home decor

Six short weeks ago I set out to give my boring beige and neglected master bathroom a makeover as part of the One Room Challenge hosted by Calling It Home.  It’s hard to believe that the day is finally here where I get to show you how all of my hard work came together!  

Before we jump into all of the “good stuff,” let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane and rehash how we got from a master bathroom that was practically falling apart to a light and bright space that my husband and I actually enjoy using now!

Week One:  I shared the ugly truth about the most forgotten room in my house and showed you my plans for making it better.

Week Two: I scraped the peeling ceiling and gave it a fresh coat of paint.

Week Three:  I took my dark and fussy vanity to bright and beautiful with special vanity paint and installed new light fixtures.

Week Four:  I primed and painted the beige walls and dark trim and instantly updated the room.

Week Five:  I hung new wall art, bought too many rugs, and filled you in on some shortcuts I was taking in the room.

No wonder I have dark circles under my eyes; that was a lot to cram into six weeks!

OK, I know you’re thinking “enough with the chit chat – show me the pictures.”  So here we go!

The BEFORE Photos (Proceed with Caution)

Of course, no good makeover post would be complete without some BEFORE photos, so I have to show you those first . . . just in case you forgot how truly awful my master bathroom was at the beginning of this challenge.  Dark trim, ugly vanity, dated light fixtures, too much beige . . . the list goes on and on.

If you enjoy being tortured, you can see more of this train wreck in Week One’s post.

The AFTER Photos (Hooray!)

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.  Also, thank you to DecoArt and Sherwin-Williams for providing product used in this bathroom makeover.

Oh my gosh!  I can’t wait to hear what you think about this!  I really worked so hard on this bathroom and I feel like the changes I made with paint, fabric, and textiles have made such a shocking difference.

Painting the vanity made a huge impact and is one of my favorite parts of this bathroom.

I really dislike this vanity and sink area (it’s too ornate for my style, it’s too small, and the huge vessel sink leaves us with no counter space whatsoever), but the gorgeous new color and hardware makes it much more tolerable!

A new vanity light fixture, new hand towels with pretty tassels and detailing, DIY cornice boards over the windows, and the bright white window trim and wall paint (that resists mildew, I might add!), also made this vanity area look so much nicer.

Rug | Vanity Paint | Hand Towels | Cornice Board Fabric | Wall Color | Trim Color

I’m proud to say that I made the cornice boards that are hanging here all by myself!  Cut the wood, drilled the holes, screwed them together, and attached all the fabric all by my little old self!  I followed this awesome tutorial for the construction of these guys and that part could not have gone easier.  The hanging, however, was a huge pain in the you-know-what because we had to drill through tile and it took forever to get through it.  My poor husband stood up there drilling for what seemed like an eternity!  I promptly went and bought him three six-packs of beer to thank him for his help.  🙂

I even shined up the copper sink with a homemade mix of lemon juice and salt.  It was crazy to watch it shine in no time!

This blue and gold rug is one of my favorite purchases for the bathroom.  It is super soft (perfect for stepping out of the shower!), and I love that it’s not a traditional bath mat.  After bringing home seven rugs to try in the space, I am happy I found the perfect one for in here!

The opposite side of the bathroom got a bold new look, too!  

Ceiling Fixture | Main Ceiling Fixture (pictured below) | Hanging Baskets | Wall Art | Shower Curtain

At the very last minute (less than 12 hours before I planned to photograph this space and call it quits), I decided to build some over the toilet storage.  With some 1×2 lumber, stain, and pretty hanging baskets, I put this ladder storage unit together in less than an hour.  I’m glad I did it – my toilet is a top flush so you can’t really put things on top of it.  Problem solved!

I share this bathroom with a man, so some nicely fragranced spray is a must.  🙂

And can I just tell you how much I love having this giant painting covering the illegal utility panel now?  With flecks of metallic gold in it, it’s absolutely beautiful!

The tub area got some attention, too.  With fresh new towels and some pretty accessories, it actually seems like a nice spot to soak and relax.  (Too bad I’m not a bath girl.)

Faux Fern | White Gardenia Soap | Soap Dish

Obviously my master bathroom is far from perfect.  All of its flaws – like the terrible tile work, giant windows in a space where you’d like some privacy, and lack of counter space – remain.  BUT it makes me so happy that it is now clean and bright and prettier than it ever has been!

This One Room Challenge was definitely a challenge, but it was so worth it to me!  I couldn’t be happier to have an updated master bathroom that doesn’t make me cringe when I walk into it anymore.  I also couldn’t be happier to be done with it.  It’s time for a break!  I’m going to put up my feet, watch some Real Housewives, and visit lots of the other One Room Challenge participants’ posts to see their final reveals, too!

