While our current 1960s-era home is FULL of weird decisions and quirky spots throughout, the main (and only) bathroom on the main floor of the home was just a lot to take in.

Originally, the walls were some sort of green glass tile that was stuccoed over decades ago (!!!) and painted purple.

There was glass block everywhere, the ceiling was half green glass tile and half pink glass tile, and the floor was grey wood-look tile that was one of the worst installation jobs we’ve ever seen.

The grout lines ranged from 1/4″ wide to up to 2″ wide in spots and you could stub your toe on the unevenness) and the shower was made of four different white tiles.

There was a full-on Broadway-style makeup desk with exposed light bulbs flanking both sides, and the only light for the room was a old vanity light attached to a board.

It loosely hung on the wall like a picture frame over the sink with wires everywhere. Oh, and there was just a big hole in the wall where an old medicine cabinet used to be, so they just hung a mirror up to cover it. It was a lot.

Bathroom makeovers are expensive, and this one needed everything and more done in order to do it right, so I wasn’t sure if we would ever get around to doing this space anytime soon after moving in.

The first year, we focused on the rest of the upstairs, but as we neared the end of that major overhaul, it became apparent that the upstairs was looking so nice now that we really needed to do the bathroom in order for it to match the rest of the house.

Since this gut job was way beyond my DIY skills, we used our contractor to get it done this winter and the result is simply amazing.

Probably the best decision I made in the reno was to move the location of the tiny sink cabinet to the wider alcove on the right side of the room so that we could put in a vanity and countertop that spanned the whole width of the alcove.

The previous sink was in the way of getting to the toilet and the “countertop space” wasn’t wide enough to keep my curling iron from falling off constantly. It also didn’t help the one outlet in the space was on the opposite side of the room, haha.

Now we have a much bigger countertop area (it feels huge!) and I got a white quartz countertop to hold up to the traffic of the main bathroom in the house.

Oh, and there are two outlets above the vanity now, so I can actually get close enough to the mirror to see and curl my hair, haha. That gold faucet is really pretty, and I feel like single handle faucets are easier for kids to use as well.

There was almost zero storage in the old bathroom (previous owners seemed to all put a huge cabinet in the room just to have a place to put things), so it’s amazing to have this vanity (similar here) with all the drawers as well (they slide out under the sink for taller items).

I switched out the pulls on the vanity for these that were a brighter gold with rounded edges to match the other finishings better, and they are so pretty. I also added this soap dispenser and toothbrush holder that are rounded to continue the curve feel here and there.

The light in the bathroom is also very one-directional since all the windows are on one wall, so I used these 70s feel globe lights to flank the mirror and chose a mirror that also has its own built-in ring light (similar here) to evenly light the face for makeup application, etc.

I also love that the mirror light dims to a soft glow, and we use that as our bathroom nightlight so we and our kiddo can see in the middle of the night.

While I did have a bit of a soft spot for the vintage pink tub that was in the old bathroom, it wasn’t in the best of shape close up. But I made sure to keep some pink with these gorgeous glass tiles by Fireclay in the Rosy Finch Gloss.

I love that they are definitely pink but still kind of feel like a neutral as well, and the stacked bond pattern and size makes it feel very modern and fresh. Lola was so sad to get rid of the pink tub, but I kept telling her she was getting a pink shower, so she was OK with that.

There’s something about glass tile in a shower that feels so luxurious, and I love it.

The pink also looks so pretty with the gold shower kit that I picked out, and it’s just such a happy combo to look at while we shower or bathe. Speaking of bathing, switching out the old tub with this clean-line beauty was also a great decision.

It’s an amazing soaking tub for baths and the sides are a lot higher so Lola can splash around a lot more, and very little comes over the sides of the tub now versus the tsunami we had before at every bath.

To match the gold shower kit, I got this shower rod and I love this checkerboard curtain that adds a trendy pattern to the space.

I knew I wanted the rose tile for the shower, but I wasn’t sure what to do with the floors for a long time. I do love a clean look of white on white on white (sue me, but I do), so I wanted to do something bright, but with a little twist.

I settled on this beautiful Fireclay tile in Calcite and decided to have it laid out in a herringbone pattern. I feel like the herringbone was a little nod to my love of all things Parisian, but since it has white grout as well, it’s not crazy and doesn’t compete too much with the pink and white pattern that the shower creates.

We also decided to add a heated floor system under the tile which wasn’t that much more since it’s a comparatively small space. Worth. Every. Penny.

My husband has already fallen asleep on the floor and the cats go in there to lay on the pre-warmed bathmat at night. I like that the arch in the rug mirrors the custom trim I added to the doors upstairs as well.

My brother was the one that introduced us to this fancy toilet that he installed when he redid his own bathroom himself, and while it feels a little nuts to geek out about a toilet, let me first tell you that it has programmable bidet settings (with adjustable temperature warmth), a dryer for post-bidet sessions (with adjustable warmth), automatic flush, and a heated seat.

It actually needs its own outlet as it runs on electricity (we still have a “regular” basement toilet in case the power is ever out, if you were wondering), but it’s a pretty amazing toilet overall.

