If you didn’t think I was odd before…you will now. 

This is the bathroom on the first floor for guests.  There is a Katana hanging over the crapper.  This is not just a random-buy-it-over-the-Internet cheapo Katana.  My grandfather, Paul, brought it back from WWII.  It isn’t especially exotic looking, so we’re pretty sure it was just a soldier’s sword.  The wood sheath is falling apart and the handle comes off from the tang about every other time you try to hold it.  My mom had it in a “what am I going to do with this pile”, and I snatched it up quick as a wink.  I was wondering when I could snag it from her, and the opportunity finally arose.  Hurrah!

I painted the room a deep red.  Note of caution to deep red paint lovers…it takes a lot of coats.  It took 3 coats plus for this tiny bathroom.  I was glad it wasn’t any bigger.  I also painted the Japanese characters on the wall, and due to the wide-angle lens they don’t look like they are straight up and down…but they really are…trust me, I’m very anal about that type of thing.  I used our trusty friend Google to find appropriate phrases, and I drew them freehand in black paint and added a bit of flourish with some additional gold paint.  They read:

“Better to die than live in shame” (the overriding importance of honor to a samurai)

“Even when he has not eaten, a samurai wields his toothpick like a lord.” (a samurai is required to behave properly regardless of his personal circumstances)

*edited for updated pictures after floor redone*

For decorating items I used a metal Eastern dragon on wall, a carved wood piece with a geisha and Eastern dragon intertwined (not shown in the pictures – have to put them back in), as well as a few other pieces that carry out the theme of the room.  The curtains I made in a black velvet with the tabs at the top in a red satin oriental pattern.  Underneath I put a sheer in a dark red, doubled-up so it wasn’t totally see through, but it still lets in a bit of light. 

Another favorite room of mine.  Well, shoot, most of them are my favorites, I have to say.  Otherwise I wouldn’t have decorated them the way I have! 🙂

DIY nightmares for this room:  It was covered in wallpaper that took off the paper layer of sheet-rock when we took it down.  Lots of patching and sanding for that.  We also wanted to replace the shiny gold fixture on the sink, but it was cemented on by the morons that installed it.  We ended up buying a new pedestal sink so we could use the nice fixture that we bought (new sink was less than the fixture…ugh!).  Basically, we replaced all the fixtures (towel and toilet paper holders, the light, and the sink faucet).  When we replaced the light, there wasn’t an electrical box behind it.  No, the half-ass builder basically just took a hammer and made a hole in the sheet-rock that wasn’t even near a stud.  Morons.  We have found lots of moronic building faux pas while updating our home.  LOTS.