Well, I guess we did rehang the shower curtain at ceiling height right after we moved in – but other than that we haven’t really touched this room. In fact, pretty much all three of our bathrooms are uncharted territory for us when it comes to updates. But you’ve gotta start somewhere, so we decided to start in the one we use the most – and probably find the quirkiest. See, it doesn’t have a sink (that’s in our bedroom, actually) so it’s a really small room. We’re talking around 5′ x 6′ total (including a regular sized tub). So yes, the door practically hits the toilet (it just barely misses it). And John can stand in the center of the room and touch all four walls (my husband has quite the wingspan, but this room really is tiny).
The room’s a total beige box. Beige tile with gray veining on the floor, the same tile in the shower and even on the walls around the toilet and door, an accent row of tiles with gray trees on them, beige paint on the walls, off-white-trim, even a beige futuristic toilet (check out the curve in this video).
Oh yes, and there’s a glass shelf and towel bar right next to the toilet – neither of which we’ve ever really used for anything functional. Why? Well, hanging a towel that would literally brush against us on the way to the toilet felt weird so we use the towel hooks on the back of the door instead. And we just plopped some wood printing blocks on the glass shelf (intending to hang art to fill in that wall) but it always felt like the shelf – and towel bar for that matter – invaded our personal space in such a small room.
We jokingly call our bathroom The Travertine Palace although it’s not actual travertine tile and it’s anything but palatial when it comes to size. The funny thing is that a few folks have come over and said “wow, you don’t have to do anything to this room!” which never fails to make us laugh because it probably feels the most not-like-us of all of the rooms in our house. We’re just suckers for crisp white trim, a white toilet, a not-beige color on the walls, and not all the same tile on the walls and the floor and the shower. But we can completely appreciate that some folks would love this room as is. I think the main thing we’re craving is some contrast. It feels like such a monochromatic box to us. And when we added the crisp white shower curtain way back when, it just planted the seed that the room might feel more crisp and less all-beige if we did things like:
- paint the cream trim white
- paint the walls so they have some contrast
- craigslist the toilet and replace it with a classic white one
- replace the boob light (seen here)
- hang some bathroom-friendly art
- do something to add privacy to the window
- replace the border tile around the room (maybe in phase 2?)
- replace the floor tile down the road (just to break things up since there’s so much of it)
- I’m sure I’m forgetting something – let’s just say the room has room for improvement
So that’s the plan. I even whipped up this mood board to help us envision things. Of course we’re sure the plan will change ten times since we just figure things out as we go, but so far here’s what’s on our mind:
1. When it comes to the color scheme since we’re working with beige tile with gray veining, we want to bring in some richer gray tones (to keep everything from looking so monochromatic and add some contrast). We’d also love to introduce some pretty blue tones (to tie into the blue wall color in our adjoining bedroom).
2. We have been in love with this light fixture for a while now, and we’re hoping it pops up at our favorite local lighting outlet (The Decorating Outlet) since it would be a pretty amazing upgrade from the boob light situation that we have going on. We’re not sure if the placement will look weird though (centered in front of the window would be so much cuter) so we’ll have to see where we end up. You know we’ll keep you posted!
3. This tile. Ahhhh, this tile. We want it. Hex tile has always allured us (sort of like penny tile, except it’s even more bee-ish, and you know we love bees). So we can totally picture it in our bedroom someday. But it’s definitely going to be down the road (we want to work with the existing tile, but do dream about replacing the floor tiles to break things up since there’s so much of that tile all over the small room).
4. I painted this little ditty a while back, and have always thought it would look really cool in the bathroom (oversized art in a small room with a dramatic high-hung shower curtain could be fun, right?). Of course we have to see if it really works in there, but especially with the blue glass pendant we think it could be nice.
5. We’re loving the muted moody look of frosted glass subway tile, so we’d love to use a light gray glass tile as an accent around the room (something like this, but not exactly) to replace the tree tiles. Although we’re not sure if it’s a phase two project (depending how hard it is to track down and how challenging it is to extract the tree tiles without hurting the tile around ’em).
6. A good old fashioned white toilet! We can’t wait to replace the beige futuristic one that we have in there (we’ll craigslist it and then grab an American Standard from Home Depot, which we got for our first house for under $100 and loved more than the fancy Kohler one we inherited).
7. This represents our existing extra-long white waffle shower curtain, which will stay to add some crisp-yet-soft texture to the tile-riddled space (we got ours from amazon.com by searching 95″ shower curtain, but this image is from Target).
