Powder Room: Updating Fixtures and Storage

Updated Powder Room

Like most things in our 20-something year old home,  the powder room fixtures were original.  While they functioned well enough, the ornate brass finishes needed refreshing.  We knew we wanted to update sooner than later.  So, while I agreed to live with the pedestal sink until a better solution presented itself, I insisted we update the fixtures.  We also addressed the lack of storage in the powder room.  Keep reading to see how we updated the powder room - keeping form, function, and budget in mind.

Fixtures:  
Pretty soon after settling in, we updated the the following powder room fixtures:

• Faucet
• Towel Ring
• Vanity Lighting
• Mirror
• Toilet Trip Lever / Seat
• Toilet Paper Holder
• Door Hardware

Faucet:  For consistency throughout the house, we chose a faucet with a satin nickel finish.  We measured to confirm the fixture fit the pedestal sink's pre-drilled, 8-inch widespread faucet holes.  Before heading out to the store, I snapped a picture of the vanity specifications.  I referred to it a few times as I perused the huge wall-o-faucets at the home improvement store.
Note:  Read more about faucet sizes on Dimensions Info's web site.

Replaced brass faucet with updated, satin nickel faucet

Towel Ring:  Bathroom fixtures are pretty straightforward.  The small-scaled nature of powder rooms, however, always seems to invite a debate regarding hand towel placement.  Should we hang the towel on a bar, ring, or hook?  Or should it just sit on the counter?
Because our powder room featured a pedestal sink and existing towel ring, the debate ended pretty quickly.  We sent the brass-finished, open-rectangle towel ring to the local charity donation center and replaced it with a towel ring in a satin nickel finish.  Lucky us, we hit a clearance sale and paid less than ten dollars for the towel ring.

Hand towel hangs from towel ring

Vanity Lighting and Mirror:  In the past, we've saved renovation dollars by updating existing mirror frames and light fixtures with spray paint.  This time around, we agreed that the ornate molding on the mirror was just not our taste, so we left it as is and donated it.  The light fixture met the same fate.

Original bathroom decor on way to donation center drop-off

We purchased new lighting and a mirror at the home improvement store.  Because we used the existing wiring, the vanity light installation went smoothly.
Note:  Take a look at my post from our basement bathroom update to learn more about installing a vanity light where one does not already exist.

New mirror and vanity light installed

Toilet Seat / Trip Lever:  Replacing the toilet seat is a no-brainer for new homeowners.  And, yes, we replaced the toilet flusher as well.  Officially known as the trip lever, this is one of the main functional features in a bathroom.  We felt the shiny brass had to go.  I chose a satin nickel trip lever from the plumbing aisle, and my husband installed it in less than 15 minutes.
Note:  Refer to this video, by Plumbing Supply Group, to learn how you can easily update your trip lever too.

Brass trip lever replaced with satin nickel version

Toilet Paper Holder:  While we were addressing that portion of the powder room, we shopped for a new toilet paper (TP) holder. Man, those things can be costly!  Since one rarely handles the actual holder, we opted to reuse the existing holder and spray it in a nickel finish.  This is a very budget-friendly solution.  We already had the spray paint, so it cost us nothing.

Two coats of metallic finish spray paint updated the TP roll holder.

Door Hardware:  Finally, we inspected the door knobs, stops, and hinges.  These are subtle details in a room that, when updated, make a huge difference.
Door Knobs:  We like levers more than knobs.  So, we replaced the brass knob with a satin nickel door lever.  Whichever style you prefer, make sure it is consistent throughout your house.  To keep the costs in check, we are going rooom-by-room, updating the door hardware each time we update a specific room.
Door Stop:   Door stops are equally significant to the overall look of room.  Baseboard stops, wall stops and hinge-pin stops are all designed to stop a door knob from slamming into the wall.  The hinge-pin door stop was in fine condition, so we just left it as is.
Door Hinges:  Most interior doors are installed with brass or silver-colored door hinges.  By the time a home is 20+ years old, a large number of these door hinges are mismatched and sprinkled with paint stains.  Why?  Because few home owners think to replace hinges when updating door knobs to a different finish, such as nickel or oil-rubbed bronze.  Likewise, few homeowners tape over hinges when prepping trim for paint.

Hinges may seem insignificant, but they really do tell a lot about the house.  We inspected the hinges and found some paint spatters.   I removed these paint spatters with a Q-tip soaked in paint thinner.
Note:  If the hinges were brass, I would have removed them and used spray paint (like the TP holder).  You can also replace them with new hinges in a coordinating finish.

