Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Uncategorized

I revamped my bathroom in 2 days. NBD.

August 24, 2011
We are hosting the Marcums for dinner this upcoming Sunday as a farewell to Chris's brother, Jared, and his family who are moving to Hawaii for work next month.  The Marcums are not a small bunch--we are expecting right around 30 people.  Chris is cooking up a stellar menu and I have been working on getting our home in tip top shape.  Although my list of things I want to do is a mile long, I have shortened it down to keep my self sane.  One of the major things that makes me a nervous wreck is when guests have to use the restroom.  Before this week, we had no presentable bathrooms.  They all work, but they don't look good.  At all.  We usually send our guests up the stairs to use the bathroom in the hallway--which sadly, is our best looking bathroom.   I took the last 2 days and spruced it up so I don't have any heart attacks when one of the Marcums need to go potty.  Here's what our best looking and tiniest bathroom looked like before:
A room in our home wouldn't be complete without stenciled edges and outlets.  This picture also captivates that standard 90s gold vanity light.

The vanity cabinet was exactly the same wood as our kitchen cabinets used to be.  Old. Dingy. Brown.

We tried to hide the grandma-looking laminate on the floors with a brown shaggy rug that we had laying around.  And apparently we don't have the best aim when it comes to throwing things into that black (actually dark green) garbage can in the corner.

The shower rod (it came with the house) was almost in as bad of shape as the wall it was leaning against.   Since we don't use this bathroom other than to bathe Greta, we never bothered replacing the rod or even hanging a curtain to cover up the almond, faux-marble tile.   
Due to budget and time constraints, I wasn't able to tackle everything (read: the floor, countertop, and shower are still pretty bad), but I made a few updates that really transformed the room.  The walls got two coats of fresh paint--Valspar's Dove White. White? White.  This room is tiny and windowless and I wanted to keep things feeling airy. 

 We also got a new light fixture from Ikea.  Originally a wall lamp, Chris worked his magic and hard-wired it and it became our vanity light.

The Marcum 11/8 painting I did last year set the color stage for the room.  I am a believer of fine art in the bathroom.

I swapped out the dark trash can in the corner for a translucent garbage can to keep things looking lighter (which is a common theme in this room).  The toilet paper holder I spray painted oil-rubbed bronze and the new area rug is also lighter, sleeker, more modern and totally belongs in this room. Although we didn't have the time or money to redo the floors right now, the lighter rug blends a lot better with the existing floor than that brown, shaggy one did.

The cabinets got a coat of primer, two coats of gray paint and two funky knobs I got for free from Pier One.

When I got the knobs, I wasn't so sure where I was going to use them and I'm pleasantly surprised they fit so well with this room.

We did away with the towel rack above the toilet and hung a couple of shelves instead.  On them I placed: a few colorful towels, my favorite penguin, a souvenir from our cruise a couple years ago, two books (Eat, Pray, Love and Love Letters), and a framed paint swatch which made for some free, pretty, ombre art.

A new oil-rubbed bronze rod, the shower curtain and rings hide the oog-ly shower to finish off the room.  For now, at least.  :)  

 This room is really so small that it is impossible (with my camera) to get a full shot of the whole room for before and afters. But here are some side by sides to save you the scrolling:



And here's where the money went:

1 quart Valspar Dove White in Semi-gloss: $12.97
1 sample size Valspar Paint for cabinets: $.50 (I scored it in the mis-tinted section so it doesn't have a name)
1 can Rustoleum oil-rubbed bronze spray paint: $7.97 (I used this for a few other projects elsewhere)
New Bath Mat--really just an area rug from Ikea:  $3.99
Knobs: Free!
New light fixture from Ikea: $60
New trash can from Ikea: $1.99
Shelves (2 shelves and 4 brackets from Ikea): $19.98
White picture frame from Ikea: $1.99
4 solid colored hand towels (the printed one I had): $11.96
ORB shower curtain rod: $8.99 from Amazon (Originally $18.99, but I had a $10 gift card)

Total:  $130.34 (plus tax)

Not bad for revamping an entire room....and cheating a likely heart attack.  Rest assured, any Marcums that want to use the restroom this weekend, can.

filed under: 
— Hide Comments
+ ShowComments
What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Ahh, Marcum gatherings. Reminds me of the reunions from when I was little (Laverne's brothers and sisters and allllllllllllll of their families). We do have quite a large family (and colorful!) family!

    I must say, this has been a remarkable transformation! I especially like the 'Marcum 11/8' painting...has so much personality to it.

  2. It looks SO great! I can't wait to see what you decide to do for the BIG change in the future. It is amazing what little touches do to completely revamp a room! Motivates me to change up our bathroom. Brin's bathroom is SO boring but we only use it once a day!

  3. Hi, Julia! Isn't it amazing that someone was probably as proud of their weird stencil job as you are of your own transformation? I like it! :)

What We're

Loving

Right Now

What We're

Loving

Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Shop All

Love Stories

Love Where You Live

In an industry that often feels designed to make you discontent, we want this to be place you come for inspiration, ideas, and encouragement to make the space you're already in feel like home.
Read All Posts
let's break this thing up

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

01

Portfolio

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
read more
02

Projects

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
read more
03

Design

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
read more
hello world!

looking for inspiration?

Sales

The Best Early Black Friday Deals in 2024 (And More to Come!)

So many of our favorite stores have already launched early Black Friday sales, and we know there’s more to come! We collected all of the best deals of the holiday season—from tech to home decor—in one place for easy reference. Whether you want the lowest price on one of the best gifts of the year […]
Design

The Exciting Plans for Our Primary Bathroom Design

Chris and I have always said that if we don't feel 100% all-in excited about a project—both of us—then we probably haven't found the solution yet. I think that's been the tale with our primary bathroom renovation as a whole. We feel excited about doing the project, but it's been YEARS in the design phase […]
Chris Cooks

Mom's Light & Fluffy Homemade Dinner Rolls

I do a lot of cooking for food restrictions, but this recipe is none of those things. These dinner rolls are my mom's recipe, and they're one of her signature dishes. She has made them for almost every gathering since I was a kid. The smell of these...it's the smell of every family event in […]
Beautifully wrapped traditional presents stacked in a doorway
Gift Guides!

Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone in Your Life {2024}

Remember the thrill of unwrapping a gift that felt just right? Let's bring that magic back this holiday season!! Our curated gift guides for 2024 are filled with thoughtful picks that will make your loved ones feel special. That's what it's all about, after all. Whether you're shopping for your main guy, your clutch coworker, […]
Learn With Us
Want to do what we do? Get the tools, mentorship, and training to be a Good Influencer professionally.
Learn More
Looking for Something?

SEARCH THE BLOG

We've been doing this since 2009 and we've posted a whopping 24145+ blog posts and counting. You might need a little help searching, huh?

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

hello world!
Follow Along on Instagram
Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
© 2024 Chris Loves Julia, LLC
PRIVACY POLICYTERMS & CONDITIONSAFFILIATE DISCLAIMERSITE CREDITCOMMUNITY GUIDELINES