It’s hard to find a “pretty” toilet brush, but I found this one to complete the set. There’s not a lot of space in the area, but this slim trash can fits perfectly.

I also asked my contractor to add a cabinet above the toilet so we could have more precious storage space. It looks like that area used to be a laundry chute, but now it’s kind of above the basement shower, so we closed it off and made it storage instead.

My husband grew up with a laundry chute though, and he swears it’s the best thing ever and we need to find a way to add another one …

The previous bathroom didn’t have any towel racks since the stucco/glass tile combination was so hard to mount anything to, but I chose this towel rack, hand towel holder, and toilet paper holder to match the look and added this Matisse print above the towel rack to compliment it.

To add some color for the main art in the room, I hung this print by one of my favorite artists that we had in our last home.

You can find more cute & affordable wall art for a bathroom in this post!

I also wanted a shelf to keep my most used Leahlani skincare items out since I use them multiple times a day (and they are pretty enough to keep out too).

I also got this gold floating shelf to hold them and added some greenery and these super cute matches from our friend Sarah’s shop (she used to be the A Beautiful Mess photographer back in the day!).

Gold Hardware / Towel Holder / Girl Print / Gold Shelf / Toilet / Gold Shower Kit / Soap Dispenser / Lit Mirror / Bathtub / Gold Faucet / Globe Sconce / Matisse Print

Want to see other room makeovers in my house? Check out…

• 70s Pink Living Room Makeover (Before + After!)
• Laura’s Dining Room Tour (Before + After!)
• Laura’s Organization-Focused Entryway (Before + After!)
• Laura’s Pink Star Bedroom (Before + After!)
• Lola’s Room Tour (Before + After!)

I can’t tell you how much we love the new bathroom and how it’s SO much more functional than it was before. Taking a soak in the tub for the first time when it was all done felt like I was at a spa and it was just magical.

Someday, I may do something a little more colorful or add some pattern to the walls, but for now I’m just enjoying it all looking so fresh and bright. What’s your favorite part? xo. Laura

So for this DIY, I added macrame trim to a simple/boring shower curtain. The finished result is a custom shower curtain that you can’t buy in any store!

Here’s how it’s done …

Supplies:
–white shower curtain
–macrame lace
-fabric scissors
–fabric glue or sewing machine

Cut a macrame lace strip to be just as wide as the bottom of the curtain. Pin your lace in the location you want it along the bottom of the curtain. Use a ruler as you go to make sure the top of the lace is even with the bottom of the curtain.

Using a ruler again, add and pin your next line of lace and repeat with each layer you want to add.

Use fabric glue along the top edge of each piece of lace to secure, or sew along the top line with a sewing machine.

Add some Fray Check to the ends of all your cut macrame pieces so they don’t unravel.

Hang up your curtain to see your finished product!

I loved how this curtain looked in my guest bathroom.

P.S. If you love macrame, check out these DIYs:

• Simple Macrame Table Runner
• Macrame Handbag
• Make Your Own Macrame Curtain

Print

Boho Shower Curtain DIY

add macrame lace to a plain shower curtain to create boho look

Keyword boho, shower curtain

Author Elsie Larson

Equipment

• fabric scissors
• fabric glue
• sewing machine optional

Ingredients

• white shower curtain
• macrame lace

Instructions

• Cut a macrame lace strip to be just as wide as the bottom of the curtain. Pin your lace in the location you want it along the bottom of the curtain.

  Use a ruler as you go to make sure the top of the lace is even with the bottom of the curtain.
• Using a ruler again, add and pin your next line of macrame lace and repeat with each layer you want to add.
• Apply fabric glue along the top edge of each piece of lace to secure (or sew along the top line with a sewing machine).
• Add some Fray Check to the ends so the macrame pieces won't unravel.

Credits//Author: Elsie Larson. Project and Photography: Laura Gummerman.

One of the things that we really wanted to update was our wood-look planked tile floor—the above photo shows the floors in their original state. I understand that a lot of people love this type of tile, but I am not one of them (and neither is my husband), so we decided to paint over it and choose a really fun stencil. After doing a lot of research on painted tile, I personally don’t think I would have done this for any kind of long-term solution, just because a lot of accounts I’ve read say that after a year or two, things start to show wear.

Another part of our decision to do the paint is that that since we don’t wear shoes in the house, we could count on there not being shoes on this surface—pretty much bare/sock feet only. My biggest fear was that it wouldn’t look right having to stencil over the grout lines since it’s not square tile/perfectly suited for the stencil, but you really don’t notice them at all now that everything is done.

If you’re curious about how long this project took, I would budget three days. One for prep, one for stenciling/touching up, and one for sealing. The first thing we did was clean the whole floor really thoroughly with Krud Kutter (a degreaser) and tape everything off. Then, we primed with a high adhesion bonding primer. We did three coats of primer, which might be overkill, but we really wanted everything to be thoroughly covered. Just be aware that due to the nature of these kinds of primers, it may not look fully opaque even after a few coats—the purpose is not to cover up what’s underneath, but to make sure the surface is prepped to take and hold onto the paint.

Next up, after the primer dried, we painted three coats of a white latex paint. Our tile was kind of textured, so we really needed all of those coats to make sure everything looked nice and even. The photo above is in between coats 2 and 3, so you can kind of still see the tile peeking through.

