Home Improvement

The bathroom was finally completed last week. It’s been a long 3 weeks guys, but it was finally over.

Let’s be real, I didn’t know how expensive it will be, renovating a small bathroom. Damn, no wonder a small house costs millions to build these days.

As you can see, the completed project is hardly the bathroom of my dreams but you guys, it’s so much better looking now than before.

For this one, I stuck to a taupe, white, gray, and cream color scheme. I chose white marble tiles for the walls, a taupe accent wall, and off-white tiles for the flooring.

For the fixtures, everything was done in white. I had several shelves installed, one can be seen above the throne, lol. It was set up a bit too high but ah well.

To match the white, gray, and taupe color scheme, I bought several VESKEN shelves by IKEA. These are so nice because they’re sturdy, water drains away, and the design is so versatile.

Photo Credit: ikea.com

I’m still in the process of installing fixtures here and there but for the most part, the bathroom has been completed and we’re happily using it, hahaha! I wish the space was big enough for a bath tub tho. That would’ve been amazing.

Our house has a long balcony and for a while, I was building a small garden. I had to stop fixing the garden because we had to focus our finances on baby things, you see, and redecorating can be expensive.

Anyway, since the nursery was done and we are pretty much set as far as welcoming Damien goes, I decided to continue with the garden renovations. We are anticipating houseguests once Damy arrives so the house has to look as inviting as possible. Also, you know me and my little projects. I like to keep myself busy while indulging on pretty things whenever possible!

BTW, I’m doing the garden renovations by myself. Didn’t hire a designer or a landscaper, etc. So not ready for that right now. Initially, I hung a variety of potted plants all over the balcony railings and had a couple of plant stands made. I bought a few potted plants and already, several of them died a few months back. Those that survived are houseplants, hehehe!

Apparently, houseplants are best for balcony gardens, I didn’t know that. All the pretty flowering plants that I bought died along with some of my succulents (it was the changing weather, I swear!). To create a lush haven, I have to get more plants. So that’s phase 1.

Phase 2 involved adding pieces of outdoor furniture along with the fake grass and wooden pallets as flooring. I bought huge squares of fake grass at my local Ace Hardware. They were expensive at PhP1k per square and I bought several so I have extras.

Lazada had its annual 11.11 Holiday sale a few weeks back and I bought decorative (and stackable) outdoor chairs. Colors were limited and I chose the maroon. These chairs took a looong time to be delivered and this is basically the reason why I held off the renovations for a few weeks. According to the seller, Lazada couriers were overwhelmed with orders so shipping went down to a trickle. I also ordered an outdoor table, which is essentially the ripoff version of IKEA’s forest green Gladom table:

I wasn’t expecting much because it’s quite affordable but I was floored by the quality of this side table. It’s made from a thick, sturdy kind of metal. The package does require assembly but the side table is so easy to put together. I like this table because it’s so space efficient and the top doubles as a serving tray. The quality is so nice, I might get another one for the living room but in a neutral shade.

While waiting for the chairs to arrive, I had several wooden pallets and a couple of freestanding fences made. The pieces were crafted by the same artisans who created the mahogany plant stands.

Once all the components of the garden pieces were done, it was just a matter of working with the placement. Et voila, here’s my humble garden setup:

Since the flooring is ugly, I basically covered it with wood pallets. Each wood pallet is covered with fake grass.

The standing fences are for privacy because one side of the balcony is set near a tricycle queue. To make the garden look extra lush, I bought more plants with plans of adding more next week. That’s basically phase 3. Never, in my life, did I ever think I’d be this excited about potted plants, guys. My plan was to use the balcony garden to sun Damy during the mornings and perhaps, entertain guests at night. Of course, Inspector Lee aka Dimitri the Cat was there to check the place out:

So there, another part of our house has been re-decorated, hahahaha! My next project would be the entryway, which I will start sometime next year.

Anyway, yes! I love how the whole thing looks! It took a while to piece together the whole arrangement but it’s worth the wait. We now have a little slice of green oasis. The hubs and I spend our afternoons here, just chatting after he comes home from the gym (yes, there’s only one chair in the pic but I added another one, was unsure if two chair fits kasi). We feel like an old couple already, hahahaha! I bet Damy (who should make his appearance next weekend, if everything goes according to plan) will love the garden.