How to Totally Transform Your Bathroom in Just One Weekend

Kara S.
by Kara S.

This post is sponsored by Wagner.


Watch me take this 1970s bathroom and totally transform it in just one weekend with two gallons of paint and some help from Wagner SprayTech.


By using the Wagner Control Pro 130 to spray my bathroom cabinets, the PaintStick EZ Roller to paint the walls, plus the Spray Shelter for a controlled workspace, I finished the project quickly, easily, and smoothly.

Bathroom makeover before

Tools and materials:

  • Drill
  • Painter’s tape
  • Clear dropcloth
  • Paint
  • Marker
  • Cloths
  • TSP
  • Water
  • Wagner Control Pro 130
  • Wagner PaintStick EZ Roller
  • Wagner Large Spray Shelter
  • Electric sander
  • 220-grit sandpaper
  • Paintbrush
  • Painter’s triangles
  • Painter’s mask
  • New bathroom fixtures and decor

1. Remove everything

The first step is to take everything off the walls—the mirrors, the lights, the switchplates—and then, patch any holes.

Removing the mirror

The cabinets were in great shape, so I just had to take off the existing doors and drawer fronts. This is super easy to do by just unscrewing them from the inside.

Unscrewing the cabinet doors

Painter's tape hack

Tip: I put a piece of painter’s tape on the back of each door to remember which door goes onto which cabinet. I’ll thank myself for this later.

Painter's tape hack

2. Clean everything

To clean the cabinet boxes, I used TSP (trisodium phosphate). This helps prep your surface for paint by not only cleaning it but by de-glossing the cabinets. This ensures a smooth finish when painting. It’s super important to prep your cabinets before paint, to get the best results.

Cleaning the cabinets

Once the cabinet boxes were wiped down, I moved on to the doors. First, remove the hardware, then set it aside. Since this hardware isn’t going to be seen, I can reuse it on my new project.

Removing the hardware

Then, wipe down both sides of the doors with TSP. I followed that with a clean damp cloth of just water.

3. Prep the space

Before painting the walls of the bathroom, I made sure to tape off the countertops and the doorframes.

Applying painter's tape

Dropcloth hack

Tip: Using a clear dropcloth, I was able to cover the cabinets and counters to avoid any splatters by sticking it to the overhang of the painter’s tape.

Sticking the dropcloth to the countertop

4. Paint the walls

Now for the fun part! Using the Wagner PaintStick EZ Roller, there was no paint tray needed. I was able to draw paint directly from the can, suctioning it into the handle of the roller. Look at that! How cool!

How to use the Wagner PaintStick EZ Roller

Wagner PaintStick EZ Roller

With a few pumps of the trigger, the paint started flowing into my roller, and I was ready to go. The paintstick held 22 ounces of paint, making it super easy to paint without stopping. The long handle kept me from having to get a ladder and I painted the room in half the time it would have taken me with a regular roller.


I can guarantee I will be using this every time I paint another room.


The color I used for the walls is First Star by Sherwin-Williams.

Painting the walls

5. Sand the cabinet doors

While the paint was drying, I took the cabinets outside and gave them a light sand with 220-grit sandpaper. I was able to use my electric sander for most of this, but to get the details, I hand-sanded.


After the sanding was done, I wiped each door down with a damp cloth to eliminate any microdust.


Sanding the cabinet doors with an electric sander

6. Paint the cabinets

Upstairs, I started painting the cabinet boxes with this bright green paint called Garden Spot by Sherwin-Williams. I am obsessed with this pop of color and the way it totally brightens up the room. I brushed on two coats of this paint, but since the area was small, it was super easy and very quick.

Painting the bathroom cabinets green

Now, back to the cabinet doors.


Outside, I spread out my Large Spray Shelter from Wagner in my backyard. This was a game-changer. I didn’t have to worry about overspraying anything on my house, my garage, or my dog. It kept the leaves and bugs off of my cabinets, and it was large enough to fit all of the doors inside at once.

Wagner Large Spray Shelter

Wagner Large Spray Shelter

Painter’s triangles trick

Tip: I utilized painter’s triangles and if you’ve never seen these before, they essentially prop up the piece off of the table to allow you to hit the sides of the cabinet doors, in this case.

How to use painter’s triangles

After everything was set up and ready to go, it was time to spray. I used the Wagner Control Pro 130. The setup was super fast and easy. After attaching my hose to the machine and the spray gun, priming the machine, then pouring in the paint, I was ready to spray.

Pouring paint into the Wagner Control Pro 130

Wagner Control Pro 130

This was my first time using it and I will say I did use a piece of scrap plywood to test my gun before to make sure I was totally confident in spraying before I hit the cabinets.

Using the Wagner Control Pro 130

This machine is beginner-friendly and it’s as easy as pulling the trigger and moving in one slow, smooth movement. The overspray is 55% less than other sprayers and compared to hand-rolling, this took me no time at all.


Of course, don’t forget to use your painter’s mask when using the spray gun.


I can’t wait to use this on future projects like painting my garage and maybe even staining my fence.


Once the doors were coated, I closed the front of the shelter and left them to dry.

Closed spray shelter

7. Add new light fixtures

Back upstairs, I hung the new light fixtures. Wow! What a difference.

Adding new light fixtures

8. Paint the back of the doors

Then, while the sun was setting, it was back downstairs to coat the front side of the cabinet doors, since they were finally dry. Thankfully, the shelter provided an easy workspace to finish the painting.

Painting the back of the cabinet doors

9. Add new faucet fixtures, hardware & other finishing touches

The next day, with everything dry, I pulled the painter’s tape and replace the outdated faucets with matte black modern fixtures.

New matte black faucets

I reattached the hardware to the painted doors and reassembled them onto the cabinet boxes in the bathroom.

Reattaching the hardware

I added these chunky black knobs to the drawers for a modern twist. The screws were a little too long on the doors, so adding two washers to the back helped them fit perfectly.

Adding new handles to the drawers

I hung new mirrors, laid out a rug, added handtowel hooks, and some new art. The space is finally complete.

Hanging a new mirror

Bathroom makeover before and after

I cannot believe this before and after! The place feels clean and fresh. I’m energized just by looking at this new cabinet color. The black finishes brought this 70s bathroom into the modern day and I could not be happier.


I hope this inspired you to transform your outdated bathroom next weekend.


Thanks to Wagner for sponsoring this video and post. Check out their website to shop the products used.

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2 of 8 comments
  • Wra51859124 Wra51859124 on Apr 05, 2023

    Sage is a wonderful color. This almost looks olive drab

  • Pat11596556 Pat11596556 on Apr 21, 2023

    I want to try doing this. Question. Is there a certain type of paint you used? I have the same vanity and afraid the paint will not adhere. Is that where the wipe down of the TSP comes in handy?

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