Bathroom Makeover: Wash Your Troubles Away

Creating A Tranquil Space

When you purchase a home, as I did, hopefully, you’ve built in any renovations that need to be done. I bought my house knowing that it needed a makeover. A bathroom makeover is costly. But I was determined to update both bathrooms. My kitchen remodel was challenging enough to coordinate on my own. Having one person to oversee this project and the subcontractors were based on the cost. Because it would be my most expensive makeover, I viewed it as a one-and-done project. It is why I spent about six months looking at the trends and combing through Instagram and home remodeling websites for inspiration.

Before

Both bathrooms were very outdated. Because I know absolutely nothing about permitting, plumbing, tiling, and architectural reviews when it comes to a bathroom makeover, I decided to wash away my troubles by hiring a general contractor. Both bathrooms were complete tear-outs. Being a second-floor condo meant there would be many inspections to make certain everything was up to code. After a few mishaps on my kitchen remodel, this seemed the best way to go.

The Master Bathroom Specifics

My master bathroom opens to my bedroom with no door so it would have to flow from each room. My color choice was to use white and blue hues. For me, I wanted a space that provided tranquility. The other inspiration for my tile and decor came from a trip to Greece. I love a clean, white space with pops of blue.

I had seen several vanities that I loved but I realized that I could have mine painted and glazed. I did replace the knobs with polished chrome from Rejuvenation. For the vanity top, I installed a white quartz countertop that was built for two square basins.

The basin hardware came from Pottery Barn. I went with the Sussex Lever Handle Widespread Bathroom Sink Faucet in chrome. The shower hooks and toilet paper holder also came from Pottery Barn. I am impressed with the quality of the hardware. Tip: If you have a credit card with rewards, you can redeem them for digital gift cards. Because I had accumulated a lot of points from my kitchen remodel and buying the tile for the bathrooms, I had an abundance of points that I used toward Pottery Barn gift cards.

For the shower, my GC recommended going with a frameless shower door that measured 7’”, much higher than what had been there. I also selected a more modern fixed rain shower head in chrome and a separate wall mount handheld shower wand.

Bedrosian Floored Me with Their Tile

Looking for tile inspo was overwhelming. I looked at Floor & Decor, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Wayfair. During one of my deep dives on Wayfair, I found a tile I loved made by Bedrosian. Lo and behold, I discovered that Bedrosian had a showroom in my city. Rather than go through a third party, I went to their showroom.

Their designer was able to give me some suggestions but I wasn’t ready to make a decision. On a third trip, I found a tile on their counter that I fell in love with. The designer helped me select the shower floor and wall tiling and we picked a blue square tile for the shower niche. My floor tile was somewhat bold and risky but I decided to go with my gut and order it.

Master bathroom floor tile – Villa Azul 10″ x 10″ Matte Porcelain Tile in Blue

Shower floor tile – 360 3/4″ x 3/4″ Penny Round Matte Mosaic Tile in White

Wall tile – Hedron 4″ x 5″ Matte Ceramic Flat Wall Tile in White

Niche Tile – Cloe 5″ x 5″ Ceramic Tile in Blue

I ended up using the extra tile for one of the wall cutouts in the dining room.

Be Our Guest

The second bathroom doubles as a guest bathroom. With limited space, it was more challenging to give it a big bathroom makeover.  The idea was to keep it somewhat on the brighter side and add elements like a floating shelf to create more space.

Because the vanity was high-quality and in good shape, I decided to have it repainted and put in a new vanity top and fixtures. However, I was replacing the bathtub and toilet and adding shower doors and shower fixtures. I also decided to add a niche in the shower to hold my daughters’ bathroom products.

For the wall tile above the vanity, I chose Boliche Mosaic Tile Honed Asian Carrara Dark E Marble from Whole Tiles. The shipping was a little more than I liked but I had seen this tile in an Instagram guest bathroom post and knew this was exactly what I was looking for. The shower wall tile came from Home Depot (and yes, I used gift cards) going with Nature Calacatta 12 in. x 24 in. Glazed Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile.

For the guest bathroom floor tile, I went with their Palazzo 12″ x 12″ Decorative Tile in Antique Cotto Florentina.

Like the master bathroom, the hardware came from Pottery Barn.

Finishing Touches in Bathrooms

The guest bathroom is somewhat small. In order to add some depth and composition, I added the Hang Anywhere Shelf Duo. Here you can add a candle, plants, or some soft touches. Rather than use a rectangle mirror, I chose a Vintage Round Mirror in warm bronze. Above it, I used a wall sconce for soft lighting.

In keeping with a Mediterranean style decor in the master bathroom, I selected vanity mirrors and a floor mirror that was made with textured textiles. The touches of summer-sky blue to a mostly white background were in keeping with the overall aesthetic.

As for the bathroom towels, I love the Nordstrom Hydrocotton towels; bath sheets for showering, and hand towels. I chose blue vintage, white and grey sphere for contrast. I am very picky when it comes to towels; I will only use a towel that is ultra-absorbent, thick, and soft. Nordstrom puts them on sale during their annual Anniversary sale which is when I stock up.

Living With A Bathroom Makeover

If given the choice, I would have preferred to have the bathrooms done while not living there. It meant workmen in and out of my house for about six weeks. They were very respectful and laid paper on the floor throughout the house. But there was so much dust from lifting up the old tile. Since the shower and bathtubs required inspections, they did the bathrooms consecutively.

It was definitely an exercise in patience navigating the use of a bathroom during the remodeling. At one point, my kitchen sink became my bathroom sink.

The Results

I love how both of my bathrooms came out. The total cost to makeover both bathrooms was just under $35k. But I built the remodeling costs into the purchase of the home. Should I decide to sell my place in the next five years, the bathroom makeover will add value to my home.

Pass on these great tips, tell your friends and like us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Sign up for other great tips at haveuheard.com.