Bathroom Makeover



When we bought our current house eight years ago, we knew this bathroom needed help.  There was a large leaky window in the shower.  Over many years, water had gotten into the track of the window and our fear was that the wood had rotted underneath.  We tried to block out the water and prevent further damage as best we could with a shower curtain, but it didn't look nice.

 

The faucet in the shower was cracked and leaked.  The white tile and grout always looked dirty no matter how often it was cleaned.

 

 

The rest of the bathroom looked pretty bad too.  Ugly sunflower wallpaper . . .


bright gold light fixtures . . .

 

ugly marbled counter tops and more old and leaky faucets at the sink.


The dated 70's dark wood cabinets had already been painted over once.  It looked like someone had tried to touch up the paint in places, but the paint didn't quite match.  The drawer pulls were bright gold to match the gold light fixture.


After looking at so many beautiful bathrooms on Pinterest, I couldn't stand it any longer.  Something had to be done!  Last year we began remodeling our hall bathroom.  My DIY skills are pretty limited, so we hired a contractor to remove the old leaky window in the shower, rebuild the wall, re-tile the shower, and replace the shower fixtures.  It was money well spent. (And luckily, the wood below the window wasn't rotted!)


I love the new tile!  It's so much prettier than the basic boring white.  The new fixtures also look nice and don't leak!  We kept the tub, but it got a good polish and looks like new!


We used a big part of our budget on the shower so we decided to be thrifty with the countertop.  There wasn't anything physically wrong with the countertop - it was still in good shape.  I just didn't like that ugly marbling.  We hired someone to spray the counter top with a faux finish.  Yes, I know about the Rustoleum Countertop Transformations kit and have seen the amazing before and afters.  I just wasn't confident that I could do it well and be happy with the results.  I was worried it would look painted on and I wanted a more professional finish.  So in just a few hours, we went from this . . .


To this! 

 

We also replaced the faucet and fixtures at the sink.   In this picture, you can see that the cabinets got a new coat of paint and have different drawer pulls too.  Next it was time to tackle the wallpaper.  I don't think I need to say anything about how ugly this wallpaper is.  These pictures say it all!  I had never removed wallpaper before, but I felt like it was DIY project I could do.


I know there are a few different methods for removing wallpaper.  My mother-in-law recently removed wallpaper at her house with a steamer.  She let me borrow it and it did a fantastic job!  Just hold the steamer over the paper for 3 to 5 seconds and then peel the paper off.  In stubborn spots you may have to scrub with a wet sponge or wet rag. Just be careful not to get the wall too hot or too wet with the steamer or scrub too hard with the sponge, because it will damage the drywall.


After the wallpaper came off, I scrubbed down the walls to remove any glue residue that was still left on the wall.  I painted the walls two different shades of beige.  That top color is the same color I used in my laundry room makeover.  I also took out the medicine cabinet and tried to replace the drywall.  I've never patched drywall before, so for a first attempt I guess it's not bad.  I'm not happy with it and I guess I'll just try to hang something there to cover it up. 


 It's not finished yet, but you can see how much better its looking!


Here's what we did ourselves
  • replace the light fixture
  • replace sink fixtures
  • repaint cabinets
  • replace cabinet drawer pulls
  • remove wallpaper
  • paint walls
  • we replaced the toilet too (sorry, no pictures were taken)
Here's what someone else did for us:
  • remove the window in the shower
  • rebuild the wall
  • re-tile the shower
  • replace the shower fixtures
  • refinish countertop and sink
Here's what we still need to do.


We started this bathroom makeover a year ago!  I'm tired of seeing it in it's almost finished state and anxious to see it in all its glory!  I still need to add trim along the wall where the paint colors meet.  I also want to add trim around the mirror to frame it.  Hopefully, it will get done soon and I'll have pictures to share!

UPDATE:  It's finished!  Go here to see the results!

Comments

  1. Looking Good!!! I love the changes!

    Just found your blog from a link party. I would love for you to follow me back at www.naptimenothings.blogspot.com

    Looking Forward to more posts,
    Sarah @ Naptime Nothings

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  2. The vanity top looks so much better! Do you know what they used to spray it? We have a yellowish cultured marble vanity that needs replacing, but this would be a great option as it's an odd length not found in stores.

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    1. We had the same problem with our vanity. It's not a standard size and would be too expensive to replace it with something custom. We used a company called Get A Grip and they sprayed it with paint, though I don't know what kind. I'm sure it was something industrial grade since the smell was pretty strong.

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    2. Thanks! I bookmarked their website and will keep checking back to see if they open a location near me.

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    3. You're welcome Lynn! You could also look in your area for someone who does counter top resurfacing. That's how I found Get A Grip.

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  3. This looks incredible...great job! This would be perfect to link-up to my Create It Thursday post...it's live now! http://www.lambertslately.com/2013/05/create-it-thursday-4-plus-features.html

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  4. Looks like a lot of hard work has gone into this, I'm sure it will be very rewarding to have it all done! It's looking really good from what I can see. Good luck w/the finishing touches.

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  5. Isn't it amazing what a difference a few little changes can make, okay a few big changes! It will be fun to see it when it's done...no pressure:) I have a house full of half finished projects!

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  6. We are getting ready for a bath remodel. Got to find someone to remove tub and replace-I dread it. At least I don't have to remove wallpaper. Your redo is looking good so far.

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  7. I love how the counter top turned out, doesn't not look like a faux finish at all! Great work so far, look forward to seeing the rest.
    Thanks for sharing.
    http://creativeramblingsblog.com/

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Sarah! I'm pretty happy with the counter top too. So much better than what we had before and much cheaper than replacing it.

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  8. It looks very nice! At first I wondered about all the dirt on the shower and tub and then realized it wasn't on your fixtures, it was actually on my computer screen !!!! I guess I'll go clean my screen now. Good job on your remodel.

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  9. What a great transformation! I like how you did some yourself and let a professional do the rest--very wise! I'm stopping by from Create It Thursday (my posts are #135 Teacher Gift Idea and #134 DIY Chalkboard Family Rules) Have a great weekend!

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  10. Wow, what an amazing difference! Looking beautiful!

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  11. You're really on the right track! It's going to be fabulous!

    Thanks so much for sharing this at The DIY Dreamer... From Dream To Reality last week! Looking forward to partying with you again tomorrow evening!

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