After much debating, hemming, and hawing, we broke down and bought a Vipp trash bin for the bathroom. It’s a lovely little thing, beautifully constructed, and (I hope) something that will last us for a very, very long time. Given the thousands of dollars we’ve saved by doing the bulk of the work ourselves, I figure it’s acceptable to splurge on a used Kleenex receptacle. I believe in paying a little too much sometimes in the name of happiness.
No more bathroom photos for now—the plumbers DID come on Monday, but there’s still a lot of work to do. A part for the shower assembly was broken and had to be ordered for replacement, which will happen next week. We also don’t yet have any lighting in the bathroom, and without sufficient daylight hours, I can’t take nice photos. (I also need to sew the shower curtain and finish installing the shelves! Oh, and painting the medicine cabinet…)
Soon, soon!
33 Comments
yup. that’s one sexy bin. definitely worth a bit of a splurge!
i am melting here!
the amazing lamp, and this trash can!!!!!
amazing
does the vipp trash bin do anything special? or is it just the design? sorry i’ve just never heard of it.
I can’t believe I am calling a trash bin lovely, but it is. I really want the yellow one, but can’t justify it, since it would probably never work in any other setting than my current bathroom (and we know we are moving relatively soon). So, my Simple Human stainless one will have to suffice.
Lovely… we have the large cream Vipp in the kitchen. To be honest it’s not the most practical bin we could have chosen, but sure is the nicest to look at! Once our bathroom is done (actually it needs to be started first) we’ll also be after the mini Vipp. I’m living vicariously through you on bathroom decorating for the time being. Enjoying deciding on what to go for too… Can’t wait for your final photos.
This is horrible. You have rancid taste.
Thank you, Robbie! At least I’m consistent. 🙂
Do explain your consistent dumpster dive aesthetic. No pun intended.
Robbie…
Please tell me you are kidding.
Oh and Anna…I have been dying to see the final result with the bathroom! You are as inspiring as ever.
OK, Robbie: How about YOU explain why you’re bothering to leave comments about how awful my taste is (and then waiting patiently for a response so you can immediately offer a “retort”) instead of just shuffling off to another blog written by someone whose taste you actually like? What’s the point? There are a gazillion blogs out there written by people whose taste I think is absolutely horrid, but you don’t see me putting them on my blogroll or leaving comments about how much I hate their new sofa.
Frankly, I couldn’t care less what a stranger on the internet thinks about my garbage can, my hair, my house, my bathroom, or anything else contributing to my overall aesthetic (though I must say I would never have thought to refer to my style as “dumpster dive” – you must live in a neighborhood with much nicer dumpsters than I do!). What’s intriguing to me is that you’ve actually taken the time to comment on it.
I’m enjoying knowing that you’re sitting at your computer right now, checking and re-checking to see if I’ve responded . . . in fact, I think I’ll wait a while before hitting submit, just to keep you on the edge of your seat a little longer.
Enjoy your day, Robbie! You are clearly a bright person who gets the most out of life. Thank you for sharing a slice of yourself with me.
I’m actually at work doing an article on “bloggers like you”. You are the icing on the cake.
Loving the trash can. The floor looks so awesome, really great. Thanks for the contact paper resource!
Oh and Anna, Robbie clearly has too much time on his hands. 😀
hi anna
a question for you…what kind of wood are you using for the wall boards? and do you have to install them a certain way to allow for the inevitable expansion/contraction in a damp area?
thanks,
kim
am so glad you got that trash can- good for you for a little splurge! I agree- if it’s going to bring you happiness every time you look at it it’s worth the extra dollars.
Robbie: I hope you’ll send me a copy of the article when it’s done! It really sounds like it’s going to be a fantastic piece – clearly you’re a reporter of serious journalistic integrity. Since it’s going to be about “bloggers like me”, I’m sure I’ll find a trove of great new sources of inspiration within. Thanks in advance!
Anyway, back to my trash can . . .
Susan: Since you asked, no, it doesn’t do anything special! It’s just a trash can. 🙂 The standard Vipp bin was designed in Denmark by Holger Nielsen in 1939, and has been in production with virtually the same design and materials ever since (and it’s still made by hand in Denmark – the company is now run by Nielsen’s grandchildren).
Yes, it’s expensive, but I think of it in much the same way that I think of my Dualit toaster – the design is absolutely classic, the materials and construction are top-notch, and I will more than likely never have to replace either one of them. If I add up the cost of all the Rubbermade and Simple Human trash cans I’ve had to throw away over the years (due to cracked lids, broken levers, etc.), I’d be willing to bet they cost more all together than this little guy.
my trampoline: The paneling on the walls is just 3/8″ tongue-and-groove pine. Each plank is about 3″ wide (so yes, the installation is simple but tedious!). The most important thing to know is that you need to prime BOTH sides of the paneling to prevent warping. Tongue-and-groove installation allows for expansion by default, but it’s a good idea to leave a slight gap (you can caulk it later) at the beginning and end of a row, and be sure to acclimate the wood for a couple of days before installing.
