Ok, ok…so it’s not an entire room makeover again…I haven’t gotten that far yet. But only because I haven’t gathered up the courage to re-tile my shower and bathtub just yet. Be patient…it will happen. This mini-makeover, again, happened by accident. I just can’t help myself! I decided just before going back to work that I wanted to get all the walls in my house painted, that it would make me feel like I accomplished a big project and like I was at least making some progress in this oh-so-slow DIY remodel process. So, I started painting away, one room at a time. Then I got to the master bathroom.
As I was prepping the walls to paint I decided to take down the large plain contractor grade vanity mirror to paint behind it. Boy was this a huge pain in the you know what! That thing was heavy!! Since I wanted a better looking mirror in it’s place anyway, I decided to not put the old mirror back up and to just go find a new one. Easy enough. Except, then I wanted a new light fixture to replace the old copper one. And then I couldn’t stand the gold faucets and towel rings. You get the point…once I started, I couldn’t stop until the whole area was remodeled and redecorated. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, my husband knows I’m a DIY addict. I have yet to seek help.
So, here we go. Let’s start with the before picture…
Isn’t she a beauty…man, this before and after thing is kind of embarrassing! So this is what I started with. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all bad. We do really like the grey marble counters in our bathroom, the problem is, they don’t really go with ANYTHING else in the room. Tan floor & bathtub tile, gold faucets, copper light fixtures and cabinet knobs and pea green walls…
I started with the colors in the marble and went from there. The taupe wall color that I was already using throughout the house was going to match the taupe lines in the marble perfectly and I love myself some brushed nickel fixtures right now so I continued with that in this room as well. First things first, I painted the walls and replaced the mirror and light fixture.
I used the same color paint as the entry way, Valspar Lyndhurst Timber from Lowes but for the bathroom I used a semi-gloss finish instead of a matte finish. The light fixture is Portfolio 4-Light Brushed Nickel Vanity Light from Lowes. The mirror is from Home Goods.
Next, I installed the new towel rings and faucets.
I used the towel ring and sink faucet from Moen’s Boardwalk collection at Lowes. I’m always that person who is a bit over-confident when I first start a DIY project, then, about halfway through, I tell myself I’m crazy for ever deciding to DIY my entire house and I want to sit on the floor and cry. And then I remember that you can find ANYTHING on the internet, including how to dismantle an old faucet! This was not the easiest thing I’ve ever done, mostly because the metal seemed a bit corroded on the inside which made getting the pieces apart a bit challenging. Have no fear though, once you get the old one out the hard part is over. The new faucets are so simple to install, you’ll think you should become a plumber. But don’t.
Next up, freshening up the cabinets.
They were already painted white when I started, however, it was a pretty awful paint job. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to paint cabinets to freshen up a room but if you’re going to do it, take your time! Use a small paint brush and be delicate. Make sure your brush strokes follow the grain of the wood and don’t let the paint drip or pool. The goal is to make the cabinets look custom, not like a 4-year-olds art project.
I stripped the cabinets down, took off all the hardware, sanded off the old paint and started fresh. I know you can’t really tell from the photos, but trust me, this made a world of difference. Now, had the cabinets just been stained with a clear coat finish, I probably would’ve painted right over it without sanding (like I will soon do to my kitchen!! In my head, I was saying that while squealing like a little girl.) Once the painting was finished, I reattached the doors and drawers and added new knobs, allen + roth Brushed Nickel Square Knobs from Lowes.
Final step: decorate!
I’m a bit obsessed with this little terrarium/vase that I found at Cost Plus World Market. It’s not originally what I set out looking for but I fell in love with it. The apothecary jars are from Pottery Barn, the PB Classic Glass Canister in small. I also got Ralph Lauren white hand towels from Marshalls for $5 each. The soap dispensers were a wedding gift, also from Pottery Barn, they do still carry them as part of the classic collection along with the apothecary jars.
And that’s that!
All in all, I spent about $500 on the mini-makeover. Pretty good, considering $200 of that was just for the faucets. Now to tackle the bathtub and shower tile!! Wish me luck and stay tuned for the full room makeover update!
BEAUTIFUL!
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What kind of paint did you use to paint the cabinets? My cousin just did her kitchen cabinets and they used an oil based alkyd paint at the suggestion of the Lowe’s paint guy. It was self leveling and supposed to hold up better than latex. They used a roller first and then after two days of trying to get that to work bought a sprayer. But he had quite a hard time getting it to dry nicely. The end result looks nice now, but still isn’t a real smooth surface. I’m getting ready to paint my cabinets down stairs and I am leery of that kind of paint now.
I actually used the same semi-gloss latex white paint that I used on my interior doors and moulding throughout the house (Valspar Ultra from Lowes). It goes on very smooth and the semi-gloss blends well into the wood leaving minimal to no brush strokes. The biggest factor is to make sure your cabinets are clean and smooth to begin with. A good cleaning before painting will go a long way, especially on kitchen cabinets that may have grease and cooking residue on them. I bought a roller but ended up using a soft bristle paint brush, just go slowly and follow the grain of the wood. Good luck!