Perfectly Imperfect - Sara's Bathroom

I'm back this week with a new Perfectly Imperfect space to share. Today Sara from Russet Street Reno is here to share her bathroom. I'm sure you all know Sara for her incredible reno's, her awesome drive to actually start and finish projects quickly and of course her fantastic sense of humour. I've been reading Sara's blog since I first got into the home decor / reno blogs and she continues to blow me away with each project she completes at home... especially since the girl works full-time and is currently planning a wedding. Sara's a superstar... but I'll let her take it from here.


When Kerry asked me to contribute a post to her 'Perfectly Imperfect' series, I was thrilled to participate.  There are several rooms in my house that are far from blog-worthy right now, but the one that stood out most in my mind was our only upstairs bath.  It is old, but also has a cool retro look that I love. 

Imperfection 1:  The tile is cracked and ruined in several spots. 

In fact, behind the mirror there is this mess! 

Imperfection 2:  The gigantic vanity sticks too far out into the small bathroom.  You can see that the countertop is cut off rather strangely on the left side.  The laminate counter used to extend over the entire toilet, and we cut it off to have access to the toilet tank (imagine that!) 

Now we're left with these holes in the tile where that counter used to be, I'm really not sure it can be fixed. 

Even though the vanity is too big for the space, I have to admit I love how much stuff we can fit into it!  The deep drawers are big enough to hold my dryer and curling irons. 

Imperfection 3:  The heating duct for the bathroom are very inconveniently placed over the shower area. 

This makes for a rather uncomfortable shower if you are any taller than 5' 10"!  We also don't have any fan in the bathroom , so things can get very steamy in the winter when we can't open the window. 

Imperfection 4:  Our cast iron tub. 

There is nothing perfect about it, except maybe perfectly disgusting!  It is clean, just stained.  Someday we will have it reglazed, but until then we are not bath people, so it's not that big of a deal. 

Imperfection 5:  The door is not yet re-painted and the towel bars are big plastic monstrosities. 

But the door closes, and the towel bars hold towels, so it works for now!

Things I love: 

The floor, even though it's definitely not perfect.   Here is a pic from before we did anything to the room: 

Yes, I spray-painted the laminate counter with black Rustoleum!  It's held up pretty well over the last two years. 

The paint color I chose (after many attempts and re-painting sessions), it is Behr Aquatone.  Also, the 'True Story' magazine covers I put up add some fun. 

The bottom line is that while the bathroom isn't perfect, it's definitely functional and looks pretty good for now.  Thanks to Kerry for including me in her fun series!

Thank you Sara for taking part! I think you've done an incredible job making this space work for you guys right now, and sprucing it up. I'm a particularly huge fan of the True Story magazine covers you picked for the wall - they are fantastic!

I'm always looking for new Perfectly Imperfect spaces to share... if you're willing to step up and share a perfectly imperfect space or aspect of your home, I'd love to hear from you! Shoot me an email! I'd love to hear from you!

Perfectly Imperfect - Jessica's Walls

Happy Thursday! Today Jessica from Decor Adventures is here to share what's Perfectly Imperfect in her home. I came to know Jessica through blogging, and her blog is full of all kinds of goodies! Jessica moved into her home last year and was married in September. Her and her new hubby are now working hard to make their house a home and she's always sharing great DIY projects - so be sure to check out her little space in the blogosphere!

Hello all, I'm Jessica from Decor Adventures.  When Kerry invited me to participate in Perfectly Imperfect I thought ~ Well that will be easy, I have tons of spaces in the works at my place and none are perfect! But then I thought ~ Oh no, I have so many imperfect parts of my house - which one do I pick?

Turns out it was really easy to choose. My walls are perfectly imperfect.

How fabulous are walls, right? You can paint them, hang things on them, decorate them. Our walls need all of the above!

At 9 feet high and 20+ feet long in our rooms, some walls are plaster, some drywall, some are covered in a variety of other surfaces including painted over wallpaper, like the lower half of our front foyer, on the far right in the photo. See the texture? I think it's pretty. They're not all like this though :-)







We moved into our home about 8 months ago.  It was built in 1900 and for walls that are 111 years old, they are in really good shape.  Most of the walls are plaster, which can be tricky, dusty, or smooth like a baby's butt when its done right. And thankfully much of ours is.

While most of our rooms are decorating projects in the works, we're working with our imperfect walls.


