The Renovation of 2019

Y’all, thank goodness this house only has two bathrooms, and they are now both renovated (insert hallelujah hands here). This bathroom was just supposed to be cosmetic with moving the toilet and it turned into a total renovation when we found some pretty significant water damage to a couple of floor joists. I won’t get into all the painstaking details (I will tell you that the corners of the drywall in that room had duct tape on them instead of drywall tape- eye roll) but I do want to share some pictures and some of the products we used in this renovation. If you follow me on Instagram you will recognize these pictures.

My design thought process for this bathroom was something that felt almost spa-like, welcoming and refreshing. Farmhouse modern with a little Boho thrown in there. It drives the hubs crazy but I always keep resale in the back of my mind with renovations because we don’t know if this house will be a forever home. I want our renovations to be what we want, but I also don’t want to make them to where it might be hard to sell one day. I knew I wanted a double vanity in this bathroom, that required moving the toilet in the space that was once the linen closet. This wasn’t a huge deal because we will have a space for the linen once we build the pantry in the kitchen.

The hubs built the vanity because the size we needed was not standard and it would have been very expensive to buy one. I found a design plan on Pinterest and he adjusted it to make it work for the bathroom. We painted it Agreeable Gray because the faux shiplap is Cotton White by Sherwin Williams. The vanity has four functional drawers and the shelf underneath for storage. I finished the top the same way I finished the vanity top in our other bathroom, inspired by Restoration Hardware weathered oak finish. We got our 16×12 vessel sinks, the faucets, and the drawer pulls from Amazon.

I went back and forth about the patterned floor tile for a while but I am so glad I ended up going with my gut and picking it! It really looks fantastic and it matches the wall color (Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams) perfectly.

Yes, I am that crazy lady who lays my tile out on the floor at Lowes…you would be amazed at how that helps you with decisions! The tile is DELLA TORRE Annabelle Gray from Lowes. It is affordable and was very easy to install! I picked a simple white subway tile for the tub surround and begged the hubs to do a shower niche with tile from the floor- he did and it turned about AMAZING!!

The dual-function shower faucet is a must for us because it makes bathing the dogs a lot easier!

The hubs is changing the trim on all the windows and doors in the house to this modern craftsman style trim. The shower curtain is from TJMaxx, the bath mat and towels are from Target, and the hooks under the window are from Hobby Lobby.

I wanted a little shelf over the toilet and wanted to keep it low profile so we used a 1×6 premium pine board with these brackets from Amazon. I finished the wood to match the vanity top. I love using old sewing machine drawers for storage, they are the perfect size to sit on the back of a toilet.

You don’t see this from the pictures but we put a pocket door in so that we didn’t lose space with a door opening into the bathroom. Pocket doors are really fantastic!

I think before and after pictures make a big impact because you can really see how much effort someone has put into a project.

The definition of renovate is to restore to a better state…I think we definitely did that for the bathroom reno of 2019. I hope you have enjoyed looking at these pictures. I still just stand in the doorway of this bathroom sometimes and am amazed at the transformation that took place!

Here are a few more links to some additional items:

Vanity Lights

Mirror

**All photos were taken by me and are not to be used without permission**

**This post contains affiliate links from Amazon**

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The Renovation of 2018

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word Renovate as follows: to restore to a better state (by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding) &/or to restore to life or vigor.

I have mentioned before how we bought a 1960 brick rancher that needed some TLC. Y’all…a fixer upper is hard work especially when you don’t have a Shorty in your life like Chip & Joanna do 😉 We are doing most of the renovations ourselves during our days off & on the weekends.

The biggest project we did in 2018 as far as renovations go is our Bathroom/Laundry Room Reno.  This wasn’t necessarily the first thing we were going to tackle in this house BUT we had a pipe burst & it forced our hand.

