Reinvent It: Salvage Savvy Keeps an Urban-Farmhouse Bath on Budget
See how resourceful shopping and repurposing gave a homeowner the new bathroom she wanted at the right price
Suffering from Carrara marble sticker shock, homeowner Jennifer Brown knew she had to get creative with the rest of the elements in her bathroom renovation. "We bought our house as a new build 13 years ago, and the master bath was the one room we didn't care for," she says. "There was a tiny stand-up shower and a giant garden tub we never used. The laminate counters and globe lights had to go, too." What she really wanted? "I grew up in the Northeast, and I'm drawn to the simple light and airy farmhouse style," she says. "I'm continually trying to make my new house look old, but with a mix of urban and industrial." After living in Italy for six months, she had her heart set on Carrara marble for the shower, and knew she wanted to mix in repurposed salvage pieces.
Brown and her husband set a budget of $10,000, then realized a good portion of it would be eaten up by the Carrara oversize subway tile. "That forced me to find good deals on the remaining pieces," Brown says. "I thought the hard part would be finding the right pieces with the right dimensions for the space, but I was fortunate that all three pieces I fell in love with were the perfect height, length and depth," she says.
Project: Salvaged vanity table, barn door and floor cabinet
Cost: About $1,278 ($250 per piece; $128 for barn door track hardware; $400 for labor)
Time: One and a half days for the vanity project and half a day to install the barn door; moving the cabinet into the new space took only a few minutes
Brown and her husband set a budget of $10,000, then realized a good portion of it would be eaten up by the Carrara oversize subway tile. "That forced me to find good deals on the remaining pieces," Brown says. "I thought the hard part would be finding the right pieces with the right dimensions for the space, but I was fortunate that all three pieces I fell in love with were the perfect height, length and depth," she says.
Project: Salvaged vanity table, barn door and floor cabinet
Cost: About $1,278 ($250 per piece; $128 for barn door track hardware; $400 for labor)
Time: One and a half days for the vanity project and half a day to install the barn door; moving the cabinet into the new space took only a few minutes
Brown bought the Indian wedding table that now serves as her vanity from Maryland dealer Great Stuff by Paul at the Country Living Antique Fair in Columbus, Ohio. It took her contractor about a day and a half to retrofit it, install the sinks and faucet, and add modern towel bars underneath.
Open vanities like this leave the pipes and drains exposed. Brown opted for steel to go with the more industrial look she prefers and to coordinate with the towel bars and other fixtures.
More budget finds: Brown shopped for great deals on the other bathroom fixtures and furnishings. She found the tin-framed mirrors for $35 at a discount home store, painted the black frames white and distressed them with sandpaper. The sconces came from a Pottery Barn outlet, and she found the vessel sinks on Amazon for $79. All of the plumbing fixtures are from Lowe's.
Open vanities like this leave the pipes and drains exposed. Brown opted for steel to go with the more industrial look she prefers and to coordinate with the towel bars and other fixtures.
More budget finds: Brown shopped for great deals on the other bathroom fixtures and furnishings. She found the tin-framed mirrors for $35 at a discount home store, painted the black frames white and distressed them with sandpaper. The sconces came from a Pottery Barn outlet, and she found the vessel sinks on Amazon for $79. All of the plumbing fixtures are from Lowe's.
The antique cabinet was also a Country Living Antique Fair find, from a vendor out of Springfield, Ohio. It has six deep interior shelves that provide plenty of space for towels and toiletries. Brown scooped up the antique turquoise Ball mason jars at the same fair for $5 each. She added a "B," for "Brown," from Hobby Lobby.
Brown's purchases had the right look and size for her bathroom, and she liked their well-worn finishes just the way they were. "We simply cleaned up with some soap and water," she says.
Brown's purchases had the right look and size for her bathroom, and she liked their well-worn finishes just the way they were. "We simply cleaned up with some soap and water," she says.
As for the new elements, a clear glass shower divider and continuous flooring give the illusion of more room. "It was important to keep the look simple and uncluttered, since the room is not all that large," Brown says.
Your turn: Have a great salvage project of your own? We'd love to see it!
More: How to Convert a Tub Space Into a Shower
Your turn: Have a great salvage project of your own? We'd love to see it!
More: How to Convert a Tub Space Into a Shower
Using a barn door on a track also saved a considerable amount of space, and again, Brown found a way to save money. "The barn door needed a track, but I was shocked to find that tracks sold online were approximately $450, almost double what the door cost!" she says.
Living near farm country came in handy; she headed out to a tractor supply company in the middle of Ohio. "The employees helped me find all the right pieces for the track, including rails, wheels, hardware, nuts and bolts," she says. "The pieces were steel, and I spray painted them black." The barn door track hardware ended up costing $128.