Bathroom on a Budget

Our hallway bathroom was in need of a major facelift when we bought our house. The bright orange walls and brown tile were not quite the look I wanted. On top of that, this is the bathroom all of our guests use since it's right off our main living area. I was determined to overhaul this bathroom on a budget!

I started off with the tub/tile refinishing. The first step was a deep cleaning of the tile with an abrasive cleaner, and removing all of the old silicone caulk. Once all the tile was prepped I started with the 2 part epoxy kit. This stuff has some very strong fumes, so be sure to wear a mask and gloves. I used two coats of the tile on all of the walls and grout, but one kit covered it.

Once everything was completely cured I realized I wanted a warmer look than the stark white. I bought some thin painters tape to mask off the grout lines and painted all of the walls with Rustoleum's floor paint. What I love about this paint is all of the color options! I bought it from home depot and picked the color "storm gray", but the pearl gray available on amazon is a close match.

If you wanted to recreate this look, you could easily use the floor paint for the grout color instead of the epoxy kit. The floor paint doesn't have the fumes of the epoxy kit, and it's easier to work with since it is much more like a regular paint. But hindsight is 20/20 ;)

I wanted a moody color for this bathroom and knew I wanted a darker green. We ended up going with Sherwin Williams Link Gray on the walls and the ceiling. I'm a big proponent of painting ceilings, especially in smaller spaces! I think it adds some drama and I don't think it makes the space feel darker. With the green ceiling we decided to spray paint the can light and the bathroom vent in Behr's oil rubbed bronze spray paint. The standard white stuck out, so I like that the bronze blends better.

Next up were the floors! My dad recommended using a self leveler to fill in the gaps and rounded edges of the existing tile. This is an extra step but it gave us a nice level, smooth surface. The self leveler was surprisingly easy to work with - just follow the instructions on the bag and mix it with a chorded drill. We also used a 2x4 in the doorway to create a dam so the self leveler had a clear stopping point.

I love these peel and stick tiles from "Chris Loves Julia"! We designed the whole bathroom around the checkerboard floors and I love the timeless look! Once we marked a straight line in this completely out of square bathroom, it was a breeze to lay these! You simply cut them with a sharp utility knife and a straight edge. I was able to cut and install everything in place. I think the whole bathroom only took about 30 minutes to complete.

I had originally planned to reuse the bathroom vanity, but I found a vanity and top from Lowe's for $329.00. If you are in need of a new vanity, Lowe's and Home Depot run sales on vanities you can purchase off the floor. In the past, we've bought them in December and in January. But I know they consistently go on sale for less than advertised online.

We decided to replace the tub/shower filler and vanity faucet in oil rubbed bronze. I preferred the contrast of the bronze against the light gray instead of the original brushed nickel fixtures. I'm always a proponent of mixing metals, especially in bathrooms. So I picked a gold vanity sconce and vanity hardware.

Glass showers are beautiful, but this is our kids bathroom so we wanted to stick with a shower curtain. I love the look of a tall curtain because it makes the room look taller. And I love this soft, linen color in the space.

I am so happy with the way this bathroom turned out. It is completely unrecognizable from the before and I love to show this space off. Let me know if you give this a try!