A “Gloomy” and “Cave-Like” Bathroom from 1942 Feels 2x as Bright After a Renovation
Some really old bathrooms just feel grimy to set foot in — especially if you’re walking around with bare feet. Homeowner Keela Wiseman said the following of her 1942-built bathroom: “I needed better accommodations for my toes.” After all, the shower had a “dilapidated floor and gloomy cave-like inside,” she says.
The bathroom had yellow 4×4 vinyl “tile” on the walls, a wall-mounted sink that was too low, and all its original fixtures, which were in good condition but in need of a deep clean, Keela says.
She brightened up the bathroom and said goodbye to the yellow in an approximately $8,000 redo.
The project started with the shower.
“The entire shower was completely rebuilt and all new plumbing installed,” Keela says. Keela says demoing out the top portion of the shower walls was a difficult step (she hired pros to do this) because the shower still had to connect to the attic in some way to remain structurally sound, but the work (and construction mess) was worth it because the new cutouts make the entire thing less cave-like and let more light flow in.
And speaking of more sunlight, the renovation involved adding a solar tunnel skylight to the space. “My plants love it,” Keela says.
The vanity now boasts more storage.
One aspect of the reno Keela loves is the new vanity. “I love my cabinets and have storage where there was nothing before,” she says. And if she could change one thing about the reno, she says she would add electrical outlets on both sides of the sink.
Above the sink, it’s the same mirror as before (refinished by a professional silversmith), and there’s a new vanity light that Keela scored on Facebook Marketplace.
The walls and floors got a clean white revamp.
“When the vinyl on the walls and floor were removed, we had to use extreme caution,” Keela says. She replaced the tile around the tub with a glossy 4-inch white square tile and picked vintage-looking tile for the floors. She also painted the walls white.
The result? A bathroom that still matches the old-school vibe of the home, but feels fresh.
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