Young House Love

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Cheap Bathroom Update

This guy:

Bathroom Art And Light And Trim

You saw the wall we were dealing with before we removed the not-very-functional shelf and towel bar here:

Bathroom Before3

And you saw it again after we spackled and sanded those holes from the fixtures and painted:

Bathroom Painted3

Well now, thanks to two nails (it’s a pretty light canvas), we hung up the DIY art that I made a while back (I originally whipped it up for the bedroom, but it’s nice to tie this color in here and it was aqua overload in the bedroom). Thankfully I used latex wall paint to make the painting (the same thing you’d use on the walls of a bathroom) so it should hold up well in here. It was a complete lucky break that it fits on this wall. And thanks to the ceiling-height shower curtain on the other side of the room, something over-sized on this side of the space actually adds balance, and feels less heavy or invasive than the shelf/towel bar that stuck out from the wall.

Art Full Wall

Admittedly, the pattern of the art isn’t perfect with the tree border tile that runs around the room since that’s pretty busy (see that up close here) but because we have a plan to redo that with soft frosted white or gray glass subway tile someday it should look nice and clean after Phase 2. It’s not that the tree tiles are terrible, they’re just not “us” if that makes sense. So we figure the room will feel more like our bathroom and not someone else’s when we put up accent tile that floats our boat.

And now for an art detail shot. Ooh. Ahh.

Detail Art

One of the coolest things about my homemade painting is how purty it looks with our blue light. The room just went from feeling beige and builder-basic to feeling like ours. Ya know?

Light Plus Art

And now for a light detail shot. Ooh. Ahh.

Art Light 2

One issue in here that we haven’t explained is that the door is too tight to the floor, so it actually doesn’t open all the way since it gets stuck on this floor grate. So we have added “remove the door from its hinges and shave a sliver off the bottom so it opens correctly” to our to-do list. And then we can have a bath mat outside the tub since it won’t get scraped by the door. Hurrah!

Vent Yellow Door

Speaking of the door, the trim around the window, the trim around the door, and the door itself were originally a beige-y off-white color. So things like the bright white towels, shower curtain, and light switch made that feel a little… dirty. We’re crisp white trim folks anyway, so I got my paint on.

Trim Unpainted

I used leftover semi-gloss paint that we’ve used for other rooms (it’s off-the-shelf white by Olympic Premium). And two coats later…

Painting Trim

… it was white! Like the towels and the shower curtain and the light switch. Oh happy day.

Painted Trim

Here’s the window all glossy and refreshed.

Trim Painted

Pretty much still looks like this from the doorway since you can’t see the art behind the door. But once you go inside, bah-dow, art in yo face.

Bathroom Prog

So that’s the latest with our cheap little bathroom update. We love that this step was f-r-e-e thanks to art we already had (sitting around in the playroom waiting to be hung – who’s surprised?) and leftover trim paint. And here’s what the ol’ to-do list looks like now:

  • paint the walls so they have some contrast
  • replace the boob light
  • paint the cream trim white
  • hang some bathroom-friendly art
  • craigslist the toilet and replace it with a classic white one
  • do something to add privacy to the window
  • remove the door so we can shave the bottom to allow for a rug/bathmat (and add a door stopper so it doesn’t squash the art)
  • replace the border tile around the room (maybe in phase 2?)
  • move the blue pendant light to hang centered in front of the window
  • replace the floor tile down the road (just to break things up since there’s so much of it)

So there you have it. Any trim painting or art hanging going on in your neck of the woods? Have you painted any giant canvases to add color to a small room? Or made some quick bathroom upgrades on the cheap?

Psst- To follow this bathroom sprucing project from the start, check out this planning post, this painting post, and this light-swapping post.

Comments

  1. Ty Lee says

    I love it! I do all of my own art work (well, I do oil paintings and portraiture, so mine is less modern looking LOL) and I love that you aren’t using something that anyone can just go and buy an identical copy of from some mass retailer. I’m not generally a fan of paintings in a bathroom, but I think it’s just that MY paintings are wrong for a bathroom, because that one totally works!

    Reply

  2. Rebecca in NC says

    Oh, how gorgeous! I don’t think I’ve commented on any of the bathroom-redo entries yet, but I’ve been reading every word of them. I love, love, love blue/grey/white for a bathroom.

    Reply

  3. Jessica says

    Looks so nice already! It always amazes me how such small changes can make such a great difference aesthetically, and how we feel about a space emotionally.

