Before and After: A Groovy, Statement-Making Redo for a Stark White Bathroom

When it comes to design, sellers are often motivated to make their homes as inoffensive as possible before listing. It’s a good strategy to interest a wide range of buyers, but it can definitely feel bland once the new owners move in. That’s what Amanda Bouchier and her husband Robert found in their 1999 home’s powder room. Although it was clear from the sleek vanity that it had been recently updated, Amanda says, it wasn’t particularly inspiring. And aside from an old toilet that felt too small, “it was perfectly functional the way it was—it just wasn’t my vibe,” says Amanda.

Inspired by home decor accounts on Pinterest and Instagram, including mural pro Racheal Jackson of Banyan Bridges, Amanda decided to try her hand at creating something for the half bathroom that felt lively and interesting.

Amanda first swapped in new hardware on the vanity, a new black faucet, and an arched mirror from Target, all of which added instant character. (Robert installed a new, bigger toilet for comfort’s sake.) Then, Amanda took to the walls. Her starting color was a rusty orange with a groovy 1970s vibe (Behr’s Moroccan Sky). She used that to cover the entire back wall, leaving the rest of the three walls white.

Once the orange was dry, Amanda taped out her design using painter’s tape. A zig-zagging range of lines adds interest all the way around the room. To create her gradient color scheme, Amanda relied on her already-chosen orange as the middle shade. To get the two lighter shades, Amanda mixed in different amounts of white; for the two darker shades, she used varying amounts of blue, which transforms the orange into a brown color.

The hardest part of this quick two-day project? Waiting for the paint to dry, Amanda says! She had to be sure each line was fully dry to the touch before moving on to the next so that the painter’s tape wouldn’t damage anything that was already painted.

“It’s unique and fun,” Amanda says of the finished product. “My favorite part of it is having a beautiful bathroom that no one else has!”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.