We gutted the room down to the studs and removed peel-and-stick vinyl tiles to reveal hardwood underneath, refinishing the floor ourselves (as well has hanging drywall and such). We tore down some closets that blocked access to our eventual master bathroom and rebuilt some in a different location. We added trim and wallpapered an accent wall and painted our dresser all to coordinate.

We wanted this space to be a reprieve from our often chaotic lives as young parents to a special needs child, among the regular grind of family life. I wanted the space to feel luxurious and opulent while maintaining function and reflecting the calm and relaxation I hoped to enjoy in there.

The biggest issues we faced were building the new closets (they appear very small but actually aren't) and honestly, coordinating everything with the bathroom while still very much living in the space. So time and budget were always a factor, as were my two pregnancies and a broken leg last year. Luckily, we have friends and family who have lent us a helping hand more than once to help us have a space we love.

I know when many people see it they're put off by the all-black scheme. However, we love it (and an all-black room is super awesome to sleep in for sure) and it's honestly one of those things you have to see in person. I feel like every time I enter the room I'm travelling to a posh hotel somewhere that just happens to have all the amenities of home. ;)

Most of the components were found through big box retailers, except for the antique claw foot tub (affectionately referred to as Clementine, who was an eBay purchase for $150 and that we refinished ourselves as well) and the pedestal sink (which was a salvage yard find). We had to special order the free-standing faucet for the tub, but with the genius of a local plumber, we were able to maintain the look I was hoping for without sacrificing function, as our tub didn't have holes to accommodate a traditional standing waste component.

This project was nearly five years in the making, from the purchase of the tub when we closed on our house (lofty goals, I have them) to the completion this past summer. We ran into a few issues with the plumbing placement -- where we wanted the tub has duct work that runs directly underneath it, so as I mentioned before we worked with a local plumber to make everything work out okay. Also, because our house is 115 years old, the floors aren't even, so we had to bolster one side of the tub with a marble threshold to make it flush enough to drain. We found ourselves often cursing the previous homeowners, because every time we went to remove or change something, we found that they were prone to taking the easy way out of the "improvements" they made, which only added more work for us to fix. Other than that, it was mostly just getting the labor done and making sure that everything was not only pretty, but practical.

The hope for the bathroom was to help create an oasis for my husband and I to enjoy without having to step over our kids' bath toys, or go all the way upstairs to the other side of the house just to use the restroom. Our bedroom has a very dramatic look to it, and since we created a slightly more open floor plan in the room, we wanted the bathroom to echo that same drama while maintaining its own character. What it may lack in square footage, I think it makes up for in beauty, and that's perfectly fine with me.

I honestly love the space and am so happy it turned out as awesome as it did!