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to see how this project turned out.  I hope you feel inspired to freshen up a space in your own home!  Isn’t it amazing how much impact paint, fabric, and some new accessories can have?  If you enjoyed seeing my work, would you be so kind as to pin this post to share the love?  

Shop the Room

Click any of these images to learn more about the products I used in my master bathroom makeover!

Thank you to these sponsors for providing product for my Master Bathroom Makeover!  

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO SEE THESE ONE ROOM CHALLENGE POSTS

It’s Week 5 of the One Room Challenge hosted by Linda at Calling it Home, and I am finally seeing a light at the end of this master bathroom makeover tunnel!  In case you have missed what I’ve been up to, over the past five weeks I’ve been giving my boring beige master bathroom a complete new look!  Week One‘s highlight was sharing embarrassing photos of the space in its “before” state, Week Two‘s highlight was scraping and patching holes in walls, Week Three‘s highlight was painting the bathroom vanity, and Week Four‘s highlight was taking the dark walls and trim to super bright with mildew-resistant paint!

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Week Five didn’t see as much progress, but that’s probably good.  Week Four took it out of me, and I really needed to dial it back a bit to rest and refresh.  My sister-in-law’s out of town baby shower was the perfect distraction and gave me a reason not to push it so hard this week.  But . . . that’s not to say I didn’t get anything done!

The biggest thing I accomplished was finding some awesome art to cover that illegal electrical panel next to the toilet.  When I spotted this extra large blue and gold beauty, I had to have it!  

I love how modern it is.  It’s unlike anything else I have in my house and I think it’s the perfect pop of color on my now white walls.  I am definitely a color lover, so it was important to me not to make this master bathroom too neutral!  When you see the painting with the new blue vanity, it looks even better!  And now listen, if you’ve been following along, you might recall that I originally planned to make artwork for this space.  Well, friends, I decided to take a shortcut and just buy some.  It looks better than anything I would have made and I am running out of time to DIY!

Moving right along, the other progress I made (if you can call it that), is buying seven different rugs to try out in the space.  Yes – that’s right – seven rugs.  I just could not tell which rug would be best by looking at them in the stores, so I brought them all home with me.  Instead of a crazy cat lady, I am becoming a crazy rug lady.  I’ll spare you photos of all of them, so here’s a sneak peek of some of the top contenders.

Blue Rug – clearance find | Yellow Abstract Rug | Stonewash Bath Rug

You’ll have to wait until next week – – the big reveal – – to see which rug won in the Rug Showdown!

Aside from art and rugs, the only other thing I did in this bathroom during Week 5 was rejuvenating the stained wood windowsills.  I was going to re-stain them because they were really weathered, but instead, I found this MIRACLE product that brought them right back to life!  No smelly stain needed and lots of time saved!

So there you have it.  Week 5 was full of shortcuts and changes of plans, and I’m thinking that my master bathroom is going to look much different than I envisioned it in the Mood Board I shared in Week One.  Here’s what I still have to accomplish for the big reveal next week:

• • Patch drywall
  • Scrape ceiling
  • Re-paint ceiling
  • Paint moulding
  • Paint windows
  • Paint walls
  • Paint pocket doors (or maybe replace these . . . )
  • Re-stain window sills
  • Change light fixtures
  • Paint vanity
  • Make cornice boards for over windows
  • Create art to replace mirror near toilet
  • Tailor shower curtain to fit non-standard shower entry
  • Shop for decor for bathroom

You’ll have to come back and see if I make it to the finish line next week!  And in the meantime, stop by the link up page to see what the other One Room Challenge participants have been up to this week!

-Bre

Thank you to these sponsors for providing product for my Master Bathroom Makeover!  

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO SEE THESE ONE ROOM CHALLENGE POSTS

Holy moly, you guys!  We’re into Week Four of the One Room Challenge already!  If you’ve been following along with my master bathroom makeover over the past several weeks – thank you!  And if you’ve just made your way here for the first time – welcome!  This week I’m sharing how I went from dark trim and walls to light and airy with mildew resistant paint that’s PERFECT for a bathroom!

I can’t wait to fill you in on how I’m kicking my bathroom’s mold and mildew problem to the curb with paint that’s formulated to resist that grossness.

But first, let me quickly recap what I’ve accomplished so far, and what I still have left to do for this master bathroom makeover.