I cannot get over how great that floor looks!
I know it’s not really the point of this post -nice trash can, by the way!:)- but that black tile is SO great. I love it!
Anna, I love the flooring. I can’t wait to see the big reveal. I’m thinking Robbie has way too much time on his hands, questionable taste, and doesn’t recognize great writing when he reads it. Anyway, your blog is consistently one of my favorites. So thanks.
Anna,
I have been reading your blog for weeks now and I absolutely love everything that you guys have done. your home is amazing, you have impeccable taste. i live in a rental in Harlem and dream of doing some of the things you have achieved. i seriously want to hire you as a consultant. speaking of which…
could i get your opinion on something? i have the worst bathroom floor – actually the tiles i can live with – its the grout that is disgusting, very old and dirty no matter how i try to clean it. i tried using this grout paint but the results were not good at all. do you think its worth it -time and $$ wise – to re-tile in a rental apartment? is DIY-able? i’m pretty handy but i’ve never done it before so i dont want to get in over my head.
thank you so much for your blog- keep up the great work!
I love Vipps…a good garbage can is totally worth the money!!
Thank you for the elaborate response Anna! I think you’re the only person who’s ever answered my question thoroughly because sometimes people are too vague. I’m the kind of person who likes lots of details.
Umm…I think Robbie has a rancid “personality”. Your blog has given me great ideas and the fortitude to do improvements myself.
Hey Anna, you guys amaze me with what you’ve achieved in your lovely house.
It’s a shame people visit just to post negative comments. I think debate is one thing, but just hanging about to provoke with criticism, I just don’t understand. I’ve been meaning to send you an article from an alternative news site in Australia, written about the internet phenomenon of negative posting, flaming etc. I will try to remember to find it at work tomorrow – thought after the AT incident, you might be interested.
Keep up the good work!
Is it too lazy of me to ask… do you think there could be a feature on your blog, collecting all the renovation posts? Perhaps there already is and I just don’t know it.
My house is smaller than yours, in number of rooms and size of those rooms. But there is much scope, let’s say, for improvement! I feel overwhelmed…
After all that, a question: how did you decide the work order for your house – where to start, what to prioritise, where to put the money first etc. I’ve had to do things like have asbestos removed by professionals, had a quick and dirty (ie cheap) reno of the bathroom/laundry, and have started painting room by room. I’ve had central heating installed, the floors polished, a wardrobe installed (tho’ I researched this for ages, I am not entirely happy with this, but at $2000, it’s got to stay for a while. But I feel so klutzy, I don’t know what to do and how to do it. I’m also doing it alone, so find it hard to maintain enthusiasm..
sigh.
any motivation gratefully accepted…
girl! no judgment here- I love to buy things I love too! You know what- if u have children they are going to be very lucky when you start giving away things. You have collected a lovely edited (well you do have a lot of chairs) collection of gorgeous things in yr home!
bravo. I love the pennyrounds too
Your blog is lovely and your taste is spot on.
Step over the haters and keep on keeping on, Anna!
Hi!
I really like the VIPP trashcans too, allthough they have always been a bit out of my pricerange. It’s nice that something so “boring” like a trashcan really can lift a whole room. I’ve heard that it’s a very common wedding gift (!) here in Denmark, so maybe I’ll just have to wait then 😉
ha! you have awesome taste. totally going start following you. i love penny round tiles also. they’re the coolest. i have them in both my bathrooms. that trash can is pretty nice…but damn…thats pricey. not sure if it’s such a good value but i kinda want one.
Hi Anna! I’m about to take the plunge myself and get us a Vipp bin for our bathroom. Question: is this the Vipp 13 (extra small) or 14 (small)? Do you wish you had gone with a bigger/smaller one? Without seeing them in person I am having a hard time making a decision here!
Hi Tania, for a bathroom, I really can’t imagine going with anything larger than the 13/extra small. It easily holds two weeks’ worth of normal bathroom trash, and I like to empty trash cans weekly, anyway. It never gets filled.
You’re going to LOVE your trash can!! Seriously, every time I use that thing I notice how beautifully it functions. Last trash can you’ll buy. 😉
Ahhhh thank you so much for your speedy reply, Anna! Much appreciated! Our bathroom is small and so I was leaning towards the extra small Vipp (13) bin as to not overcrowd our space. Hooray! However, my one reservation was that the scaled down version might be an awkward (as is often the case) incarnation of the ‘original’. Knowing that you went with the teeny tiny model puts me at ease 🙂 Cheers!