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Home Repair Design Dilemma Bathrooms

powder room update with existing traditional vanity

last year

Hello,

When I first saw the powder room of the house we will soon move in to, I thought i'd change the whole thing. But the vanity is in great condition and other renovation costs are skyrocketing. I wonder if anyone has ideas on how to make this powder room look nicer keeping the vanity?

This is a narrow and somewhat long powder room. On the opposite side is the toilet tucked in. Sorry for lack of photos--we have not moved in yet so this is what I have.

Any brilliant ideas you could share would be much appreciated.

Featured Answer

cat_ky

last year

Since once you start changing things, it always adds up to more dollars than you planned, I would do minimal in there right now. A coat of paint, and a new mirror. I would keep the light, until you finally are ready to remove the vanity, and install a new one. I actually love the color of the top of the bathroom, but, that green is terrible. Save money and do the rest later. You never know whats going to come up that needs to be done, in the first few months of a new house.

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Comments (9)

PRO
Debbi Washburn
last year
Start simple - just change the paint, the mirror, the light and the faucet.

Those things will make a huge impact on what the space looks like. I would get a new towel bar instead of the ring. The vanity is tucked in this little alcove - less is more shoved in that area. Buy an 18" towel bar and cut the bar part to make one for 2 hand towels side by side. This will add color and decoration on its own.

Good luck - congrats on the new house
T Bono thanked Debbi Washburn
PRO
Flo Mangan
last year
I can give better input if I know a bit more about what you like. What is your style? What are favorite colors? Loads of options out there, this would help narrow down options.
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I love your leopard print idea; I think you should fly with it. At the end of the day, it's a bunch of neutral colors (that tie in nicely with the yellow you're stuck with), so use it as your starting point. If it were me, I'd paint the vanity a very dark espresso brown (I think going cream or ivory might be too much contrast). I'd go a bit lighter but still dramatic -- say a milk chocolate -- on the walls. Then I'd pick a flooring out of that same palette; not knowing your budget, I don't know what material would work, but anything from hardwood to cork tiles, to ceramic or porcelain tile, to vinyl would be fine, as long as the color ties together with the others. For accessories, pick some jungle-inspired greens, like palm tree prints and embroidered hand towels. Also, an amber glass soap dish or dispenser, and/or amber glass shades on the lights, would look great. Makes me want attach my powder room now...
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Comments (23)
Thanks, pjtexgirl! I have seen that website, and the retro renovation website, and we won't destroy anything intentionally, and we will recycle and make someone's day. I don't plan to replace things unnecessarily in this house, but we don't have the talent to update in a perfectly period fashion. Wish I did...it is a really pretty well preserved piece of history! We're going to try painting the frame around the medicine cabinet, the electrical fixture, and the "box" under the medicine cabinet. Try to find a medicine cabinet in chrome or brushed nickel for the actual cabinet part. I'll try painting the fixture parts on the ceiling light and save that. I don't think shutters are a possibility because, again, we have these metal casement windows. I don't want to drill into them or damage them. I'm going to try to get the detailing off of the existing vanity and repaint and replace hardware. I'm sure we'll have questions about that. For those of who you so generously offer help and advice, a question: Do you prefer questions to be grouped by a room in a post, or do you prefer individual posts with one specific question? I read ALL the time, for a long time now, but don't feel qualified to offer opinions, so I'm mostly a lurker.
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The room is very small so hard to get a 'whole room' pic. I will show you the pics I have. This is over the sink. I am replacing that with a fixture from lowes with crystals, of course I can't find it on their website. From this pic you can see that there is a window to the left of the sink. The beadboard wall is directly opposite of this. That is the whole room! This is looking in from the family room. The door will be replaced and open out. Here is what it will look like. We are going with orb hardware. Maybe I am just overanalyzing this and should just paint it white.
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Comments (25)
So much great advice (and no judgement - thank you!) — I wanted to update, we’ve confirmed it’s only shellac! Thankfully, and we’ll be working on removing as much as possible tomorrow, with heat off and windows open. Pics below, including my husband cleaning his mess lol. Great tips on the floor - you’re points are right on, and given the work the walls will be I’d like an easier alternative for the floors for sure. The left window is actually a door that a previous owner caulked shut, but we’re planning to open and make functional again. Otherwise there isn’t much room for anything, but it would be ideal to move the sink elsewhere to have more wiggle room in the “bathroom”. We did take a quick look today at more narrow utility sink/ vanity combos, and while not perfect should be an improvement. At this point it feels that is still quite far in the future, but hopeful the shellac removal is quicker than I anticipate. Once again THANK YOU, I have been so delighted to find such a knowledgeable (and patient) community!!!
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T Bono
Original Author
last year
Thanks @Flo Mangan! I like lots of styles except very traditional or very modern and minimalist. I lean toward modern farmhouse, modern vintage, I love moroccan-style tiles and anything that feels warm and homey but not dated.
PRO
Flo Mangan
last year
Ok. Well, the existing cabinet is VERY traditional and dated so since you are ready to make other changes, I would seriously consider a simple line cabinet for sink. Especially if you might replace faucets. Alternatively, if you can do a DIY on the existing cabinet you could look at ALL-IN-ONE paint and select Moroccan colors and paint the existing cabinet! Maybe do a dark blue then go over raised decorative parts with a champagne gold rub n buff. Then get Moroccan hanging lights for over mirror. Just depends on how far you want to take it.
PRO
Flo Mangan
last year
Here is blue vanity cabinet. Just for consideration. Here is source for allinonepaints. Easy on step process! Great products.
T Bono thanked Flo Mangan
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
I think vintage could be the best I would look for a fab wallpaper and do all the walls the mirror you have not so much. A new light new faucet the wallpwpe r new space . BTW I do not like hand towels in any space shared with non family . So I use disposible towels in a nice holder on the wall for PRs
T Bono thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last year
The previous owners took a Country French style vanity and pushed it to a Moroccan style with everything they placed around it. You can get it back to Country French easily.
T Bono thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
ilikefriday
last year
last modified: last year
I would paint the lower half of the wall and the vanity the same color so that it fades into the wall. Perhaps royal blue?? Then add a Moroccan stencil to the top half of the wall. You might even be able to keep the coral color as the base and then add a stencil on top with the same paint you used on the bottom half of the wall or maybe white paint instead or a combination of the . I would also change the light fixture.
T Bono thanked ilikefriday

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