Update dated bathroom (cream tile, oak and polished brass) w/o Reno
My husband and I recently bought a house that has a dated kitchen and 2-1/2 baths. We can’t afford to renovate them all, so I’m trying to figure out what small adjustments I can make to this bathroom that will update the space without incurring enormous cost.
I’m thinking:
- New mirror and light fixture (instant win)
- New whiter toilet
- New accents/hardware
- New Vanity (this is the big $$ item we can tackle currently)
Any thoughts on how to work with the shiny brass of the shower, the oak trim and the cream tile? All are very 90s.
Our house is traditional (built in 1970) overall, but we have touched of rubbed bronze with our decor, and lots of blues and cognac colors. I’m not afraid of color, but I shy away from yellow and green in this room that’s already so warm.
Any help would be so appreciated!!
Comments (8)
PRO5 years ago- 5 years ago
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Comments (51)Oh dear. I am feeling so undecided. I put another coat of the Polyshades on last night and it does look nice now -- dark and even. But it definitely is "mahogany" -- deep, dark red. Not the espresso color I had envisioned. But I am now hesitant to start putting on other products and other colors. I'm worried that it will look uneven, or that I will just end up with a mess. Arg -- this is what I get for being impulsive and not doing enough research up front. Anyway, I am heading out to a music festival today, so I am going to take a break from obsessing about stain and see how I feel when I get home. Maybe I will just put the new hardware in and see how I feel about it once the tile is in. The overall impression of the room is more important than the precise shade of stain on the vanity, right? Although -- I suspect that I will have a hard time finding a wall cabinet (for over the vanity) to match this stain color -- I've looked around and there is a lot of "espresso" and white (and still a bit of golden oak). Maybe a "cherry" cabinet would co-ordinate, if not match. Anyway, I need to get my mind off all this for a few hours. Have a good weekend, everyone!...See MoreNeed help on a kitchen update with oak cabinets...
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PRO5 years agoThat's a great idea. I think you'll be amazed at the difference you can make even without spending much money. Painting your vanity navy, new lights, gold mirror and hardware, with white walls would look great! Something similar to this:
5 years ago- 5 years ago
These are all very good thoughts! I’ve been looking on Facebook Market and Craigslist for used vanities or floor sample sale items, and I’ll continue to do that. We’ve been by a couple of warehouses that have items from demolition, but nothing has quite worked yet. Habitat for Humanity May be a good place to look though - we haven’t been there!
For removing the shower door, I didn’t think of that for a full shower. Can that be done? I figured doors were necessary, and my husband didn’t like the idea of just covering the doors with a shower curtain. Getting rid of it could be good..
I think changing out the mirror, light and paint could be the first step to take sooner than later.
Complication to white is that this tile is cream colored. See this pic to see the difference... still neutral at least! I think I can move forward with navy and gold accents, right?
- 5 years ago
- 4 years ago
We finished a mini update! Used Sherwin Williams Sea Salt that we had leftover from another room. Changed out the towel bars and toilet paper bar, his the shower door with a curtain (Target), bought a new mirror (target) and light fixture (Wayfair). It’s not exactly as we want it, but for $350, it’s great for now!
In the future I think we’d like to update the vanity and toilet.
Jilly