Next up came the stenciling! Here’s the stencil we used. I love this company because you can choose the size of the stencil you need for your size of tile (we went with the width of the tile, which I believe was 8″ and decided we would paint over the grout lines if necessary when it comes to length). The other pro of this brand is that they give you two stencils—one to cut up if you need to maneuver around corners and hard-to-reach places, and another to keep intact.

Here are some of my stenciling tips:

-Practice on a piece of cardboard or scrap wood first, as there’s definitely a rhythm to stenciling.
-Don’t be afraid to stencil over grout lines.
-Keep a cloth or towel close by to wipe excess paint off bottom of the stencil so it doesn’t transfer (this will probably still happen but don’t worry, you can touch everything up later).
-Be sure you seal your work! We did three coats of poly and it feels really strong and protected.Hope this is helpful if you decide to tackle a stencil project!

P.S. Here’s a link to a similar bath rug.

Credits // Author: Keely Rust. Finished Project Photography: Amber Kelly. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

We are going to be gutting this bathroom in the next three or so years (it has some layout issues and a very dated Jacuzzi tub), so we thought—why not do something really fun and colorful in the meantime since the high-contrast black and grey granite is not our style?

Related: Resin Art – Beginner’s Guide

About five years ago in our previous home, we bought some custom-colored vinyl chips (commonly used for garage and commercial floors) and used them on a concrete floor in the converted garage part of the house with an epoxy over top.

I’m absolutely in love with the modern terrazzo that’s been emerging in design the last few years and thought, If I ordered the chips a little bit bigger and tried this on a countertop, maybe I can replicate that terrazzo finish a little bit? We are so happy with the outcome.

Here are a few disclaimers before I start walking you through the process:

It is extremely messy because of the chips going everywhere (you basically just throw them around, lol) and the protective gear should absolutely be worn when pouring and working with epoxy.

We watched about two hours worth of videos from Stone Coat Countertops, the company we bought the epoxy from, before we did a single thing to learn the proper technique for mixing, pouring, and working with this material.

We also ordered a few granite samples (very similar to the original countertops) to do a trial run before, so highly recommend doing that if you can! With all that being said, we feel that this project was 100% worth it.

Supplies:
–degreaser to clean the surface
-high adhesion bonding primer
-latex paint in your desired base color
-small paint roller
-small paintbrush for detailing
-colored vinyl chips (you can get custom color chips from this company. I like using their blend tool to see how things are going to look—they use Sherwin Williams colors, so if you need to go to the SW store and grab some paint swatches you can do that).
-dry paintbrush to clear away loose chips
-epoxy (highly recommend Stone Coat Countertops—it’s formulated for this type of project and there is a square footage calculator on this page so you can find out how much epoxy you need)
-disposable mixing bucket (it helped to have the ones with ounces marks from the hardware store so we could be really exact)
-a way to mix your epoxy, like a mixing attachment for a drill—just make sure the attachment is compatible with your specific drill
–trowel to spread epoxy
-short paintbrush(es) to “chop” epoxy
-blowtorch (make sure it can be held vertically upside down; otherwise, it will flare when the propane gets too low)
-tweezers

First, let’s talk about project prep. We cleaned our surface very thoroughly with a degreaser. Next, we taped off anywhere we didn’t want paint and epoxy to go.

If you’re doing countertops this means any sinks along with areas surrounding your countertop/backsplash and definitely DON’T FORGET the faucet holes!

We taped up plastic directly underneath and also laid plastic down in the bottom of the cabinets just in case.

Quick side note: We recently painted the cabinets of this vanity with this hard drying paint tutorial that Elsie also used to paint her bathroom vanity and it worked like a charm.

Next, we primed all our surfaces with the high adhesion bonding primer. We did two coats of this primer to get the best coverage.

After your primer has dried for about four hours, you can start painting your base color, which is what will show through underneath your chips. We needed a solid two coats of white base paint (it’s just regular latex paint from the home improvement store).

Keep in mind you will be doing another layer of paint after this one to spread the chips over your surface, but I highly recommend making sure the entire surface has really good coverage.

The last thing you want to be worried about while you’re sprinkling/spreading your chips is covering up sparsely painted areas.

Our first move with the chips was to tackle all the vertical surfaces. To do that, we taped off the edges of the flat surfaces so paint/chips wouldn’t adhere to places we didn’t want them to (they could pile up and you’ll end up with way more chips than you wanted in any given spot).

Then, we painted with the base color in small, approximately 4×9″ sections. Working quickly and while the paint is wet, we horizontally ‘threw’ the chips onto the painted area.

This is certainly challenging but not impossible! On our first go-round, we realized our technique wasn’t working, so we scraped off the chips with a putty knife and started over again. Not the end of the world, but you want to get your throwing technique down before going all-in.

You can see in the photo above that the sink vertical looks pretty messy, so here’s how we cleaned it up: Once the paint is just barely dry, we patted down the chips with gloved hands to help it adhere to the paint. You want to make sure you aren’t tracking paint onto your chips, so if the paint is wet at all, wait!