8. This represents our existing tile, which is beige with gray veins running through it.
9. This frosted window (found here) is one of the ways we’ve been debating adding some privacy to the room without blocking the light. You know we love frosting film (more on that here and here).
But enough planning. How about some action? Well, we’ve removed that oddly placed shelf and towel bar, spackled and sanded the holes they left, and applied one coat out of two on the walls in a rich putty color. In a bathroom (where you’re dealing with semi-gloss paint) the first coat always looks especially horrifying so we can’t wait to get the smoother second coat up there.
Oh and this picture is a really bad sell on this color (since it’s spotty and half-done and just shows a corner of the room) but you can check it out in the kitchen here. It looks great with our tiles (ties into the gray veining), will really make white items like the shower curtain and the future glossy white trim pop, adds contrast, and obviously will look a lot better once a second coat is on there and it’s dry. And you can see that we’re painting the ceiling too (which we also did in our first house’s bathrooms since we find it makes small rooms actually look less chopped-up and busy).
Of course we’ll be back with tons of finished photos for you. We just have to tackle coat number two, wait impatiently for it to dry, and then hang the shower curtain back up to snap after pics. So those will be up tomorrow! In the meantime, did you guys tackle any bathroom upgrades over the weekend? Do you have nearly done living spaces but completely untouched bathrooms? What is it about these tiny rooms that’s so intimidating?
Angie says
You could always get a sink addition added to the back of your toilet. It helps save water and would allow for a little more of your “business” to go on in the one room.
I am not affiliated with any of these companies, but there is an example here: http://sinkpositive.com/site/specs-faq/
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh I have never seen that before! So smart! I think we prefer to brush our teeth in with bit more room though (the sink in our bedroom is really open, so there’s even room for two of us to do it at once)!
xo,
s
Melody says
I love that light! I may have to snag one for our half bath extravaganza we have going on right now.
But, careful about the code thing – I’m pretty sure the rule is no pendant lights within a zone 3′ from the tub and 8′ tall – basically, you can’t put a light where someone could stand in the tub, fall, and grab for it. Perhaps most important for really tall people. Like John. =)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, great tip! I always thought in our area it was no pendants or chandeliers above the tub (as long as they’re on the outside of the shower curtain they’re ok) but I’ll have to see if I can check!
xo,
s
Bella Daylight says
No bathroom stuff going on here but I have been hard at work painting my best friend’s doors and doorways all day(well technically I am doing bathroom stuff in painting his bathroom and toilet door ^^)
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- you’re a really nice best friend!
xo,
s
Janice says
Amusingly (mostly due to budgetary reasons and lack of furniture), my bathroom is more “done” than any other room of my apartment, save the kitchen.
LisaR says
I mentioned this on another post, but I’ll note it again. We recently had our tile “reglazed.” Seriously, look into it. They “paint” right over your existing tile with bright white glaze. It was $500 for us to do our yucky etched original 1920 bath tub and the bright blue tile surround. I’m not exaggerating it looks like brand new and like we spent thousands. Do your walls and shower! You won’t regret it!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we had that done with the bath tub in our first house, it’s an awesome process!
xo,
s
GreenInOC says
@LisaR & Sherry – could you share what some tips for this? What to look for, what to avoid, etc…
I’m really thinking about this for my tub and surround – it’s kind of a pale yellow and looks dirty even though it’s not. From what I read online, some people use a super toxic (ick) process, some are more like paint the degrades quickly but the people who have it done right, LOVE it!
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s a post with some info on that for ya! I think it’s all about finding someone trusted and local who knows what they’re doing and uses a great ventilation system https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/01/tackling-the-bathroom-the-big-reveal/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kathy says
We had a bathroom just like that, with the sink in the bedroom and the toilet/shower separate. While I can certainly appreciate that you’re not in the mood right now for a major overhall (with the deck plans I’m sure being much more enticing!!) keep it in mind for future. The house will sell so much better, and be so much more functional.
We kept things mostly lined up, but ditched the tub and put in a big shower, turned the toilet sideways and enclosed it into a separate toilet room, pushed the wall out into the bedroom a bit, and created a wider combined space. The closet was at one end, the shower at the other. It was awesome! And really sold the house in the long run, got every penny back.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip kathy! We have thought long and hard about it but are convinced since the room will still only be 5′ wide (and 18′ long if we knock down the walls!) it would just look like a crazy long bowling alley! But who knows where we’ll end up!
xo,
s
Kaitlin A says
Oh, I so feel you on the beige overload! Literally every surface in our whole place was beige when we moved in. Our bathrooms are among the last projects for us, too – I can’t wait to see yours evolve!