    Also glad to see that you guys already thought about the need for a door stopper! Geez, do you ever forget those little details?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Sometimes leading up to things we forget, but I’m sure if we were hanging the door we’d realize that we needed to run out and get one and off to the store we’d go. It’s always nice to rack your brain while at the store the first time to save a trip though! Haha. But almost every project calls for two runs to the store sometimes!

      xo,
      s

  5. Anne says

    I’m hoping that the last picture is the most “true to life” of the wall color. In the earlier pictures it looks less gray and more poopy concrete brownish gray, which I’m not sure looks great with the bright blue. But I think it’s more crisp than it appears.

    Love the blues of course! :D

    Reply

  6. darcie says

    I have a question for ya guys!! I have faux wood trim and doors….can I just paint over it??…without priming?

    Reply

  7. Brenda says

    Did you paint the door white, too? I can’t tell from the before and afters if both the door and trim were off-white or just the trim. I love the pops of color! It’s looking pretty fabulous in there. :)

    Reply

  8. Lindsey Rockers says

    Have you thought of just continuing the wood floor in your bedroom into this space when you go to replace the floor tile? It might help create more flow and unity between the two spaces and make things look more unified and cohesive. Plus it might ground the space a little bit and break up the sea of tile, since with all of the light colors and so much light from the windows, things look a little white washed (in pics at least, and with the floor tile still matching the wall tile). Also, I was wondering if you have considered removing the wall that separates your sink area from the bathroom (at least all of it except to the point where it runs into the tub and forms one of the shower walls) and then framing out the opening adjacent to your sink where the sink area and bedroom meet (does that make sense?) to actually create a full master bathroom and take the sink out of the bedroom? I would think that might be a little better for resale, since some people might not be too keen on having there bathroom sink in the bedroom (noisy/no door to close when getting ready in the mornings and your spouse is still sleeping, plus it can have the tendency to get messy/dirty and people might not want to look at that from their bed at night). I know your not upgrading your house purely for resales sake, but it doesn’t hurt to consider resale, and you might find you like that set up better was well. One concern with this idea that I can foresee you maybe having is that it blocks the light coming into the bedroom from the window above the sink, but you could add a frosted glass door or something to still allow a little light to come through and brighten things up, while still providing for two distinct spaces and a little more bathroom privacy. To me, it seems like this wouldn’t be a very monumental job (especially for the likes of you two!) and could really make a difference!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      All great ideas Lindsay! We have definitely thought through a ton of potential reconfigurations, but since the sink, closet, and bathroom are all just 5′ wide, we think knocking down walls will just make for a long skinny bowling-alley type space that’s just as awkward to step into if we boxed it off like that. So many people have come to see our house and have loved the mirror over the sink in our bedroom (in person the way it reflects the light of the chandelier over our bed is so pretty). And folks have pointed out that it’s nice for someone to shower or use the bathroom while the other person brushes their teeth without being cramped, so there is function the sink being separated. In the end I think it’ll be the same thing as selling our first house, some quirks about it might not appeal to everyone, but it only takes one buyer to love the mirror over the window reflecting that chandelier as much as we do! We’re just suckers for keeping things open when we can instead of closing off that sink area from the bedroom- even with a frosted door or something.

      Oh and as for the wood floor in there, we love cohesive wood flooring (added it to the half-bath of our first house to keep things consistent) but the wood floor in our bedroom is wide plank reclaimed pine, so it’s really specific and might not be easy to match or find! Of course if we found some we’d definitely consider it! We’ll have to see where we end up!

      xo,
      s

  9. Andrea says

    I like! To minimize the “not you” tile border until you upgrade, you could raise the painting a couple of inches and put slim towel bars right above the tiles. Then your crisp white towels will have better ventilation than the back-of-door hooks (that another reader mentioned might hit the canvas) and you’d cover the tile, too. Win-win…but only if it’s your jam. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, I love that idea except one of the reasons we removed the towel bar from that wall was because the room is so small that you actually brushed against it when you walked in to use the toilet. So gross to brush up against a moist towel! So since the room is so small, anything hanging off that wall just feels crowded. Such a fun idea though!

      xo,
      s

  12. Pati says

    I love it!
    The whole bathroom is really coming together now :) amazing how little changes – like painting the trim – can make the room look so much better!

