medicine cabinet update

While I love having a large medicine cabinet this particular one isn't quite what I would have selected.  On a recent trip to Utrecht for art supplies I came across some pretty gold and white Chinoiserie paper and thought it would be the perfect way to liven things up.  With the help of some double sided tape I adhered the paper directly to the cabinet back.  Now I can't wait to open the cabinet doors each morning to find this pretty backdrop to my favorite products.

paint please!

White walls, white counter, white cabinet, white tiles... this bathroom was screaming for some color!  I ordinarily love classic white subway tiles but the dingy walls made the tiles look drab and the whole room felt cold.  To make matters worse the edges of the black tiles had been sloppily painted over throughout the years.

The subway tile just stops at the end of the sink wall.  It's incredibly awkward! 

I was a little worried that painting the walls would make the tile stop even more noticeable.  Now, well, it's still awkward but I'm so happy with the color that it bothers me much less.  The paint color is Benjamin Moore's Sea Pine.  I spent a few hours scraping the old paint off the black boarder tiles and I love how crisp the lines look now!

how much love should you give a rental

I remember Decorno asking this very question and pouring over the resulting comment thread.  This is something I ask myself often.  Beyond the basics, how far should one go?  I've painted every apartment I have ever lived in, and always will.  Nothing brings a room to life faster than a little color on the walls.  Decent shades do wonders as well.  Removing those 1" metal mini blinds with bent corners takes a room from college dorm to grown up in 20 minutes.

Andrew lived in our current apartment for 4 years before I officially moved in.  I would have loved to move into a place that was new to both of us which we picked out together, but we knew we'd be hard pressed to find a comparable space.  While the 8' ceilings and cheap molding drive me insane, our large terrace is absolutely amazing in the spring and summer.  I'd love to refinish the wood floors, extend them into the kitchen and upgrade the kitchen counter top, but I realize that's going a little too far for this apartment.  Instead I'll change light fixtures and try to distract the eye from the negatives by adding artwork and textiles to soften things up.

The challenge now is merging our belongings and giving this place some character...