Powder Room door hardware

Phew.  The brass was officially banished:  

Powder room with updated fixtures

Now to address the obvious lack of storage.   This was my first pedestal sink and, while I didn't mind the look, I was not sure how to cost-effectively and attractively store all our stuff.  

Storage:
For the first few months, we used a plastic, three-drawer rolling cart to store necessities.  While this solution was functional, it was absolutely not fashionable.  At all.  I cringed whenever a guest used the powder room.  I was hesitant to purchase a stock vanity and my husband was hesitant to begin a big plumbing project.  So, we made do.  Finally, we found our inspiration at moving sale.  the homeowners were selling a pair of Ikea nightstands.  Hmm...  

Ikea Hemnes nightstand with door

They would certainly hold the items we wanted to store.  And, they seemed narrow enough to fit alongside the pedestal sink.  The color and price was right (we got the pair of nightstands for only twenty dollars), so we brought them home.
Once in place, we realized the doors both swung open from the left.  This was easily remedied by switching the door hinge on one of the cabinets and flipping the door around:

The hinge was originally attached on the left-side...

So we flipped the door and attached it to the right-side.

I placed some bamboo place mats on top, to protect the finish, filled them and went about my business.

Cabinets placed in powder room

After we hung up some art work, and a cabinet behind the toilet, the powder room was officially updated.  We had tons of function in a more updated fashion.  The project, which we completed a few months after moving in, was low-cost and high impact - just how we like it.

We've lived with the powder room storage for a long time, and the storage solution has been wonderful.  Over time, though, the place mats have taken a beating.  Last weekend, I came up with a more durable (yet stylish) solution.  Check back with me and I'll share it with you!

Laundry Room Update: The Sink and CounterTop

Phase One:  Replace Laundry Room Sink and countertop

We are fortunate to have a utility sink and a proper laundry room on the main floor of our house.  However, having lived with this sink for the past 18 months, we realized it's pretty ineffective as a utility sink.  For starters, it is only about 6-inches deep, which can cause water to splatter on the counter and floor when used.  The faucet itself leaks at the base and the spray hose has no water pressure.

Shallow utility sink and leaky faucet not living up to expectations.

Added to the issues with the sink, we naively hung the clothes drying rack on the wall adjacent to the sink when we moved in.  This makes it awkward to dry clothes and use the sink at the same time.  All in all, I've always felt the laundry room is a study in ineffective space planning.  My husband has felt that the sink is a study in ineffective product purchasing.  We knew we could do better.

Drying rack hangs on wall adjacent to sink.

While cleaning up paint and tiling supplies from our basement bathroom update, we decided the time had come to finally address the laundry/utility room sink.   My husband figured switching out the laundry sink should take about 3-5 hours total on a Saturday afternoon.  I presented my husband with my favorite sink option, one I previously sourced at Ikea.  My husband really wanted a standard utility sink, specifically, one he found at the local home improvement store.  Since his option was considerably cheaper, and included the faucet, I compromised.  We agreed we would switch the sink out with a deeper, molded plastic tub- similar to the one we had in our Savannah house:

Utility sink inspiration:  The extra deep laundry tub set into a cabinet  in our old house.

We verified that the cabinet could accommodate a deeper utility sink and set off to purchase the sink that my husband sourced at the home improvement store.

Ready for new utility tub

We were hopeful that we could just insert the new sink into the existing counter top.  As much as I disliked the drab Formica counter top, replacing it would mean we may have to address the following items:

• Window Trim Molding: the existing trim had been cut out around the existing Formica counter top backsplash.
• Tile flooring:  As with the basement bathroom vanity, the laundry room sink base cabinet was installed before the tile floor.  Any new cabinet would need to match the footprint exactly - no spare tile was left. 
• Paint:  We cannot find any left over paint for this room.  If we had touch-ups, we'd need to hope the color-match really matched, or repaint the whole room.

We brought the molded plastic laundry tub home and started to install it.  And that is when the real fun began!

Doesn't fit into existing space.

Guess what?  The new tub did not drop right into place.  The molded plastic rim was about 1/4 inch too long and too narrow for the opening.  Argh.
We removed the counter top, thinking maybe we could modify the existing Formica to fit around the tub.

Counter removed; tub still a bit too large for space.

In the process, we tore a tiny bit of painted drywall and had to remove a piece of the window trim.  Examining the sink in place we realized this job was going to take a lot longer than 3-5 hours.  We accepted the fact that that the laundry tub was not going to work out and headed back to the store.  This time, we were going to select a new counter top, a sink, and a faucet.

