After kitchens, bathrooms can be the trickiest (and most expensive) rooms to remodel – but as Maria proves here, renovating a bathroom can also be totally gratifying.
When Maria and her husband bought their home a few years back, they were greeted by this lovely bathroom – from a faux marbled countertop to baby blue tiled walls, their bathroom was just begging to be brought into the 21st century:
With their own two hands (and the help of some willing family members), Maria and her hubby wasted no time giving their outdated bath a total overhaul:
After some seriously hard work, the result is awesome – fresh, clean, and completely updated. And once a really snazzy window treatment is added, this fully renovated bathroom will be sure to knock anybody’s socks off:
Here’s what they did, and how they did it:
1. Out with the old. While the old bathroom functioned just fine, all of the finishings were a serious flashback to another era. With a hammer, chisel and a little elbow grease, those tiles came off the walls, the sink and cabinet were ripped out, and the tub bid farewell.
2. In with the new. Removing the tile from the walls left unsightly patches, so the walls were retextured and given a fresh coat of paint for an instant update. New rustic tiles from Home Depot replaced the outdated mosaic on the floor and provide a pretty contrast to the new toilet and fab pedestal sink. With a beveled mirror, new baseboards and an added electrical outlet for much-needed functionality, this bathroom now has classic features that will stand the test of time.
Great job, right?? I have a weakness for pedestal sinks, and I’m totally jealous of that huge window. For more details about Maria’s fabulous makeover, head on over to her blog, Ranch Dressings.
Want to see your own “before and after” transformation featured on It’s Great To Be Home? Go ahead and send it in to itsgreattobehome@yahoo.com – you know you want to!
Oh my gosh! I can’t believe they were able to make the walls look so perfect after prying all of that tile off – great job, Maria! This gives me some hope for my bathroom . . .
Absolutely gorgeous. I love the sink and the terra cotta covered tiles – so pretty!
Wow wow wow! What a wonderful transformation!
While I admit that the entire vanity was totally outdated, I actually liked the blue retro floor and tiles.
Averill,
You’re definitely not alone in your love of the retro/vintage tiling – lots of people in our neighborhood specifically look for those details in older homes.
A great way to update a space like Maria’s while preserving the vintage feel would be to paint the walls and vanity bright white, replace the countertop and faucet, and add a fun window treatment in something like navy and white, or even a contrasting color for more pizazz.
There are definitely tons of approaches to renovating every bath, from a total remodel like Maria did to little changes for an instant update.
~ Liz
It looks so fresh and clean!
Good job! Room looks much more bright and inviting
Hey! Thanks for all the nice comments! I love our bathroom and am forever grateful to my Dad for all the work he did!
Good work Maria! Looks a gazillion times better. Altho..I am fond of baby blue… ;)
Great Job!
One quick question: did you lay the new floor tile over the old, or did you remove the old tile down to the subfloor?
Ron,
Hey there! I was all set to send an email to Maria on your behalf to ask about the bathroom floor, but it appears that I don’t have a working email address for her and that she’s no longer posting on her blog, Ranch Dressings. Sorry, I hoped to get info directly from the source! From her original post about the renovation, she says that they “replaced” the floor with larger tiles from Home Depot – sounds to me like they might have removed the original tile before retiling. Hope that helps!
~ Liz