Bathroom Remodel

In April of 2019, we decided it was time for our long overdue Bathroom remodel. The bathroom was very much livable, hence why we waited four years. But what you can't tell from pictures is the cracks in the tile, mold in the bathtub and as we found out during our renovation, old pipes that were days away from bursting.

Demo Day

It took a full weekend of demo before we took the bathroom down to the studs. As much as we wanted to keep the original ceramic tub, it just wasn't salvageable. I have never cleaned something with more bleach in my life, for it to remain scummy. I was also sad to see the archway go, but it gave our tiny bathroom such a bigger feel without it. If I could go back, I would definitely have added a similar archway to the new bathroom.

Let the Design Begin

The pressure was on... it was my turn to step up to the plate and bring all the design aspects to life. First step… Tile.

If you know me, you know decisions are not my strongest quality. I turned to an Instagram poll and of course the opinion was nearly even. I went with my gut and after getting my husband on board, we went with Black and White!

Our brand new tile, tub and toilet were installed with the help of my wonderful father-in-law. He has a lot of experience in areas my husband was not 100% confident in, so were really lucky he was able to come for a few days to help.

Highlight: Creating a Shelf

One of my favorite parts of our renovation was an idea my husband came up with. Across from the toilet, we took a part of the awkwardly deep closet and created some built ins for storage. This was the best decision we made as it gives some character to this wasted space.

In went the shiplap, subway tile & the niche for the shower. This was my first time using a compound miter saw, jigsaw & a table saw and I must say, it was thrilling. I also learned how to tile, although with my lack of patience, I quickly learned it was not my favorite.

Final Decor Details

When it was time to pick out the vanity, our options were pretty limited since we are on such a small budget. Lowe’s ended up having a wood vanity we were looking for, at just the right price. I played it safe and went with all matte black hardware, which I LOVE. I knew I wanted wood tones throughout - my go to stain is Special Walnut by Mini Wax. With the DIY shelves and the wooden vanity we found at Lowes, I think it brought in the right amount of contrast I was looking for.

Overall, I feel like for our first bathroom renovation, I was happy with the outcome. There were a few things I learned along the way that I will do different next time… Molding is at the top of the list.