boy scout bathroom: part i

Living in a rental can be a drag sometimes. Yes, you're not held down by a mortgage and can pretty much move whenever your heart desires, and when something breaks, it's the landlord's problem and not yours. But cheap rent often equals crappy interiors and you get zero return on any permanent improvements (if your landlord is even ok with it), so there is very little incentive to make changes to better your space. So I've been slowly making cosmetic tweaks to my own little studio with paint, furniture, art and accessories but decided it was time I set my sights on Kurt's apartment. 

His bathroom was the room I deemed most in need. It was pretty depressing. It reminded me of a prison. Everything was white-ish but nothing was even really white.

The brothers do a pretty good job keeping their apartment tidy (but don't get me started on their dish situation). They have a lot of stuff but the majority of it is painfully utilitarian. They don't own too many things just for the sake of being "pretty". So I decided I was going to deliver something pretty.....whether they really even wanted it or not.

Plus, the whole room needed some brushing up around the edges to fix the general grubbiness.

They had plenty of material for me to use as drop cloths. All beer boxes!

A major victory was painting the door back to white and covering all the hand prints and marks from constant use.

Color on the walls! Kurt and his brother are both Eagle Scouts, so after seeing this shower curtain, I landed on a boy scout theme. The wall color was supposed to be a very basic, true navy blue but ended up looking very green once I started applying it to the wall. Thankfully two coats later it looked much darker. It's called Regatta Bay from Olympic (sold at Lowe's). Without asking for anything in particular they gave me their No VOC paint. I was a little worried it wouldn't cover as well but ended up being really nice paint without being too expensive. And no fumes! Win, win!

I might have to be out of town if they every have to paint this back to white though. I can't even imagine how many coats that will take!

I had a lot of fun painting their medicine cabinet. It only took some trusty painters tape with a ruler and level to get the cross right. I also cleaned years of paint gunk off those handles.

Ta da! Here it is almost finished. I've got lots of paint touch ups to do and I'm not quite sold on everything arranged on the wall, but it is a vast improvement. Kurt's string art finally found a nice home. Other items of note: a hand towel (which was never a priority for the boys) and a toilet paper holder. In almost 3 years I have known the Martigs, they have been missing the spring loaded rod that holds your tp in the holder. C'mon guys! 99 cents!

Kurt and Erik both have a designated spot for their towels.

I found this bug print on Etsy from Curious Prints.

I made some DIY art for the walls. I found this website that had images from an old boy scout handbook. After a little photoshop, I printed several images to size at the office then decoupaged them on small canvases. I hot glued (some have already fallen down! I suggest using a stronger glue) string to the back and hung them by single nails. Cheap and easy!

I hate looking at their lotions and mouthwash, so I tried to conceal them with a knot diagram. Extra toilet paper rolls hang from a string contraption.

Kurt and Erik have this really cool, rustic metal box that they store their hair clippers in. I moved it off the floor and paired it will some cutesy details. I found the votive holder (now holding q-tips) at the thrift store in Green River, Utah. The matches are in a shot glass which I glued sandpaper to the bottom as a striking surface.

Be prepared! hangs over the door. I hope it inspires the Martigs after they've taken care of business :)

Remember my shower curtain inspiration? Well, my next step is a DIY version of that using abstracted versions of badges Kurt and Erik have actually earned. It has also been requested that I include more specifically Eagle Scout details, so that is in the works too. Phew! This first round took a lot out of me (I didn't go to bed until 3am!) so I plan on taking my time on Part II. Wish me luck!