At some point the carport of this house was converted into a master with a laundry room/bathroom. While both rooms were a decent size, the design was not very functional. The laundry room had masonry walls so all of the plumbing was exposed. There was only one small storage cabinet & the door opened into the room taking up precious space. The bathroom- you enter it from the laundry room- did not have its own door. The shower was maybe 2.5 feet x 2.5 feet so if you dropped something, you had to step out of the shower to get it (we rarely used this shower because it was so small). This project was trying & frustrating, at times it felt like it would never end however the end results were so worth it!

Previously, I’ve shared a few DIY tutorials on several projects from our Bathroom/Laundry Room Reno but I’ve never shared pictures of the finished remodel or my thought process behind the designs we choose.

We woke up one morning last year in early January to water coming out from under the wall in the bathroom. Unlike the laundry room, the bathroom did have drywall. When we started opening up the wall to find the pipe that burst, we discovered that the masonry walls were never sealed properly & mold was EVERYWHERE. I maybe have sat down on the floor & cried at this point. We really were not planning on a complete gut job but now we had to. I will say I can see why Chip gets so excited about demo day, knocking down that tiny shower gave me GREAT pleasure!!

This is the view looking into the laundry room from the bedroom.

There was a nonfunctional louvre window that the prior owners had stuffed with insulation- when we moved in, the hubs covered it with foam insulation board. During the renovation process we bricked this window in- the exterior of the house needs a fresh coat of paint & bricking in this small window was very simple to do!

These rooms had a somewhat low drop ceiling with the individual ceiling tiles. We ended up getting rid of the drop ceiling which really helped the rooms seem bigger. We also framed the laundry room in so we could put drywall up in both rooms.

Storage was a necessity in this room so the hubs built me a tall shaker style cabinet & we built the floating shelves.

I think accent walls are a great way to add some character to a room. I wanted to incorporate shiplap somewhere in this remodel so I decided the accent wall would be a great way to do this. To save some money, we decided to do faux shiplap, it is very cost friendly, easy to do, & looks great. To find out how we did this, check out our tutorial.

 

The before & after view looking from the bathroom into the laundry room really shows the transformation of the room! In addition to framing in the room so that we could put drywall up, we also added recessed lighting to both this room & the bathroom.

The minute I saw this tile I knew it was exactly what I wanted for this renovation! I love the look & it came in 12×12 sheets which made it easy to install.

Craftsman style trim is one of my favorite looks, it spruces a room up without being over the top! We used 1×6 pine boards for our baseboards with 1×4 & 1×2 pine boards for the door trim. We will be continuing this look throughout the house as we do our renos/facelifts.

I wanted a place where I could hang clothes as we took them out of the dryer so we put another floating shelf with a black pipe hanging rack opposite of the washer.

I looked for the perfect mat/rug for a while, I wanted something durable but something that also went with my decor in the room. I stumbled across this floor mat & knew it was perfect! The colors go great with the grout we used on the tile & the design ties in with the shiplap behind the washer & dryer.

Displaying my iron & ironing board left me with more space in my cabinet. There are a lot of options out there for this but I happened upon this basket with hooks at Hobby Lobby one day & knew it would go perfect in the room! The hubs cut me a small piece of 1/4in plywood to put in the bottom of the basket so that the iron would not tip over. I finished the plywood to match the floating shelves.

Agreeable Grey by Sherwin Williams is the wall colors in both rooms- it is available at either the Sherwin Williams Store or Lowes from the HGTV by Sherwin Williams Collection. It is a great grey/beige color!

When we moved in, the bathroom did not have its own door & the door to the laundry room did not stay latched. I wanted this bathroom to actually feel like its own room & not just an extension off of the laundry room. From the get go, I told Neil we needed a pocket door here! I love pocket doors, it may be because my Grandmother & Granddaddy’s house had a few & they are sentimental but they also are a great option when you can’t afford to have the swing of the door taking up space in a room. It was actually really easy to do. We had to open up the wall anyway when we found the mold so it made it easy to put the pocket door kit in. We got our pocket door kit from Lowes. As we are renovating or giving each room a facelift, we are installing new interior doors. I decided to go with the two panel shaker style doors. We also ordered these from Lowes.

