Before & After: A Dated Bathroom Gets a Modern Renovation (& More Storage)

Jill and Aaron hunted for six months for their dream home in Brooklyn — during which time they realized their dream home was probably a bit out of reach. After being outbid on two different apartments, they finally landed a contract on a promising one-bedroom that was in need of just a little work. One problem spot? The apartment’s bathroom, which dated back to 1960 and had fifty years of wear to show for it.

Another issue? The wall-mounted sink left nowhere to put anything, so cleaning supplies were left awkwardly out in the open. A new vanity, with a deep drawer for storage, takes care of that, while still floating effortlessly above the floor, which keeps the room from feeling too cramped.

Replacing the old floor tile with a larger-format ceramic tile was an aesthetic as well as practical solution, with the number of grout lines in the bathroom dramatically reduced. Jill wanted marble tile, but budgetary concerns prevailed. Jill and Aaron wanted the apartment to be beautiful and livable, but they also didn’t see it as their forever home, so they remodeled with a fixed budget, and eventual resale, in mind. One splurge that did make it into the budget was the sleek, modern soaking tub.

Another storage solution is the oversized medicine cabinet, which opens to reveal several feet of storage for toiletries and for cleaning supplies. (Even the back of the medicine cabinet is mirrored, a neat little detail that helps a small bathroom to feel larger even when you’re rummaging for your toothbrush.) The overall look of the new bathroom is clean, and sleek, and elegant — one that Jill and Aaron (and hopefully whoever purchases the apartment after them) will enjoy for a long, long time.

Jill and Aaron found their contractor on Sweeten, a free service matching homeowners with local general contractors. You can read more about the project, see more photos, and find sources on the Sweeten blog.