After we applied some pressure to the chips, we took our hands and swiped them over the finished spots to break off any loose chips. It’s important to get as many loose chips off your surface as possible so they’re not floating around in the epoxy later.

After this step, you may notice that you have some bald spots that are in need of more chips to create an even look. To fix this, you can do a spot treatment. Just grab a very small paintbrush, dip it in your base color, and spot treat the areas that need attention.

Repeat the pressing and swiping process again to remove any loose chips. It’s possible you may have to repeat this process a few times, but patience will pay off if you want an even distribution of chips.

Once you are finished with entire backsplash, sink, and front vertical surfaces, you can use a dry, clean paintbrush to clean off any loose chips. We just brushed them into the sink since it had tape and a barrier.

Next, we removed the tape from the flat surfaces so we could add the chips—this part was so much easier than the verticals! Be sure to still only paint in small sections because you want your paint to be as wet as possible so the chips adhere properly. Instead of throwing, we took the chips pinched between our fingers and just moved them back and forth, kind of like you’re feeding food flakes to a fish (that’s the best example I can think of, haha).

Repeat the spot treatment on the flat surfaces if you need to! Let your chips and paint dry for at least 12 hours.

It’s finally epoxy time! I highly recommend going through Stone Coat Countertops’ YouTube channel. We watched a lot of videos but this one is a good place to start. Before you start the epoxy you’ll also want to tape up plastic sheeting over your cabinets so the epoxy doesn’t drip onto them.

We mixed our epoxy by adding the hardener to the resin and mixing for two minutes (could be more or less depending on what you’re using).

Check out the specific product you’re using for how much product you’ll need to mix for your surface area. The formula we used didn’t have a smell to it, but we wore masks, gloves, and glasses just in case.

Next up, we poured the epoxy and spread it over the surface with the trowel. Just know that because of the chips the trowel will “catch” since it’s a textured surface. We got around this by not applying very much pressure at all while we were spreading the product.

You’ll want to cover as much surface area as you can with your trowel since it will help make sure the epoxy is as level as possible before it starts self-leveling.

After we had most of the surface area covered, we took our short brushes and “chopped” the epoxy by repeatedly tapping the brushes over the entire surface area.

If you’re dealing with any vertical surfaces like a backsplash, just do your best to distribute the epoxy with your paintbrush. The epoxy will probably start to pool under your backsplash, so just keep picking that extra product up with your brush and redistributing it where it needs to be until the epoxy starts to set.

We then went over the entire flat surface with the flame from a blowtorch to eliminate air bubbles. Do not torch your vertical surface as the epoxy doesn’t settle in the same way on those surfaces.

I highly recommend getting a blowtorch you can hold upside down OR getting a few cans of propane because the torch will flare if the propane gets too low.

To start the finishing steps, we removed any taped places, like the sink bowls and around the backsplash. Then we grabbed a few pairs of tweezers and painstakingly looked over every square inch for hairs and other particles that shouldn’t be in the epoxy.

We had about 45 minutes to work with the wet epoxy before things started setting. Now is a good time to remember that your job won’t be absolutely perfect—there will most likely be a few things you missed that set into the epoxy, or maybe a few air bubbles that didn’t pop. That’s OK! Just do your best and it’s going to come out beautifully.

To close out the project, we went over the whole area with the blowtorch a few more times, just to try and get all the air bubbles we can. We waited three days to use the countertops lightly, and they fully cured in 30 days.

We are SO thrilled with this new look—it makes us happy every time we walk in the bathroom!

Thanks for following along, and best of luck if you decide to take on this project! xo, Keely

Print

DIY Faux-Terrazzo Countertops

Learn how to give a bathroom countertop a faux-terrazzo makeover.

Keyword countertops, terrazzo

Cook Time 3 days days

Author Keely Rust

Cost $250

Ingredients

• degreaser to clean the surface
• bonding primer high adhesion
• latex paint in your desired base color
• paint roller small
• paintbrush for detailing small
• colored vinyl chips
• dry paintbrush to clear away loose chips
• epoxy highly recommend Stone Coat Countertops
• disposable bucket for mixing epoxy
• mixing attachment for a drill to mix your epoxy
• Trowel to spread epoxy
• short paintbrush(es) to "chop" epoxy
• blowtorch make sure it can be held vertically upside down; otherwise it will flare when the propane gets too low
• tweezers

Instructions

• Clean your surface with a degreaser, like Krud Kutter
• Tape off any surfaces that you do not want to get paint or epoxy on, like sinks and walls. Use plastic sheeting to catch any runoff down the front of the vanity.
• Prime your surface with a high adhesion bonding primer (we did 2 coats)
• Once your primer has dried for at least 4 hours, begin painting with your base color. Use as many coats as necessary until you get the desired coverage (we did 2 coats)
• Roll another layer of paint onto a small area (we did about 5×9" sections), then sprinkle your chips. If attempting to deposit chips on a vertical surface, throw the chips directly at the surface). Don't skimp on the amount of paint, you want there to be enough for the chips to stick to!
• Once the paint is dry, take your hand and press the chips into the surface. Be sure you aren't getting paint on your hands and tracking it onto the chips!
• When you are certain paint is dry, swipe your hand over the surface to loosen chips that didn't adhere completely. Use your dry paintbrush to brush loose chips into the sink or in another receptacle.
• If you notice any "bald spots," go in with your very small detailing brush. Apply paint to the surface, then sprinkle chips again over that spot. Repeat the pressing and swiping process to ensure you have as few loose chips as possible.

