely off so I could work on it in the garage. From the research I did, I learned that the cement should stick to the laminate just fine as long as I prep it right.
For laminate, this would mean sanding it roughly and adding some cuts directly into the laminate so that the cement could get in and grip on tightly. However, before I did this, I actually discovered I was able to just peel the laminate completely off the wood.
I still ended up making a few cuts into the wood just to be on the safe side, but the cement should have no problem sticking to this. I mixed up my Henry's Feather Finish (which is just a mixture of the product and water. read the directions for the ratio!) and applied it with a putty knife.
I did a super thin layer first to get a level solid base. It dries very fast -The directions say about 15-30 minutes. Once it dried, I would do a light sanding by hand and then apply another coat.
I believe I did about 4 or 5 thin coats in total.
I purposely created some "texture" in my pattern to make it resemble a stone slab.
I say "texture" because while it looks "rough" it is still perfectly smooth to the touch. When all the coats were on, I sealed it with Behr's Wet Look Cement Sealer.
I did 4 coats (which can be applied 4 hours apart) to make sure it was completely sealed and protected.
I am so in love with it.
Using spray paint, I was able to spray the faucets a matte black which really completes the look. I can not believe this is the same bathroom as the one I had 4 weeks ago! No going back to that! (click here to see the "Before" pictures https://www.honeydohoneyhome.com/post/a-challenge-of-tranquility )
Now we walk on!
I love this cement counter top so much it actually inspired me to make a design change to the room. I was originally going to paint the tile that runs around the bathtub - but after seeing the cement, I decided to cement that as well.
I've only had a chance to get one coat on that so far and it will take many more coats but I think the finished product will be stunning! Hopefully - because I can't go back now!
Another small project I completed this week was the light fixture.
I took down the existing light fixture and painted it the same was I painted the mirrors.
I sprayed it with stone texture spray, and then black spray paint.
Once the paint dried, I rubbed mud all over it and wiped it off once it was dry.
I plan to add some Edison bulbs to it eventually, which will complete the look.
Which brings me to the halfway mark of the One Room Challenge!
I couldn't be happier with my progress!
I'm SO excited for this next week - I plan to finish the tub surround and hopefully start building some ceiling beams! "I can't really say why everybody wishes they were somewhere else
But in the end, the only steps that matter are the ones you take all by yourself" The Weepies
I'm super proud of myself for accomplishing all of this, by myself, in 4 weeks! Not to mention, you know, being a Mom to three little boys! Be sure to check out the other One Room Challenge participants at https://www.oneroomchallenge.com/blog/orcspring2022wk4 Follow my progress on Instagram at www.instagram.com/honeydohoney_home Lets get creating!