    Reply

  15. Anna says

    Is it temporary? I don’t know how I feel about it yet. It’s kind of too big and chunky for a space that’s small and is supposed to be light and airy (if the room was bigger it would definitely work). I think a series of frames with pops of colour would look better. LOVEEEEEE the light though. It’s like CRAZY good. Seeing as it’s just a painting though, it can easily be removed and replaced so no harm done.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we love it! But choices like this are definitely not for everyone. I think the more personal you make a space the less it appeals to the masses, but the more it can feel like “you!” if that makes sense! The ceiling-height shower curtain to the left of the toilet feels much more balanced with large art on the right side, but I can also see how if you’re not there in person it’s hard to get that from a pic and it might look chunky or big!

      xo,
      s

  18. Colleen P. says

    The new paint color definitely has de-emphsized the tree tiles, I was really impressed by the way they receded into the background once you painted the walls and trim. LOVE the artwork, it really brightens up the place!

    Reply

  19. Stephanie says

    Can I recommend an extra tall toilet when you get one? My last condo had one and I can’t explain to you what a difference a few inches does to making me feel pampered in the bathroom. And since it’s for your house AND office, I think it would be worth it. Just a thought :) Love the changes!

    Reply

  20. Leah says

    We just shaved the bottom off of some closet doors that were too tall with new carpeting, and it was a lot easier than I was expecting, and didn’t take long at all. I always go into things saying, “Well, it *sounds* quick and easy,” but it rarely turns out that way, so I was glad when it turned out to be!

    Reply

  22. Andrew says

    I love the print in the room. While I know your canvas will hold up, one idea might be to add super-duper heavy varnish over it similar to a glass coat that is very popular now. http://www.glasscoat.com.au/artists.shtml

    Believe it or not, it’s very easy to do, and it works like a charm (don’t worry about bleeding colors from your canvas). And when it’s done, it looks fantastic!

    Just an idea!

    Reply

  23. Evan Thompson says

    Haha – we did the exact same thing for a quick upgrade to our guest bath. When we bought the house the guest bathroom had fabric walls that were adorned with frogs and insects. I couldn’t wait to take those down, so we did all we could for free with extra paint. But our giant bare wall looked pretty sad so my husband and I commissioned our own original art with leftover paint and a blank canvas we had lying around. We call it poo art, because that’s what you look at when you are, well, doing that….. :)

    Reply

  24. alex says

    Hey, this has nothing to do with the bathroom…but have you guys heard of ‘the nest’ thermostat? It’s the learning thermostat that is both energy efficient and cost efficient…and you can adjust the temperature of your home from your iPhone from anywhere….its insanely cool looking too….just thought I’d throw it out there…seeing as how john is a gadget guy.

    Reply

  26. Rebecca says

    Ha, a friend and I just went on an art-spree at Ikea. Ok, so many spree is a little bit strong…we both bought some fun prints that were “Last Chance” and took advantage of Ikea’s super cheap frames. Now I just have to find the perfect spot in the bedroom for my new picture of a tree…

    Reply

  27. photojenic says

    I hate, despise and loath painting doors and trim
    because of semi-gloss paint. I don’t know what the
    trick is to get it nice and smooth like your paint
    jobs! Mine always looks streaky, lumpy and frankly
    sloppy, even when I spend hours on it. *sob*

    Do you have any hints or tips? Would you consider
    making a blog post about the secrets of painting with semi-gloss? :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      My tip is that small short handled brush I’m holding. It makes it easier to control, and an angled tip helps too. Home Depot and paint stores like Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore usually all sell them!

      xo,
      s

  28. KLL says

    I think this should qualify as part of your dude get on that challenge since it involved relocating art from the playroom ;)

    Reply

  30. Dana says

    Things are looking really great in there! I think the crisp white paint on the trim makes all the difference. Question: Does the blue pendant light give off a sort of blue glow when it is lit? I’ve always admired lights like that, but this is just something I’ve wondered when I see them in a store.

    Also, I haven’t done anything to our bathroom lately, but we do have a fun story: We needed a super narrow shelf to store our extra toilet paper, magazines, etc., and I didn’t want to buy something expensive in case we don’t renew our lease and have an all new bathroom in a year. So, my dad cut down an over-the-toilet shelf that I had inherited from a friend, so it was just the shelf part, and I gave it a fresh coat of white paint that I already had lying around. Two new stainless door knobs (for $1.99 at Lowe’s!) later and we were set, and very happy with the results. It pays to reuse!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I worried that too! We asked before buying it and the girl said as long as you put a clear bulb in the light that comes down and out from it is clear, and she’s right! The light that reflects on the ceiling is very subtly tinted a soft soft blue but against the gray it’s nearly invisible. So glad we don’t look like crazy smurfs in there. Haha. And I love that reused toilet shelf story- so smart!

      xo,
      s

  31. Jen says

    I loved the light before {blue and seeded glass are AMAZING}, but I love the entire room even more with your pretty masterpiece in there. Such a fun way to give your bathroom a super fresh update without spending a lot of moolah. LOVE.

