There are very few home décor choices to which we are absolutely one hundred percent opposed in every case, but wall-to-wall carpet in the bathroom is one of them. Bliss found herself faced not only with bathroom carpeting, but also with dizzying wallpaper and a toilet that needed to be replaced. $900 later, her bathroom is completely transformed.
$900 is a lot of money, to be sure, but not for a bathroom re-do. Bliss and her husband splurged on the new toilet, and they had to buy a tile saw, which wasn't cheap. But the extent of what they accomplished, without even replacing the sinks, tub, or shower, is remarkable.
We especially love the decision to replace the wall mirror above the sinks with two framed mirrors. Combined with the improve vanity lighting, this really makes the room feel more streamlined and less dated.
This project is an excellent example of the "pick your battles" philosophy of renovation. Instead of attempting an entire bathroom re-do for their under-$1000 budget, Bliss and her husband chose to live with the existing large fixtures, with the exception of the toilet, and to focus on cosmetic changes that would really make an impact. The paint alone makes such a difference.
Aqua blue accessories are a nice complement to the gray walls. Bliss' next decision is whether to paint the wood accents white to match the trim. It's always fun to play around with these details once the big renovations are finished!
To read more about Bliss' bathroom and see more pics, check out her post on Craftster.
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They did such a fantastic job, the bathroom looks beautiful! I CANNOT BELIEVE SOMEONE HAD CARPET IN THERE BEFORE. Very inspirational guys!
What a gorgeous transformation! I agree that the two framed mirrors make a huge difference. Well done!
Meh
Great job! That paint color is my favorite - simultaneously warm and clean. The blue round mirror looks sort of weird, though. Not the color... just the placement, I think.
Really excellent! I love the color scheme as well. The only thing that I might have considered doing differently is painting the wooden thing on the wall the same color as the wall so it blends in better. OR, alternatively, mounting a mirror inside the frame portion and painting the rest of the wood white to match the two new mirrors.
Nice, nice transformation! the things I would change is painting the base the same color as the walls so it blends in with the slate, its too thin of a baseboard to have white. I would switch the electrical plates out to brush stainless steel so the white plastic cover plates are popping off the grey wall.
Easy to critique others hard work, but those are glaring to me.
I love the mirrors -- I think they make the biggest impact. The colour is dark for me, but I do appreciate the richness it provides.
Hate carpet in bathrooms and am always shocked when people have it. Beyond the weirdness factor, it seems so unsanitary!
The room feels better proportioned now that the monolithic mirror has been broken up, and the grey walls suit the white wall tiles and charcoal floor tiles better. Well done!
A couple of extra suggestions:
1. The round mosaic mirror is a bad choice. The little piece of mall art photography in the first photo (it's a blue door, I think) would suit the space better.
2. The lack of a proper towel rail is ruining the renovation. Space needs to be found for one. Opposite the shower door? The back of the main door?
One million times better. She asks on her post if she should paint the cabinets too: I vote YES!
Great job! It looks so much better. I would also paint the cabinets white and add some hardware.
Much, much better. For the finishing touches, I would paint the cabinets white, add drawer pulls, put up a curtain instead of blinds, and some framed art for the walls.
Not bad for the money spent- but i think to really unify the bathroom, the medicine cabinet needs to be replaced or painted white- it sticks out like a sore thumb (whereas the vanity seems to blend well) with a little bit of thrifting/salvaging I bet they could do it for under $50.
They should have painted the cabinets!
Great redo. But I think you should stain the cabinets dark and it looks like you need a towel bar near your shower.
If you are adverse to painting the vanity, adding hardware would make a huge difference.
But do paint the medicine cabinet white
I think staining the vanity a dark color would be a terrific touch--great redo!
I agree the medicine cabinet should be white, and I'd paint those cabinets a great, deep shade of blue. That would make the countertop look so much fresher- despite those seashell shaped sinks.
Good start, the wallpaper and carpeting Had to Go! Now that they have gone, though, it seems a bit unfinished to me. I think (although I usually like oak) that I agree with those who suggest painting the cabinets gloss white. I think I'd pull out the medicine cabinet, though, and make that wall, since it seems to be dead ahead of the door. If you can't do that, I'd paint it the color of the wall to disguise it, since it's a kind of clunky shape at an odd position. (You can put the contents in the bottom cabinets or drawers. I haven't used a medicine cabinet in years.)
I don't think the blue mirror fits the wall, and I don't see another wall it would fit on unless it would be the one facing the shower door, so I'd suggest using it as a tray on the counter, maybe with your orchids on it. Instead of the mirror, I'd look for a piece of art with blues and whites in it -- for me it would probably be abstract, but something like a seascape might also work -- and center it on the wall where the mirror is now.
