Before and After: A Dark Bathroom Redo That Looks Ultra High-End

Bathrooms don’t always get the glory they deserve. At Carmeon Hamilton’s home, the master bathroom looked pretty much the same as it did back when the house was built, in 1977. “It wasn’t awful, but was totally dated and lacked some of the function we needed for our everyday lives,” Carmeon says. “The tile and grout were cracked and dingy. The vanity was too short for anyone over 5’5″, the swirly gold counter tops were just hideous, and the bathtub was way too small to enjoy.”

But the worst part, says Carmeon, was the two swinging doors—the entry door and the closet door—located diagonally from each other. “They made moving around in the bathroom almost impossible, especially if my husband and I were in there at the same time,” Carmeon says.

“We had lived in our home for three years, hating almost everything about that bathroom before we decided to pull the trigger on the renovation,” Carmeon says. “We were sick of fighting all the doors and losing things in the abyss to nowhere when things fell out of the back of the drawers in the vanity.” An invite to participate in the One Room Challenge sealed the deal.

The renovation took just over six weeks to complete, which included a renovation of the master bedroom as well. Carmeon and her husband hired a contractor to execute the project from demo to completion, but Carmeon designed the space herself.

Carmeon covered the wall behind the vanity with subway tile; stacked vertically and in an army green color, they look ultra sophisticated. The wall paint (Behr’s North Woods) was chosen to match. Carrara marble on the floors adds some brightness. (The new skylight helps, too.)

Carmeon had a vintage piece fitted to make the unique caned vanity, then hung mirrors from Amazon and funky sconces from Blueprint Lighting. Although she had some hiccups along the way—subcontractors not showing up, plumbing issues, and more—Carmeon’s happy with the bold choices she made. “I’m in love with every design decision I made, especially the Army green tile,” Carmeon says. “When it comes to design, make decisions for you and how you want to experience your space. Unless you plan to move within a year, don’t make decisions trying to please potential buyers. They’re only going to change it when they move in anyway,” she adds.

So, in the wise words of Carmeon: “Choose that dramatic wallpaper if your want! Go for that purple tile if it makes you happy! Design the space for the people that will use it immediately.”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.