Before and After: A Quick $100 Refresh Gives This Plain Bathroom Some Much-Needed Personality
No matter how small it is, there’s always a way to inject some of your personality into your space. Maybe you hang a sentimental piece of art, or paint with a color that makes you feel energized — any little project or item of decor that feels unique to you can help you feel at home.
A little personality is exactly what Meg Wheeler (@mwhomegoods) wanted to bring to her bathroom. It was newly built — along with the rest of the home — in just 2021, so it was in great shape, and the finishes were nice enough. But it wasn’t really an inspiring space. “The before was a basic builder grade bathroom with zero character,” Meg says. “We decided to change it because we wanted this bathroom to feel unique!”
Of course, the bathroom didn’t need a total to-the-studs transformation — just a bit of pep. Key to the new bathroom is the made-over vanity, which Meg painted a deep forest green (Behr’s Pinecone Hill). She started with diligent prep work, sanding and priming before she finished with the new color. Meg also drilled holes in the hardware-less cabinet doors to add two new handles in a trendy gold shade.
On the wall across from the vanity, Meg decided to add a little texture as well as color. She and her husband cut beadboard panels to size using a borrowed table saw, then secured it in place with a brad nailer. Capping the top edge of the wainscoting with 2-inch-wide trim adds extra polish. The trim also makes the perfect spot to mount three towel hooks in brass, to match the vanity’s hardware (the paint color is the same, too). Above, Meg hung a single large piece of art — a great way to make a statement in a small space — with a natural vibe.
The total cost for this refresh, which took just a few hours for each of the two projects, was about $100. That’s a pretty big bang for the buck!
“Even though the walls are not fully white now, the space feels bigger and more open,” Meg says of the “after.” She’s hoping to eliminate even more of that white in the future by adding wallpaper, too — but even now, after just a few small changes, the bathroom is a lot more lively than it was before.
“I am most proud of how the space completely transformed,” Meg says. “It looks so pretty and way more custom!”
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