We did a mini-makeover on our guest bathroom. And by “mini-makeover” I mean we didn’t touch any of the big things: flooring, toilet, sink, vanity. It’s essentially an aesthetic makeover. The reason being is we aren’t ready to invest in a new bathroom remodel because we have other projects we’re doing first. Also, the current vanity is actually built INTO the wall, so it’s not an easy swap out. We’d have to completely drywall the wall.
But, the room was VERY sad, so we did want to update it and give it a fresh look so it felt cozier and more inviting.
Here’s what we did:
Painted the walls
We painted two of the walls in Benjamin Moore “Salamander.” I was going to do just one wall, the one with the mirror, but I love the color so much I went back for more and we ended up doing two of the four walls.
Replaced the out-dated light fixture
It had one of those gross “boob” lights. We got this rattan light from IKEA and had our electrician install it. Our house is about 100 years old and still has some old wiring, so we opt to have an electrician do these types of things. We did install one light fixture ourselves, but after attempting another and finding very old, outdated wires, we now just have our electrician come do it. On a newer house, it’s pretty easy to swap lights on your own.
New Mirror
Oh, goodness was that mirror that was there before UGLY. It was actually a medicine cabinet mirror but wasn’t installed INTO the wall like they are supposed to so it stuck out 6 inches. It was ridiculous and hideous. We got this pharmacy mirror from Target and love love love it.
Added Artwork
We added some random wall art to the space. I kind of wanted this room to have a quirky, eclectic feel a little. (I’m not one for perfectly spaced or symmetry in my home design). Plus, it’s our downstairs guest bathroom, I wanted it to have some personality since it’s a room pretty much every guest uses.
I hung some art we already had and a big floor length mirror (making photographing this space hard.) I don’t really have guidelines for when I hang artwork, I usually start with one piece and then just work my way off that. Again, I’m not one for symmetry. I use Command Picture Hanging strips – which makes it a lot easier. I don’t stress about putting in holes and changing my mind. I can just pop the picture up, live with it for a bit, and change it if I want!
Added ceiling-height shelving
Our downstairs has decent height ceilings while I love. But in this awkwardly large powder room, it made it feel too big and open. I wanted to make the space appear cozier – plus any extra storage in a small house is a plus. The wall is just a few inches over 6 feet, so I got a 6 foot board from Home Depot and stained it with a cedar stain. Then using two shelf brackets, I installed it into the wall. It’s the perfect spot for baskets to store extra items, hand towels, etc.
Product List:
- Wall color: Benjamin Moore “Salamander”
- Light: IKEA
- Shelf: 6ft wood Home Depot, shelving brackets, cedar stain
- Shelf Baskets: Target
- Mirror: Target
- Art: Already owned. Some from Minted.com
- Rug: TJ Maxx
- Plants and pots: All small local greenhouses
- TOTAL MAKEOVER COST: About $250