Kat says
I hung some subway inspirational art in the bathroom. I was going to make something but found a piece I really liked at TJ Maxx for cheap. I’m so happy I don’t have another project lingering around and have it up on the wall. Done!
When I painted my only bathroom when I moved in 4 years ago I didn’t use a semi-gloss paint only an egg shell finish. I’ve been debating whether to repaint (same color but different finish). The kinda bad news is that I am planning to paint the kitchen with the same left over paint. Its a pretty watery aqua color. But the kitchen should be semi-gloss also. I’m so cheap I don’t want to purchase a new gallon of paint when I have plenty left. But I think I’d be happier with a semi-gloss in the kitchen. Goodness knows I only want to paint around the cabinets one time and not repaint at a later date. What to do, what to do.
YoungHouseLove says
I’d say go with semi-gloss just so you don’t find yourself lamenting any drips or stains and having to paint all over again. Maybe “like” a paint company on facebook or get on some mailing lists to get coupons? We’ve saved $10 this way on one can of paint!
xo,
s
Sharon says
We just moved a few months ago into our first house and our bathroom in TINY! I removed the door and put up a curtain. I also removed the shower door and put up a curtain (too many doors opening up into the tiny bathroom…about 4×5 feet, plus the shower). We’re removing the towel rack and replacing them with hooks. Putting in a new, large, slim cabinet mirror, putting white tile down, putting in a more functional sink cabinet…and probably some other things I’m forgetting. Either way, I’m excited to see what you guys do to see if I can use any of your ideas. Removing the doors already though has made a HUGE difference.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, sounds so nice! Congrats on getting ‘er done!
xo,
s
Kimberly says
YES bathrooms! My hubby ripped out our master and is currently rebuilding it! I will say your blog has been SUPER helpful for me to get my hubby on line with my vision and to get him the “how-to”(and to get my in-laws behind me for a small backyard wedding back in 2010). I’ve been amazed at his skills in our first 5 months of homeownership! So thanks for the help!
This last weekend we picked up a couple recessed boxes from The Tile Shop to put in the shower. It will be a walk in shower with white subway tile… Have you guys had any experience with tiling niches/recessed shelves in the shower?
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that sounds awesome! We don’t have experience with tiling those niches or recessed shelves but I wonder if you can find a video on youtube.com to help? Good luck!
xo,
s
Caroline A says
Hey Sherry! How long is that shower curtain, hung from ceiling height?
Thank you – love the blog, especially as an almost-new-homeowner!
Caroline
YoungHouseLove says
It’s 95″ long. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kristi says
I have to vote for the Toto Drake toilet…I have two and I love them! Never thought I’d feel one way or another about a toilet, but these function so well. I think you can find them online for $250 or so, well worth it.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kristi! We’ll have to look at the budget (now that we just finished the big kitchen project) and see if we can squeeze it!
xo,
s
hannah says
love the colors and plans!!
we have that toilet (the new one) and love it. may i suggest this cool toilet seat? it’s a soft close, and although clara won’t be using your bathroom, it’s a cool seat to have- maybe put in the other ones when they’re done? lowes and home depot carry versions, very nice not to have an extra seat or potty chair in a small room and nice for little guests :) it’s the little things :)
http://www.homedepot.com/Bath-Toilets-Toilet-Seats-Bidets-Toilets-Toilet-Seats-Children-s-Toilet-Seats/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbza2/R-202744923/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051&superSkuId=202751347
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, my friend has one for her three year old that shes potty training and they love it!
xo,
s
hannah says
oh and they do come in elongated and round versions… my brain is starting to not work this late at night.
all i want right now is ice cream and the mad men premier which we haven’t gotten to yet.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- thanks Hannah!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
My husband and I are working on the same room right now. Our master bath is about 6ft x 6ft. That tiny space includes a corner shower, toilet, and pedestal sink. When we moved in it was a pinkish shade of beige, making the beige tiles look pink too. We finally picked a pretty shade of greenish gray blue (Behr – Harmonious) and grabbed a quart. After we made painting such a small space a 6 month ordeal, we’re one coat of paint away from having our bathroom back. It’s amazing how different a room looks painted a new color. Thanks for all the inspiration you continue to provide!
