Bathroom Remodel

Margaret E
by Margaret E
2 Materials
$2000
3 Weeks
Advanced
My house is an adorable 1956 bungalow that, when I bought it, had been empty several years and neglected way too many before that. The house inspector took one look, shook his head and said, "you're going to blow this up, aren't you? " Pictures don't really do justice to just how awful it was.
This is the hall, about 4 feet long and about as wide, going into it. On the left was the closet for the ancient defunct heating system, and a small dark linen closet. A larger closet was on the right side of the hall. All of that was demolished to enlarge the bathroom for a linen closet, larger vanity, and a stacked washer and dryer.
I'm not sure which was worse - the wallpaper above or below the trim on the wall. The mirror had stick-on swans along the bottom.
I wouldn't touch that vanity without gloves. There was a bathtub on the other wall, opposite the vanity and toilet, and the new bathtub stayed in the same place. I did some of the demolition; the contractor's crew did most of it.
There are no photos for some steps of the renovation - this photo shows the area that was taken from what was to become my bedroom closet to house my new laundry, stackable washer and dryer. Some may be horrified I gave up CLOSET SPACE, but not having to schlep to the laundromat was worth it to me. This photo shows the beadboard being installed - I used tongue and groove - it was about 1/4 inch thick, came in 8-foot pieces I cut in half and glued and nailed to the wall. The beadboard was then sanded and painted.
12-inch tile on the floor - some from a local Habitat ReStore, some from Home Depot. The strips of mosaic tile in between I saw on an episode of Income Property and couldn't wait to do it in my own bathroom.
The beadboard is in and painted; the unpainted strip was a piece that had to be cut to fit. The ledge at the top is two pieces of trim from Lowe's, one a decorative moulding; the other a 1 1/2 x 1/4 inch lattice strip, mitered at the corners, nailed and glued in place. The pedestal sink was a temporary installation in order for the house to receive its Certificate of Occupancy.
Laundry appliances in place; more final bits of trim to finish the beadboard. You can see the faucet for the shower on the left.
The new linen closet has shelves! Until I could put them up, there was a stack of stuff in the bottom - some bedding, some paint cans, some tools. I had debated painting the shelf brackets, but now that the shelves are full, the brackets aren't noticeable.
Finished bathroom! Well, almost finished - there are still some minor tweaks I'll get to when the rest of the painting in the house is done. My dad gave me the dresser that became the vanity for a dressing table for my son when he was a baby. The fantastic glass sink was a clearance rack find at the Savannah Tile & Decor store. Vanity top is a gorgeous granite remnant from a local dealer. The light over the vanity (which can't be seen) is a $25 Habitat ReStore find - I LOVE Habitat ReStores! This is my oasis; so happy to finally have the vision I carried in my mind for so long - and had many a discussion with the contractor to make it happen - right here in my own house.
Suggested materials:
  • Paint - Valspar Signature interior Satin - "Serendipity"   (Lowe's)
  • Design Innovations 3.5-in x 8-ft Natural Pine Wall Plank   (Lowe's)
Frequently asked questions
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  • Amy Amy on Jun 25, 2017

    This is stunning! Great job! Where did you find your contractor?

  • Tracey Tanner Wray Tracey Tanner Wray on Jul 10, 2017

    did you do anything special to protect the dresser/vanity from the humidity from the shower. I have a dresser i wan to convert but i am afraid the heat and humidity will ruin the dresser.

  • Shari Murdock Knudsen Shari Murdock Knudsen on Aug 20, 2017

    Did you put a door on the linen closet, or leave it open? We're redoing our bath and have a small closet like yours and I think adding a door will make it too tight on space.

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  • Judy Judy on Jan 19, 2018

    I have done over some old houses and had brand new over the years.You did a great job on this and it is fun to see what other people do with some time and a bit of money. We like wood bead board, too, even though they try to steer you toward the moisture resistant kind.

  • Margaret E Margaret E on Jan 20, 2018

    Thank you! I had wanted bead board in my bathroom for... well, this is the third house I've owned, so it's been a LONG time! The product I used was bare wood; the first two coats of paint on it were a mold and mildew-retardant product from Zinsser.

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