  You may need to do this a few times before you're completely satisfied with the coverage as chips WILL come off. The goal is to not have loose chips in the epoxy (you will have them no matter what, but we want to have as few as possible).
• Wait at least 12 hours for the paint to fully harden.
• Mix your epoxy (hardener and resin) with the mixing attachment for 2 minutes. Check your epoxy product for how much you need to mix and what the working time is (how long you have before the epoxy sets).
• After pouring the epoxy, take your trowel and spread it over your surface. Try to cover as much as possible with the trowel.

  It will get caught on the chips as they make a "bumpy" surface, but applying a very light pressure as opposed to trying to drag it right over the chips will help.
• "Chop" your epoxy with your new paintbrush by repeatedly tapping your brush over the entire surface area.
• If you're dealing with a vertical surface, you'll need to just keep adding epoxy to those surfaces. It will pool directly below, so just keep taking that epoxy where it's pooling and redepositing it onto the vertical surface.
• With your blowtorch, go over the entire flat surface to eliminate air bubbles. Do not torch your vertical surface as the epoxy doesn't settle in the same way on those surfaces.
• Before the epoxy dries, remove any tape around the perimeter and sinks very gently. If you wait until after the epoxy dries, the tape will become extremely difficult to remove.
• Look over your surface VERY carefully for hairs (I know, gross) or other foreign objects/pieces that have made it into your wet epoxy. With your tweezers, carefully remove them.

  Once the epoxy is set you will not have the opportunity to do this, so continually looking for anything like this is pretty crucial at this stage.
• Go over the surface with your blowtorch a few more times to eliminate any air bubbles that might have formed.
• Allow the epoxy to cure for 3 days before light use. It will continue to cure over 30 days.

This is actually one of the smaller master bathrooms I’ve lived with square-footage-wise, so making use of all the possible space options has been extra important here. I’ll show you the mistakes I’ve made over the years and how I’ve fixed them now in this bathroom!

Mistake #1: Not making use of wall space. In our last house, I figured out the wall was actually a great area to store bathroom items. I made this wall storage DIY to help store makeup brushes and my most used makeup and I loved it!

For this bathroom, I made a hidden medicine cabinet to store my daily skin care items and it keeps a lot of items off my counter (helping to keep it cleaner) and you would have no idea that it’s storing so much—it just looks like a cute print!

Mistake #2: Not using shelves for storage. It’s not uncommon to have a shelf in a bathroom, but I usually see them with more decorative items than with actual items of use.

The key to maximizing your use of a shelf is to have a mix of purely decorate items along with pretty versions of items you actually use and hidden storage containers—think cotton swabs and Q-tips in glass containers, room spray in a glass spray bottle, pretty beauty items, marble canisters … that kind of thing!

I also keep a lot of my smaller makeup items in a little 3-drawer organizer I keep on the shelf which keeps them all together, tidy, out of sight, but nearby as needed.

Mistake #3: Not having enough baskets and segmented bins. OK, so this is one that I’d been doing, but I count it here because I hadn’t been doing it nearly enough. Having a few bins with segments to separate items is good, but I eventually realized that it was optimal to fill pretty much every inch of space that I could with either a larger basket or a smaller segmented bin. Once I filled up every nook and cranny with a container of some sort, it seemed almost impossible for the storage to get messy and disorganized—everything has a spot!

I got a bunch of divided bins like these and these to sort my smaller items, some deeper bins for taller beauty things, large bins for lotions/hairspray, and some small bins of various sizes to fit anywhere there was an open spot (this non-slip liner works amazing to keep all your bins from sliding around as well).

I’ve also always wanted one of these to organize my straightener/blow dryer (they have over-the-door or wall-mounted options too) and I love how it keeps them (and the cords) all nice and tidy.

Basically, I would take some measurements of your drawers and the area under your sink and then buy a bunch of containers in all different sizes and just play around to find a configuration that works best for your space and what you want to store.

Then, once you have what you need, just return all that you didn’t use! It’s a huge pain to try and get exactly everything you think you will need on the first go, so now when I organize (like I did with my hall closet) I just buy half the store of anything I might possibly use and then return the leftovers later. 

Mistake #4: Not having a laundry/cleaning section. OK, I think I may be most excited about this new addition to the pack. I can never find a clean washcloth when I want one, and if I can, it just ends up sitting around on my counter once it’s used because I can’t seem to remember to take it to the laundry pile and both problems have been so annoying.

I finally bought a pack of black washcloths (black will hide any makeup stains) and they are all folded in a long bin under the sink now with a matching bin right behind it for all the dirty ones. I also use my DIY reusable makeup wipes, so I keep my mesh laundry bags for those in the bin as well so I can wash them all at once with the washcloths.