Bathroom Makeover Progress So Far

• Week One: I shared all of the “before” photos and the master bathroom makeover plans, including the color scheme and breakdown of work.
• Week Two: I patched drywall, scraped the ceiling, and cleaned mold and mildew from the shower ceiling.  Eeew.
• Week Three: I painted the bathroom vanity, shined the copper sink, and spiffed up the countertop.

Painting the Bathroom Walls and Trim 

Now that you’ve seen what I’ve done so far, let me tell you that this week I worked myself to exhaustion – no joke!  By Sunday evening I was absolutely D.O.N.E and was actually crying over this bathroom.  

Trying to do all of this work by myself while working and running my household is getting to me!  But I feel like I’m over the hump now (famous last words), and with two weeks left to go I’m trying to give myself a pep talk to finish strong.

Anyway, my HUGE progress this week was priming and repainting the bathroom walls, molding, and windows.  If you’ve ever taken a room from dark to super light, you know just how much work goes into it!  

Before I show you the incredible difference a paint job made in this bathroom, let me remind you of what the paint, trim, and molding looked like when I started this challenge.

Thank you to Sherwin-Williams for providing the paint used in this project.  The opinions in this post are entirely my own.  

And here’s what it looks like now!  

It’s like a night and day difference (get it – dark to light? So funny!)!

Painting the Bathroom with Sherwin-Williams Mildew Resistant Paint

Not only does the fresh paint look good, but it’s going to actually function well in this bathroom.

Do you remember how I disclosed the mildew problem we were having in this bathroom (if not, check it out in Week One’s post)?  The poor ventilation was leading to a cracking ceiling and mildew on the ceiling and walls.  So gross.

Because of that I did some research on how to combat mildew in bathrooms, and I was surprised to find out that you can actually buy paint that inhibits mold and mildew growth, and it’s perfect for bathrooms! How brilliant is that?

Mildew-Resistant Paint Products Used

Armed with this knowledge and my makeover plan, I headed into Sherwin-Williams and picked up all of the supplies I needed to help mildew-proof my bathroom walls:

• Water Blocking Primer/Finish (now called LOXON Water Blocking Primer/Finish)
• Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex Paint (for the walls in Snowbound)
• ProClassic Alkyd Interior Enamel (for the trim in Extra White)

How to Paint a Bathroom to Resist Mold and Mildew

And then I got to work.  Big time.  Despite this bathroom not having a lot of paintable surface area, this was no small task.

Step One: Prime with Water Blocking Primer

I started by priming all of the dark wood moulding and trim with Sherwin-Williams LOXON Water Blocking Primer/Finish.  This primer reduces odors and blocks moisture, which is EXACTLY what I need to happen in my bathroom.

Not so glamorous, but necessary.

Once the primer dried on the moulding and trim, I moved onto the walls.  (This was strategic to do as little taping as possible.  It made sense in my mind to do it this way.)

Step Two: Paint with Mildew Resistant Paint

I used Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex Paint in a creamy white called Snowbound.  It’s a paint and primer in one that has stain-blocking technology built in, contains agents to inhibit the growth of mold and mildew (SCORE!).

It’s also really easy to wash and clean.  In short, it is the perfect paint for any bathroom!

Look at this beautiful white wall!  (And try not to notice the 100% illegal electrical panel on that wall.  I told you before that this previous owner’s DIY bathroom was a DISASTER!)

The Emerald paint went on smoothly and evenly, and I cannot wait for it to do its mildew-preventing job!

Step Three: Paint the Molding and Trim

Once I finished painting the walls, I moved onto actually painting the molding and trim.  

For this I used ProClassic Alkyd Interior Enamel, which is a great paint that goes on very smooth (minimal brush marks), and has great durability and washability.  When you’re going extra white, that’s important!

After working most of Sunday to get the moulding and trim from dark to bright white, I was ecstatic to have a smooth and glossy finish on my trim and windows!  (See the smile on my face in the mirror?  I’m so happy.)

I still have some touchup work to do on the trim and windows (filling some gaps, putting another coat on some missed spots, etc.), but on the whole I’d say this painting job is done!  It looks good and I am thrilled that it will help prevent the mildew we were seeing before.

And that means the pretty details will be working their way into my master bathroom soon!  

Bathroom Makeover To-Do List

Let’s take a look at the to-do list now that the painting is finished:

• Patch drywall
• Scrape ceiling
• Re-paint ceiling
• Paint moulding
• Paint windows
• Paint walls
• Paint pocket doors (or maybe replace these . . . )
• Re-stain window sills
• Change light fixtures
• Paint vanity
• Make cornice boards for over windows
• Create art to replace mirror near toilet
• Tailor shower curtain to fit non-standard shower entry
• Shop for decor for bathroom

With two weeks to go I feel like I am in pretty good shape.  But . . . I am traveling this weekend so maybe I’m not.  We’ll see.

