Monday, April 1, 2013

brighten up a small apartment bathroom with $10

Apartments have the weirdest bathrooms. Especially, old houses converted into flats. Although our last apartment was in a tower, it still had it's fair share of design flaws. There was a grate in the ceiling (apparently for venting) but the bathroom had no fan or window and therefore, no airflow. As you can imagine, we had major mould issues. After a particularly hot shower, the condensation would actually drip down the walls leaving little slug lines. It was gross.

Guys, our new apartment has a fan. It's so luxurious! Oddly enough, it also has a window in the shower and a half-wall made of those see-through blocks, which I think are from the eighties. Do you know what ones I mean? The door is a sliding barn door, which I admit would be pretty cool, if it didn't leave a four inch gap on one side and had a working lock.

There's a point to all this, I promise! Keep reading...




The fact that I'm pointing out all of my bathroom quirks might make you think I don't like it, but I do! I really do. Despite the fact that it's tiny, there is a ton of storage and it has the perfect little nook for our plastic storage drawers which hold towels and toiletries and ten thousand bottles of shampoo. A wall-mounted sink also means no countertop clutter, since everything is hidden away in the mirrored cabinet. If I'm given a counter, I will clutter it, so this is a blessing. Thank you, apartment bathroom gods. 

Onto the upgrade! All you have to do for this one is shop. Zero handiwork and/or tools needed. 


Along with all of their weird features, apartment bathrooms can be a little blah. Our current beige bathroom desperately needed a little colour, so I bought a purple orchid, put it in a handmade clay dish and set it on the toilet tank. It's amazing how much of a difference it made. The blooms really pop against the white fixtures and shower curtain. This one was only ten bucks (!!) at Superstore, but I know they have them at Sobeys too.

 

I swear these flowers were made for people who can't keep a plant alive. I have somehow managed to kill every plant or flower given to me, so I can say this with certainty! This pretty lady is still kicking one month later. Not only is it still alive, but it's actually thriving. New blooms just keep popping up. I've also taken to excitedly announcing each new bloom to D. He's somewhat less enthusiastic about it than I am.


How to NOT kill a mini orchid: Stick it by a sunny window. Water it once a week with a tablespoon of cold water.

Never though I'd be dishing out plant advice, but here I am. One mini purple orchid makes a dingy apartment bathroom seem a bit brighter!  


Spring is here!
xx Janelle


PS - I'm sorry this post has my toilet in it. Just focus on the flower!
PPS - I have a long-awaited series of green cleaning posts coming up very soon. Made specially for lazygirls, like me!

29 comments:

  1. I love orchids. The blooms last so long. I've had one in a sunny window since October and the blooms haven't died off yet. Thanks for sharing your tips.

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    1. Glad your orchid is still in bloom! Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. Orchids definitely brighten up a space.

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  3. I bet it loves the humidity in the bathroom. I've also heard that ice cubes work great for orchids - just pop one in the pot every week instead of watering.

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    1. You know, I've heard they survive better in bathrooms and kitchens for that reason. Good tip about the icecube! It was written on the tag that came with mine, but I was worried my enormous icecubes would drown it. haha

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  4. I've always wanted an orchid but they seemed so mysterious and I thought it would be shameful for me to kill one lol. Thanks for the tips....I think I'll have to go out and get one!

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    1. I'm glad you liked the post. Let me know how it turns out if you get one :)

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  5. I have killed these beautiful plants... :( maybe I'll try one in the bathroom! She's a beauty!

    Laurie @ Vin'yet Etc.

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  6. I've got an orchid going on it's second blooming which is pretty dang AMAZING! I'm afraid to move it too, it must like it's spot. Yours looks beautiful, love the colour!!

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  7. I love orchids!! I also love the bright purple!! So springy! I would totally do this if I could keep plants alive.

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  8. Wow this orchid is so lovely in your bathroom. We are sort of not good at keeping plants alive as well, but hoping to improve that skill. Thanks for sharing! Xo, M&K at brewedtogether.com

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    1. Thanks for visiting! I've heard succulents are good for people who are .... skilled.... at killing plants. Haha.

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  9. Pretty colour! I always kill orchids. Maybe it's time to try again.

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  10. I have the exact same ability in killing all the plants and flowers stepping in this house. Maybe I should give a mini-orchid a try!

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  11. I think I'm killing mine. I watered too much. I need to bookmark this post.

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  12. Love orchids so much. They keep really well on my kitchen island and I threaten everyone not to touch or water them (I have plant killers in my house!). Love the hit of purple!

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  13. I wish I could keep an orchid, my cats eat everything!

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    1. Darn cats! Luckily my dog leaves my plants alone. Haha. She's also way too big to hop up on the toilet tank.

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  14. I just adore orchids. My husband got me a pink one for our anniversary two years ago. It didn't bloom this year though. I'm thinking I might need to re-pot it in new soil??

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Your little notes always make my day!