Margaret says
Hi guys –
So this is a little random and dorky, but I wanted to give you a shout-out for one of the less celebrated aspects of your blog. As a person who writes a great deal for my own work, and gets annoyed beyond reason by so many other blogs, I really appreciate how well you edit your words. I think there are approximately zero typos on your blog. That takes a lot of time and attention to detail, and I just want you know, the effort is greatly appreciated. Kudos to you!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Margaret! They definitely creep in there, but I try to read through each post a few times to catch as many as I can!
xo,
s
nikki says
as long as it’s in good condition and you can live with it, i’m a big fan of using what you’ve got. and the greyish paint is perfect for the tile – it’ll tie it together beautifully rather than looking “builder-grade.”
Nick Klaus says
My apartment is nothing but small rooms. I think part of the problem is that it’s harder to distill a cohesive vision for a small space, where a larger space gives you more freedom and opportunities to really develop your vision.
I agree with you though, those glass shelves had to go.
Fiona says
I’m so excited that you are doing the bathroom next! Cant wait to see what you come up with!
Meghan says
We’re in the middle of a master bath renovation as well. Never ending :) http://megandmartinmen.blogspot.com/
We’re doing hex tile in the shower – love that tile.
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck with the master bath reno! And thanks so much for sharing the citronella poisoning story. I’d never heard of that and just sent an email to all of our friends and family with kids. So important!
xo,
s
Meghan says
Oh good! We were granted a total miracle so if our story can help another then we can’t ask for much more than that :) Thanks for reading (and I love the gray!).
Kahley @ Ambiance says
I LOVE when you guys finish a project and move onto the next! As a fellow blogger… I sometimes find it hard to keep moving once one project is finished, I want a break!! You guys keep things so fresh around here!! :)
Amanda says
Just a note Sherry, the link that you wanted here “replace the boob light (seen here)” isn’t a link.
When I got to the part of you covering the windows of some sort, the first thing I thought of was frosted covered windows. Glad we’re on the same page ;) Haha!
The funny thing you said about the bathroom always being the last place decorated. I’m moving into a new apartment this month and I’m painting my bedroom and the living areas, but not the bathroom — mainly because it is such a small room, and I’ll add colour through accents and things.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, thanks for the missing link tip! And so funny about the bathroom always being left alone for a while- must just be because you can close the door! Haha.
xo,
s
Kata Miller says
Hey guys! This is what you need tobdo with your bathroom window! :) http://kcmillernest.wordpress.com/2011/10/02/furdoszoba-ablakbathroom-window/
This cost me about $6 – for the paint – and I know you guys luke cheap! ;) Can’t wait to see the finished bathroom!
Kata
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!!!
xo,
s
Jeni Sandberg says
I recently had to replace my boiler, so there went the budget to redo my master bath–and it needs work! I have an equally horrifying tile border (ribbon swags and floral bouquets) amidst builder-grade white square tiles, hollywood lights and a tiny vanity that hits me about mid thigh. The paint job is perhaps the world’s worst–sloppy, alligatored, and an unflattering shade of green.
Looking forward to seeing your progress–I could use some inspiration!
MzSura says
I’m soooo glad I found this blog! We just bought an old 1920s house and our first big project will be the master bath. Thanks for sharing your own experience!!
Kimberly says
We had a home from the 50’s with very similar tile/countertop color. All we did was paint the walls a basic grey, replace the mirrors with PB brushed nickel ones off Craigslist and it looked like we had a new bathroom! It actually made all the basic tile look good!
Chris says
Forgive me if you’ve covered this elsewhere, but isn’t it a little strange not having a sink by the toilet? I wonder why they did that in the first place. Seems kinda *ahem* unhygenic, having to touch the door to go out after doing your business, and THEN wash your hands. Weird comment, I know. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I think it was in the era (this addition was put on in the seventies) when lots of homes were calling it an added feature to have a separate “water closet.” The selling point was that someone could do their business while the other person gets ready in the morning (does makeup/brushes teeth at sink) without being subjected to their spouse on the toilet- haha). It’s definitely a non-traditional layout though!
xo,
s
Christina says
Love that you love hex tile. When we redid our bathroom, that’s what we chose for our floor. It’s a small bathroom and it looks cute / quaint. At least I think so :) We paired it with white wainscoting and Lagoon blue upper walls. I love a blue & white bathroom. Can’t wait to see yours when it’s done!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that sounds so cute!
xo,
s
Barbara says
Actually I did spend the weekend demo-ing our bath! We hired a handyman to do the work for us, but I have been having fun planning out the design. Our bath is VERY small too-about 6′ x 8′, and that includes a vanity, toilet, shower and TWO doors! We are putting white subway tile with a thin black line of tile on the walls, about halfway up (to the ceiling over the shower), white with black hex tiles on the floor, a white ‘dresser’ type vanity with black marble top, and a white embossed framed mirror. The walls will be a grayed down aqua color…do you think I should paint the ceiling that bold color too?? You’ve got me thinking now… And I love those pendant lights another commenter posted..wonder how it would look to hang a couple of those over the vanity? I have never seen that before so not sure….
