Kids Bathroom Before & After: Brightening a Tiny, Windowless Space
2 Materials
Medium
Old houses come with lots of challenges! Our 1960's garrison colonial home in the Boston suburbs came with an exceptionally outdated and dysfunctional family bathroom: no storage, broken fixtures, bad lighting, and no windows! After gutting it down to the studs, our kids' bathroom went from drab and dark to fab and bright! Here's how we did it.
Ah, 60's tile meets 80's wallpaper. Classy!
Before we hired a contractor to handle the job of transforming the bathroom, I thought carefully about how we needed it to function:
1. Even though we could not enlarge the space, it must fit at least one adult helping two small children.
2. There must be storage for hair dryers, toiletries, and a spot for overnight guests to keep their necessities.
3. There needs to be light. Lots of it!
Oblong toilet = knees nearly touched the tub!
My design plan included several functional changes:
- Round-bowl toilet to create more legroom.
- Shallow-depth vanity with a European-style bowl, storage, and furniture legs. The curved bowl eliminates sharp corners in the tight space, a small cabinet and drawer provides much-needed storage, and furniture legs make the floor underneath visible, which creates the illusion of space.
- Large recessed medicine cabinet that's entirely mirrored on the inside so that when opened, the cabinet actually makes the room seem larger while also providing storage.
- Relocated towel and toilet paper holders for a less-crowded toilet area.
- White subway tile in the shower all the way up to the ceiling to create the illusion of height (the ceiling is less than 8' tall), and the same tile carried all the way around the room to make the room appear wider (and protect walls from splashes).
- Bright new vanity light as well as an overhead light in the shower.
- Glass shelves above the toilet add storage without visual weight.
Penny tile is a classic touch.
My young son and daughter share this bathroom, but it's also used by overnight guests. Therefore, I wanted the bathroom to look fun but not too childish. Aqua paint is bright without being garish, and coordinates well with the rainbow-hued shower curtain. Teal penny tile around the room, and also in the shower nook, helps to break up all the white.
By upgrading the lighting, filling the space with white fixtures and bold accents, and incorporating smart storage, this tiny, windowless bathroom is now a fun and functional space for our children and guests to enjoy!
For more photos of the renovated bathroom and the full list of sources, please read my original post on The No Pressure Life.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 5 comments
-
Such an improvement! I love the new color choices!
-
Wow, really impressive!!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?