April 30th, 2021
We Love Hosting! But...
My husband and I both love having people spend time with us in our home. There's just something about having more signs of human life in our house that makes us both so happy. If you are one of these people as well, you know the feeling that I’m talking about. You also know that sometimes you can get a little stressed out and overwhelmed with wanting things to be perfect before you have company over.
One day I was in the guest bathroom and realized how much I couldn’t stand the dingy white tile and grout. While it’s a reminder of the dear friends I enjoy having over, it’s also a high traffic area that is hard to clean and keep clean. Scrubbing the bathroom to no avail after each gathering is not my idea of fun and it certainly doesn’t make me want to continue hosting.
Something had to change. Well, a few things actually. While I didn’t want to fully gut the bathroom, I just wanted to make a few changes for a mini makeover that would update the look, make it easier to keep clean, and more enjoyable for my guests as well.
Here's a few before pictures to give you an idea of where we started.
The Problem:
White tile and grout: They both got dirty so quickly and were very hard to clean and keep clean.
Shower doors: These were old, raggedy, and annoying. They were also hard to clean, could easily get off track, and were a potential safety hazard.
Gray walls: I wanted something a little more eclectic than a fresh coat of paint for the walls.
Old vanity and lights: Both of these needed an upgrade and a new mirror in the space.
White beadboard wainscoting: Though white is classic and goes with everything, I felt like experimenting with a wall color that people normally wouldn’t choose.
The Solution:
Black penny tile and black grout.
Shower curtain and rod.
Wallpaper to accentuate the height of the bathroom.
New vanity, vanity pulls, lights, and a mirror.
SW Tricorn Black paint for the beadboard wainscoting.
The Process
This project has been ongoing for about two years since I put the wallpaper up in Summer 2019. Though it has taken a little longer than I anticipated this year due to some contractor issues, with Corona and not having people over for a while and as often, it’s actually been quite convenient for me during this time.
Last Summer in 2020, I removed the glass shower doors, old vanity light, and a square mirror that was too small for the area. They were replaced with a shower curtain and rod, new vanity lights, and a mirror.
In March of this year, I painted the walls, removed the commode, tore up the tile, and replaced the ceiling light. When it came to the tile, my husband put the adhesive down and I followed with the black penny tile. In the past, things have not gone well when we attempted the opposite. It’s good to know your strengths and weaknesses.
The black penny tile, grout, and paint for the beadboard wainscoting make for a seamless finish and help to accentuate the wallpaper which plays up the height of the bathroom walls. I also added gold hammered planters with pothos plants on both sides of the window to bring some greenery elements and life to the space.
Have you ever seen a wall and liked it ‘as is’, but still felt like it needed a little something extra? That’s how I felt with the wall across from the shower. Since mirrors are a great way to make a space feel larger, I decided to add one there. A designer secret of mine is to measure whatever mirror or piece of artwork I want to hang in a space and then map it out with painter’s tape so I can visualize what it could look like. So the next time you need to hang something, try this and let me know how it works for you!
The last touches we needed to make were to add the new vanity, vanity pulls, and re-install the commode.
The Design Solution Results!
The guest bathroom was finally finished on April 9th ! It went from an outdated, white and gray dirt magnet to an updated, eclectic mix of cheery colors and modern finishes. Even though it took longer than I wanted, I suppose it was worth the 2 years that it took to get everything done.
Let me know what you think about the design solution I came up with for this project!
Project Details:
Professional Photography: https://www.timberleyandassociates.com/
Paint: SW Tricorn Black
Wallpaper: Wallpaper and Stuff
Gold Planters: West Elm
Plant Hangers: Etsy-no longer available
Accent Mirror: DIY
Vanity Mirror: Target
Vanity Pulls: Etsy
Shower Curtain: Dillards
Floor Tile: Floor and Decor