    Jen

    Reply

  32. Kristin says

    Do you have a dedicated trim painting post? I’m thinking about painting our light oak trim white. It’s in every room of our house plus doors, door jambs, and window casings. I don’t really want to take off all the baseboards but we have carpet, is there a way to get around that?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      If it’s wood trim I would remember to use stainblocking primer to keep it from bleeding through and then follow that with semi-gloss white paint. I think you can tape off your carpet or use a dropcloth or cardboard to keep paint off of it. Have heard of lots of people painting it in place without removing it! Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  33. Rachel says

    Wow, what a difference the painting and painted trim make! I love a project that is FREE! We currently rent still so we can’t do much in the way of painting… at all. So I’m taking notes for the day that I can go paint crazy.

    Did you paint the bathroom door as well? I was trying to compare before and after but couldn’t quite tell.

    Reply

  34. Melanie says

    Lookin’ good so far! I am planning a bathroom reno this summer, and am really enjoying seeing how big a difference you guys have been able to make without spending a ton.

    Reply

  36. Elizabeth says

    The bathroom is looking fab, I love how the blue art and pendant light tie in together. And all of your recent painting projects has totally motivated me to ‘get on that’ and do some painting of my own. But I have to ask, do you have any tips for cutting in the corners of rooms where the walls form a 90 degree angle? I have the hardest time trying to get good coverage in the corners…it doesn’t help that I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but any tips would be greatly appreciated.

    Keep up the good work!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I use my little short handled brush and it usually looks rough after the first coat but the second coat is the charm! Oh and John always tries to roll over all the cutting in I do to avoid brush strokes, so I cut in, he rolls, I cut in for coat two, and he rolls again right after that. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  37. Christa says

    Love the color and how great it looks with the light fixture. I just painted our powder room from builder white to a cinnamon color. It is a dramatic difference. I loved painting it so much I’ve already bought paint to paint the kid’s bathroom. That is still builder white – flat white, I mean who uses flat paint in a bathroom?

    Reply

  38. Steph says

    I love this! We have ugly fan/light combos (builder grade) in our bathrooms. I would LOVE to do a pendant but I cannot find a pendant/fan combo and neither bathrooms have windows :( The only alternative I can find are boob light/vent combos…. Any chance you have seem another option in your design adventures?

    Reply

  39. Em says

    Any thoughts on painting the actual window frame? I want to update to bright white trim in our bedroom, but the actual window frames are off-white, too. We live in a 1940’s house and the window frames also have a lot of cracked paint and lots of layers of paint. Should I just sand it down first?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, if you sand it a bit (be sure it’s not lead paint by buying a cheap test at Home Depot) you can give them a totally fresh look!

      xo,
      s

  40. Trisha says

    FYI: YOU are mentioned on Emily Henderson’s BLOG!!!!!
    it reads:
    “This weekend i was on the blog YoungHouseLove looking at their kitchen redo ‘how to’s’ (NICE JOB JOHN AND SHERRY, seriously) and i remember thinking, ‘These guys are crazy good at teaching what they know and showing step by step how to do it’. They impart so much useful information – no wonder they have such a following.”
    Congratulations!!!!

    Reply

  41. Carla says

    The hanging pendant fixture is a really fun and unexpected addition to your bathroom. I’m still not a fan of hanging the shower curtain right up against the ceiling. It looks really monstrous and out of whack and like a giant sheath of cloth. But the light is great and the canvas is also fun and unexpected. Have you coated it with a clear coat to add some sheen? In your photos it looks like your paint is a bit flat. Adding a clear coat (not too glossy) can really add lustre and depth.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, a ceiling height shower curtain isn’t for everyone, but in such a small room we love the added height. When you can’t go out, go up! Haha. As for the clear coat, it’s a fun idea and is always a possibility. I think for now I like the finish that’s sort of matte and frosted looking – sort of like faded sea glass!

      xo,
      s

  42. Michele says

    Looking good!!! So does this count as a “dude get on that” since u rid the playroom of another item? Lol! I love shopping items I already have!