Sadly we don't have much hung up yet.  Most of the walls and ceilings {if you can believe it} are also covered in wallpaper. Thankfully that wallpaper has been painted :-) Yep, we have painted over wallpaper on plaster. Glamorous right?  Here are some of those wallpaper patterns we've found underneath.







I've only stripped a little of it off. Wallpaper over plaster in older homes can be a blessing because it protects the walls. Plus who wants to be scraping off that stuff overhead? No way!


Here is some raw plaster in our side hallway where I recently did strip some.







Some of the walls are covered in paneling or half covered like in the side foyer, currently being redone {including the light fixtures}.

Our basement is currently getting a makeover. It has paneling on the bottom half of the walls. This is my craft and furniture project area.

Our living room is painted over wallpaper. New couches just the other week - woo hoo!

In the kitchen you'll see bead board, drywall and tile. Yes, a threesome wall covered room! We realize the left over tile {by the refrigerator} is probably from a lack of funds, shall we say, when the kitchen was previously renovated. We do plan to take that tile down some day.

As of now, some of our walls are striped, like the guest room.
 




And our bedroom is a nice calming shade of gray-blue.
 

There's much more to be done to our walls. For now they're perfect for us. Come visit if you want to see what we do to them, I'd love to have you!


Thanks to Kerry for allowing me to visit!

Thanks so much Jessica for giving us this little peak into your home! It's always fun discovering the little imperfections of older homes that give it "character". You two have certainly been working hard on your little casa, and I can't wait to see what you have up your sleeves next. I also must say I love how cute and sunny your kitchen is... even if it does have three different wall coverings in such a small space! :)

Come back next Thursday to see who's going to share their own perfectly imperfect space!

Perfectly Imperfect - Shannon's Laundry Room

I know you haven't heard much from me over the past two days. We've been busy on the homefront. I'm working on a couple of school projects, and doing the best I can to help B finish up the front entrance... in other words, working on content that's to come next week! Can't wait to share... especially our front entry reveal!

Today Shannon from 8 foot 6 is here to share a Perfectly Imperfect space with us. If you've been reading Shannon's blog, than you will know that sadly last Friday she said good-bye to blogging. On a brighter note, I feel honoured that this final look into her home is being shared on my blog. Thanks Shannon.... and we'll miss you! Check out Shannon's Laundry Room...

I have been following Kerry's Perfectly Imperfect series since the beginning! I love it! Thanks for including our home in your imperfect tour!

 We have one room in the house that is functional, but not pretty...its the storage room/laundry room...I think whenever you have a room with a "slash" in the title, its a challenge making it look great!

On top of the dryer sits a printer, and two irons that are on their way out the door...once we locate some new owners! It would be nice to have a countertop installed, with some shelves/cupboards on the wall behind the machines...or maybe even a bar to hang the clothes from the ceiling...

Next to the laundry we have our old pottery barn kids desk that we used in the condo...we aren't ready to sell this baby yet...it could come in handy some day in a kids room...for now its our only flat surface that we can dump stuff on...We also have two old parsons chairs and an old sewing machine table in the corner, piled with tennis rackets and the extra car seat (for the airplane)...boxes of cables are pretty much standard issue around here...

 The shelves are a life saver...the room is not very big, so going vertical with storage was key! Do you recognize any of my thrifty finds? I am not sure why the ladder is in the basement and not in the garage...but hey, go with it!

The bins along the back wall are wonderful for storing things that might not fit on the shelves...like the dragon, of course!

Without this room I couldn't keep the rest of my house clutter free and comfortable...I guess you could say we sacrificed one room...we had big dreams of ikea cupboards, laundry sinks, counters, matchy matchy storage boxes and more...but for now, we are perfectly happy with our imperfection!

Thanks again for having me for a visit on your blog Kerry!

Thanks again Shannon for taking part in this little series of mine! It was so great having you visit here and I wish you all the best in what you have planned with your extra time now. I hope you'll stay in touch... and that we get to do some thrifting together while on I'm my mat leave! :)

I'm always looking for new perfectly imperfect spaces to share, so if you're interested in sharing your space shoot me an email! I'll be back next week with another great space!

Perfectly Imperfect - Crystal's Condo

Another Thursday afternoon, which means another Perfectly Imperfect space! Today Crystal from Major Gal is here to share her own personal space with us! Crystal is a fellow Torontonian who I met through the blog world / Twitter, and she is an incredible writer and an absolute sweet heart! Her blog always has fun posts, that always make me think and brighten my day,so if you haven't been by her blog yet - make sure to check her out! It's only fair. After all, she is inviting you into her condo!