We also use cloth napkins/rags instead of disposable options, so I just wash them all at the same time to fill out a load. Also, I hate having to hunt down a scrub brush or sponge when it’s time to clean the bathroom, so I got a little basket to fit a brush, sponge set, and some cleaner to keep in the sink cabinet at all times.

Mistake #5: Not keeping my most used items handy. This is one mistake that you will know right away if you are making it! If getting ready or taking off your makeup (or washing your face) at the end of the day is always frustrating because you have to dig that one, or two, or three things out of the back of wherever you are currently keeping it, then you have a location problem.

Everything you use on a daily basis should be easily accessible and you shouldn’t have to hunt for anything. Put everything you usually use in one day on the counter and make it your mission to find a nearby spot (on the wall, shelf, or clearly visible in a top drawer) to keep that item.

I know sometimes I’ve kept some makeup in my purse makeup bag, so I’d have to find the bag in my purse each day to finish getting ready and then hopefully remember to put the bag back in before I left. In those cases, having multiples of certain fave makeup items will make getting ready so much smoother and you can leave your touch-up bag in your purse where it belongs. ‘

I also tend to put on jewelry right after I do my makeup in the bathroom, so I use some Command Clear strips to attach this acrylic necklace hanger to the inside wall of my cabinet so they are nearby as well. Since we have double sinks now with our bathroom makeover (we used to have a single one in the old setup), there’s definitely less counter space.

So I tried to keep as much as I could off the counter this time and only have a small vanity organizer where I can keep my most used makeup brushes, toothpaste, and a spot for my glasses and earrings that I take off at night. It’s a great way to keep a few things handy while keeping clutter to a minimum.

There you go! I must say that I’m pretty excited to actually use this bathroom on a daily basis and have everything I need nearby. It also feels good to know that if we ever move I’ll know my favorite ways to organize a bathroom and I can set up a way that will work for that space pretty quickly.

If you have a must-have item or tip you love for bathroom organizing, let me know in the comments! Hope doing a little organizing will get your year off to a good start as well! xo. Laura

Looking for more bathroom organization tips? Be sure to check out our guide for organizing your home (room by room).

Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

Related: How to Clean a Washing Machine

We really didn’t update anything about the laundry room since we moved into our house over four years ago. I did swap out the cabinet pull knobs or the shiny bronze ones you see in the “before” photo, but that’s it! There was large, beige tile on the floor and a sink/vanity that felt very mismatched. I also found that I got in a habit of piling things up on the vanity top, making this space look even more cluttered. We also do projects from time to time and have had contractors work in our home, and the previous sink had just gotten a bit stained and roughed up.

I think it took us so long to finally do something with this space in part because it does feel like a laundry area should be lower priority than, say, a kitchen or master bedroom. But our laundry room is connected to our garage, so we walk through this space every single day, in addition to using it when doing laundry or when I clean out my paint brushes and things. Now that it’s done I wish we had made this a priority sooner!

The space is very simple—I wanted it to feel clean and functional but still have design elements that my husband and I both love and that also go with the overall design of the rest of our home. We have a bit of a black, white, and green theme going in our house, so that was part of the inspiration. We added a closet bar for hang drying clothes (something I didn’t have before but wished I did). And I really cannot say how much I LOVE our new Elkay Sturdibilt Stainless Steel Sink. It has been much more durable and functional for our needs (hello stainless steel), but I also love the look in this space. It has a full-length backsplash and a wide apron to help eliminate spillover or grime.

As I mentioned, there is also a small half bathroom connected to our laundry room. It also just felt very beige and hodge-podgy to me (I realize that’s not a word but you get it, right?). Here’s a before and after:

The space is very tight, so removing the old vanity (we never used any of the drawers or storage anyway) with this Elkay Stainless Steel Wall Hung Service Sink made this small room feel so much more open without losing any of the functionality we actually used it for (washing hands).

These rooms are both fairly small, so we tried to show you as many angles as possible. I am just so happy with how this makeover turned out! If you love a good laundry room makeover, check out Keely’s beautiful laundry area transformation! Thanks for letting me share. xo. Emma

Room Details: laundry sink and bathroom sink / Elkay, green penny tile, globe lights, vanity light, circle mirror, and the soaps on rope. Also, here is my star sweater in case you are curious.

This bathroom was an addition to the original home. I really love that the previous owners decided to add a third full bathroom because it definitely increased the value of the home, and it certainly made this house more attractive to us when we were deciding what house to buy for Elsie’s Springfield home. Many older homes, like this one from the 1920s, will have very small bathrooms that can feel a bit, well, cramped. This bathroom did not have that problem. However, the other two bathrooms in the home had been designed with a mostly black and white palette, including black and white tile that felt appropriate for the age of the home. This bathroom just felt very mismatched to us, so that became our main goal. We aimed to design this bathroom to look more like the other bathrooms in the home while also getting a few functional upgrades and design features, such as the Delta Vesna Bath Faucets, available exclusively at the Home Depot. When picking out fixtures we decided to go with Matte Black- we’ve used it in other bathrooms and think it is a great style that adds a lot of contrast to the space. The Matte Black also has a nice timeless feel which adds to the character of the room. I am especially in love with the Delta In2ition Shower Head, as it has a couple different speeds you can use when showering (and a pause button—which to me is perfect for when you’re shaving your legs and don’t need a heavy stream for a couple minutes, but maybe that’s just me?).

