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Bouquets In The Bathroom

February 06, 2021

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Framed rose print held up to a shower curtain in the bathroom

When I was little, my all time favorite family trips were the ones we took to my grandparents' house in Massachusetts.

The place was magical.

A big old Victorian styled home, built around the turn of the century, filled with charm. And very, very cool rooms.

I wish I had pictures.

There was the dreamy kitchen that was more like a sitting room and the model for my own kitchen.

The butler's pantry with a sink and built-ins full of dishes. It opened up to the dining room, a space filled with more built-ins, and a swinging door that made serving easier.

There was a huge front staircase, with wide steps and a banner made for sliding and a back stairway from the kitchen up to the second floor.

However, with all these amazing rooms, and I mean amazing...fireplaces in the bedrooms, red velvet drapes and columns in the living room and an attic that boasted another fireplace...my favorite place was the bathroom.

Yup.

Crazy, I know. Why would a kid love an old Victorian bathroom?

Red Cottage Style Bathroom with flower in a white pitcher on marble vanity countertop

Well, to be fair, I really didn't. Not back then anyway.

My favorite room when I was small, was the den. The player piano that presently sits in my living room, was there and we would sit and peddle away for hours.

No. I didn't start to love that bathroom, until I started looking for a home of my own.

The cottages in our desired neighborhood were very old. The had original accents, detailed moulding, quirky spaces. And very small bathrooms. Very small.

It was all a little shocking.

The bathrooms I envisioned were like my grandmother's. Clawfoot tub, wooden floor, original pull chain toilets, a vanity...and room for chairs and cupboards and other fun decor. 

Sure that circular shower curtain stuck to all sides of you when you tried to shower in the freestanding tub, but that was a small price to pay for all that space. 

The bathrooms grown up me was looking at were boring. No character whatsoever. And no room to add any either. Toilet, tub, vanity and maybe a little room for a tissue box. The end.

For a girl whose first love is design, none of that was appealing.

But the pull to live near the beach was stronger than my desire for a big bathroom, so I made due.

I added decor where I could fit it, pretty accents, mostly in the hallway bathroom, since it was it was largely unused. Of course, when the kids came along that all changed. Anything decorative on the counter had to go.

As they've gotten older, it's only gotten worse. The room needs to function and toothbrushes and soap have replaced flower pots and candles.

Red bathroom with floral shower curtain and flowers on vanity top with red towel draped over side.

So when we renovated that bathroom two summers ago, I had to get creative. I mean aren't the decor accessories the best part?

That's what truly defines the style of a space. The magic is in the details.

And I wanted accents. I wanted I wanted candles and, most of all, I wanted flowers.

So I added them. On the wall.

Red rose print framed on wall in bathroom with flower pot on wooden vanity top

It was easy to do. I just found a picture I liked online and printed it out. I found my roses at The Navage Patch for free.

You can use cardstock if you like, but I used computer paper.

The frame was from Michael's. I picked it up with a coupon so it was 40% off. I always use the coupons.

The challenge was to find a style I liked, one that fit the vibe of the bathroom. Especially since I envisioned the frame as the vase.

Red Vintage Floral Print framed leaning on wooden vanity top

I needed one that would hold my flowers in a way that complemented the vintage style floor tiles, antique hardware and wooden countertop.

A distressed and knotted number proved to be a perfect fit.

White painted vintage bathroom hardware on ivory vanity

When I made a new curtain for my master bathroom, it was a good excuse to replace the old wreath in there with some wall flowers, too.

Another print, another frame. You get the idea.

Framed Yellow Roses against green fabric for Bathroom DIY

They didn't interfere with the functionality of the room, they didn't take up precious counter space and I could "refill those vases" whenever the whim struck.

Like during the holidays.

For some, I made my own printable.

For other holidays, I went online and looked for free ones to download. There are so many out there. 

There are also very reasonable ones for sale. I like those when I want something larger than the standard printer paper size.

Does it increase the square footage of my bathroom? No. Of course, not. I could still fit about 4 of my bathrooms into that one at granny's.

Framed rose print held up to a shower curtain in the bathroom

But it does add a lot of charm. A bright spot of sunshine in a windowless room and a vintage air.

Like that beautiful room I remember.

Just without the sticky shower curtain.

And between you and me, I'm ok with that. 😉

Kim Signature


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  1. What a sweet story about your grandparent's house. The house I have in my memory like thattt belonged to my auntie...and I adored her.
    I love your florals and you ALWAYS do a beautiful job no matter what you do.
    I hope you have a wonderful weekend. xo Diana

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    1. My grandmother's house lives only in my memories, too, Diana. I keep asking my cousins, does anyone have pictures of the house? I'd love to show my kids, so far no luck. And thank you for the sweet comments, my sweet friends. You just made my day! ❤️

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  2. Hi,
    I enjoyed the story about your grandparents Victorian home. Is it still as is today? I know many of the Victorian homes in our area ended up as duplexes, makes me sad. Some have been sold, and bought by those who are bringing them back to what they were in their glory days, that makes me happy. :-)
    Is that a door knob to your bathroom? I love it,is it original to the home.

