One Room Challenge | Week One | Basement Bathroom Before

We are gearing up for our third go at the One Room Challenge! This fall we will be tackling an outdated—dare I say ugly?—basement bathroom. Although we only have the before pictures today, the plans are already underway, and we can’t wait to reveal a new look for the bathroom in six short weeks. If you are unfamiliar with the One Room Challenge, here is the lowdown: The One Room Challenge is a bi-annual event that features 20 featured designers and many guest participants who makeover one room in six weeks. Better Homes and Gardens is the media sponsor.

If you are new to KS Design Company, welcome! We are a mother-daughter design team working in Topeka and the Kansas City metro. We started KS Design Company a little over a year ago and completed our first One Room Challenge last fall and our second last spring.

The basement bathroom: a sad place.

This bathroom needs some love and attention. After moving into our house 16 years ago, this bathroom has been heavily used, but as far as design goes, it hasn’t really been touched (beyond paint and a light fixture upon moving in). The brown/cream linoleum, the shower insert, and the laminate vanity countertop have lived their best lives, but it’s time for them to go. The plan is to revamp the space from top to bottom.

What do we have in store?

We will get into the details of the design plan next week, but the overall aesthetic for the bathroom will be modern with touches of rustic. Think large format marble-look porcelain tile for that modern feel. Then wood elements with a new (or potentially heavily repurposed?) vanity and new ceiling beams will bring some warmth. Here’s a sneak peek.

Because this space is getting a head to toe makeover, demolition has begun.

Already on the way to transformation! Join us next week to see more progress. And, in the meantime, check out all the creativity over at the One Room Challenge blog.

To keep us accountable, here is our to-do list that we will be updating weekly. Italics mean the task is partially completed.

• Demo bathroom
• Source and install tile
• Install new vanity or repurpose old one
• Source and install light fixture
• DIY ceiling beams
• Install glass for shower
• Source mirror
• Source rug
• Paint walls and trim
• Source art

See you next week,

Staci and Kylie

One Room Challenge | Week One | Sunroom Needs a New Purpose

It’s One Room Challenge time!

If you are new to our blog, welcome to KS Design Company. My daughter, Kylie, and I started this business last summer and are having a blast working together. We decided to tackle the fall One Room Challenge as guest participants after following along for years as the inspirational and creative designers worked their magic.

If you are unfamiliar with the One Room Challenge, it is a bi-annual event that features 20 featured designers and many guest participants who makeover one room in six weeks. Better Homes and Gardens is the media sponsor.

Last fall’s ORC entailed laughter, hard work, some DIY projects, and maybe even a little bit of panic as Kylie lost her wallet at a Craigslist meet-up. (We did end up with some cool chairs though!) You can check out the final details of our first ORC here. Since we chose a room in Kylie and Matt’s house in the fall, we are going to transform the sunroom in my husband, Lance, and my house this spring. We are ready for round two!

History of the Space

When we moved into our home 15 years ago, this room had a very unusual, unpleasant, unwelcome odor emitting from the bright yellow sponged painted walls. We learned that the previous owner had a ferret, and it’s clear he didn’t like the sponge painting in his space either. 😉 After much airing, cleaning, and painting, the odor was finally gone.

Positives of Space

1. Gets amazing light during the day

2. Has a vaulted ceiling

3. Has a door to the deck

4. Has skylights

Negatives of Space

1. Sucks up the light at night

2. Wasn’t wired for ceiling light

3. Is a relatively small space at 9’6” x 12’9”

The sunroom is located right off of the great room and is accessed through french doors. In our family, the room originally functioned as a sitting room but was underutilized. Ten or so years ago, I converted it to a craft room. Lots of hours of scrapbooking, finishing kids projects, and wedding designing took place within these four walls. With the digital age, it’s easier to preserve memories online, the kids are grown (where does the time go??), and this room has become a dumping ground for the overflow.

The Sunroom’s New Purpose

1. We would like to have a place for overnight guest on the main floor.

2. Our dog, Remi, will turn three during the ORC and will finally be getting old enough to have more freedom while we are out of the house. This will be a perfect place for her to hang out. Lance says she is an expensive puppy to get a room redone to stretch her legs! What can I say? The room is returning to its animal-housing roots after all. 😂

3. The space will act as storage for frequently used craft supplies. The rest of the stash was donated or is living in another room.

4. Finally, it will be a quiet place to read, play games, and soak up some vitamin D!

Remi (aka The Real Reason this Room is Getting a Makeover)

So, let the work begin. A big shout out to Lance and our son, Keenan, for demoing the floors! (Bookcase building next, pretty please!) Check in next week for the design plan and progress on the floors.

Thank you for following along on our journey. Make sure to check out the incredible ORC work being accomplished by the other guest participants and the 20 featured designers.

Until next Thursday, Staci