I’m by no means an interior designer. I know what I like. I appreciate solid design and I marvel at spaces I consider gorgeous. Do my finances match my taste? For the most part, not even close. Every so often though, I find a gem at a great price. I have a lot of “gems” or things other people would consider clutter. My condo is small, but it’s in downtown Toronto, has a gorgeous view and when I was hunting, it was one of the few places that had parking and would allow me to bring my dog, Gigi with me.

This space if perfect for me. It’s a mixture of new and old. Of bargain and glamour. Of texture and function. It’s small and it’s covered in things that make me happy when I look at them. Magazines are usually scattered on my hand-me-down Ikea coffee table.

Bottles of nail polish and hair elastics are always within arms reach and the throw pillows I bought from Walmart are usually on the floor. Gigi is either perched atop a pillow on the couch or she’s “nesting” in the leather sofa and throws the pillows on the shag rug.

It’s part of her ritual and because I’m such a routine person, I get that she has to do this several times a day. She burrows through pillows whenever she sees them and because I find throw pillows are a great way of adding colour to a space, she has ample opportunity to burst through stacks of them when she’s at my place or at my Dad’s house.

I like girlie stuff. I’m trying to get all the shine and sparkle decorating out of my system now while I’m living alone in what my boyfriend calls the “pink palace.” It doesn’t look like Hello Kitty threw up in my condo, but it’s definitely got more glitz than my boyfriend’s place. When we take the plunge and cohabitate this fall some of my more feminine items will likely find a new home in a spare room or (gulp) a box in the storage unit.

I’m big on candles and I light them every day. I got these great fake crystal candle holders at Home Sense this summer and I adore them.

Something I also love: California. When BF spotted the huge mixed media Cali print above the TV at Urban Barn this summer, he knew I had to have it and I’m thrilled that he loves it also. That’s one thing I know will have a prominent place in our shared abode.

I’ve got a lot of stuff and although I try to keep it neatly organized and displayed in a visually appealing way, I know that not everyone considers the spines of books “décor.” I stack my books according to jacket cover. I like sorting most things by colour actually. My closet – although not my current closet as my condo has a major lack of storage – is organized by article of clothing, sleeve/skirt or pant length and colour. Colours go lightest to darkest. I like seeing a colour progression when I look at things. I also had all my crayons neatly displayed in the same fashion when I was a little girl. Maybe I was always this anal about colour…

This space is imperfect because it’s small, but it’s perfect because it’s lived in every single day and the leather couch from my Dad’s basement is comfortable. I’m using every available square foot and I’m trying to find a home for every piece of furniture, picture frame, candle holder, etc I’ve collected through the years. It’s crowded, but it’s all mine.

Big thanks to Crystal for inviting us all in for a sneak peek of her place! I'm loving that it's girly and pink, and I so wish I had, had a place of my own to girl up before B and I moved in together! Even that beautiful shot of the Toronto skyline that you captured has gorgeous pinks and purples that coordinate with your condo! You and your adorable Gigi are welcome here any time!

Make sure to come back next Thursday because Shannon from 8foot6 will be here sharing her pefectly imperfect space! I know... are you shocked that she had an imperfect space in her home? I was!

Perfectly Imperfect - Anne-Marie's Playroom

Today Anne-Marie from the incredibly inspiring blog, 10 Rooms is here to share her Perfectly Imperfect kid's playroom. I not only love reading Anne-Marie's blog, but also love reading the comments she leaves on my blog - they are so insightful and helpful! Let's check out Anne-Marie's space!!

Hello everyone! My name is Anne-Marie and today I am going to show you a perfectly imperfect space in my home. Thanks so much, Kerry, for inviting me to take part in this feature. We all have loads of "real" space in our homes that don't often get shown, and I really like that you are having us take a second look with less critical and more loving eyes!

This is my kids playroom. It was my office, but their playroom upstairs was twice the size and has since become and office/craft space for all of us. The kids are at the age where they really don't play with toys that much, and so this is a transitional room, in a year or two it will probably become an exercise space.

This room has no storage, so two large cupboards and an old shelf moved from our storage area into service. I would have loved charming wood cabinetry but they function really well to hide the chaos inside.

All Cam's toys are put away. He really only uses the board games now, but he wasn't ready to part with the other toys just yet :) Chloe's cupboard is rarely full! When I told her I was taking pics for a post she recruited her big sis and they set up a bratz world..complete with concert, sushi bar, pool...

There are empty picture frames on the window sill, just haven't gotten to it yet.. Chloe's best friend made the giant pic for her, and it was immediately taped to the wall!