I actually don't mind the towels on hooks -- more of the blues are exposed and it lends an air of informality that I like.
Overall an impressive intervention!
Agreed on blue mosaic mirror. Try it on countertop. Consider painting out the oak (including medicine cab) in the wall color (switch to glossy). You have plenty of white in there to balance it out, including the grid lines on the floor. (I would probably do white towels, but that's me.) Hardware in a brushed nickel will add white too. Consider too hooks vertically installed to left of shower for your towels. Will add color and not block window light. Can you do a matchstick blind on the window? You can buy one cheap and cut them down yourself to fit. The mini slats are dated. Great work...HUGE improvement.
Love it! I did a similar treatment to my bathroom, except tan instead of gray. I would either leave the vanity cabinets as they are or maybe stain them darker. Everybody in my complex painted their cabinets white, and I do not like any of them. I left mine like yours. Maybe add some modern pulls to dress them up.
I would change the cabinet door. I would have sheet-rocked over it, actually, and replaced it with something else. I put a white pre-fab cabinet on my wall to the side of the sinks/mirror. It just looks odd and is not centered.
But, yeah, great job! How fun was it to take down the big mirror?
I take that back. My cabinets are white! It was the kitchen cabinets I left natural. The previous owner replaced my cabinets with white. I wanted to go brown, but just left them alone.
Before (Picture from the MLS ad):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjc/3119037553
After:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjc/3119029309
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjc/3119859626
I think I would like the cabinets (both the vanity and medicine) a couple shades darker then the wall... if there really is a need to paint/stain them. The vanity looks good, imo.
Is the wall cabinet needed at all? Seems there's quite a lot of storage there anyway. It's placement is odd... Maybe remove this one, and add a little wall storage opposite to the shower? Together with the suggested towel bars.
Big stores usually have certain types of faucets on sale - $100 should be enough to get a couple of really nice, modern ones to update it a little more (vanity looks unfinished with the bulky ones). Overstock has a few decent ones, too: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Knight-Satin-Nickel-Finish-Centerset-Faucet/2669424/product.html.
I really like the change, tho. Looks so much better! Everything added from now on can be done in little steps. :)
It looks nice but that wood cabinet on the wall really bothers me. I would've tried to get a mirrored door for it or at least painted it white.
What a great update - and for a reasonable amount of money. I am so impressed. The floor looks so much better. My $.02 - stain/paint the vanity cabinets a darker color (either a deep ebony stain, or a paint that is a darker brown shade in the same family as the wall color) and remove or paint over the little cabinet on the side wall. I like the blue accents - they add personality. Thanks for sharing!
I think it's a nice job. We just replaced vanity/counter/floors/mirror/paint/decor in a bathroom about 1/2 that size for around $600; it's amazing how fast it goes. Luckily we didn't need to replace the toilet or tub.
One thing I would have done different is put a frame around the mirror there so I could use that space between sinks for putting on makeup. They have products you just frame over mirrors like that.
Also, to brighten up the room, maybe you could remove the blinds from the windows and put window film on it so it's private but the light comes through. AT has several posts for sources.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/window-coverings/designer-adhesive-film-by-emma-jeffs-048107
I would paint the wood. We had a similar white counter and old dark cabinets which we painted white until we could remodel. It looked much better. If you're worried about too much white, maybe a very light gray, or even black or slate if you don't mind a dark bathroom.
Most DEFINITELY paint the cabinets WHITE! And I agree about the round mosaic mirror-it doesn't go with anything at all, and in a bad way, and it's hung too high and cheap looking.
The bathroom is better than before, however; it lacks style.
aka it looks like a basic home depot look.
That cabinet on the side should be completely removed and finished and place something in it ( Like that orchid plant )
Cabinets painted white is a good idea
Considering that this post started with a discussion of the horrific carpeted floor, where are the photos/where's any discussion of the new floor?!?! THe floor and wall color are great, yes, but those mirrors and the lights.... tacky, just tacky. It went from "meh" to "ew". Despite the ugrade, it screams Home Depot 2005. And yes, paint the cabinets!!! What a no-brainer! If they didn't have those horrid mirrors I'd say use a gloss or enamel of the wall color on the cabinets instead of the white, but since they've got those up, white might help detract the eye from them.
I am truly amazed at how mean people can be on this site. When people have worked hard, on a budget, to make their home more livable and appealing to them, what is the point in putting down their efforts? Constructive suggestions are helpful. Insults are not.
I think that this bathroom looks so much cleaner, prettier, and soothing. Great job!
I look forward to seeing the homes of all those so quick to offer "advice."
I agree...You people are hateful. One of the reasons I'll never share any of my re-do's on here. I'm not a designer. And most likely, neither are you. The bathroom looks just lovely. Great job!!!!