Before & After: Big Changes for a Little Bathroom

When Sophia and Leon bought their 3-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom Manhattan apartment, there wasn’t a lot going on in the petite second bathroom — but what was going on looked a little like a gas station bathroom: fine for a gas station, but not for a home. The yellowing wall tile was distinctly uninspiring, and dingy grout made the floor tiles look dirty no matter how many times they were cleaned. As part of the overhaul of their apartment (which also included upgrades to the other bathroom and kitchen), Sophia and Leon decided to make some big changes in this little space.

The biggest change? That beautiful mosaic floor, which gives this little bathroom a lovely, soothing feel. No shower in the bathroom means not much water splashing around, so Sophia and Leon chose to forego wall tile entirely, leaving the focus on the floor.

Storage is less of an issue in the half bath, which sees less use than the full one, so Sophia and Leon decided to go for a pedestal sink, which opens up the new space. A little shelf over the commode provides space to stash a few necessities, and the wall art continues the blue theme.

Sophia and Leon found their contractors, Paulina and Albert, on Sweeten, an online resource that connects homeowners with local design and construction experts for home renovations. You can read more about the project, see more photos, and find sources on the Sweeten blog.