Before:

I used to have carpet in my guest bathroom.  It was the most convenient bathroom for all of us to use . With 3 young boys in the house it didn't smell nice in there.  The stains were so bad that the carpet shampooer wouldn't get them out anymore.  When we had guests, I hoped they wouldn't need to use the bathroom while they were here.  Then one day I sat in the kitchen teaching my children and the horrible smell wafted clear in there.  So can you blame me when one day 3 weeks ago, I pulled the carpet out?

I secretly hoped I would find some beautiful hardwood underneath.  I planned to surprise my husband with a clean, lovely, nice smelling bathroom.  I could imagine him saying when he got home, "Wow dear!  I don't know how you find time to do what you do."  I parked my youngest daughter in the hallway with her school books so I could tutor her as I pulled the tack strips.  

There was no hardwood underneath.  Instead there was mold and particle board subfloor.  I was going to have to have help to lift the toilet and remove the vanity, remove some drywall, bleach, sand and prime everything and figure out what to put down on the floor!  I was still in the bathroom pulling tack when Darren got home from work.  There was no dinner and the laundry wasn't done.  He was surprised, but it wasn't the good kind of surprise I was hoping for. 

I quickly did a search on the internet for help and found a beautiful faux leather floor technique.  It was easy, attractive, durable and inexpensive!  http://domestikgoddess.com/how-to-make-a-rustic-leather-floor-from-paper-bags/, http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=287×5019, http://www.yankeemagazine.com/issues/2009-01/home/flooring, http://paperbagfloor.com/Site_Map.html,

I also remembered a faux marble wall technique that I had seen in a house for sale that was gorgeous.  An ebay search rewarded me with 3 double rolls of marble patterned wallpaper for $25.  I tore the wall paper into large sqaures, saving the straight edges to place around the door, ceiling and floor.  The first wall I just used the paste that came on the paper.  The next morning all the corners had lifted and curled.  I planned to stick them back down with wall paper paste that afternoon, but was involved in a car accident that morning.  Now it is 3 weeks later and I finally feel well enough to try working on the project again.  Yesterday, I finished the wall paper and today laid the floor.  

I still need to polyurethane over the paper floor, sweetly encourage DH put the toilet back and install the vanity.  But here's a "so far" picture. (This type of floor photographs badly.  It looks a lot better in person.)

The floor is getting lighter and lighter as it dries. I may restain it a little darker since I would like it to be darker than the vanity.  We purchased this vanity to go in: 

After pictures coming soon, I hope!