Powder Room Makeover & Crown Moulding Tips!

Walls: Sherwin Williams Svelte Sage, SW 6164 Satin

Trim: Sherwin Williams Moonglow, SW 1943 Semi-gloss

Ceiling: Sherwin Williams China Doll, SW 1101 Flat

I’ve been tackling several DIY projects the past couple of weeks and this one involved bonding with my bathroom! I gave it a mini makeover by changing the mirror, adding a light fixture, painting, and installing 10" crown moulding. Eventually, I will upgrade the faucet and towel bars, but the current ones are fine for now.

My husband and I have added crown moulding to several homes we’ve owned. It’s not terribly difficult, but takes time and attention to detail. Doing it ourselves has saved significant money, and the moulding added so much character and a high end touch.

My home already had 10" crown moulding in other rooms that I needed to match. My first floor has 9' ceilings so the deeper mouldings doesn't overpower the rooms.

I especially like the pheasant feathers in this floral arrangement a friend created for me. I hung it at eye level making sure it doesn't interfere with the loo.

The mirror was purchased at HomeGoods. It's not exactly the perfect size needed for this space, but it's acceptable even for particular me! Using it saved a bundle rather then having something custom made. The mirror is nice quality, it has beveled glass and there is good detailing on the frame so I'm satisfied with it.

This cabinet is the perfect place to store toilet paper. It's small enough to be tucked in the corner of this compact space.

BEFORE: The light fixture was the worst offender to moi. I toyed around with framing the existing mirror, but after shopping around decided to buy a new one.

When we removed the mirror we covered everything to make sure if the glass broke it would not damage anything. We wore gloves and eye protection, and luckily it came off with ease.

The bathroom had a decent toilet and pedestal sink. Wood floors are fine for a powder room, but not usually good in a full bath due to water issues.

Crown Molding

I used two types of moulding for this project. I was trying to match existing moulding found in other areas of my home and these came close.

Every time I install crown moulding I watch this informative video as a refresher. Tom Silva from This Old House explains step by step how to make the cuts. It's a bit tricky at first, but goes fast once you get the hang of it.

For the narrow moulding a simple miter cut was used at the joints.

My husband and I worked together on this project. Someone more experienced might be able to do this alone, but we found this to be a two person job. One person needs to hold the piece as the other cuts. It also helps to have a second set of hands when installing long spans of moulding. Make sure you check with a level as you attach each piece to the wall.

NOTE: I've installed a lot of crown moulding, but it has all been painted when finished. I use spackling paste to hide any imperfections at the joints, which is key. My cuts are not good enough to do crown moulding that is only stained. For stained crown moulding I would definitely hire an experienced wood worker.

To attach the moulding to the drywall use a stud finder to locate the studs, then use finishing nails countersunk with a nail set.

We invested in this manual hand miter saw several years ago. It was less expensive then the a power one and is studier then a plastic miter box. It does a good job for what we need.

Spackling paste makes a difference in this type of work! Anytime you paint kitchen cabinets, chair rails, crown moulding or trim, use it to fill nail holes, joints and seams. It makes the finished project look professional and solid when completed.

My walls are smooth, so I simply painted the area between the two mouldings to create the look of it being one large piece of deep moulding.

Tip: I prefer medium to heavy weight spackling paste that is the consistency of thick pudding. I apply it with my fingertip and wipe any excess with a damp paper towel then go over it with sandpaper when dry.

Going up and down this ladder worked wonders for all the Holiday Goodies I indulged in!

Use primer first if painting bare wood. When laying down painter's tape, burnish the edges to seal any paint from leaking under it. I found removing the tape carefully just after the last coat sets up keeps the paint from peeling off. I then use a damp paper towel to remove any stray paint. I completely changed a home of mine from dark stained wood work to painted white wood, so write from experience!

This is the second of the three coats of paint it took to finish the crown moulding.

Posted to: Met Monday!

....................Make Your Monday

...................Transformation Thursday