Before and After: Two Weekends of Work Make This Boring Bathroom Unrecognizable

published May 31, 2021
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About this before & after
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Powder rooms are great for DIY because they’re small, they don’t have as much plumbing as full baths, and they’re a space in your house that lots of guests get to see. Because they’re small and often tucked away, secondary to a living room or kitchen, they present the perfect opportunity to add real surprise factor and go bold with wallpaper, texture hardware, and fun light fixtures.

As homeowner and interior designer Erin Haugerud (of EH Design Co.) says, powder rooms are like “jewelry to an outfit.” That is to say: They add more style to the whole package, and they shouldn’t be overlooked.

In Erin’s home, the powder room was your basic builder-grade setup with blah gray walls. “We decided to make a change to the space because it needed more interest and more depth,” she says.

Erin and her husband, Mitch, decided to go with 2/3 paneling and trim and 1/3 wallpaper on the walls to add some charm and character. They measured and taped out space for the trim, and then they looked for a wallpaper they loved. “Wallpaper is a must in any home,” Erin says. “It’s not the scary wallpaper of the past! It makes such an impact.”

She landed on a delicate denim blue wildflower wallpaper from Livette’s Wallpaper, which she says was extra easy to install because it was peel-and-stick. Before adding the wallpaper to the walls, though, she and her husband installed the trim and picture frame moulding and painted it all with a deep gray-colored paint.

The couple also swapped a too-small wire and wood shelf for a minimalist floating wood one that looks more sophisticated.

The entire project took just two weekends to finish — impressive, considering the huge transformation. By making three simple changes, Erin and Mitch totally changed the look and feel of their bathroom without touching plumbing or hardware. “The materials we chose are stunning, and with the high ceilings in there, it really draws your attention to the space,” Erin says. Now, she’s looking forward to showing her not-so-secretly-stylish powder room off to guests.