DIY – Curtain From A Linen Tablecloth & Bathroom Remodel

My sister moved back to our home town about a year ago after her husband passed away from battling cancer for 2 years. She bought a new, old home about three blocks away from us. Now we not only get to speak to each other every day, but we get to see each other every day, too.

Funny story – My sister’s two dogs, Bailey and Roxie, move freely back and forth between our two new, old homes. Roxie stays with us most of the time, and Bailey is attached to my sister. Very attached. My sister decided to proceed with some home renovations and left the house one day to run an errand while the contractors were there. They inadvertently let Bailey out of the house, and he ran off.

Meanwhile, DSH was working outside at our new, old home when Bailey appeared at his side. We were baffled and tried calling and texting my sister, but there was no answer. In the meantime, the poor contractors were scouring the neighborhood trying to find the escapee.

The little “Shit-zhu” (That’s what I call him – he’s a Pug / Shih Tzu mix, and I also tell him that if he weren’t so cute, he’d be dead.) had managed to find his way the three blocks, across a very busy road, to our new, old home looking for my sister or escaping from those nasty old contractors. He wanted nothing to do with those guys!

My sister started the renovations on her new, old home by converting the screened in porch to a true three-season room. Her second renovation involved changes to the upstairs bathroom. She wanted to make a few minor modifications which turned into a more involved project than expected. Isn’t that always the case?

What they discovered is the pan to the shower was cracked and had been leaking for who knows how long resulting in a little mold problem. The entire shower had to be torn out as well as the wall board which was replaced with the correct type for bathrooms. A few day project lasted a little longer, but, thankfully, she has a bathroom in the basement. She got her stair-stepper exercises!

After this problem was found and repaired, she was able to get back to the minor changes including adding new tile to the shower and around the vanity to match the existing black and white subway tile on the floor. She also replaced the top on the vanity which was a converted antique dresser. They removed the wood top and added a piece of black granite.

After the contractors were done with this work, my sister proceeded to do the painting and decorating. She decided on pink for the color theme for her newly updated bathroom, and it turned out really cute!

While we were out visiting antique stores one day, I spotted this beautiful linen tablecloth with pink flowers embroidered on it. It was in pristine condition and was listed for $14. I felt it would make a beautiful drapery for her new bathroom.

I added a rod pocket using some fabric that we already had and . . .

Voila! A beautiful linen tablecloth has been re-purposed into a beautiful drapery for my sister’s new, old bathroom.

Here it is installed. We used a very light pink sheer that we re-purposed from one of my daughter’s old bedrooms. It is draped on one side and the linen drapery nee tablecloth is draped the other direction. The tie backs are pieces of silver costume jewelry that belonged to my sister’s mother-in-law.

My sister has an antique mirror collection that used to reside on the wall of a bedroom in her old home. They look perfect in her newly remodeled bathroom.

I love the little sign that goes with them! So whimsical!

The contractor made an error in cutting the corner piece for the shower, so my sister re-purposed it as a corner shelf next to the old-fashioned freestanding tub. There is a jar of shells from her travels as well as two old ceramic pieces from her mother-in-law.

She put an antique hall tree in the space on the other side of the tub. It includes an antique plate holding an antique curling iron. She also has a place to display a Chinese fan given to her by a friend.

My sister had this sampler from many years ago, and it fits perfectly over the tub.

Here is the antique dresser which was in place when she move into the house. She replaced the top with a piece of black granite and a black and white backsplash carried over from the tiling in the shower. Both features tie in nicely with the black and white subway tile flooring.

She added a new mirror that blends old and new styles. What you cannot see is that she painted the insides of the drawers with a bright lime green color. The bright color adds whimsy and also makes the insides of the drawers easier to clean.

The glass shelf to the right of the vanity mirror holds my sister’s husband’s baby cup containing some Q-tips, and another antique mirror ties the theme from the other wall. The jar is full of black and white hat pins which is something that my sister collects in homage to our paternal grandmother and her sisters who owned a millinery shop in Chicago in the early 1900s.

Here is a picture of our grandmother wearing one of her fascinating hats. I talked about the millinery shop and my grandmother here.

The upstairs bathroom includes a doorway into the room that was converted into a master bedroom closet.

My sister tied back the sheer with an old handkerchief, embroidered in pink with the letter “D” for her first name. So, so cute.

One of the nice features of my sister’s master bedroom closet is an extra sink which she can use if someone else is using the one and only upstairs bathroom. Love the use, again, of an antique dresser for a vanity.

We are really enjoying re-using and re-purposing stuff we already own or find in our new, old homes, and I really love my sister’s newly remodeled and decorated bathroom, don’t you?