The Master Bathroom Renovation

We’ve had so much positive feedback about our master bathroom renovation, and we couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out. But, a large part of that is due to the dismal condition it was in–it had been a foreclosure. Want to see how far we’ve come?

The Before Pictures…

This bathroom was in disrepair when we bought the house–impossible to clean. I even had a cleaning person come in. I thought for sure professional cleaning would–at least–disinfect it, maybe make it look nice. By the end of the session, she told me that instead of paying to clean the bathroom, we should just gut it and start over. True story. 

Rusted shower door frames, black residue that appeared within 48 hours of cleaning…the shower was hopeless.

The walls of the bathroom had been painted with flat paint. Flat paint…in a bathroom. Needless to say, we continually had mildew issues.

The tub drain was rusted and didn’t seal. If we attempted to use it, the water would continually drain, leaving rust grains all over the bottom. 

And, then there was the window…

The “Stained Glass” Window

The “quotes” are sarcasm in print. The window, which was hot pink and electric blue, wasn’t stained. It wasn’t even real paint. 

Upon inspection, the design was done in PUFFY PAINT. Remember in the 90s when we all used to wear those fun sweatshirts with DIY creative splashes of puffy paint? That’s what they used on this window. This is the stuff of home decor nightmares, people.

And, don’t get me started on the floor. Textured linoleum is impossible to clean. 

The Planning

Planning our master bathroom renovation started with a significant amount of time looking online for inspiration. I have my own opinion on the best way to do that…I’ll be sharing in an upcoming post.  

The next step was browsing at an actual store. At Floor & Decor, we compiled the theme. I loved this tile flooring that looked like reclaimed wood. I also fell for this gray linen tile–it just looked so chic and sophisticated. And, hexagons for an accent? Why not.

In the House…

We took a few pieces home–which I highly recommend. Most places will let you return merchandise. Everyone’s home pulls different light, and it’s important to see how the design elements look in your own home.

I loved this look. Scott didn’t. It’s so fun renovating with your significant other, isn’t it?

However, as much as I loved the look of the gray linen tile, you can already see in this picture that they were getting dirty from handling them. In a house with kids? No way. In the end, it was back to the drawing board.

Tile Found!

We finally found the tile we loved at Eleganza, and if your city has one, you’ve got to go! They have beautiful products, a lovely showroom–and, we were thrilled with the customer service. We came home with lots of samples to consider.

At this point, we had decided upon a gray tile for the floor. Our bedroom has a wooden flooring look, and having both rooms with just *slightly* different flooring would have driven me nuts. So, the decision was made for gray tile that would bring out the gray accents in the marble.  

The Process Begins…

Goodbye, linoleum! The day the tile floors were installed was such a big step. It finally felt real, and once that was done, everything else was going to be well on the way.

The Tub

Every home needs a tub. It’s good for resale. But, does the master need a tub? This was a big decision in our master bathroom renovation, and in the end, we decided on a standing tub, keeping the same layout of the bathroom.

I think it was smart to keep it–and, I love how it looks under the window. This is just after being installed…construction all around! This tub came from WM F. Meyer Co. in the Chicagoland area.

The Shower

This is where we had planned to use the marble tile. The nook, or alcove, for shower essentials was questionable. Do we use an accent? How crazy should we get? The honeycombs..too trendy?

It’s a tough call, but go with your gut. We ended up choosing the honeycombs, and they are fabulous!

The Vanity

Our vanity was in bad shape. Drawer fronts missing, water damage, hinges that were bent, broken and rusty. It would have taken a lot of work–plus, ordering a new counter top would have required customization, which can be quite costly.

We ordered new–a combination of drawers and doors, with a tower on top for additional storage. But, we had to wait a couple weeks for our countertops. Patience is the most important component of home renovation–am I right?

Marble Walls

You can see above that we decided to extend the marble tile to the walls. We kept it as accents, though. The wall behind the tub got marble tile. And, the narrow wall behind the toilet nook received marble as well.

The Linen Closet

One of the “little” things that drove me crazy about our bathroom was the creaking of the bi-fold doors on the linen closet. So, as part of the master bathroom renovation, we had it reframed for an actual door–a narrow one. It was the right decision. No more, “creeeeeeak…creeeeeeak…” every time you need something.

The Lighting

So. Many. Decisions. I knew I wanted something over the tub and coordinated vanity lights. But, do you go glam? Traditional? Industrial?

The industrial look called to me. I am queen of contrast. So, knowing the white and gray marble tile would be elegant, soft and glam in its own right, I went with drastic contrast. The light fixtures I chose are from the Home Decorators Collection at Home Depot.

Countertop Day Is Like Christmas

If you’ve done a master bathroom renovation, countertop day is such an exciting day! This beautiful gray piece features a subtle wave of white running through it.

Our contractor hustled over as soon as he knew he could install the tower on top. (We are very lucky to have the best one in the Chicagoland area!) It was all starting to come together! But, there was another decision to make…which hardware would we choose? 

The Hardware…

Chrome would have coordinated with the fixtures of the bathroom, but the fingerprints…ugh. We tried black hardware, and it tied in perfectly with the dark features of the lighting. Ideal contrast against the white cabinetry.

And, based on the picture, I bet you know what we started planning next!

The Window Shades

Oh, that window. It’s really beautiful now that it’s not covered with puffy paint! We wanted fabric that would be light filtering, but not see-through, and we were hoping to coordinate with the gray of the space. Skyline Window Coverings provided me with all of the fabric samples I wanted to consider, and I lived with them for a few days…

Here’s where we need to talk function. The window lets in a good amount of light, which of course, you don’t want to lose. But, in a bathroom?

What is the best advice I give on bathroom shades? Top down bottom up shades are the way to go. You get all the light, maintain your privacy, and you even have a view of the skies and landscape. Plus, you don’t ever really have to adjust it if you don’t want to. Which, in many bathrooms is great because the tub is often between you and the shade. 

These shades happen to also be motorized shades, which means I can tap a button to make them open, close or adjust. And, I can’t even begin to tell you how fabulous they are.

This collection is from Hunter Douglas. They are Solera Soft Roman Shades, and I swear by them. We have them throughout our house, they have survived my children, and they still look beautiful and unscathed. 

Master Bathroom Renovation: Complete!

What do you think? I’m already planning the style piece to go along with this one if you want to see the design element details in this space. So, keep in touch! Now, it’s your turn! Have you been through this? I want to know what you did. I’d love it if you tagged me on Instagram to show me your own bathroom transformation. If you have any questions about our process, let me know. I’d be more than happy to chat!