Installing a Formica Countertop:
We've installed Formica countertops before, so we knew this is a relatively easy process.  If you have not installed one yourself, check out a few tutorials first, such as this eHow tutorial.  I will just go through the highlights here:

• Selecting the Countertop:  Our existing base cabinet is 36-inches wide.  We wanted a durable surface to fit this base, but did not want to spend a ton of money.  So, for the sake of budget and time, Formica was the best bet.  We chose a stock, 48-inch laminate countertop:  VTI Fine's Valencia Jeweled Coral to be exact.  We also bought the coordinating End Splash Kit.

Dry fitting the counter top before cutting to size - the finish works well in the room.

• Cutting the Countertop:  Measure three times and cut once. And, place masking tape along the cut line to protect the laminate finish from the saw blade. You will be glad you did! 

Measure twice...

Tape the front-side, but make your cuts on the back-side...

Perfect!

• Installing the End Splash:  The end splash kit comes with a right-facing and left-facing piece of laminate.  You will need to iron the end splash on first and then trim the excess laminate off.
  Note:  Click to watch a video that shows more detail.  The video host uses a router to trim his end splash; we use a Dremel .  Both work great.

Materials used to add an end splash.

Nail wood so it is flush to the edge.

Iron the end splash to activate the adhesive and then trim off excess.

Verify the countertop is level and flush before securing.

Installing a Sink and Faucet:

When we returned the laundry tub, we selected a Franke USA Above Counter Stainless Steel Laundry Sink  as a replacement.  This sink, aside from being the stainless steel finish I wanted all along, features a 10-inch deep bowl.  Perfect!

• Cut a Hole in the Countertop for the Sink:  This was straightforward - the manufacturer included a template for us to use.  Mounting the sink, however, was much more complicated.  

Drill starter holes in the corners and use a jigsaw to cut along the cut line.

Dry fit the sink before installing the faucet. 

• Install the Faucet:  We chose the Glacier Bay Keelia faucet for the satin nickel finish and the price.  Install was pretty easy - the existing hoses worked out well and my husband only had a few slight leaks immediately after install to take care of.
  Note:  If you are installing faucets, make sure you have silicone tape available.  

Making the connections.

• Mount the Sink:  Someone had swiped the patented installation clips for easy install out of the box before we bought it.  We spent several hours trying to make both the old sink's clips and some universal clips work before we returned to the store and asked them to provide us with the sink-specific clips.  

Faucet installed, countertop and sink attached. 

• Replacing Window Trim Molding:  Like so many of the steps in this Laundry Room update, the anxiety leading up to the actual task was far worse than the task itself.  We purchased trim molding, painted on two coats of white paint and then measured, cut and installed.  

Remove the existing trim...

Old trim removed.

New molding drying between coats of paint.

A small piece needed to be notched out to accommodate countertop backsplash. 

Nail set hides nails.  Finish up with caulk and touch-up paint.

Window trim complete.

Finishing Touches:  

• Base Cabinet Paint:  While we were unable to locate any spare wall paint, we did locate leftover paint for the base cabinet.  It's called Basket Beige:

Remnant of paint used for laundry room base cabinet

• We gave the whole thing a second coat of paint - what a difference!    

Painting the doors to the base cabinet

• Door Hardware:  We changed out the brass door knob with a satin nickel door lever.  For more information on my philosophy regarding door hardware, see my post about the bathroom refresh.
• Optimize Storage:  We did not plan to add tip-out trays for the base cabinet because we thought we were using a laundry tub - it would not have allowed enough clearance.  By the time we thought about it again, the sink was already installed.  We did, however, add a 30-liter pull-out waste basket.  This frees up space under the window where I store my laundry sorter.

Pull-out Wastebasket frees up floor space.

• Foam Flooring Tiles as Shelf Liner:  I used some spare foam flooring tiles (we bought them at a garage sale a few months ago) to line the floor of the base cabinet.  This product cuts very easily with scissors and has a nice finished edge.  I love the finished product.

Repurposed Interlocking Foam Mats as shelf liner.

Corner Wall Cabinet:  I knew I would not re-mount the drying rack adjacent to the sink, or rehang the old sunset photo on the wall next to the window.  But, what to do with the wall?  After mulling it over, I ordered a Shelved Corner Wall Cabinet online (gotta love free shipping)!  The cabinet is big enough to fill the space without crowding it and adds some interest.  I filled a mason jar with clothespins for one shelf, used some white and chrome vessels on another, and topped it with one of my propagated  pothos plants, growing in water and rocks.