Even though we kept the bathroom mostly black and white, we left the cream trim that was already in the room (and throughout the rest of the house), added a vintage wooden mirror, and a wood bead chandelier just to warm the space with a few wood touches.

This bathroom is just off the master bedroom and second living room. It also contains the laundry nook for the home behind two folding doors. I am SO thrilled with how this room turned out!! I can’t wait for the Larsons and guests to use this room when they stay this year. Thanks for letting me share! xo. Emma

Looking for more bathroom inspiration? There are so many bathroom before and afters in our archives!

• Studio House bathroom before/after (featuring a heart made from penny tile!)
• Elsie’s main bathroom– mini update
• Mandi’s powder room update
• Laura’s Main Bathroom

Room Details: tile / shower doors / shower faucet / sink / sink faucet / floating shelves / wall sconce / chandelier / mirror was a flea market find / towels and accents from TJ Maxx. And in case you are curious, my dress is from En Elly and shoes are Sofft Shoes.

Supplies:
-3/4″ x 2.5″ boards
–D-rings for hanging (x2)
-1 1/2″ nails or screws
-wood glue
-paint that matches your frame
–small hinges
-cabinet closure (there are several kinds of closures like these
-wood or MDF frame (a hollow plastic frame probably won’t work well for this)
–jig saw or miter saw (or you can ask if the home improvement store will cut the wood for you when you buy it)

First, you’ll want to cut 2 pieces of wood that are the vertical height of your photo frame. Then, you’ll want at least 3 pieces of wood that equal the horizontal width of your frame when placed between your 2 boards that you just cut in the first step. If you cut 3 boards, you’ll have 2 shelves, so depending on your frame size and the height of what you want to store, you can cut another board to make a 3rd or 4th shelf.

Paint your boards the same color as the photo frame you are using. Sandwich your 3 horizontal boards between the vertical ones to create your top, bottom, and shelf. Nail or screw your boards into place using some wood glue as well to attach them. If you don’t want to see the nail or screw heads, you can use a nail setter (after the nail is in place) or a countersink drill bit (pre-drill with that before screwing in the screw) to sink the heads of your nails or screws into the wood. That way, you can use wood filler overtop and sand smooth when dry. Just a bit of touchup paint over the filler and the holes will disappear!

Once your shelf is together, use your hinges to attach your frame to the side of the shelf in the direction you want it to open.

Close the frame door and attach your closure so that the door can be shut when not in use.

Attach 2 D-rings to the back of the shelf sides 2″ from the top, add your photo or print to the frame, and your hidden medicine cabinet is ready to hang!

Blends right in, doesn’t it? Since the back panel of my photo frame was black, I covered it with some removable wallpaper to help it match a bit more. But you could also paint that panel or modpodge some paper onto it if the color of your back panel bothers you. It’s great to have most of my skincare items off the counter but within easy reach for my daily routine, and I can easily switch out the print (I cropped this one that’s in there currently) whenever I want! What do you think—could you use a little more space on your counter too? xo. Laura

Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

Earlier this year, I worked with them to renovate the master bathroom as well as the kitchen this past month. I chose matte black faucets and hardware throughout the entire home and I LOVED working with a high contrast color story in this space. I’m so happy I decided to branch out beyond my typical brass + pink + white color scheme.

This bathroom was challenging. I will be honest, when we started off it was one of the worst rooms in the house. It 100 percent needed a makeover, but as we got deeper into this renovation, I realized that we didn’t have the time OR money to fully remodel the room. Instead, we needed to do as much DIY as possible to keep the budget reasonable.

Alright … well, you know what time it is! Time for a walk down memory lane. You can see a full “before” tour of this home here.

As you can see from this photo, we didn’t reconfigure this room in any way. Instead, we chose to refinish it and make it the best it could be on the budget (and time) we had. We chose new tile that was cute, but more on the low end of the tile price range spectrum. Then we opted to install it DIY-style, which Collin did. It was his first tile job ever. He learned from YouTube and online DIYs. And the result is pretty darn GREAT. To me, this is just another testament that you can learn to do anything from the internet if you have the right attitude, patience and focus. Because we went the DIY route, we were able to retile this small bathroom (it’s smaller than it looks) for around $500.

If you’re interested in learning anything about tiling, here’s our beginner’s guide to tile laying.

Originally, when I was getting this project quoted, I planned to remove the older bathtub and replace it with a shower and glass door. While this would have been modern and nice, we saved A LOT of money by opting for a bathtub paint kit instead, which only cost $50. In the end, I am SO PLEASED with the result.

Replacing the plastic shower surround with real tile that went all the way to the ceiling really helped the space look more expensive and, of course, the Delta shower + tub faucet set is SO good looking. The whole renovation looks a lot more expensive than it really was.

Finally, the real difference in this space is just making the decor a bit more intentional and finding things that best fit the space. The space is SMALL (like I said, it really is much smaller than it looks—these photos were taken with a wide angle lens), so finding little ways to optimize the space was important. These tiny toilet cabinets can be awkward. Unless you absolutely need the storage, I would skip them since they don’t hold much anyway. Since we added a new vanity with storage, I didn’t feel bad saying goodbye to this little guy.

