Hi Friends!  Today is a great day, I’m finally revealing my finished budget- friendly bathroom refresh that’s been 4 months in the making!  I am so excited I could squeal!!!

So, as you may know we purchased this fixer upper at the end of September.  This bathroom was definitely a space that I knew could come together with minimal effort (ie no major renovation), it was just pretty dated.  

Let’s see where it started:

We had brown tile floors, mustard colored paint on some sort of wall paneling, and a newer, but oversized vanity that really made the space feel claustrophobic. And speaking of claustrophobic, there’s is a quirky little hidden tub/shower combo which was a tight squeeze to get into with the large vanity in place.  We began demoing this space back in October (see below), but we had been waiting on our plumber to remove the old vanity as we’d never really tackled plumbing projects before.

When I received my February Better Homes & Gardens Live Better Challenge assignment, it couldn’t have come at a better time!  This month they asked us to refresh an “every day  space” in our homes, and this space was the perfect candidate!  I was so amazed to find all of the crazy affordable home improvement items available from Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart.  They have faucets, and robe hooks, and actual full vanities (which I didn’t realize until after I had already purchased my sink).  They have cabinet hardware and lighting, and wallpaper and so much more!  I was so excited to truly get started on transforming this space.

This post is sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart and I have received product and/or compensation in exchange for this post,. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience (See my disclosure page for more information.) As always, I only share brands and products that I love, so all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting Made by Carli.

Who’s ready to see this transformation???

The Faucet and Hardware

I knew my first order of business was to get rid of the vanity–I was able to sell it and use the money to buy a wall mount sink!   I also knew that I wanted a console sort of base to keep the space feeling spacious and open.  (I’ll be sharing more on how I DIY’d the sink base in another post soon). 

I then came across this beautiful matte black waterfall faucet with pop-up drain that my daughter’s boyfriend and I installed all on our own (I was impressed because neither of us had ever actually done that before!)

The faucet came with an optional deck plate, but I opted not to use it to keep things looking sleek and modern.  I just cant get over how handsome this faucet is!  We spray painted the plumbing fixtures matte black to match the hardware, and seriously no one would ever really know! On top of the sink I place this faceted soap dish and rinse cup (doubling as a vase, but is sold as a set of four which incudes soap dish, liquid soap dispenser, rinse cup and toothbrush holder) for under $25

For additional accessories and hardware I  purchased a matte  black “J” robe hook, a matte black toilet paper holder and hand towel ring— and I just love how they keep things feeling fresh and modern.  

The Floors

I decided to go with a real mix of modern and traditional in this space starting with the floors.  I used a hexagon luxury vinyl tile and went directly over the ceramic tile that was already in place—you can read more about here. 

The Walls

I then clad the lower part of the walls in vertical shiplap painted a deep, dark charcoal. Above the shiplap, I decided to use the Better Homes & Gardens Ayana Persian peel and stick removable wallpaper-it’s just so beautiful and adds a touch of class and sophistication to this space. And it was super easy to install!

The Shower

I didn’t make any major updates to the shower since the tiles are all intact and are neutral—but to keep with the dark and moody theme, I chose this waffle knit shower curtain and oil rubbed bronze rust proof shower curtain rings. 

I chose a large wooden dowel for the shower curtain rod and stained it to match the sink base (I’m not sure how well this will hold up, but this shower doesn’t actually get that much use anyway).

I was also able to update the old shower head, to a new and improved handheld shower head by Better Homes & Gardens.

Storage and accessories

Storage in this bathroom, as many people have noticed on Instagram is at a minimum, but for us, even thought this bathroom is technically a full bathroom, it’s used more as a powder/guest bath.  So the most important storage use for this bathroom would be for additional TP, cleaning supplies and towels if /when we ever have guests over. 

Many, many years ago, I think I saw this idea in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine or online article to place a shelf above the bathroom door to make the best use of a small space, and I couldn’t be happier that it worked out in this space.  I used these metal stackable baskets to store extra towels washcloths, toilet paper and soaps, and they fit perfectly up there and I think it also gives the room some added character. I grabbed a few new white towels, because we can always use nice fresh white towels, and they’re so reasonably priced!

 I was also able to sneak in a narrow shoe cabinet, that I’m still on the fence about.  I was going to paint it to match the shiplap color (Graphic Charcoal by Behr), but I may try to diy something similar, but slightly smaller and more custom to this space in the near future, but for now its a great way to store everyday items.

 

 

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That’s it friends!  I am truly smitten with this space!  Sorry for the photo overload, it’s just so dang photogenic!  Before you go, check out this one last before/after:

Before

 

After

Shop this Post

• metal baskets
• faucet w/ drain assembly
• shower head
• shower curtain
• Soap dispenser/dish set
• hand towel
• toilet paper holder
• hand towel ring
• wallpaper
• towels
• robe hook
• shower curtain rings