Master bathroom update.
So our master bathroom... it was a sad sight. I hated it! The bathroom was original to our 12 year-old house and it was now dated and very tired looking. Not only that but everything in it was brown. Very brown, all over. Walls - brown. Cabinetry - brown. Countertops - not only were they brown, they were laminate too! The only non-brown thing were the tiles. Those were beige, which is just a less ugly cousin of brown and still very blah. We moved into this house with plans of ripping it all out and turning it into a beautiful spa-like experience, but Eric and I found ourselves considering buying a new house (we were looking for a bigger yard with a pool!). So, we were at the point where it didn't make sense to put serious money into the bathroom only to sell the house. Instead, we needed to do what every home seller does: spruce it up, work with what we had and make it look as lovely as possible, for as cheap as possible.
Despite being outdated, if you look past all the brown, the bathroom actually was not all THAT bad. At least we weren't dealing with pink sinks and toilets or carpeted floors! Yes, the beige tile was a boring builder standard choice, but it's ceramic and neutral enough that it just needed to be paired with a fresh and trendy wall colour to modernize it. The gigantic mirrors above the vanity were also builder standard and lacked serious character, but those too could easily be spruced up with a simple frame. The cabinets were actually solid wood and although they were quite beat up, they could be quickly transformed with a fresh coat of paint and new hardware.
So that was the plan for our bathroom: new paint on the walls, new paint on the cabinets, cleaning out/purging/organizing all of our stuff, and adding a few stylish decorative pieces. Pretty straight forward. I got straight to work! I could not wait another day to lift this bathroom from its doom and give it some fresh perspective!
I started out by painting the walls a light turquoise/blue colour. I chose this colour primarily because it was the most trendy and modern hue that complimented the beige tiles (and I just happen to really love this colour too!). Two quick coats and the bathroom immediately looked so much brighter and fresher!
To really give the bathroom that polished look, I also painted all the trim with two fresh coats of white. If you ever need to transform a drabby-looking room, consider repainting the trim. You'll be amazed at how clean and new the overall space can look when the trim is refreshed!
Next, I repainted the cabinetry. The doors were pretty beat up so I didn't feel guilty about applying paint to these wood cabinets! Here I wanted a modern colour that suited the new turquoise wall colour, the beige tiles, and also the countertops. Overall, the countertops were brown with speckles of gray, so I chose a dark gray colour for the cabinets. We also replaced the hardware on the doors; goodbye chubby knobs, hello sleek pulls.
Next, Eric and I added a frame to the large mirrors. To keep things modern, I chose a thin (1.5") frame as opposed to thicker one. I painted the frame the same dark gray as the cabinets. It's funny how a simple piece of wood can transform a plain mirror into a modern, custom-looking piece!
One of the most effective ways of bringing a room up to date is to change the lighting and this bathroom, with its oh-so-stylish 90's chrome long vanity lights, was in desperate need of some new light fixtures (and light bulbs that weren't all burned out! Haha!)! We had every intention of purchasing new, modern LED fixtures, but when we looked into it, we were surprised to see how expensive these lights are! Even the less modern and pretty ones were at least $300 a piece (and we needed two!)! Since this was just a bathroom update and not a full renovation, I decided that instead of spending money on lighting that the next owner will most likely replace when he does the bathroom reno his way, I would do what I do best; take the old and revamp it into something new and fabulous.
This fix was pretty easy. I sprayed the long chrome piece with satin black paint and simply attached it to a plank of wood stained in a medium-dark walnut. New frosted bulbs complete the look. I've got to say that I wasn't quite sure how this light would turn out but... I. LOVE. IT!!! It is now modern, fresh, stylish, and even a bit rustic. MUCH better than before!
Finally, it was time for my favourite touches - the decorative finishes! One of my favourite additions to this bathroom was this custom rustic wood shelf that I built from scrap wood I had kicking around the garage. I especially love the small rustic details on it like the black L-brackets and the small corner brackets on the edge of each shelf. This piece perfectly dresses up the empty wall between the mirrors above the countertop. Staged with a few decorative accents, it also holds some everyday essentials that are nicely organized but still within easy reach.
Since I seem to have an endless supply of scrap wood, I made another shelf to hang above the toilet. This piece was purely for decorative purposes. My favourite element about this little shelf is the rope; it adds a really unique, modern touch.
Another one of my favourite decorations in this bathroom is this wood and chrome tray. I absolutely love the pairing of the wood and chrome together. On the tray I placed a small wood crate with crisp, white towels, a couple of pretty bottles of perfume, a candle, and a green succulent plant. All together this arrangement looks modern and organized, adds colour, and is the perfect decorative accent on the counter.
A couple of other decorations include a tall vase with faux flowers and a wire basket with toilet paper rolls arranged nicely beside the soaker tub.
And that's it! A couple of new paint colours, a few decorations, and a good clean up is all it took to transform this bathroom. When I walked into this room before, all I could see is the boring beige tile, the tiny enclosed shower, and the cheap countertop. The entire space felt so outdated and cave-like. Now, these less stylish elements are not so noticeable; the first thing people say is how fresh and bright the bathroom is, and it truly feels that way, especially on a beautiful, sunny day, when the sunshine beams right in. The eye is drawn towards the modern elements like the freshly painted cabinetry and new hardware, the trendy hanging shelves and decorative accents on each, and the cool light fixtures. The first impression is much more positive and happy.
And the best part is how affordable this transformation was. The bill for this update totalled to just over $300, including all the decorative accents (that I mostly purchased at my local dollar store!) AND I still have left over paint eagerly awaiting its next project.
So if you have a bathroom that has been neglected for a little too long, roll up your sleeves and get to work! As you can see, it doesn't take much to transform an outdated space into a warm, inviting, bright, and modern one. Hopefully our buyers will agree (fingers crossed!).
