I Modernized an Ordinary Bathroom Without Spending a Fortune

This post is dedicated to the DIY kings and queens of the world!

It started with me being bored one weekend…

Isn’t that how so many of our DIY projects begin? I had just finished a project involving a basement redesign, and I was looking for something to do. Most normal people would take a bike ride, read a book, or go shopping, but I guess I’m not normal. I decided to start a mini-renovation project involving one of our bathrooms.

When we first moved in, this bathroom was the least offensive one in the house. It wasn’t a beauty queen, but, all of the amenities were functional. More than anything, it was just boring.

A few months after moving in, I painted the bathroom with Benjamin Moore Rodeo (1534), a light, beautiful “greige.” I have found that Rodeo plays well in bright light as well as darker spaces, so I carried the color into the adjacent bedroom. Since the bathroom has no external light source, the room stays darker than I like, but the color looks good regardless.

See my recent post about colors to help houses sell quickly.

What I didn’t like about the bathroom

As a professional who looks critically at interior detail, there were aspects of the bathroom that didn’t sit well with me. The fixtures were builder-grade chrome, and the towel racks felt flimsy. I didn’t like the low-end chrome cabinet handles. And the painted cabinet bank seemed to have yellowed from years in a room prone to dampness. The room needed to be updated, and I was bored.

Choosing a new direction

This bathroom is the downstairs guest bathroom, and it is a bathroom that is used frequently. The adjacent room is decorated with modern farmhouse details, and I wanted to continue that theme into the bathroom. I liked the Rodeo wall color, and the gray tiled shower didn’t bother me. The floor tiles matched the shower surround, so I wanted to leave those as they were. Whatever I changed needed to coordinate with the existing tile and the wall color.

Using paint to create drama

I found a half gallon of leftover paint from another project we had completed, and had the brilliant idea to use it on the cabinet bank. First, I painted a sample board to test the color. I taped the sample board just under the lip of the counter, over top of the cabinets. The color, Sherwin-Williams Grizzle Gray (SW-7068), coordinated nicely with the walls, floor, and countertop, and there was enough paint to complete the job.

I removed all of the cabinet fronts, taped around the cabinet base, and sanded the surfaces. After wiping the surfaces with rubbing alcohol to remove oil, I primed then painted the cabinet surfaces. Fortunately, I had a breezy weekend and the paint dried quickly outside.

Cost of paint: $0 (it was from a previous project)

Replacement fixtures

The existing door knobs are (unfortunately) shiny brass, which I dislike, but the handles are in good condition. To replace the bathroom fixtures so as to coordinate with the door knobs, I selected matte black fixtures. I purchased a toilet paper roll holder, 24″ towel rod, and hand towel ring by Allen & Roth. The fixtures felt sturdier than the builder-grade fixtures that I was replacing.

I wasn’t crazy about the cultured marble vanity and sink, but it was in good shape and I didn’t want to do an extensive renovation. To update the sink area, I purchased the Flynn sink faucet from Delta. I was able to install the fixture myself, saving on the cost of a plumbing professional.

Cost of replacement fixtures: Faucet $109; toilet paper, towel rod, towel ring: $60

New cabinet hardware

A really easy update to cabinets is to replace the existing knobs and pulls with new ones. If you don’t mind waiting for delivery of new fixtures, I recommend ordering from Myknobs.com. Their selection is extraordinary, and they have items at all price points. However, I was doing a weekend renovation, and I wanted new knobs without delay. At Home Depot, I found knobs and coordinating pulls in a dark chocolate bronze, which looked nearly black. I don’t mind the look of mixing metals, and I liked the style of the pulls. The new hardware immediately elevated the style of the bathroom.

Cost of replacement hardware: $50

Shower & bathtub

Here is where I ran into an unexpected issue. My house is twenty years old and has odd shower fixtures that cannot easily be replaced by conventional fixtures. I will have to contract my plumber to replace the water temperature gauge and tub stop in that bathroom. Fortunately, my plumber told me the pieces that I need to purchase, so the only major expense will be the installation labor.

I did want a new shower nozzle, though. The shower rod and hooks also needed to be replaced. I found a replacement tension rod with coordinating hooks, and a hand-held shower nozzle that was on sale! One unusual problem that I encountered was the shower flange that exists from the wall–the metal stem that you attach the shower nozzle to. It was chrome, and had permanent water spots. I tried to replace it with a black matte flange, but I couldn’t remove the old flange! Thinking creatively, I taped protective paper all around the flange and used black matte spray paint to make the flange match the new fixture.

Cost of replacement shower components: Rod & hooks: $30; Shower nozzle: $39

Finally happy!

My husband thought that I was nuts for taking on the bathroom project, but the results impressed both of us. The bathroom no longer looks boring and outdated. We are proud to finally have an updated guest bathroom for when family visits.

Thanks to my local Lowe’s store–I couldn’t have figured out how to install the new faucet without your help!