Bathroom Renovation Plans
February 19, 2016
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Hello and happy Friday my friends! Any fun weekend plans? We have basketball, some basketball and then more basketball here. ;)
I've been hard at work painting my son's bathroom and had hoped to share it with you today but goodness…I forgot how much work it was to paint a bathroom! Especially with this one with the stupid wall that breaks the room in two -- it adds a couple walls and a lot more cutting in.
I haven't done much to our two upstairs bathrooms over the years (I've focused on our powder room and basement bathroom and basically all of the other spaces in the house) and there are two big reasons for that -- bathroom renovations are (typically) expensive. Duh. Also, I have to wait till the final design pops into my head. Seriously, it can take years before I know exactly what I want to do with a space, and I won't do much till that happens.
This bathroom has always bugged me and I talked about my bigger plans for it here. I decided to sit on that for awhile to see if I really wanted to knock that wall down, and yes. Yes I do. Like, yesterday. I hate the wall:
This is how the bathroom looked till a few months ago -- it looked the same as it did when I painted and decorated it nine years ago when my boy was born.
Now that I'm sure I want to take that wall down I don't want to do too much to update in the meantime, but I have made some simple changes that I'm really happy with. I'll go into those details more next week! I had to laugh though because as soon as I started painting in there all of the ideas swirling in my head fell into place and I came up with a final design and renovation plan. Of course then I wanted to put the paint brush down and just knock the wall out, but I'm holding back. For now. :)
Here's the plan for the larger renovation, but it won't happen till next year most likely. As with all of our redos it will involve a lot of DIY projects and budget-friendly items. I do have one splurge in mind and it's a cement tile. I've been obsessed with it for years now and I know how I want to use it in this room. There are SO many beautiful options:
Isn't it gorgeous? It's such a beautiful accent. I absolutely LOVE this one:
My plan in this bathroom is to go with something with a little more contrast though (I'm keeping that one filed away for our master bath). It will go up the wall behind the vanity like this:
I think I'll keep the large mirror and if so the actual area that will be tiled will be pretty small. LOVE that look!
Initially I planned to use the cement tile on the floors but I think using it as an accent will be prettier and cheaper. Now the plan is to go with a darker gray tile similar to this:
Lowe's carries a large tile that comes in dark and light gray -- we used the lighter version for our basement bathroom:
The biggest decision has been the vanity design -- we went with one sink when we built and I wish we would have done two. I'll be adding another sink during the renovation so at first I was planning to buy another cabinet like the one we have to finish off the space. Those aren't cheap though, so I came up with another idea that will be much cheaper and I can do it myself:
I've always loved the look of open vanities in bathrooms. I know they aren't for everyone but I think they look fantastic and offer way more functional storage than a typical vanity.
Here's one that Karah built for her bath:
The good thing is I already have a plan in mind for the vanity -- my Dad and I built this DIY potting bench years ago and it's pretty much exactly what I want. I'll go darker in stain for the bathroom:
So far the costs aren't too bad! We'll decide later if we'll keep the basic builder tub insert or replace and tile it -- if we do it will be a basic subway tile. I'm not sure if it's worth that investment.
As far as lighting, I still plan to add a window above the shower. I think it will make a huge difference in that room. HUGE. Especially with the wall down and the room opened up -- I have a feeling it will feel twice as big.
I'll be getting rid of the long vanity light and replacing it with two above the mirror. I always love the industrial farmhouse look, especially in a bathroom:
I've used similar lights from Lowe's over our window seat in the kitchen:
Since the wall will be down in the bathroom and we'll have easy access to the ceiling I plan to add a couple recessed lights as well.
Dang it! I'm so excited now and want to start this next week! Not happening though. The room will be completely transformed and I think I can do it for a great price.
This will be my first big bathroom renovation -- the biggest change in our powder room was the planked wall treatment I added. Our basement bathroom was built from the ground up but I think that's easier than renovating what's already there.
Have you implemented any of these in your bathrooms? Please share if you have! Have a great weekend my friends!