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    1. Oh Carla, I wish!! It was recently for sale, so I pulled up the listing and it had been renovated. Big sad face here…they ripped out the butler’s pantry and made the kitchen bigger and modern. I think the ripped out the built ins and drywalled over all the cherry wood walls. What a waste…

      And that photo is of the hardware on the vanity. I found it a shop on a vintage piece and they removed them from the dresser and sold them to me!! It was a big score.
      Stay warm! xo

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  3. That is so sweet about your grandparents home. I hope you can find someone with maybe some pics in the old house for you to have and cherish. I love the prints and that shower curtain is so pretty. Have a wonderful weekend. xoxo Kris

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    1. Thanks Kris. I have to ask some more of the cousins. So far, no luck. They’re wonderful memories though, that I share collectively with my siblings and cousins. I might just have to settle for that. xxoo

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  4. Your grandmothers home sounds amazing. Love the flower print and frame.

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  5. Oh, I always love your cottage-y ideas. So beautiful! That bathroom shower curtain is exquisite.
    Brenda

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    1. Thank you, Brenda! And likewise, you know I love your style. I spied your pretty red checked curtain in your post today and our living room curtains are basically identical! Great minds…

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  6. Hi Kim: I love your bouquets in the baths. They look beautiful and you don't have to add water or pick out wilts. You baths are always pretty. I loved the story and was glad that you included the player piano because I don't remember seeing that post. What did you end up doing with the rolls? Stay warm and well..xxoJudy

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    1. Hi Judy, I'm glad I posted about this, because it's lit a fire under me to ask more cousins if any of them have photos of the house. I have a current real estate photo, but it's not the same. The house has been renovated...badly. And I still haven't really done anything with those rolls. I keep thinking about them, but the idea of taking a scissor to them seems wrong. So they sit!! I hope you're warm...it's snowing here, today...again! xo

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  7. I enjoyed reading the story of your grandparents house. The floral prints look beautiful in your bathroom Kim.

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    1. Thanks Julie! It was such a cool house. I can’t believe there aren’t any photos, but may grandparents passed decades ago, the long before the “take pictures of everything” fad! I’m glad we didn’t have the phones back then, though. We had time to play and dream and explore that big ole house instead of staring at a screen.

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  8. Those are good memories of your Grandma's bathroom. You describe it well!
    I have a frame on a shelf above the toilet. I change it out with different botanical prints for different seasons. Next to it I have a tiny pot with greenery. I don't have room for flowers anywhere else in my BR either.

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    1. I used to have empty frames on my bathroom walls, but I stayed away from glass because of the steam. So far, it hasn’t been a problem and like you said, it’s fun to change them out!

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  9. What beautiful memories of your grandparent's house!

    I love the rose print (I'm going to check out that page)...and the frame is perfect. I thought it was a vintage one at first.

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    1. The prints are beautiful, Melanie and free! I really should invest in some cardstock and print them out properly, but they're in the frame now and looking good, so I'm not going to mess with them.

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  10. Your granny's house sounds amazing! I hope my grands have wonderful memories of days spent in our home!

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    1. I’m sure they will. Your house is warm and charming…just like their grandmother!

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  11. Your bathroom artwork is lovely, Kim! The roses remind me of a huge Redoute flower book I used to have, maybe they were all roses, can't remember. I've wished many times I had kept it. And that drawer pull is so sweet! I absolutely loved reading about your grandparents' house! If you ever find any old pictures of it I hope you post them. It sounds like the house of my dreams. And so many young women are now restoring the old Victorian homes, thank goodness. I simply cannot imagine covering up cherry paneling.

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    1. Dewena, this post and everyone's prompting has moved me to reach out to another layer of cousins to see if anyone else has a few pictures. It's crazy that there's not one hanging around somewhere! And that paneling...I know. It's a crime.

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  12. Kim,
    Loved hearing about your grandparent's house...Just the type of home I read about as a child and dreamed of owning..Maybe in my next life time... Love the touches you added to your bathroom and the art work is stunning!! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

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    1. Thanks Deb. It really was a magical place. They just don’t make them like that anymore. Stay warm!

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  13. What a beautiful picture you've painted of your grandparent's home! How wonderful to have these precious memories stored in your heart forever. I too treasure memories of my grandparent's home, that sadly burnt this past September. It was a heartbreaking event, because my grandmother still lived there. I would give anything to be able to walk through that old home one more time. But, as you've shared, the memories live on in our hearts, and we can make parts of those memories come alive in our own homes. I love how you've added such charm to your bathroom through a printed picture, amazing! Many blessings to you for letting me walk down memory's lane with you today :)

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    1. Oh no Marilyn, I'm so, so sorry to hear that. Your poor grandmother must've been devastated. It really is a terrible feeling when that anchor of childhood is gone. I have been trying to find pictures of the interior of the house, but so far, I haven't had any luck. It's been preserved perfectly in my brain. I wish I could put them all on paper!

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