Makeover Takeover 2021: Bedroom, Bathroom, and Laundry Room
Country Living teamed up with North Carolina–based Victoria and Marcus Ford to update their 1970s Dutch Colonial–style home, one DIY-filled endeavor at a time. This installment: The bedroom, bathroom, and laundry room.
Intentional. That’s the word Marcus Ford (@marcsford) uses to describe the things he and his wife, Victoria, bring into their home. Not just “stuff,” but “items that reflect us,” adds Victoria (@prepfordwife). Recently, they applied that filter to their home’s bedroom, bathroom, and laundry room, focusing on favorite colors, regional nods (to satisfy Marcus’s longing for a life in New England), nostalgic furniture pieces that have followed them from home to home, and an assemblage of collected and passed-down knickknacks that bring a smile with every look. The end result feels both highly livable and lived. “It’s nice to see those old things bring soul into our rooms,” says Marcus. Read along to see how their rooms turned out...
And don't miss the transformation of their front exterior, entry, and dining room here.
The Homeowners: Marcus and Victoria Ford
Before: Bedroom
The all-white room lacked any welcoming qualities.
After: A Restful Palette
With only surface changes needed in the bedroom, the Fords focused on creating a quiet retreat that checked the boxes of both form and function. To create a calming surround, Victoria chose a light blue for the walls, then took a tone-on-tone approach with darker blues on a Country Living collection patchwork quilt and a Kazak-style rug. “What is a room for us without something blue?” she says of the couple’s go-to color. A woven window shade balances it all. Throughout, souvenir pennants, vintage tennis racquets, and an old state fair sign make reference to meaningful places and pastimes.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint: Dutch Tile Blue satin Emerald interior paint by Sherwin-Williams
Trim Paint: Oyster White semigloss Emerald interior paint Sherwin-Williams
Metal Bed: Tilden metal from Target
Quilt and Shams: Big Patch from the Country Living Home Collection through HSN
Comforter and Pillows: Gingham Embossed from the Country Living Home Collection through Overstock
Sheet Set: Vintage Washed from the Country Living Home Collection through Overstock
Rug: Kennedy from Rugs.com
Vintage Tennis Rackets: from Cabin Antiques
Vintage State Fair Sign: from Revival Antiques
Suitcase: The Pioneer carry-on from carry-on by SteamLine Luggage
After: Meaningful Art
Above the bed, a gallery wall designed through Framebridge shows off a repro set of the Society for Visual Education’s ca.-1970 “Black ABCs” flash cards. “They have these really beautiful definitions and photographs that feel so spot-on for African American culture,” says Victoria.
Get the Look:
Reproduction ABC flash cards (framed): by Meow Kapow Shop
Gallery Wall Design and Frames: “The Wide Organic” in Light by Framebridge
After: Multipurpose Nightstand
In lieu of bedside tables, the couple prioritized WFH convenience with a multipurpose desk topped with a striped lamp. It’s paired with a comfy barrel chair found years ago at a flea market. “It’s been at least five or six colors by now, but the yellow upholstery never changes,” says Victoria.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint: Dutch Tile Blue satin Emerald interior paint by Sherwin-Williams
Trim Paint: Oyster White semigloss Emerald interior paint Sherwin-Williams
Ceramic Lamp: Portland by L.L.Bean
Pillow (in chair): Harlem Toile from The Inside
After: Comfortable Bed
A pillow-top mattress from Country Living’s Welcome Home collection ensures the new bed sleeps as good as it looks.
After: A Nautical Thread
A flag with U.S. Navy Captain James Lawrence’s famous order and one of Marcus’s wooden African American sea captains continue the nautical note.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint: Dutch Tile Blue satin Emerald interior paint by Sherwin-Williams
Trim Paint: Oyster White semigloss Emerald interior paint by Sherwin-Williams
Dresser Paint: Courtyard by Sherwin-Williams
Window Shade: Waterfall natural woven wood in Sutra/Blended by Smith & Noble
“Don’t Give Up the Ship” canvas flag (framed): from Chairish
Framing: by Framebridge
Before: Bathroom
The original vanity was awkwardly off-center.