This is another instance where the before & after really shows the transformation of the space! Here is that tiny shower I told you about earlier. It was small, dim (no lighting in the shower), & just not very functional. To utilize the space to its greatest potential we decided to go with a corner shower with a full glass enclosure. We used marble for the top of the curb, the shower floor tile is the same tile we used on the floor, & the walls are subway tile.

I’m using oil rubbed bronze for the fixtures & door knobs in this house, I think that it contrasts really well with the other color palettes I’m using throughout the house. I’m really pleased with how this turned out, not only does it look 100% better but it is now big enough that you can actually shower without feeling claustrophobic (hallelujah)!!

New toilet & floating shelves

We built our own vanity for this bathroom, also a shaker style. You can find the tutorial for how we built it here.

This picture is prior to the baseboards going down. 

I finished the vanity top in the Restoration Hardware Style Finish which matches the floating shelves in both rooms. You can find my video tutorial on how to achieve this look here. It is an easy way to give wood a great look!

A British Brace Style Barn Door serves as the door for the laundry room. Unfortunately, because the walls to this room are all masonry we could not put a pocket door here so the next best option in my opinion is a barn door! It does not take up precious space in your room & for us it gave the brick wall some more character. We built the barn door ourselves- it was so easy to do & looks great! I also have a tutorial about how we built this door.

This is the biggest project that Neil & I have ever undergone together…sometimes we were at each others throats, at times I just wanted to sit down & cry or put the house on the market but in the end it was all worth it! We now have a laundry room & bathroom that looks great & therefore makes it enjoyable to use these spaces!

To see the whole space & how I decorated it take a peek at my video tour.

Shopping tips/products we used:

We shop at Lowes for most of what we need as far as wood, tile, etc, because the hubs get a military discount there. However, I ALWAYS browse the internet before I decide on something to make sure I am getting the best bang for my buck.

 

Vanity Light

I found this five piece bathroom light set from Home Depot- the look was exactly what I was going for & it is only about $75. It wasn’t sold in my local stores but I was able to order it with free shipping. You can find this product here. Don’t be fooled by the price, this not only looks really nice but the quality is also great in my opinion!

The mirror above the vanity is from Kirklands, it was only $35 & I used a coupon when I purchased it!

Amazon is also a great place to get items you need for your renovations. I actually utilized Amazon for a lot of the products we used!

Vessel Sink (this one is similar to the one I bought from Amazon)- you’ll save about $30 compared to your local home improvement store.

Waterfall Faucet -this looks so fantastic with the vessel sink & Restoration Hardware Style Vanity Top. You will save a ton ordering this faucet from Amazon compared to a home improvement store.

Barn Door Track – if you are installing a barn door, check Amazon before you buy your track at a local store. You will save a ton of money & in our opinion this brand track is better quality than the ones at our local stores.

**the above Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate Links.

 

DIY Shaker Style Vanity with Restoration Hardware Inspired Top

Our bathroom reno is almost finished…hallelujah!! Last weekend we took a few days off to give us a nice long weekend so we could try to build our bathroom & laundry room cabinets. I love shaker style cabinets, I think their look is really timeless & honestly don’t think you can go wrong with them. The way we had to design the bathroom & laundry room layouts led to us needing cabinets that were not common sizes. I knew it would probably cost a pretty penny to custom order them from the home improvement store so we did some research & decided to attempt to build them ourselves.

We got our measurements figured out & then brainstormed on what type of materials we wanted to use. I knew I was going to paint these cabinets so we decided to go with 3/4″ blondewood plywood- the same stuff we used on the barn door- for the cabinet carcass or base. This plywood runs about $50 for a 4’x8′ piece that is 3/4″ thick, it is already very smooth so it requires little sanding. It would not work if you wanted to stain your cabinet but is perfect if you are going to paint it! We used 1″x2″ & 1″x3″ pieces of the better quality pine wood from Lowes for the frame of the cabinets & 1″x3″ pieces of the same quality pine for the stiles (vertical pieces) & rails (horizontal pieces) of the cabinet door. 1″x2″x8′ select pine boards are about $5 a piece & the 1″x3″x8′ select pine boards are about $8.30 a piece. For the panel of the cabinet doors, we used 5mm popular plywood which only costs about $14 for a 4’x8′ piece. It is also very smooth & requires little sanding.