Anyway, thanks for checking out this week’s progress!  I hope you’ll come back next week to see some of the fun decorative elements making their way into this bathroom!  

-Bre

It’s Week Three of the One Room Challenge, and that means my six week master bathroom makeover is halfway finished (in theory).  If you’ve just now found yourself in the middle of my makeover, welcome and feel free to peruse my disaster of a master bath as shown in Week One, and the progress I made in Week Two.

I have to admit that Week Three started out strong, but then my daughter’s birthday came along, followed by Easter.  I got a little sidetracked, and now my preschooler is on spring break.  I can feel my momentum shifting toward the “getting nothing done” column.  BUT . . . that isn’t stopping me from showing you what improvements I DID make over the last week!

I started out by giving my master bathroom vanity a death stare.  I really don’t like its fussy styling or cherry wood finish.  And I especially don’t like the copper vessel sink or weirdo pump faucet.  

But because this is a BUDGET bathroom makeover and not a renovation, I am going to live with this monstrosity.  I decided to do what I love and just paint the vanity.

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.  Also, thank you to DecoArt for providing me with the paint used in this post.  The project and opinions are my own.

In order to get a great finish in no time flat, I used some awesome furniture and cabinet paint from DecoArt called Americana Decor Satin Enamels.  I knew about it because I previously refinished a table for my mom with it.  I love it because it goes on really evenly and it doesn’t require a topcoat!  Yup – it’s self-sealing.  I am all about instant gratification when it comes to painting furniture, so this paint was the logical choice for my bathroom vanity.  

I chose the color Steel Blue because I wanted a moody blue that wasn’t a true navy.  I lightly sanded the vanity and painted it right in place!  

Two coats later and I was finished.  The result is awesome; it’s so smooth and a perfect amount of shine for a bathroom vanity.  

I also added new hardware, which I found on clearance at Marshalls for $4.50 (for all four knobs)!  This hardware is different from the hardware in my original design plan, but for the price I couldn’t pass these up!  Plus they look like the doorknobs throughout my home so they work.

I also restored the countertop, which was dull and lifeless.  

I found this awesome product called Rejuvenate Polish and its little microfiber applicator and chamois buffer, and I gave it a try.

It was super easy to apply, and it made my countertop look SO MUCH BETTER!  

I really could not get over how easy it was to make the countertop look that good!  Next up – shining up that copper sink!

Now, even though the vanity painting was a big part of this week’s progress, the other big news is that my husband and I got the new lighting installed!  (When I say “my husband and I,” I really mean “my husband.”  I supervised and ate some snacks while he worked.)  

We chose fixtures that were slightly different from the one in my design plan, primarily because we decided those were just too expensive for this project.  We loved them, but were glad to find ones with a similar look for a much lower price tag!  We chose a three bulb semi-flush mount for the main fixture, and a two bulb flush mount for over the toilet.  Let me tell you that the added light in the room is incredible, and I do not miss the weird pendant light over the toilet and flowery flush mount that were there before!

We also installed a new vanity light, and were very disappointed to find that the previous homeowner installed that strange wood piece over the tile / under the fixture because he didn’t center the electrical box, so he had to mount his fixture on the wood to get it centered.  Because of this, we had to leave the wood, which I hate.  I’m thinking I might paint it to match the marble, but I’m a little nervous I could make it worse.  Any thoughts on this?

So, the painted vanity and the new lights were the highlights of Week 3!  Other little things I accomplished were nailing the window trim pieces back into place and attempting to replace the rusty return vent cover.  Let’s take a look at the to-do list and what remains:

• Patch drywall
• Scrape ceiling
• Re-paint ceiling
• Paint moulding
• Paint windows
• Paint walls
• Paint pocket doors (or maybe replace these . . . )
• Re-stain window sills
• Change light fixtures
• Paint vanity
• Make cornice boards for over windows
• Create art to replace mirror near toilet
• Tailor shower curtain to fit non-standard shower entry
• Shop for decor for bathroom

Yikes.  Typing this was a bit of a reality check for me.  I don’t think I can afford to slack off this week.  Time to get painting!

I hope you’ll check back with me next Thursday to see what else is new in my master bathroom makeover!  I hope to have it looking even better!  Also, please make sure to visit the other designers and linking participants that are making over their spaces in six weeks as part of the One Room Challenge!

-Bre

Thank you to these sponsors for providing product for my Master Bathroom Makeover!  

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO SEE THESE ONE ROOM CHALLENGE POSTS