Bathroom Facelift
Not in love with your bathroom but don't want to get into a large scale reno? Then a facelift is just what you need. Repurposing what you can will give something old new life and save you money. There were several items that were repurposed to complete this facelift and keep to the small budget. That small budget did not hold back from making a big impact in this space.
facelift on a budget
Bathrooms are the second most expensive spaces in your home. Whether building or renovating, this space often requires a larger portion of your budget. But that don't mean that you can't do a budget friendly makeover and make a huge impact on your bathroom. That is exactly what we did with this bathroom facelift.
before
The bathroom is on the smaller scale being 7'x6 1/2', including the one piece tub/shower and it had a case of the blues... and greys. The pale blue on the walls mixed with the grey vanity and a grey mixed laminate flooring had the color scheme feeling lifeless and flat. The Thermofoil doors of the vanity had been painted a couple of times and was showing wear, but it was something that could be worked with. Laminate flooring in a wet zone isn't the best choice as it isn't waterproof. It was also clashing with the warmer brown/grey tones and texture of the main flooring throughout the house, so it had to go.
repurposing the old; bringing in the new
When working with a small budget the two things to keep in mind are, first what is the best bang for the buck and second what can be repurposed. In this bathroom we wanted to make an impact in the walls. So we used a shiplap wallpaper, which added texture to the walls over a pattern. This paper was used in the front entrance of the home so it brings a common trait into this space as well.
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The vanity had thermofoil wrapped doors, which had been previously painted over. Behind the thermofoil wrap was a MDF core door which is the idea substrat to paint. With the wrap removed and the door then prepped, we could then paint them in a deep charcoal. The frame of the cabinet was also then prepped and painted to give this tired vanity a brand new look.
The existing light fixture over the sink, was one that you have seen in every other bathroom for the past 10 years. It was the typical satin nickel finish with frosted globe (pictured above). It was taken apart, spray painted it in a matte black and instead of putting the frosted globes back on, antique style Edison style bulbs were used. This created an old world, yet with a modern touch, light fixture that became a feature of this bathroom.
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One thing that we could not keep in this bathroom was the grey, wood look laminate flooring. Without removing the existing, a lighter color sheet vinyl flooring in a small octagon shaped pattern was chosen, in a mix of creams, warm gray and a pop of charcoal to tie in with the vanity and pops of black throughout.
the attention is in the details
Often accessories can be a forgotten step in a bathroom. It is the attention to those little details that can elevate even the smallest of spaces. Installing floating shelves over the toilet, which also doubles as the everyday towel rack, provided extra space to step up the wow factor. Instead of visually weighing it down with everyday items, that no one wants to see, use greenery, candles, and other nick nacks to layer color and textures on top of the simplicity of the wallpaper.
On the opposite wall, a simple white "get naked" sign, trimmed in the same wood tone as the shelves, was paired with the dark charcoal towels. The towel rack was also repurposed with a coat of spray paint. We took it from the understated satin nickel finish to this stunning matte black wrought iron look.
After everything was in place, the existing shower curtain, though was fairly new, just didn't sit right. The harder blacks against the stark white were overpowering in the new space. After a little searching, we were able to source this gray and gold leaf patterned curtain. It completed the room and tied everything perfectly together as though it had been our started muse instead of a last minute find.
Painting out the existing vanity was a big cost savings. The face lift that it was properly given, gave it a new life. We organized the interior to maximize what storage space. Even without touching the one piece tub and shower, a reno planned for later, the bathroom no longer resembles the dull blue and grey space that it once was. Now your eye wanders vertically, across the walls making the space feel much larger than it's small foot print.
The space needed a little bling. The rustic, yet elegant gold mirror provided just that right touch. The repurposed light fixture sitting on top of the mirror was the perfect combination and added an old world charm.
Design by: Krista Lyn Vaters Interior Design Studio
Vinyl Flooring by: B&K Flooring