To cut the sides, backs, & bottoms of the cabinets we used our 8′ straight edge clamped onto the 3/4″ blondewood plywood. We used three sheets of plywood to make both the tall laundry room cabinet (not pictured yet) & the bathroom vanity. We ended up having some leftovers that we can use for future projects!

After we got all of our pieces cut for the cabinet carcasses we used the Kreg jig to make the pocket screw holes & the assembled the cabinets.

We attached the 1″x2″ pieces of the select pine for the cabinet trim using clamps to hold them in place & attached them with our pneumatic nail gun.

For the kick plate under the cabinet we used the 5mm popular plywood & attached it with the brad nailer.

I did put some wood filler in the joints of the wood used for the frame, the kick plate joints, & the nail holes. Once the wood filler was dry, I used my orbital sander to sand everything smooth.

After we finished constructing the cabinets, it was time to make the doors. The hubs used his table saw with a dado blade set at 1/2″ to make the cuts in the stiles & the rails of the shaker doors.

We did a dry fit of the doors & measured for the panel of the door. After we cut the panels, again using the straight edge clamped to the 5mm plywood, we put wood glue in the groves from the dado blade & inserted the panel piece & fit everything together. After making sure everything was positioned correctly, we clamped it into place & let it sit clamped for about 30-45 minutes.

We attached the doors to the cabinets using the concealed hinges, the hubs used the Kreg Concealed Hinge Jig to make the holes needed for the hinges.

To paint the cabinet, I used Olympic One Latex Enamel Interior Paint with a Satin sheen in White Cotton by Sherwin Williams. I REALLY like this paint a lot. It is a paint & primer in one so I did not prime the wood. I just put three coats of the paint on it. I like the way this paint goes on, its not overly sticky like some paints seem to be. It is very easy to apply & after the first coat you do not see any brush strokes. I used a Purdy brand paint brush & 4in Purdy roller to apply the paint.

I had decided to put a vessel sink with waterfall faucet in this bathroom, so for our vanity top we used a piece of 3/4″ Spruce Pine Fir Board. We got the 20″x48″ piece & cut it down to the size we needed. It was about $17. I sanded this smooth & finished it to look like that Restoration Hardware/Barnwood/Weathered Grey Oak look. I made a video tutorial about how I accomplished this look so go check that out: How to achieve that Restoration Hardware, Barnwood, Weathered Grey Oak look

Getting that look is very easy to do & it just gives the room the added color that it needed. It also will look great with the vessel sink & oil rubbed bronze faucet.

The hubs used a hole saw on the vanity top to cut the holes out for the faucet & the sink drain.

Here are some pictures of the finished vanity. We still have to put the trim up & finish the baseboards in the bathroom. We need to hang the towel racks also but I wanted to go ahead & share some pictures with y’all! I put the sink & faucet over the the side so that we would have more room on the vanity & I am really loving how it looks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bathroom walls are Agreeable Grey by Sherwin Williams

The vessel sink came from Amazon & when I purchased it, it was $49.99 – Vessel Sink

The faucet also came from Amazon, it was $48 when I purchased it. I comes with the popup drain & the waterlines- Waterfall Faucet

My mirror is from Kirklands, it is $34.99 but they usually have a coupon so I think I paid $25 for it- Mirror

I couldn’t get a great picture of the light but it has Edison Bulbs in it & is adorable!! I found this awesome bathroom light kit with the towel racks & a toilet paper holder from Home Depot for only $83 & it qualified for free shipping!! Such a great deal & it looks awesome – Vanity Light Kit

My cabinet knob came from Lowes & are only $2.23 each. I’ll be putting the same knobs on the laundry room cabinet when I get it painted- Cabinet Knobs

We probably spent about $250 on the supplies to make both of the cabinets- the wood & pocket screws. I’m so happy that we were brave enough to attempt this project & am beyond pleased with the results!