An Apartment Therapy reader from the UK, Debra, sent us in a very colorful makeover of the bathroom in her rental. She writes: When we moved into our new rental, I decided that the bathroom needed a big makeover! Our landlord is a comedian and the bathroom was bright yellow and filled with odd bric-a-brac which was hard to keep clean and repulsed our guests!
The inspiration for the bathroom came from a white and blue Chinese bowl I found in a charity shop. I searched high and low and eventually found a blue bathroom paint that matched the blue of the bowl (spookily named China Blue!) and we painted over the yellow walls, keeping one half of the room white. We already owned 2 red rugs from our previous rental so we used them in the bathroom as money is tight and we couldn't afford new rugs, but they somehow work!
I'm so happy with how this room turned out and now our guests comment that the room feels 'classier' and that they didn't notice how big it was before!
Just goes to show the huge impact that color can make on how a space is perceived. Reducing the amount of items in the bathroom also went a long way toward this successful new streamlined space. It looks great - thanks, Debra!
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Comments (41)
That blue is lovely and getting rid of the clutter made a huge impact. Good job.
I agree with Kay, the blue looks great. The decluttering though seems to me to have made the biggest impact though.
Yep, it was getting rid of the clutter more than the paint that made the big difference. But I like the new color, too. Looks great!
I'm a little weirded out by all the books over the toilet in the first picture. Yech.
Funky-patterned curtain perhaps? Otherwise, great job.
It needs some sort of patterned element that incorporates both the red & blue together. Perhaps a curtain like ponjeng suggested or a piece of artwork.
The bathroom looks good in blue! And I'll bet it's much easier to clean now that so much clutter is gone. Thanks for sharing this great makeover.
wow! SO much better! the blue looks great and i like the light in the shower (even though i know that was there before).
i think that you could take this even a step further with some sort of pattern or a collection in white on those shelves. this might sound weird, but if you stacked TP rolls in those shelves it would help that area feel softer. or a collection of white ceramics or something. even if you just painted those shelves blue or white, i think it would help.
people were suggesting some sort of artwork to tie the red & blue- i don't really think the 2 need to be tied, necessarily, but maybe if you picked up some wooden letters at michael's or hobby lobby that said "wash" or "shower" or something and painted them red & hung them over the shower, that could work.
sorry! i know you weren't asking for critiques but i think it's in most AT reader's nature to offer suggestions for even more improvement.
overall it looks awesome!
Ahhh! Much better!
I liked the fun cheery yellow before, but the blue looks much better! One question...is that a silver toilet seat?! Interesting!
The blue is calming. The de-cluttering was a necessity. But making the window wall white so that the tile cut off doesn't stick out was also a huge improvement.
Is there an alternative space to keep your toilet cleaning chemicals and bag of sanitary pads? Unless you clean the bowl daily and your "flow" is continuous, then I feel those items are at the base of your toilet unnecessarily. At least for the photo shoot!
The blue looks better than the yellow, but it looks more periwinkle on my computer.
I like the way the books looked...I would put them back. Other wise it looks much nicer de-cluttered....not a fan of the paint choice but that is just a matter of taste.
silver toilet seat might be the next best thing to go
awesome redo. take it to the next level and put the cleansers by the toilet in a cabinet too. it's unlikely you'll need toilet cleanser that urgently.
It's amazing what the blue does to the white -- the sink and tub certainly didn't look dirty in the before photo, but in the after photo, they just radiate a clean, sanitized feeling that wasn't there before.
Excellent upgrade.
Curious about "our landlord is a comedian and the bathroom was bright yellow and filled with odd bric-a-brac". Is this a comedian thing? Does Jerry Seinfeld have a bright yellow bathroom?
The blue is so much more serene, and painting the window wall white helps a lot too. Is that a new storage unit I spy by the door? I bet it makes all the difference. Certainly having more things put away has made a big change.
That's a beautiful blue. Good job hunting it down. The yellow looked dated to me. The blue has a more modern feel. I would put some items on the shelves that have some color in them like a small patterned bowl. Not too much clutter but some carefully placed objects.
like the blue walls a lot more, but I think you should have kept the rug from the first picture, instead of the red one.
"Our landlord is a comedian and the bathroom was bright yellow and filled with odd bric-a-brac which was hard to keep clean and repulsed our guests!"
A bit confused by a few things in this sentence... comedians use yellow? Also I didn't see anything repulsive in the bathroom...
Anyway, I did like the yellow from before, but the blue really looks so much more relaxing and beautiful! Good call on the color and on de-cluttering. Really great job :)
Yes, I would love to see a pattern somewhere pulling together the blue and red. Something vintage would be great!
Smurfy!
love the bookshelf!!
Your de-cluttering, especially removing the books... looks much better! Personally, I prefer the yellow or a more neutral color wall (i.e. light gray) against the white fixtures so that your lovely red heart mat and any other decorative items you choose will stand out.
Whoa, that was a very yellow bathroom. I agree that the white wall really helps make the tile far less awkward.
It would be extra neat if you could find a couple slim blue and white china vases to go in the shelves! I'm guessing the bowl wouldn't fit there. ;)
Also, how would you feel about painting the wooden shelves white? Right now the tan color looks a bit funny in all that pristine cool blue and white.
Have you put the blue bowl in the bathroom? It would probably look good.
@ponjeng -- "Weirded out" were the exact words I was going to use... Big plus for picture the after.
I also agree with the people who weren't keen on the silver toilet seat... especially with the blue, your eye goes right to it.
You need to add some plants and I'd paint that chair white and put it back in exactly the same spot.
aww poor celing i think it wants some pretty blue too!
yup, the blue's def a good call =)
Move the TOILET paper roll...and why do people put toilet brushes and cleaning supplies out in view...they are NOT decorative items...
Really nice job with the makeover, the blue is so much lovelier than the yellow.
I agree with the suggestions about the shelves--a few added items would make it look fuller, more complete and improve the space one notch further. Maybe paint the shelves white or blue and add some white or even red storage. That'd hopefully help wrangle the stuff on the floor and the windowsill. Tall, narrow baskets might work--though it might be difficult if the shelves aren't very deep.
Yeah, books over the toilet.... not a great place to keep them. Better to declutter a bathroom so the wet environment doesn't ruin one's library.
The wall color is so much better. Yellows are so difficult to make work--and to use for that matter.
I miss the books though.
I love a bathroom with space! The makeover is great, as far as color & declutter. It looks like you don't have any real storage to speak of. Maybe a tall cabinet where the chair was, to stash and stow?
Maybe a blue and white toile curtain over the window (spring-rod if you can't drill holes), get rid of the silver seat, if you don't have a cabinet for your supplies, how about a wicker basket with a lid? Don't you dare put those books back on the shelf- how about a transferware bowl?
Overall good choice on wall color! I agree with Muesli about the yellow patterned rug from your before picture. and Painting the shelving white. Also did you paint over the blue accent tile on the white sink wall ?. didn't it match the shower wall accent tile?
It kind of reminds me of the redo we did in my parent's bathroom a few years ago (therefore, I LOVE it!).
I agree that painting the shelves behind the toilet would add to continuity in the room. Maybe adding some folded up towels or something would soften it as well.
And the red rugs are super cute, even if you already had them! :D
I like to yellow better, but still, a nice job:)
What is it was done here?
Clean?, Oh, Ok!
lovely makeover !