Before and After: A Moldy, Carpeted 1996 Bathroom Gets a Fresh, All-White Redo with Classic Style
There are many enviable all-white kitchens out there — after all, white paint, white cabinetry, and white marble countertops are go-to solutions for making a space look larger, airier, and more luxurious. And the same concept goes for bathrooms, too.
White finishes can do a lot to make a cramped bathroom feel less so, as was the case for homeowner Rashid Beisenov’s bathroom — a yellow, sheet-mirrored, popcorn-ceilinged product of the ’90s.
“Everything in this bathroom needed to be changed,” Rashid says of the “before.” The mirror was cracked, the bathtub was too bulky, the paint was peeling, there was carpet on the floor, and the surfaces just wouldn’t get clean after years of use. Not to mention, the dull colors made this bathroom feel less than spa-like.
“The shower cabin deserves special attention,” he says. “[It had a] glass door, frosted from soapy plaque, through which nothing can be seen.” The shower particularly bothered Rashid because the recess for it had no straight lines.
To fix the dated, dirty bathroom, Rashid hired professionals for his remodel. He recommends leaving it to the pros when plumbing is involved, especially if you’re new to home renovating. “Even if homeowners have successfully mastered painting the walls, wallpapering, and are even able to change the flooring, [plumbing] work in the bathroom should be entrusted to professionals,” he says, noting that it’s particularly important during planning stages.
“I did not know how to approach this project — what to do first and what to do next,” he says.
The pros Rashid hired helped him swap out the brown vanity and sheet mirror for a white one with framed mirrors that look a bit more upscale. Rashid selected chrome faucets with squared edges for a more modern look.
The pros also brightened the walls, ceilings, and floors by giving them an all-white makeover. “We made the dream of a bright, light bathroom come true by painting the walls,” Rashid says. And he thinks the tiles — white rectangles on the walls and gray and white marble-y squares for the floor — look more high-end and welcoming.
One of the most difficult parts of the renovation was replacing the pinkish beige tub from before with a clean white one. “We were waiting for our bathtub for four weeks, and most of the work was suspended due to the lack of a bath,” Rashid says.
That, and the old and new bathtubs wouldn’t fit through the door. “We had to widen the doorway because the door was only 30 inches!” he says. “It was difficult to get out the bathtub and vanity.”
The other obstacle was that there was mold underneath the carpeting, which required a professional cleaning.
But Rashid is pleased with the final look — especially the new shower, which has a transparent glass door that looks much cleaner than the milky glass one.
One of his favorite details in the new space is one you might miss unless you look up: no more popcorn ceilings. “Popcorn makes any room look low and oppressive,” Rashid says.
In total, the project cost $4,000. By switching out the yellow hues for an all-white backdrop, Rashid has created a timeless, more inviting, larger-looking space that will be easy to maintain as design trends come and go. “We got great results!” he says. “[It’s a] bright, cozy bathroom in which you want to spend time.”
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