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh I think pendants over a vanity would be so pretty! As for the bold color on the ceiling, I’d tape the swatch up there and see what you think. It might be more subtle up there (or you can get a half-tint made with 50% more white to soften it and then put that on the ceiling instead of stark white).
xo,
s
Geoff Jennings says
Barbara,
Did you happen to see the pictures I posted elsewhere in this comment thread? Your remodel sounds like it shares some elements with the remodel I just finished.
Geoff
Jill says
Man, I hate painting bathrooms. They are a beast. So much cutting in and I feel like a trapeze artist trying to stand on the shower, or toilet, or sink. Kudos to yall for getting it together!
I think the worst thing I ever did was tell my sister I’d help her with her bathroom. We got started painting and then I gave her a few things to work on while I went home for a few days. BIG MISTAKE. She is the worst painter in the world- calls me all upset! Her now lovely ex-husband wanted no part in it all (which is funny b/c he is a good painter and even ended up helping me paint my apartment a few months later, maybe he felt bad?), so lil sis came to the rescue. OH DRIPS GALORE! I had to sand and sand and chisel. It was a nightmare- not only were we painting the walls a denim blue, the old oak cabinetry & trim was getting a crisp white face lift, we were also adding a 1.5inch horizontal stripe about 4 inches from the ceiling. OH EM GEE. It was a nightmare trying to tape and use the level with one foot on the corner of the tub and another one propped up on the soap dish (praying I would not pull it out of the wall)!!!! It was a sight… and I wanted to cry… but my sister was more of an emotional wreck than I was… if walls could talk! HA! So I held it together and banished her from the room for 2 days. Worked myself to the bone. ON ONE BATHROOM. Lawd.
So anyways, bless your hearts… all of your hearts on any future bathroom endeavors. I love to DIY but I may just pay someone to paint them in my house. LOL
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jill! That sounds like a nightmare with those drips and sanding and chiseling. Wow! So glad you lived to tell the tale!
xo,
s
TERI MISSILDINE says
Instead of frosting the entire window, why don’t you frost it in a pattern, like a Moroccan tile outline? The space is small, so there’s not much room for accents or artwork, so this would add an interest to the back wall.. and it would mimic the mirror above the sink. Plus, you’re no stranger to a stencil. And it would take NO TIME!
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely could be fun! I pinned something like that a while back! Just gotta make sure once we change the light and add art that it won’t be too busy! We’ll have to see where we end up.
xo,
s
Sarah says
Home Depot sells an extreeeeemely similar pendant light as your #2 in this post. It’s like SO close! I know because I bought it to hang above my kitchen peninsula. Love!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Sarah!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
We are also about to redo our master bath. It’s small and boring now and in much need of an update. At first I was just going to buy some cheap 12×12 beige floor tiles but then I saw this tile (similar to your pick) at Lowes:
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=302928-74035-SL012OCT26HC1P&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3192925&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1
I really like the idea from the review a customer wrote about it where they added in 1×1 colored square tiles here and there. I thought that was cute to do to add a custom look to our little space. Then we can keep the rest of the room kind of simple! Looking forward to seeing your progress!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that’s such a great idea!
xo,
s
Colyn says
Hi, guys. I actually like having a separate toilet room than the sink. Makes sense. I feel your pain with the door, though. Reminds me of trying to get into a small stall in public restrooms. Like a previous poster, have you considered a bi-fold door? You’d lose the full-length mirror but maybe gain some space in the room.
Our own bathroom is small as well, but luckily we moved the tub around and had 4 inches to spare to put in a sliding door — out with the swinger! I love having options in small spaces.
Love your sight. Keep up the good work!
YoungHouseLove says
We have thought about that, but use that mirror a lot (and find most bifold doors to look a little dated, like a saloon door- haha). For now the door swinging into the bathroom doesn’t bother us (it doesn’t hit the toilet so we’re golden- haha). Your sliding door sounds amazing though!
xo,
s
Tonya says
You know, frosted spray paint does the same job with about 5-6 coats and you don’t have to press out bubbles. You just have to apply newspaper and tape to the outer edges for the overspray, and when you want to remove it, it comes off easy with a flat-edged razor. You should give it a shot!!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve heard that it works well too! We have leftover frosting film from another project so we’ll probably just use that because it’s free, but someday we’d love to try the spray!
xo,
s