Powder Bath Remodel

Ahhh this is such a refreshing sight to see. It’s been a long time coming! We finally completed our powder bath remodel this past week. We did a few cosmetic updates soon after we moved in, but with hosting my book club on the horizon, we buckled down and got it done. As with everything in a 1941 home, things were always harder than they initially seemed.

First, some “before” photos. The first photo is what the bathroom looked like when we purchased the house. Shortly after we moved in, we replaced the toilet (a 1941 original!!) with a brand new Kohler toilet. We also painted the bathroom a soft, greenish-gray color (Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams).

The biggest change was the flooring. The flooring was a dingy, off-white linoleum. It never looked bright and clean no matter how often or how long I scrubbed it. When we pulled off the linoleum, we got a nice surprise: a whole floor of original pink tile! Instead of pulling up the tile, we decided to just put our new flooring on top of it. While it may look like expensive marble tile, it is actually vinyl tile. The pieces come individually and are then grouted, just like ceramic tile. It’s the same look but for a fraction of the price. We went with the hexagonal white marble vinyl tile and a medium gray grout. Along with the flooring, we replaced all of the old trim. The old trim was small, maybe 2.5 inches high and we replaced it with a more modern looking 5 inch piece.

We kept the existing medicine cabinet and the cabinet above the toilet, but that was the extent of what we kept in this powder bathroom. I knew I wanted brushed brass hardware, so I replaced the existing chrome hardware with these modern brushed brass pulls.

One of my favorite things we did in this bathroom is installing a new faucet. I love the brushed brass and the shape of the handles. I mimicked their shape with the shape of the hardware I chose for the cabinets. Another favorite of mine in this bathroom is the trashcan. Is that weird? Yes, yes it is. But, I really wanted a brushed gold trashcan to tie in with the rest of the bathroom.

We also purchased and installed a new pedestal sink. The old sink was, for lack of a better phrase, a hot mess. It was attached to the wall with a THICK layer of caulk and the faucet continually leaked. We selected a smaller sink to free up more space and we also replaced all of the plumbing. Plus, this sink was a STEAL at $60. A similar sink could easily cost $200 or more.

It pained me a little to do this, but we painted the original oak door. We have beautiful original doors in our house and most are still in great shape. However, this bathroom door was definitely showing signs of wear and tear from soap, water, and who knows what else. So, we sanded the door and painted both sides using three coats of Extra White by Sherwin Williams. It immediately brightened up the space and made the small powder room look airy even with the door closed.

Another goal in remodeling this bathroom was to introduce greater functionality into the space. Previously, the toilet paper holder was located to the side and kind of behind the toilet. It made for an awkward reach. We relocated it to side wall underneath the window. We also replaced the long towel bar with a simple ring holder. I didn’t see the point in having a long towel bar for a single hand towel.

Finally, the light. I’m in love with this simple, modern globed sconce. I originally selected something different for the lighting, but when we removed the old, frosted glass light, we discovered that the light I purchased hung down a little too low and wouldn’t work with the cabinet. We had three options: take off the cabinet and move it down, rearrange the electrical, or order a new light. We took the easiest road and I found this light. Truth be told, I like this new light much better anyways.

I’m so happy with how the final product turned out. As always, I have to give a shoutout to my super handy husband. He did everything in this bathroom himself. From the flooring, to the trim, electrical, and plumbing, he did it all. Every. Single. Thing. I’m so lucky that he has the talent to execute my vision perfectly!!

xx, bk