Corner Wall Cabinet fits perfectly.

I also added a wall-mounted paper towel holder, at the request of my husband.  And, with that, we completed phase one of the laundry room update.
Of course, the walls now need to be touched up, and the drying rack needs a new home.  Check back in with me and my blog - I will share with you how we addressed both of these issues and ended up with a fully updated laundry room as a result.  To think, it all started with a sink.

Bathroom Refresh

Basement bathroom before and after a much-needed refresh

We love the full bathroom (four-piece washroom) in our basement.  The room has great bones:  tile flooring, a vanity with lots of storage, and plumbing that works.   A few decorating updates after moving in were all we felt the room needed.  Or, rather, they were all we felt like completing - jazzing up the basement bathroom was not high on the priority list, after all.

Immediately after we moved in, we updated the following items in the bathroom:

• Bathroom Fan Duct:  We ran duct work from the bathroom (interior room) through the ceiling to an exterior wall vent, as recommended in our home inspection report.
• Light Switch:  We changed it from toggle-style switch to a rocker-style switch.
• Toilet seat:  A no-brainer for any new homeowner.  
• Shower curtain rod:  We updated existing chrome shower rod with a curved, brushed nickel version. 
• Towel Bar/toilet paper holder/robe hook:  We updated from chrome to brushed nickel.  
• Art work:  We re-purposed artwork from the old house.

First round of updates completed when we moved in.

These were all simple and inexpensive updates.  But, over the next several months, a few things began to bug us.  Like the door knob that trapped guests in the room because it did not turn easily.  And the fluorescent light fixture that did not always turn on.  And the very small, shallow sink basin/faucet combination.  And the too light, pinkish-hued paint color.  I could go on and on.  It was time for a bathroom refresh.
This past weekend, we got to work.  We put our design stamp on the room and checked off one more item on our 'to-do' list.  We love the results.  Keep reading to see what we did and pick-up a few tips and hints if you decide to refresh your bathroom as well.
Here are the items we updated to refresh the tired bathroom:

• Door Hardware 
• Paint
• Vanity
• Backsplash
• Lighting
• Mirror

Refresh One:  Door Hardware
The bathroom door knob was always a bit temperamental.  We assume moisture from the improperly vented bathroom fan is to blame.  Although we've figured out how to deal with the knob, others have not.  So when a friend was recently trapped in the bathroom because the knob would not turn, we knew it was time to address the issue.

Refresh One:  Door Hardware

Door Levers:  I happen to prefer the lever style over knob style.  Whichever style you prefer, make sure it is consistent throughout the house.  It's a subtle detail that, when updated, makes a huge difference - especially when you want/need to sell and have to compete with 'new construction.'  Take a look at your door hardware.  If your door knobs are scratched or paint-stained, consider refreshing them.

Satin Nickel lever replaces brass knob

We chose a lever-style in satin nickel finish.  We plan to update all our doors over time, tackling each door as we address the corresponding room.  We used the stop watch (for fun) to time how long this update took.  We spent just over five minutes (five minutes and 8 seconds to be exact) to change the knob
Note:  A less expensive fix is to clean and spray-paint the knobs in a metallic finish.
Door Hinges:  Most interior doors are installed with brass or silver-colored door hinges.  By the time a home is 20+ years old, a large number of these door hinges are mismatched and sprinkled with paint stains.  Why?  Because few home owners think to replace hinges when updating door knobs to a different finish, such as nickel or oil-rubbed bronze.  Likewise, few homeowners tape over hinges when prepping trim for paint.

Paint-sprinkled hinges

Hinges may seem insignificant, but they really do tell a lot about the house.  We inspected the hinges before we headed to the store.  They were a silver metal finish and were clean, so we left them as-is.
Note:  Remove small paint spatters with a Q-tip soaked in paint thinner.  To change the paint finish, remove the hinges and spray paint them.  You can also replace them with new hinges in a coordinating finish.
Door Stops:  Another small detail, door stops, are equally significant to the overall look of room.  Baseboard stops, wall stops and hinge-pin stops are all designed to stop a door knob from slamming into the wall.

No matter the style you choose, match the finish to either the door hardware or trim paint color We paid $1.25 for the baseboard stop in this room to update it from a broken door stop to a rigid baseboard stop in satin nickel finish.

