I have some exciting news- some family friends will be coming to visit us in about a month. Yayyy! We’ve never had anyone come to stay overnight with us since we moved into this house! While I’m so excited to see them, I can’t help but to have a bit of anxiety about something- our guest bathroom! Ahh! That bathroom makes me cringe…HARD!
We redid the master bathroom when we moved in but haven’t touched the guest bathroom. I find that bathroom so embarrassing that I barely go in there myself! It just reminds me of so much that’s wrong with the world ha.
Well, now that we’ll be having guests, I’ve gotten just the kick in the pants I need to get this small bathroom makeover going.
What I’ve decided to do is to make a four part series out of the makeover process- ending just in time for our friends to arrive!
Navigate ‘The Small Bathroom Makeover‘ SERIES:
– PART 1: You are here
– PART 2: Wall Color Ideas
– PART 3: The Mood Board
– PART 4: The Reveal
Disclaimer: This won’t be a renovation. We’re just not looking to invest that much in this current house. It will simply be a makeover. And a cheap one at that.
BATHROOM MAKEOVER: Before Pictures
Heres the bathroom in its current state:
It’s just blah right? No where near the comfortable and cozy space I would want to host anyone in.
Below are my small bathroom makeover ideas- the things that I want, no NEED! to accomplish over these next four weeks.
Guest Bathroom Makeover To-Do List:
#1: Remove the wallpaper + Paint the walls
This bathroom has a chair rail featuring (outdated) wallpaper on the bottom half and beige paint on the top.
The wallpaper is definitely coming out. And although I would LOVE to replace it with some new, more modern wallpaper, that would be a small investment in terms of time, money and skill (that I don’t currently have). So! We will be using paint alone. We have some leftover paint from when we painted our living areas and master bedroom and I plan to use that.
I like the look of a lighter color on the bottom and a darker color on the top. The lighter color will make the room appear more spacious and conduct more light (no windows in here yikes!) while the darker color will add interest and contrast.
#2: Find a better rug situation
I don’t like the vinyl tile that was used on this floor- not my cup of tea in the slightest. It just feels so grungy and boring! Unfortunately, we won’t be changing the flooring (though it wouldn’t be that expensive due to the small square footage).
I’m going to change up these makeshift rugs and find a bold rug to define the space. I want it to be as wide as possible (without covering the vent) so that it will cover as much of the ugly floor as possible.
Pro tip! I like to use real rugs in my bathrooms (instead of those generic “bathroomy” rugs you know what I mean?) A real rug brings more texture to the space and is usually way more interesting to look at. Since this is a long bathroom, I am on the lookout for a runner rug.
#3: Replace the shower curtain
We got this shower curtain as a wedding gift. It was cute in the beginning but it’s now stained and honestly, feels kind of juvenile.
I would like something that is:
- neutral – so that it doesn’t steal too much attention from my statement rug
- textured – to make the space softer, cozier and to add another layer to the decor
#4: Add shelving
There’s no shelving in here! I believe that when a room is small and strapped for space, you should take advantage of the vertical space. I want to be able to store the tissue paper off the floor and also add a few useful and decorative knick knacks.
#5: Add wall art
The space above the toilet would be a good place to add wall art. Another potential spot would be on the wall above and to the right of the vanity.
Anywhere else might make this small bathroom feel even more cramped.
#6: Change out the bathroom accessories
Right now, the towel ring, towel bars are chrome and I don’t really like chrome (it’s too “cold”), I’m thinking of changing the finish to brass or oil-rubbed bronze to “warm” the room up.
#7: Do something to the vanity
Oh the vanity. I have so much to say, yet so little to say about this vanity.
If I could only pick ONE item to spend serious money on during this makeover, it would be this vanity. I would like to rip it out and throw it into outer space. But alas, we don’t have it like that quite yet.
I’ve thought of and googled so many things to do to it: replacing the countertop, painting the countertop, painting the whole vanity. I’ve not quite decided what to do with it but something has got to change with this bad boy.
THAT’S THE LIST!!
What do you think? Do you think I can makeover this little bathroom on the cheap? Or am I asking for too much?
Over the next few posts, I’ll be bringing you all a mood board, making color and shopping decisions and finally, showing you the finished “small bathroom makeover”.
Stay Tuned!
Navigate ‘The Small Bathroom Makeover‘ SERIES:
– PART 1: You are here
– PART 2: Wall Color Ideas
– PART 3: The Mood Board
– PART 4: The Reveal
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