    Reply

  43. Suzanne says

    I like the art! I think big is the way to go, smaller would give a crowded feel again.

    Speaking of crowded, that door swing really needs to change. Makes no sense. It’s not difficult, I know John’s dad could help. (nice how I volunteered him, huh!) It just requires some balancing and some strength to hold it. Then Sherry does the patch and paint. I think you’ll be a WHOLE lot happier. While it’s off the hinges for a trim, go ahead and switch it!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tip Suzanne! We definitely can do that down the line! Can’t wait to tell John’s dad that Suzanne said he’d help. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  44. Karen F says

    the art looks so great in there! Plus, this is a double bonus because you can also count is as a “dude, get on that” :)

    Reply

  45. Lydia says

    Could you maybe do a post about door painting? ALL the doors and trim and baseboards in our house are awful, dirty, light-sucking beige (who does that???)and so I’m faced with having to repaint EVERYTHING. So. Very. Daunting. OMG.

    But then you post that you just painted the trim and door in your bathroom, just like that! Was it really that easy? How do you do that without taking the doors off the hinges? How do you keep grubby toddler hands off the doors while the paint is drying? So many questions!! So yeah, maybe a how-to-paint-your-doors-without-taking-them-off-the-hinges-post sometime in the near future? Pretty please?

    Thank you, you guys rock!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, it’s that easy! If it’s already painted you probably don’t even need primer. Just close the door to the main room (we closed the bedroom door while painting the bathroom trim since it’s beyond that door) or use a gate to keep kiddos out of that area if you can! But I painted the door when I painted the trim for this post, so I didn’t use primer and used the same angled brush. Two coats. Thin and even. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  46. Pam the Goatherd says

    Absolutely LOVE the huge artwork on that wall! The shades of aqua/blue add vibrance to the gray walls.
    Your bathroom work has inspired me to go back and finish up some of the little details that never got completed when we re-did our bathroom a few years ago. I’m also doing the last little finishing details on our kitchen remodel, hopefully will have them done for when the kids all come home for our family Easter dinner Saturday night. Then it’s on to our bedroom…

    Reply

  47. Jenna at Homeslice says

    Very cool. After reading your to do list, I’m sure this bath will be beautiful once it’s all finished. Great progress though, it’s the little things like new trim paint that make a place yours. At least I think so!

    Reply

  48. jillian says

    What a good idea to put this art in your bathroom – looks great, too!

    On a side note, I would LOVE to see a post in the future with an updated ‘listy mclisterson’. I read through your last post today, and you have gotten so much accomplished since then. I’m sure you’d love to cross everything you’ve done off!!

    Reply

  49. Kim says

    I’m a biiiiig time fan of your blog and a first time commenter! I make my own artwork for my walls and usually they come out a-ok. However, I’m having a difficult time deciding what to do for my dining room. All of my dining furniture is square so I want to do some circular art. Nothing has caught my eye so far! Where do you get inspiration for your decorative art? And do you have any ideas for my bare kitchen?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      There are some great things on Pinterest! Or you can find inspiration in things you see in nature (ex: fish scales could be really cool, especially with shiny metallic paint). I would just keep an eye out and see what you think!

      xo,
      s

  50. Meg says

    This looks amazing! and now I want to DIY some oversize art for my bathroom!.
    We have a list started for our bathroom – with the dreadful project of sanding down the sand textured paint – I mean, who puts sand in paint for a bathroom wall?!

    Reply

    • Kelly K says

      Is it crazy to love a bathroom? Because this one is beautiful!
      I’m planning to paint my light oak trim in my house, but I’m not sure whether to use a semi-gloss paint (after priming)or BM Advance paint. I really like how the Advance paint doesn’t leave any brush marks, but it’s pretty pricey. Since I’m not a trim-painting guru like you are, will it be tough to not have brush marks if I go with the semi-gloss paint instead of the Advance paint? Also, we have flat wood doors (no panels). Will painting them white be ok? Seems like I can only find 6-panel white door examples, and I don’t have the budget to replace them right now.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I would just use regular semi-gloss paint for trim! It’ll look just great if you apply it thinly and evenly and don’t go over things when they’re half dry (this creates drag marks). Just do a thin coat, move on, make sure it’s all dry before the second coat, and you’re good. Oh but since it’s oak you might want to prime first or use a prime + paint base like Behr’s two in one paint. Good luck!

      xo,
      s

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