So exciting! That tile is fabulous! I'm sure what ever you do will be amazing!
ReplyDeleteLove all these plans! We used the floor tile you mentioned (or something similar, anyway) in our Master Bathroom remodel- sadly we moved across the country just a couple months after our big renovation, so didn't get to enjoy them too much. My only consolation is that renovating the bathroom definitely upped the selling price on the house! (Here's the pictures: http://heylittlemomma.blogspot.com/2015/01/our-bathroom-so-far.html)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing this transformation as our master bath is almost the same layout. I have wanted to knock that middle wall out for 6 years!!! I just painted ours last week as it needed the update before budget will allow a renovation.
ReplyDeleteI love your plans! I wanted an electrician to install a light fixture in a closet I made into a library for the littles (inspired by your reading nook)! He told me that regulations didn't allow fixtures to be installed indoors that were open at the bottom. If the bulb bursts, fragments of hot stuff could ignite something below, like the cushions. Did you have those issues with your gorgeous fixtures?
ReplyDeleteI would suggest you get a second opinion from someone else.
DeleteHmmm...what about ceiling fans and vanity lights?
DeleteHello Mary Lou! I agree, I would get a second opinion. Nearly all of our interior lights have an open bulb, and I've never had a bulb burst. Maybe it's a local code for you?
DeleteI love every single idea!! I can't wait to see how it comes out!
ReplyDeleteMel | www.thegossipdarling.com
i love the tiles in the second bathroom!! we did something very similar to that on our ceiling of our bathroom!!! best of luck to you!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://k-g.us/
Your idea for your bathroom look beautiful! Can't wait to see how it turns out!
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly following your blog and am amazed at the number of projects. We built our home 13 yrs ago and am now wanting to change things up. My biggest stumbling block is my husband. If its not broke, don't fix it. How do you get your hubby to agree to your changes?
ReplyDeleteHello Sue! You know he's always just let me do my thing -- I think as long as I don't ask him to help he's fine with it. ;) He does have strong opinions occasionally and I always keep those in mind when making changes.
DeleteI love all your ideas! How long did you say you're restraining yourself from tearing that wall down?!
ReplyDeleteHa! I'm going to have the window installed first to make 100 percent sure I want to move forward with the wall. But I think I will! :)
DeleteI have that same bathroom and have also waited for years to tear the wall down. Doing it next month and I got some ideas from your original post about what to do in there. Can't wait! I'll be looking forward to your progress as well.
ReplyDeleteI live with my parents and we each have our own bathroom. The bathroom I use has a dividing wall like yours and I HATE it. I've been begging my parents to let me tear it down. I told them I would pay for the entire bathroom remodel myself. I would like to tear out the wall, rotate the toilet, move the vanity to the other wall and attach a little desk with a chair/stool so I have a place to do my makeup and then add a large linen/storage closet where the vanity currently is. Oh, I also want to replace the cheap fiberglass tub and shower with a large soaking tub along with a tiled shower. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to convince my parents that remodeling their bathroom is a good idea. :/
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see the transformation! I love all the elements you've picked, and I think it is going to look amazing!
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I like your new bathroom and wanna to do this to my 30 years old bathroom.
ReplyDeleteYou will love the large dark gray tile in the bathroom. We are currently in the process of installing this exact same tile in our hall bathroom.
ReplyDeleteWe used large dark charcoal-colored tile in our boys' bathroom and it was the perfect choice. We also installed radiant floor heating below the tile, so it's cozy for bare feet. Great reuse of the potting table!
ReplyDeleteHello! I am new to the blog and I LOVE your vision! I am very impressed by how meticulously you plan and save, so few bloggers draw attention to that part of the process. You have a wonderful way of being content in your home, while still excited about improvement. I find that incredibly encouraging!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you could lay out the step by step process for how you remove a wall. Do you to any of it yourself? Do you have a contractor that you consistently use? If so, how did you find this contractor? What is the cost of removing a wall or half wall?
Thank you!!
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ReplyDeleteThe basket weave tile on the floor is dreamy!
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