Half Bathroom Refresh…How we did it!
Well, who would have guessed in March of this year that the world as we knew it would be radically changed… and possibly changed forever.
While there are numerous negatives with this whole scenario – there are also some great things too. One of which was/is being forced to be home. For some this is a challenge. For me on the other hand … not so much. My schedule was at an all time breaking point. I had to really start to contemplate major changes or suffer from a nervous breakdown (kidding but seriously-something had to give)! Then Covid-19 happened...cue dramatic music!
Now was the time to tackle some home projects that I needed my Hubby’s help with. His schedule was altered from working 6 days a week, to working 5 & having 10 off (on call) so as to not contaminate others at work. Yay- Help!
My Start
My creative self began to work on a design board for my worn & weathered half bathroom. To start my go to for any design process is Pinterest. I created a board & started pinning away. Here’s my Pinterest Board on Half Baths- maybe something will inspire you too!
https://www.pinterest.com/manymustardseeds/all-for-the-home/half-bath-inspiration/
Here’s a design board I had created:
The idea of wallpaper appealed to me & thought since we do not have any wallpaper in my home – peel n stick wallpaper would be worth a try.
With all design processes, ideas can be easy to come by. Execution of those said ideas – not so much! More on that later…
After my pinning session – I fell in love with shiplap. I wanted it as a wainscoted wall in our half bathroom. Because of time restrictions – we began the search for pre-made shiplap. Online & In Person Shopping.
We started at our local big box home centers. All that was offered were 3/4″ thick boards. If we didn’t already have an installed window & door this would have been great- although pricey (approx. $500 for the half wall- 25 sq. ft.) option. We searched high & low for 1/4″ thick ship lap boards. The only solution we found was plywood that had to be ripped into 5″ strips. **BTW-Make sure they do a good job at your local home center- ours did a terrible job- many were damaged and had notches in them. **Once the plywood was home, I primed them. Then my Handy Hubby painted/ installed the boards using ‘the Nickles method’. Yes -Nickels- placed between each board for spacing the boards apart. You Tube has many videos of folks showing you how to do this. Here’s a video that explains how to install these boards and spacing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_ABSY0aEng
He also added a few strips of moulding to our pre-existing moulding. I love how it came out!
You probably noticed the wall paper in my design board is different from what I actually wound up using. Why? The gingham wallpaper combined with the shiplap was too linear & busy. I found my eye having a hard time with all the lines. This Scandinavian type print worked better.
We did replace our toilet with a Kohler non-clogging toilet. Our previous toilet was too small & clogged almost everyday! I know TMI- lol!
We also replaced our vanity. I should have taken a before picture but I never did * hand slapping forehead *. Our previous vanity looked like this one.
We replaced it with the vanity below. It was purchased online through Home Depot- Aberdeen 24″ vanity with marble countertop and sink combo.
I replaced the hardware with a matte bronze handle. I was inspired by the photo below- This is a McGee & Co. design. https://www.mcgeeandco.com
See how they mixed the metals? I love it! And had to have it!
My Inspiration
The most challenging part of this half bathroom refresh was the wallpaper. Having never installed any type of wallpaper ever- didn’t help! It was no fault of the wallpaper – it was more our lack of experience. OnDecor is a wonderful company – when we had a bit of an issue – their customer service was amazing! And the quality of their product was better than any of the other peel & stick samples we received- hands down!
My recommendation for peel & stick wallpaper is to use it one a single wall or behind a bookcase. But please check out OnDecor thru Etsy for sure.
Conclusion
Our half bath is now one of my favorite spaces. I’m now looking for my next spot to redo. Hint…my front door, then onto my Master Bedroom. Stay tuned friends!
XOXO,
Kim