I always think bathroom curtains are really awkward! In my personal home, they’re the only curtains that don’t match the rest of the house. I personally think the short curtains in the before pic are ugly, but they also still stick out just as much as full length curtains (and toilets always seem to be super close to windows so if you’re sitting there it could feel like a curtain was way up in your face … no good). For these situations, you have to get creative. Here, we opted for a long curtain that went to the ground, but it didn’t feel right. So we added a curtain hook and it looks (and feels) SO much better.

Here are some more images …

Just admiring that tile. It was Collin’s first solo tile job! I am so proud of him!

We chose this tiny hexagon floor tile as a nod to the 1930s when this home was built. I love it so much! Ahhh … that “above the toilet” art moment. It’s important to make this space either a nice art moment, something pretty or much needed storage is also great. There are so many ugly “above the toilet” shelves … and WHY? Just keep it simple.   These makeup wash cloths are GENIUS for any guest bathroom. Love them! I was so happy about these hair dryer bags as well. Such an easy way to make a guest bathroom feel more hotel-like. Normally, I would hide away the spare toilet paper in a cabinet or closet. But in a bnb (or guest bathroom) situation, I really think it’s worth it to just make it simple and accessible! Why not? And a cute basket doesn’t hurt.   I felt so lucky to find a vintage rug that perfectly fit the color scheme. I was worried any rug would be too busy with the patterned floor, but I love it SO MUCH. I am so in love with the light in this room! Actually the whole house. It’s so nice! The morning light is SO pretty. So we decided on a soft, diffused curtain for privacy, yet not total darkness.

Source list: Vanity faucet/Delta, shower + tub faucet set/Delta, toilet paper holder/Delta, robe hook (I used it for the hand towel)/Delta, vanity/Wayfair (This has a real marble top and is so pretty! I highly recommend.), light fixture/Wayfair, Subway tile/Home Depot, Daisy hexagon tile/Home Depot, vintage rug/Apple + Oak, Shower Curtain and Curtain, soap dispenser, towels/Target, mirror/Target (we spray painted it matte black), art print/Jenny’s Print Shop, makeup wash cloth (perfect for any guest room!)/Amazon, hair dryer bag (set of two)/Amazon.

The green paint color is Thunderbolt by Valspar, once again. We’ve now used it in a bedroom, another bathroom, the kitchen and here in this bathroom. I am thinking about using it in one more room (the laundry room, which is still in progress). I feel like I really bonded with this color scheme … it’s a good one!

Well, thank you so much for following along! I hope this renovation has been as fun for you to read as it was for us to work on. We had the best time! Here’s another bathroom renovation that our pal Shailey did if you love a good before and after. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments! xx – Elsie

Credits//Author: Elsie Larson. Project Assistant: Collin DuPree. Photography: Amber Ulmer.

I love having friends and family stay over at my house. One of the biggest items on our list of new house must haves was a space for guests. So I am so excited to have partnered with Parachute to help set up the perfect guest bathroom in my home.

Now, everyone that comes to stay will feel like they are in a fancy hotel, only better. Although it may seem trivial, having a fresh and well stocked bathroom for your guests can really make a difference in how comfortable they are in your home. And it’s easier to accomplish than you might think.

I will walk you through a few of my favorite ways to elevate my bathroom and have guests feeling pampered.

Of course the number one thing on the list is to make sure you have clean towels for them to use. And I’m not talking about those 4-year-old ones that you subject yourself to. I am talking about crisp white towels like you would get at the spa. My favorite are these white waffle towels from Parachute.

They are lightweight but absorbent and dry quickly. I always make sure to keep several on hand and easy to find in the bathroom so that my guests don’t have to rifle around or feel like they are bothering me by asking for more towels. A few wood and wicker baskets do wonders to corral the folded towels.

After the towels are stocked, I try to add a few little essentials like an extra toothbrush, toothpaste, tampons, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, makeup removing wipes, and plenty of extra toilet paper. Basically anything that they could possibly forget and may need.

For these essentials I like to have them easily accessible either on the counter, nearby shelves or in the vanity. So that in case the need arises, they can easily find what they need. It’s little extras like this that will make your guests feel at home in your home.

 The last step in making sure my guest bathroom is ready for visitors is the luxurious extras. Parachute carries so many of these additions that raise the comfort level and really elevate your guests’ stay.

A few of my favorite extras include a plush robe for them to use, slippers to keep their feet warm, and a gently scented candle that they can light to relax (or cover up odors!). All it takes is adding a few luxe items like these to make your guests feel pampered.

One final touch is a bit of greenery. My guest bathroom doesn’t get any natural light, so I have to go with faux plants in here, but that pop of green contrasts so nicely with the crisp black and white.

With just these few details, my guest bathroom now feels like a relaxing spa retreat every time I step inside. And I know if I enjoy it that much, my guests will too.

So just remember to start with the staples, layer in the essentials, and top it off with the luxurious extras. xo. –Kara

Looking for more inspo? Check out Elsie’s guest bathroom tour here.

Credits//Author and Photography: Kara Whitten.