Refresh Two:  Paint
I love what a simple, inexpensive can of paint can do to a room.  The bathroom's existing paint color matched what was used throughout the basement - we assume the previous owners chose it when building out the basement.  While it is a neutral color, we do not really care for the pink undertone.   So, we chose a more saturated color (Pebble Path by Behr) and painted two coats on the walls.

Refresh Two:  Paint

Prepping the room (removing fixtures and taping) took about thirty minutes.  The actual task of painting took less than two hours.  Once the paint was dry, we rehung the shower curtain rod and towel rack, switched out towels, and replaced artwork.  Then, we moved on to the next refresh.

Refresh Three: Vanity
We intended to replace the entire vanity in this bathroom.  In fact, we purchased a replacement vanity last summer.  Once we got the vanity home, however, we realized that the existing vanity had been installed before floor tile was laid.  Grout lines around the base of the cabinet revealed this fact.  We found no extra flooring tiles anywhere in the house.  This meant that a replacement vanity needed to match the exact measurements of the existing vanity - a larger or smaller size meant messing with the floor.

Refresh Three:  Vanity

We confirmed that the existing vanity was originally a white cabinet when we removed the existing cabinet pulls and saw stark white circles on the doors.
Note:  I will never understand why people do not remove fixtures/pulls/hinges/etc. before painting.  That is a major pet peeve of mine.

Cabinet pulls were not removed prior to painting.  Argh. 

The bottom of the cabinet was left white to blend with the base trim molding in the room.

Cabinet was installed before flooring .

Rather than replace the vanity, we decided to refresh it by completing the following updates:

• Replace the countertop and sink with granite vanity top combo
• Replace the faucet
• Repaint the cabinet doors (to fix the imperfections)
• Add tip-out trays to create more storage
• Replace the cabinet pulls

Vanity Top Combo:

Because the vanity was staying, we shopped for a pre-assembled vanity top that matched the vanity's dimensions.  We found two options we loved:  a stone-like material  and granite.   Ultimately, we chose the granite vanity combo because it was slightly cheaper.  Also, because it was granite!

Note:  The stone-like material combo includes only one side splash.  The granite combo included two side splashes.

The vanity top combo was the perfect fit!

We've replaced vanities before, so we already knew what steps to take.  If you have never attempted this yourself, check out this great tutorial from DIY Network.    

Faucet:

The original faucet was an inexpensive center mount faucet.  The vanity counter top came with an under mount sink and was pre-drilled for an 8-inch widespread faucet, so we knew we were going to replace it.    Before heading out to the store, I snapped a picture of the vanity specifications.  I referred to it a few times as I perused the huge wall-o-faucets at the home improvement store. Knowing I wanted satin nickel and 8-inch widespread made my selection process much easier.    
Note:  Read more about faucet sizes on Dimensions Info's web site.
To save time (and backache), my husband installed the faucet parts to the vanity top before actually attaching  it to the cabinet base.  The water pipes and drain all fit perfectly on the first try.  He simply tightened the pipe connections and turned the water back on to test.  No leaks.

Faucet upgrade - love the pop up drain!

Tip Out Tray:

I love to optimize storage whenever possible - adding additional, hidden storage with a tip out tray is a great example.  It attaches to the inside of the base cabinet's front panel and provides additional storage for small items.  My husband uses the basement bathroom as his executive washroom (he works from home), so I appreciate having his toiletries hidden.  He appreciates still keeping them handy and within reach.

Tip-out tray adds storage and keeps counter top clear!

Tip out trays are readily available in home improvement stores and take little time to install.  To install, my husband removed the front panel of the vanity, installed the hinges and trays and was done.  Such a great, quick upgrade - it takes just about ten minutes to install the tip out trays.
Note:  Check out this Merillat file to see how easy it can be to add tip out trays

Cabinet Doors and Pulls:
I knew I wanted to use bar pulls in a satin nickel finish.  Because we added the tip-out tray, we bought three pulls - two mounted verically and one mounted horizontally.  Before I could install them, however, I needed to correct the original paint job.  We found a quart of the mocha-colored paint (Coffee Bean by Valspar), used to paint the original vanity, left behind by the previous owners.   Phew.
Note:  If we had not found the paint, we would have brought a door to the home improvement store and asked them to color match.  Most stores can easily and quickly do this for you.

Cabinet door after first sanding and paint touch up.

We removed the cabinet doors, sanded and applied paint.  Twice.  Once dry, we measured and drilled a second hole on each door and attached the bar pulls.
Note:  We bought a drill template at Ikea years ago - it makes the job of marking and drilling consistent handle holes a breeze.