After: Symmetrical Vanities
After a little reconfiguring—and a lot of blue—the Fords' bathroom is barely recognizable. Now, a dapper pair of his-and-hers wood vanities fits snuggly, and symmetrically, in the space. Ribbed hardware gives the bath a dressed-up feel that Victoria loves, reinforced by a trio of smart brass sconces. Shiny chrome on the faucets and fixtures paired with brass-framed mirrors and sconces helps the room feel more evolved over time than “out of the box.” “Brass finishes are usually my preference, but for this space, we wanted to mix it up,” says Victoria. On the floor, a hexagon tile flower motif hits a nostalgic note while feeling decidedly fresh in a larger-than-typical execution. (Each tile is four inches.)
Get the Look:
Beadboard and Trim Paint: Smoky Azurite semigloss Emerald paint by Sherwin-Williams
Wall Paint: Oyster White satin Emerald paint by Sherwin-Williams
Floor tiles: Four-inch Basalt and Calcite Hexagon by Fireclay Tile
Vanities:Keller Mahogany by Signature Hardware
Faucets: Mellwood by Signature Hardware
Vanity Hardware: Knobs and“Carre” bar pull by Nostalgic Warehouse
Wall Sconces: Jaden by Hudson Valley Lighting
Mirrors: Brass Loop from World Market
Embroidered Towels: by Weezie Towels
After: Statement Trim
Sixty-inch-tall blue beadboard wainscoting adds height to the space along with texture.
Get the Look:
Beadboard and Trim Paint: Smoky Azurite semigloss Emerald paint by Sherwin-Williams
Wall Paint: Oyster White satin Emerald paint by Sherwin-Williams
Window Shade: Tailored natural woven wood window shade in Ananda/Mist by Smith & Noble
Beadboard: from Lowe's
Candle: by Harlem Candle Company
Before: Bathroom Shower
After: Spacious Shower
The Fords removed the glass door and expanded the cramped opening to the shower. The shower’s new handmade subway tiles that cover the ceiling and walls are an almost perfect match to the bathroom's beadboard surround. “I wanted everything to feel wrapped in this blue,” says Victoria.
Get the Look:
Shower Tiles: 3-x-6 Dusty Blue “Field Tile” by Fireclay Tile
Shower Fixture: “Cooper” thermostatic exposed pipe shower by Signature Hardware
Before: Unused Bedroom
With only closet-size digs downstairs, Marcus and Victoria looked to this unused bedroom to carve out a new work space on the second floor.
After: Spacious Laundry Room
Part of an unused room and an extra hall closet combined to make this just-right laundry room. A new sleek and space-saving laundry tower is front and center, flanked by a built-in cabinet equipped with folding space and a petite work sink. As a fan of both stripes and the color navy, Victoria knew this fun wallpaper featuring a striped shirt motif was an instant “add to cart.” The sartorial note, of course, is also quite fitting, given the space.
Get the Look:
Trim and Cabinet Paint: Naval gloss ProClassic waterborne interior acrylic enamel by Sherwin-Williams
Washer & Dryer: LG WashTower from Lowe's
Wallpaper: Striped Shirt by Sara Fitz
Before: Unused Bedroom
After: Cheery Blue and White Palette
A large-scale checkerboard tile floor laid on the diagonal draws eyes to the window and pairs well with the wallcovering. Victoria tied it all together with a navy-bordered Roman shade and high-gloss navy paint on the millwork.
Get the Look:
Trim Paint: Naval gloss ProClassic waterborne interior acrylic enamel by Sherwin-Williams
Floor Tiles: Blue Velvet and Daisy 8-inch “Field Tile” by Fireclay Tile
Window Shade: Flat roman in Dorado/ White with Luxe/Eclipse ribbon banding by Smith & Noble
Laundry Sorter: Boat and Tote by L.L.Bean
After: Laundry Sink
A favorite print by artist Elizabeth Mayville hangs above a sink found at a favorite architectural salvage store. “This little sink looks exactly like the one I had growing up,” says Victoria.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint: Pure White by Sherwin-Williams
Vintage sink: from Preservation Greensboro
Related: Take a tour of the rest of Marcus and Victoria's house and see all their amazing room makeovers: the front exterior, entry, and dining room; the backyard; the living room; and the kitchen.
Jennifer Kopf is the Executive Editor of Country Living. She also covers antiques and collecting.
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