Before and After: A Tiny Bathroom Gets a $5,000 Black-and-White Upgrade
Erin‘s small, square master bathroom was cramped and outdated, with brown tiles and a builder-grade sink that offered no inspiration. But a trip to Italy did: “I kept talking about how I envisioned a master bathroom that looked like it belonged in a boutique hotel in Italy, and my partner surprised me with a vacation to one of my favorite cities in the world! Rome!” Erin says.
She and her partner, Christian, took the trip during the middle of the five-week bathroom reno, and her time abroad made Erin far more confident in her design choices. Her envisioned changes would take the bathroom from Tuscany to Milan—Classico Carrara marble-style tiles and stark black-and-white accents, like the Fornasetti-style succulent pots. In Rome, she “kept seeing hexagon floor tiles and marble-style tiles in old buildings and instantly recognized how ageless they are. I consider our washroom an Italian-inspired miniature masterpiece.”
Erin kept the original eight-foot by eight-foot footprint instead of sacrificing the sunny guest bedroom next door. She moved the tub and toilet and ditched a useless closet for a medicine cabinet. Instead of a dowdy shower curtain, she chose a rounded glass wall to emphasize the natural light—”key in making the room look larger,” she says.
Revamping the bathroom cost $5,000—but it was a complete re-do. “We kept nothing from the original bathroom,” Erin says.
The biggest change was the tub and tiled ceiling, which “not only looks luxurious but creates a flawless infinity look that tricks the eye and opens the space,” Erin says. A lush green philodendron trails down the side, adding a hint of color to the otherwise black-and-white space.
Erin selected sleek, matte-black faucets and fixtures to “give the space a modern update,” she says. The dark color contrasts beautifully with the tile and helps the small room feel expansive. Keeping the tiles and fixtures in the same family creates “a cohesive space that flows no matter what the size is,” Erin says.
Thanks for sharing, Erin!