Powder Room Remodel {Budget Friendly}

In an ideal world with overflowing design budget, I wanted to retile the floors, shiplap the beadboard, wallpaper the walls, and buy a new vanity.  I did ZERO of that would-be $3,000+ expense.  Yet, the economical cosmetic changes still made all the difference.

Here’s the Powder Room AFTER:

Here’s the HOW and some tips:

1. Vibe: Decide on the overall vibe.  I wanted this powder room to feel a little wow and a lot unexpected, casual yet intriguing, and some old meets some new.
2. Color: I wanted to do an unexpected color for a small, dark space.  Most think you can’t go dark in small, non-lit rooms, but I like to defy that theory.  Dark can be interesting and cozy.
3. Reverse: My first thought was to paint the walls dark.  This would be the easy route as walls are much easier to paint than bead-board.  But my gut told me to put the work in and reverse it to create something unexpected.  It immediately made the room feel bigger and more interesting.  (TIP: dark colors (especially in grooves) require extra pressure and coats.  Don’t think you’ll get out of there in 1 or even 2 coats, covering over white bead-board with a dark color is not for faint of heart.)
4. Mirror: I found a mirror on sale at Homegoods for $29.99 — the oval was the perfect shape and the rope would add some needed texture.  I was worried that it might bring an unwanted nautical vibe, but I still went for it because there would be no other hints of nautical in the space.  I love the way it plays off the color in the wood frames and basket.  The eye jumps around the room quite nicely.
5. Light:  So, I knew i wanted clear shades for this space and found this gem on amazon for $65 (linked for an even lower price now). My trade discounts couldn’t find me a bathroom light for that price!
6. Mixing Metals: I love the antique brass and black but worried that the nickel faucet would clash.  I didn’t want to pay for a new faucet and it wasn’t that bad.  So, I brought in a towel bar I purchased from West Elm ages ago.  (sidenote: I’ve kept this towel bar with me for NINE years, never finding the right bathroom to use it in until now.)  It adds an organic and glamorous feel, tying in the nickel faucets but pairing with the antique brass quite well.  Metals can mix.
7. Frames: I bought these frames from a Jacksonville Beach warehouse where they made them for trade shows with One Kings Lane.  They were clearance-ing them out at 75% off  several years ago.  Pallet wood was all the rage then, but I’m still obsessed with them.  The wood adds much needed warmth and texture.
8. Photos:  I like the juxtaposition of organic frames and hard line cityscapes.  (P.S.: My husband takes epic photos which helps our home decor game. ? We will sell them soon- let me know if you’re interested!)
9. Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig:  I ordered this from Amazon when I was staging our previous house to sell.  I made the mistake of not checking the height correctly and was not happy when it arrived.  However, it works perfectly in this space where I needed some greenery and something to survive.

 You know what’s funny? After this powder room cosmetic remodel, I don’t even mind the vanity, beadboard, or floors.  It’s amazing what bold and unexpected moves can do.

Here’s a list of additional SOURCES:

Paint:  Greenblack by Sherwin Williams in satin

Frames: You can search Etsy using “pallet wood frames” or save some money and go with some like these

Basket: I bought my basket at Homegoods but here are some I like too

Towel Bar: Here’s one I like since West Elm no longer sells the one I used 🙂

Good luck friends!  Let me know how it goes!

 

SaveSave