Half Bath Project Underway!

So after reading several blogs of DIY'er's I decided to FINALLY take the plunge and start a little project of my own.  I love our home and it is nice, but I just do not feel like it is my style and have not made it my own.  We've lived here for 3 1/2 years and really haven't done anything to the house since we've moved in...other than small repairs.  Well our half bath (powder room if you may) has always been an eye sore for me.  Wall paper with a border and horrendous wall texture.  I'm not sure who in the world textured those walls and thought "man this looks good!"  Crazy!! 

Here are some before pictures.  The last pictures shows a valance and white curtain rod that I will be using in the room since I recently bought them.

Anyway Shawn and I were talking yesterday afternoon and I told him I wanted to take down the wall paper, paint, get a new fixture (because the one we have now is leaking...fun), and put up some new decor.  This is not the first time we have spoke about this, so he was game.  I immediately went in and started tearing down the wallpaper...let's do this!!

Phase 1: pull down all the wallpaper...at this point in time I had a Tommy Boy moment where Tommy knocks the door off the car and slams it back in place, then David Spade walks out and opens the door and Tommy Boy says "What'd you do??"  That's exactly what I was asking myself "what in the world did I just start??"

Phase 1 Complete...So this is my first dealing with wallpaper...need I say more? I had no idea that the wallpaper would separate and there would be left a glue paper attached to the walls.  Time to get out the iPhone and google how to get this stuff off without using heaving chemicals and trying to find something in my house to use.  Queue phase 2.

Phase 2: Mix water and vinegar and apply to the wall to remove glue paper.  Wowsers...I could not have picked a more potent peeling agent!!  Shawn even walked in and plugged in my scentsy in the laundry room.  This was actually not that bad at all.  I would apply the mixture with a rag and wait a few minutes and peel it off.  I was pretty pleased with how well this went.  Phase 2 complete!

All of the wallpaper is off!!

Phase 3: Sand, Sand, Sand!! Ok, so we went to Lowe's to pick up a few things, then to Shawn's dad's for a sander.  The texture is just absolutely terrible.  I'm surprised we have waited this long to work on this room, especially since most people that visit use this room.  Anyway...I'm glad that I'm finally working on it.


Texture Issues...



Continuing on with Phase 3.  We get home and put the kids to bed and Shawn breaks out the sander and shows me how to use it...wait, wait, wait!!!! The lovely sander is WAY too loud to do while the kids are asleep.  Especially because we have wood floors and EVERY noise is amplified in this house, plus Allyson's room is right above this bathroom.  So...I grab a sheet of sand paper and go to town.  I have my mask in place and even end up getting some glasses on because the dust is flying every where!!

All smiles before I started!! LOL!

I sanded and sweated for about an house in the bathroom before calling it a night.  It's coming along and I cannot wait to use the electrical sander tomorrow!!! Yippee!!!  Oh and also add texturing to our list to do in this bathroom.  Shawn looked at me and said "I thought we were going to be at the pool this weekend?!?" I guess I have just put this project off way too long that I finally had to start on it.  I know we will not finish this weekend by no means, but it feels good to work on it.

Stay turned on my progress! :)