#OneRoomChallenge Week One: Making Over A Seriously Tiny Room

I'm participating in the One Room Challenge as a guest this year because, for one, I can't seem to say no to a good project and when I first heard about this challenge the space I wanted to makeover instantly sprang to mind. It is the only remaining space in our apartment that is a blank canvas, and I've been dying to have a little fun with it since the day I first laid eyes on our apartment. Also, it's tiny, under 15 square feet to be specific. Should be easy, right?

In case you haven't already guessed it's the water closet. No, I'm not just using a cute phrase for a bathroom. We live in an old Edwardian building with authentic features like dinner plate ledges in the dining room (which now serves as our living room), and so the bathroom is split into two separate spaces, the water closet houses just the toilet, while the combo tub/shower, vanity, and sink are in a different room. It takes a little getting used to at first but is pretty amazing when you have one shared bathroom for a family, as someone can have a long soak in the tub without monopolizing the only toilet at the same time. 

Currently, the room is pretty bare and utilitarian except for a cute little gallery wall (hidden behind the door in the image above), and I have been making it over in my head for years now. Yes, every time I use the loo, I end up gazing around daydreaming about what I want to do with this little space. 

The one thing that jumped to mind when I first saw the room was wallpaper. I love the idea of wallpapering such a tiny space with a dramatic print for a jewel box effect. The only catch is that we aren’t permitted to use real wallpaper as it’s a rental, so we’re going to have to get a little creative with that one. I also want to make a curtain to frame up the tiny window above the toilet and replace the existing hardware and wastebasket in the space with something more attractive.

From a more practical standpoint, we need a bit more storage and to get everything off the floor. With an active toddler who gets into absolutely everything, getting all of those extra rolls of toilet paper out of unspooling range is pretty high on my priority list. I’m on the lookout for a floating shelf to go above the door to accomplish this with so little square footage. The other practical change I'm considering is flipping the door hinges so that it opens out into the hallway instead of in, allowing me to utilize more of the limited floor space and possibly bring in a tiny rug.

The Full Series:

 Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four | Week Five | Week Six

Thanks for following along, this should be an interesting six weeks! You can check out the rest of the guest participants here or the amazing featured designers here. You can also follow along on Instagram by following #oneroomchallenge for some serious eye candy.