Our DIY Bathroom Update

Around the middle of the summer, my family and I moved into our first home! YAY! It’s an older house with lots of space and charm, but it is definitely in need of some updating! I’m talking about gold fixtures and wallpaper EVERYWHERE! We were thrilled to be moving in but we kind of didn’t know where to start with the renovations. I ended up choosing the guest bathroom because it was a small enough room that also wouldn’t need new furniture.

Keep scrolling to read more about our first DIY bathroom update.

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With the help of our family, we did everything ourselves! My father installed the shiplap and my stepdad built the counter, put in the new trim, and helped Travis install the tile floor. I painted the walls (after my mother-in-law so graciously removed the wallpaper) and cabinets myself, as well as installed most of the decor. It was truly a labor of love.

My style inspiration was clearly farmhouse, but with small industrial touches (like the lighting and cabinet hardware.). I wanted it to feel welcoming but not rundown.

The Before Photos

The After Photos

Q&A

“How long did it take?”

It felt like it took forever. Since we did everything ourselves renovations lasted about 2 months.

“What project would you suggest doing yourself? Which would you have a professional handle if you had to do it again?”

As I said, we did everything by ourselves with the help of our family. If I had to redo the project (and I had the money to spend on a pro) I would have the floors laid by a professional. It’s not that they don’t look great, it was just a huge headache. The painting was by far the most fun. I would encourage everyone on a budget to try and paint their walls and cabinets themselves.

I watched this series on YouTube before painting my cabinets and it was very helpful. We had melamine covered cabinets and this guy had the only “straight to the point” videos explaining what to do.

“What was the best and worst part of the experience?”

The best part was obviously seeing the final project. But drinking wine and belting Taylor Swift’s new album while painting cabinets was pretty fun too!

The worst part was having to fix tiny details that we messed up along the way. For example, I was painting the trim one night (with Grey’s Anatomy playing in the background on my phone) and after removing the painter’s tape from the wall some of the wall paint came off. I had to touch it up and it really irritated my soul!

“Which project was most expensive?”

This probably won’t shock you, but the floors were the most expensive part. Redoing the vanity was a close second because we built the counter, bought a new sink, fixtures, hardware, and painted the cabinets.

“What is your favorite detail in the room, small or big?”

I love everything, to be honest. The floors and metal basket shelves have to be on the top of the list though. I almost went with white hexagon tiles. Gasp! But when I went to pick them up I saw these massive “wood look” tiles and fell in love. (my little sister actually pointed them out!) With all the lighter tones in the room, I’m so glad I went with darker floors.

“If you could go back and tell yourself anything, what would it be?”

I have several things I’d say for sure! The most important thing would be to NOT EXPECT PERFECTION! Not only was this an amateur renovation, but we bought an older home! So things had settled and moved. I’d also plan better and have more supplies than necessary.

Details