{Big Box Bathroom} The Reveal

One of the first things we said after deciding to move was, ‘Nooooooo, we just finished the new bathroom!! I don’t want to leave it!’ And funny enough, several of you had similar sentiments, ‘How can you stand to leave that wallpaper behind!?’

But when we started the Big Box Bathroom remodel last Fall, the idea of moving was non-existent in our minds. Our goal was to make better use of the space, making it more efficient, and feel larger for the kids, since they shared the small bathroom.

The previous design was always meant to be temporary, and worked fine when they were smaller…but when one becomes a teenager, and the other more involved with hairstyles…not to mention the need for privacy…the room became an issue. Hence why the remodel moved to the top of the list. Now you’d never even know it’s the same room!

In order to truly appreciate the transformation, let’s look back at a Before shot (you can see them all here). Top to bottom, it was builder basic…with some really nasty floor tile, a wobbly toilet, and minimal storage and counter space.

We could have easily spent over $8,000 for a similar space, but instead we shopped the big box stores, and still created a high-end, designer space, for less than a third the cost.

I would have loved to carry the wallpaper all the way to the floor, but that would have blown our budget…so by installing wood planks, we were able to get a similar look, and only had to buy two rolls. Plus, I didn’t want to panic every time toothpaste and water splattered off the sink, and on the beautiful paper.

As you can see, I showed rare restraint and painted the door and window frame white. That really allowed the mirror and wallpaper to shine.

My original plan was to add the kid’s monograms in kelly green to the towels…but since they’ll each have their own bathroom in the new house (#hallelujah), I saved the expense. But wouldn’t that have been so cute?! And since it’s both a boy and a girl’s bath, I balanced the masculine and feminine elements so they’d both feel like it was customized for them.

In order to clear the small ledge at the top of the planks, we used extra long screws to mount the mirror to the wall, then placed a little wedge at the bottom so it wouldn’t lean forward.

Okay, one more Before and After…

I’m still shocked at the transformation…and we’ve lived with it for six weeks! Had we known we were moving, we’d never have started the project, but I like to think it contributed to the speedy sell. Or at least that’s how I’m rationalizing it to make myself feel better. But I really am going to miss that paper! Good thing I have a fair amount of remnants…I’ll find a way to take it with me!

*This post was written in collaboration with Lowes Home Improvement. They provided me with a gift card and challenged me create a designer space from a big box store. All opinions, tile fondling, and selections are my own.