New pulls installed.

Once we attached the bar pulls, we were done with the vanity.  It did require a few extra steps (darn cabinet doors), but we ended up with a lovely finished product.  Well worth the effort.

Refresh Four:  Backsplash
While in the tile outlet store shopping for the vanity top, I spied a beautiful mosaic tile that coordinated wonderfully with our scheme.  We decided to install it as a backsplash.  The vanity top already came with side splashes, one of which meets up (tightly) to the plate glass mirror we had to work around.  So this mosaic tile is more of a decorative feature.

Refresh Four:  Tile Backsplash

We bought two sheets of the mosaic (Loreto Mosaic Marble Tile), two pieces of pencil trim tile, and some unsanded grout:

Tile mosaic we chose for the backsplash

We ended up only using one sheet of the mosaic to complete the project.  In my post from a couple weeks ago, I explain how to add a tile backsplash using travertine tile.  We followed the same basic method, making the following two changes to accommodate the various stones comprising the mosaic:

• We trimmed the tile using a wet saw.
• We grouted using an unsanded grout to protect the polished finish of the tile.  

Tile complete.

Another quick update.  We spent a total of about one hour, split over two evenings, to complete this backsplash.  I think tiling may be my new favorite project.

Refresh Five:  Lighting
The existing fluorescent light fixture was suspended in the drop ceiling - it was utilitarian, and not at all decorative.  It often require two or more flips of the switch to activate.  Similar to the sticking door knob, we assume moisture from the improperly vented bathroom fan is to blame for the light's issues.  We opted to replace it with a wall-mounted light fixture instead.

Refresh Five:  Lighting

I chose a fixture that uses four globes, to optimize light - it's an interior room with no windows.
Note:  The decorative mirrors, hung on the opposite wall (above the towel rack), reflect this light and make things even a bit brighter.
When we measured to determine where to place the light, we discovered that a wall stud was in the exact space - just wall behind the mirror - where we needed to install a junction box.  A regular junction box is too deep and would not fit - and we were not about to cut into the wall stud.  Argh!  Luckily, there is a solution for this issue - a pancake box, or steel, round ceiling pan, fits in the narrow space in front of the stud, flush with the drywall.  Who knew?  My husband knew, that's who.

We needed a pancake junction box to install vanity lighting.

So, after switching off power to the room, he cut a hole for the new wall fixture, re-routed the wiring from the ceiling light to the wall fixture, tucked the connections in the pancake  junction box (it's a tight squeeze!), tightened the fixture and installed the light bulbs.  Once the power was turned back on, we verified it all worked and  installed a new ceiling tile in the space where the flourescent light occupied.

Extra light created by reflections in the mirrors.

New ceiling tile installed.

This project took all of about 25 minutes to complete.  You would never even know the fluorescent light had once lit that bathroom.

Refresh Six: Mirror
We opted to save money by working with the existing plate glass mirror.  Like we'd done in other projects, we planned to frame the mirror out with wooden trim molding.

Refresh Six:  Mirror

We purchased molding and L-brackets at the home improvement store, measured and cut the wood, painted, and strengthened the frame using the L-brackets.  We attached the assembly to the mirror using clear silicone adhesive.  Clamps held it in place while it dried.

We painted both sides of the molding with two coats of paint

Waiting for the caulk to dry.

This project cost less than ten dollars to complete.  It was completed over the course of a couple of days - we had to wait for the paint to dry.

The Finishing Touches:  Art Work
The final consideration for this project was what to hang on the walls.  We reused inexpensive circle artwork and frames, created original photos, and bought mirrors.  Each item shared the common accent color, black, and tied into an overall plan for the bathroom.  We spent very little money and achieved a big impact.  Perfect!

 Purchased mirrors - the Martha Stewart collection

Printed image (from the Internet) displayed in a re-purposed frame 

Printed image (from the Internet) and close-up photos of the tile mosaic displayed in a re-purposed frame.

Tryptic of Black Circle Artwork re-used from previous bathroom design.

Bathroom Refresh Complete
We're done!  In just a few days, we were able to refresh the tired basement bathroom and make it a stylish, super functional room.  The Before And After Shots below are a nice reminder that sometimes a little refresh can make a huge difference!

We have guests visiting this weekend, we are so glad the updates are complete!

And, as for the old countertop, sink, and lighting fixture?  Not to worry.  We brought them to our neighborhood donation center.

Dropping off the old fixtures

 They may not fit our taste anymore, but they are functional and can live on in another home or office.