bath time | The bathroom, says Erin, was "a little scary and very minimal, and sort of reminded me of going to camp." To give the small, plain room a bit more character but still keep it bright, she kept the walls white, but laid down red linoleum tiles and painted the drop ceiling pale yellow. A "huge 1970's mirrored light fixture and cabinet" were replaced with an inexpensive wall light, just $4 from Home Depot, along with a mirror Erin found at TJMaxx and spraypainted.

To give herself some storage space for toiletries and towels, she added an old record cabinet (spraypainted in a darker shade of yellow) next to the sink. The skirt around the sink, meanwhile, hides the pipes and adds a little more color to the space. The final touch? A shelf next to the sink displays Erin's collections of old clocks and wire insects. >