The chalkboard and magnetic boards really need to be lowered a bit.. the slightly tacky (LOL) gallery of Mandarin pics are from bdays past - my in-laws have a tradition of meeting there for the kids birthdays. The darlings love to reminisce..

The table and chairs were a present from my parents, unfinished so I could customize them - stained one chair and that's as far as it got. Chloe said last night her white chair is her favourite! Add that to the list :) The rag rug was from Ikea about ten years ago - it lands wherever the kids do, so inexpensive and it is practically indestructible...

This wee playroom not going to compare to co-ordinated Pottery Barn spaces, but it is a fun little spot in our home. The kids have friends in almost every day, and Coco and her girlies put on fashion shows and play school, giggles galore. They seem to think it's absolutely perfect!

Thanks, Kerry for having me over today. I love your blog, its warm and lighthearted, like you!

Thanks so much Anne-Marie, for the sweet words and of course for sharing your Perfectly Imperfect space! I think this space is exactly what it should be a fun inspiring space for children full of all of their favorite toys! Plus, who doesn't love a play space where you can simply shut the door - out of sight, out of mind, right?


I have some more great bloggers Perfectly Imperfect spaces lined up for you... but if you have a space you'd like to share I'd love to hear from you too! Email me at first(dot)time(dot)fancy(at)gmail(dot)com.

Perfectly Imperfect - Janice's Tags

Now that I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, I'm so glad to be sharing some Perfectly Imperfect spaces with all of you. This week my great blog friend Janice is here to share her very own take on the perfectly imperfect in her home! I love what she came up with, and I hope that it may inspire some of those sharing in the future to branch out a little!...

Hi everyone! I'm Janice from Life Begins at Thirty, Right. I was super excited to be asked by Kerry to come on over here to show her readers about my own version of Perfectly Imperfect because I definitely have a lot of it in my home! In thinking about what bit of imperfection I should show you, I of course first thought of my dressing room. I had done the bulk of the work over the summer but I still had so many odds and ends to fix that I had just abandoned (ahem, I haven't even painted the vanity yet!). While I was snapping pics of all of the issues to show you guys, I came across a much, MUCH bigger issue.

Friends, I have a problem.

Don't laugh, this is serious!


I have a very strange affliction that causes me to....never take tags off things I buy. For real. I've mentioned it a few times on my blog, but I never truly realized the severity of my problem until I was asked to do this Perfectly Imperfect post. Let's start at the beginning.

Tag #1 - Charcoal grey cable knit pillows from Loblaws Superstore.

Originally, I left the tags on because I wasn't sure about the pillows. After a few months and a lost receipt later, the pillows stayed as did the tag. Keep in mind there are two pillows, so technically two tags.

Tag #2 - Family room couch.

Yes, this is our main family room couch - with a tag on it. We received this couch in September of 2009. As of today, January 8, 2011, it is still there.

Tag #3a (and #3b) - Urban Outfitters accordion side tables.

Purchased these tables eons ago and loved them from day one. Not sure why the tags stayed on, but there they are.

Tag #4 - Christmas candlestick holder.

Picked this up at the Bay during their one day 60% off sale. It has been on my mantle since then, with no scissors to be found.

Tag #5 - Christmas wreath.

Also grabbed this during the sale. You can see the tag peeking behind the mirror. Seriously. What kind of 'decorating' is this. Sarah Richardson would keel over and die if she saw this. To be fair, she'd probably have issues with the whole thing, tags aside.


Tags #6 and #7 - Wicker baskets in my dressing room closet.

This was a "I'm not sure if I love them" tag issue. That was last summer. Oops.


Tag #8 - Umm...yeah. Another basket.

Not much else to say about this.

Tag #9 - Urban Outfitters Pouf!

Picked this up on a SUPER sale, with no intention of returning it. Seriously. WHAT is my problem?

So there you have it - my version of Perfectly Imperfect. Lots of really great items that I think work well in my home, but with a little added 'bonus' that makes you shake your head. Maybe I need to go on a tv show for my problem. Something like this:

Kerry - thanks for having me over to your lovely blog-home to share a small, strange part of mine :-)

Thank you Janice for sharing your own version of Perfectly Imperfect! It's nice to see someone noticing a different kind of imperfection in their home and I enjoyed the little peaks you gave us (and of course the video for "My Strange Addiction"... B and I watched part of that episode last night actually...)! I'll be back next Thursday with a new Perfectly Imperfect space!