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DIY Bathroom Remodel

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Our DIY bathroom remodels way overdue. Why did I let this bathroom get so bad? Life is busy, and it was never a priority until now. We started taking a serious look at each room in our house to decide what needed updating since we are planning to sell our home shortly.

The photo below is the bathroom after we did some minor updates.

Bathroom remodel completed

Bathroom remodel completed

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase from one of these links, I will make a small commission, but rest assured, you will not pay more for any products. 

We are updating every room in our house. If you enjoy makeovers, please fill out the form below, so you don’t miss a thing:

Before DIY Bathroom Remodel

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The amount of time and money we invested in this makeover was minimal; however, the results were HUGE.

Before bathroom remodel

Before bathroom remodel

Before you get started, grab your copy of the Ultimate Bathroom Makeover guide below. The guides have everything you need to help you plan, budget, and prioritize your remodel.

The vanity cabinet we had custom made six years ago and the finish did not protect it from water, so we tried to sand it and add stain and it looked awful, so we had to make a decision about totally changing the look with paint or stripping it down to the wood.

Cabinet before paint update

Cabinet before paint update

Closeup of cabinet damage

Closeup of cabinet damage

We used the original hardware since it was in perfect condition and I like the modern style.

Top view of vanity water damage

Top view of vanity water damage

Updating with paint

Painting the walls, ceiling, and vanity cabinet made the biggest impact on this DIY bathroom remodel.

Choosing the best paint for the job was important since this vanity gets a lot of use. I love the ProClassic paint by Sherwin Williams; it is self-leveling, smooth, and durable. The color I chose had to go with the bathroom elements that we were not replacing, such as the travertine tile, custom shower-curtain rod, cabinet hardware, lighting, and granite vanity top.

The color Useful Grey sounded more than useful with its warm undertones in this grey paint it would marry all the elements in the bathroom together. Perfect choice for this bathroom makeover. I removed the cabinet doors to sand and paint outside, but the cabinet base had to be sanded and painted in place.

Preparing for painting

When prepping for painting, removing anything that can be removed makes it easier to paint. I removed the hanging antique cabinet since it would not fit in the new bathroom design. Using painter’s tape, I covered the curtain rod to protect it from paint splatters. I covered the vanity, toilet, bathtub, and floor with drop cloths.

 
Bathroom vanity under going remodel

Bathroom vanity undergoing remodel

After painting the ceiling and walls and painted the vanity cabinet and doors.

Back-splash tile

The next item on the to do list was the back-splash, and the current one had to go.

Back-splash tile

Back-splash tile

 

Choosing a small white subway tile was going to update the bathroom and keep it neutral too. Once again, small investment, but a big impact.

Styling a bath with accessories

The accessories play a large role in the overall look of the space. The bathroom needed toothbrush storage, but I wanted it to look modern with a Boho vibe, so I had to DIY this exotic wood shelf for the toothbrush storage. The wood is beautiful and needed nothing but varnish.

Handmade exotic wood shelf

Handmade exotic wood shelf

Toothbrush holders

After exhausting all my resources for toothbrush holders, I had to think outside the ordinary for something groovy that would fit my “new” bathroom design. I found these small canisters to hold toothbrushes, and they had a bonus with the pops of color inside each one.  The bamboo toothbrushes are an environmentally friendly choice, and they add another organic, warm accessory.

 
Toothbrush holders and bamboo toothbrushes

Toothbrush holders and bamboo toothbrushes

New back-splash

New back-splash

 

Exotic wood shelf

I love the exotic shelf my hubby made and installed with the strap brackets; however, the new white walls look a little stark, so I decided it needed something.

Exotic wood shelf attached with strap brackets

Exotic wood shelf attached with strap brackets

Moroccan faux tile art

I really wanted to replace the back-splash with the trendy Moroccan tiles, but since we are selling the house, it had to be neutral; however, I could get the look with a piece of faux tile art. I mentioned my idea to my daughter, Olivia, the Cricut expert, and she set to work on the faux tile art, and my hubby cut the exotic wood frame. It’s perfect, and I love it! You could easily make one too see how in this earlier post.

New shelf and faux Moroccan tile art with exotic wood frame

New shelf and faux Moroccan tile art with exotic wood frame

Exotic wood frame, faux tile

Exotic wood frame

Woven tassel towels
Woven tassel towels

Woven tassel towels

Choosing these woven tassel towels to add some modern Boho style while supporting The Thrive Collective’s mission was an easy decision. Doing good and looking good is a definite win-win! I found some Turkish towels too.

New mirror

The new (budget-friendly) mirror added an edgy industrial punch to the DIY bathroom remodel.

Did I mention that I am obsessed with geometric patterns? Circles, squares, diamonds, stripes, and rectangles are all used in this remodel with white, gray, black, and browns.

Bathroom makeover reveal

Bathroom makeover reveal

I purchased two rugs since I liked both of them equally. This one requires a pad to keep it from slipping (this rug is no longer available but I found this similar one) .

Rope basket for organized storage

The area under the sink we needed to use for storage, but the plumbing made it difficult to add an organizing basket, so I found this large rope basket to keep towels organized. The rope basket easily bends to accommodate the plumbing. It is perfect for under the sink organized storage. Notice the other rug and matching towels I purchased.

Under sink storage

Under-sink storage

Shower-curtain dilemma

I custom-ordered the shower-curtain hardware years ago, and since I still like them and attached them to the tile, I decided they would be included in the bathroom design. You can see in the photo below that the rings created a design dilemma. I ordered an extra long shower because I needed to cut the header off and add ties to attach it to the rings. See how I solved the dilemma in an earlier post.

Shower Curtain Dilemma, needs ties to attach to custom hardware

Shower Curtain Dilemma

 
Shower curtain attached with ties

Shower curtain attached with ties

Resources for DIY Bathroom Remodel

Hand towels 

Bath towels

Bath rug

Pom pom shower curtain

Rope basket

Shelf lip hook brackets

Round mirror

Vanity cabinet paint

Backsplash subway tile

Toothbrush holder (canisters)

Bamboo toothbrushes 

You might also enjoy these posts about a beautiful bedroom makeover:

I have been working on making over my daughter’s bedroom. If you would love to be swept away in this dreamy bedroom makeover with me, please join me! I will send you each project as I complete them, and they will be packed with how to’s. You don’t want to miss out on this HUGE inspirational makeover!

Also, how to makeover furniture. 

I hope you are inspired to try a DIY bathroom remodel. Please say hello in the comments below.

Happy summer,

Kippi

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David

Sunday 25th of April 2021

You did a good job! Times are changing and taste is changing too, I want to follow modern trends and maintain a fresh, modern renovation. Quality products allow you to extend the life of your bathroom, so always study Bci Acrylic reviews before making a purchase

Alicia Hursley

Wednesday 21st of April 2021

I love the white subway tile. We though they would be a pain to clean, but they really aren't that bad. We scrub them lightly once a week, and we got a professional tile cleaning that we plan on doing again next year. This has worked well for us living in a humid place like Spanaway, WA where mold and mushrooms can grow easily. Hopefully that helps somebody who is on the fence about getting the subway tiles. Thanks for sharing!

charles Riley

Wednesday 25th of September 2019

Wonderful hacking tutorial you share that gives me an inspirational speech. Here I am getting a piece of necessary info for update whole house. What are the minimum budgets for that?

Denise and Sean | Helping Hunny

Sunday 1st of September 2019

Love the mirror and framed tile!

Jen

Sunday 25th of August 2019

Awesome transformation! I especially love the Moroccan tile. It's the little details in small rooms like bathrooms demonstrates the loving effort you put into the renovation!

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