What we did: Purchased new, taller vanity and painted white, new counter top, added new light fixtures and mirrors, added brushed nickel faucets, knobs, and handles.
What we did: Replaced carpet with tile, angled the new bath tub, replaced large window with a smaller one. Still need to get new rugs and add some color with artwork and towels.
What we did: Repainted and added knobs.
What we did: New flooring and toilet.
While we were in escrow, a pest inspector found dry rot in both bathrooms. So, on top of our already long list of things to fix-up with the home we got to add renovating two bathrooms. Yipee! We are first time home buyers and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves when we decided to redo the two bathrooms. The main bath was straightforward, but the master was quite the project due to the fact that not only was the rot in the shower but also in the wood work around the bathtub. The tile on the counter top was also falling off and very dated, so we decided to get a taller vanity (since we were replacing the top anyway) and countertop. It turned into one massive project.
After looking at all kinds of bathroom design
ideas, we ended up sticking with a very neutral color. We purchased 18" porcelain tile for the floor and the same 12" porcelain tile for the tub and shower. For an accent, we went with a glass tile and we did 2" travertine for the shower floor. Our shower before was super small and just barely could fit a person, so we wanted a larger one. However, that wasn't possible since there was a massive window in the bathroom. So we decided to purchase a smaller window to create a larger shower. We also turned the tub on an angle to create more space and built a step up to the tub to make it easier to get in and out. Overall, I am happy with the tile. I did learn that the small glass tiles don't come perfectly straight on their sheets and that bothered me, but I have gotten used to it and don't notice as much anymore.
We purchased an unfinished vanity that we had painted white along with the rest of the cabinets in the home. We also used the same knobs and handles in brushed nickle that we used throughout the home.
One of the biggest challenges for me was picking out a countertop. My dilema was that I really don't like the look of granite (unless it is a solid color, like the black did in my kitchen, but I didn't want black in my bathroom). I like solid colors. I really love quartz products, but they weren't in the budget. I found some travertine and marble I liked, but I found in the research that I did that they are higher maintenance and I think harder to keep sanitary since you can't use many types of cleaners on them. So....I looked into solid surfaces. I wasn't sure how I felt about acrylic. I thought it may look cheap or cheesy. However, I found someone who was willing to come to my house and bring samples. I liked the product and he had a competitive price, so I decided to go for it. I asked for an extra thick, solid white countertop with seamless sinks. We used a product made by Samsung called
Staron. The end result? I am in love! It does not look cheap or cheesy, but very sleek and sophisticated. I am so happy we went with acyrilic. It is easy to clean and maintain and looks great.
As for fixtures, I found them at Lowes. I went with Price Pfister line on everything but the roman tub faucet (they did not have one in that model) so I found a very similar one made by Glacier Bay. I also found my two white mirrors at Lowe's. I found the two light fixtures on Amazon.
There still are a couple of things left to do. I still haven't purchased a shower door. I'll post pictures of the shower when the door is installed. I also am eventually going to buy new rugs and wall decor. But it is functioning and we are really enjoying our bathroom. I am just thankful we no longer have carpet in the bathroom!
