Although this is a formal reveal here on the blog of this bathroom, keep in mind 1) we remodeled this bathroom almost 10 years ago and 2) I did showcase it a bit way back when, but it was before I was lifestyle blogging. You should check hit out since it was quite the looker here {2011}. Come look at the “formal” bathroom reveal.
back story of the secondary bathroom
This is the Masterpiece children’s bathroom, and we remodeled it back in January of 2011. Master M was 8 years old and Miss M was 6 years old at the time. This bathroom also serves as the guest bathroom most of the time. The other option is the bathroom in our laundry room, which sits behind our family room.
The laundry room bathroom has not yet been remodeled so we tend to send guests in this direction. Although some years when the kids were younger, and we weren’t prepared, it could be somewhat of a kid zone. It’s not the prettiest for guests sometimes.
current state of affairs of the secondary bathroom
But fast forward to present time, and the kids are now 18 and 16, making a world of difference. And although they are teenagers, it is maintained pretty orderly, allowing for unexpected guest usage to be ok. I have created organization systems to maintain it clutter free.
Anyway, the reason I want to showcase it here now is to show that although we did this nearly a decade ago it’s still very current. We used what we consider a timeless aesthetic. We hope it won’t be dated for a very long time, if ever. For as long as we are living here anyway, lol.
A black and white color scheme is really timeless. I used a vintage style tile flooring with white subway tile surround which is pretty neutral in my book.
I hunted high and low for the Carrera marble top vanity with two sinks that was the right size and configuration. The fixtures are brushed nickel and the paint color is a gray. The gray pulls way too much to blue for my taste, but Miss M likes it so it has stayed.
I really wanted the bathroom to be stylish, but yet fit for the use of two children as they grew through different ages.
tid bits on the remodel process
The black trim on the subway tile around the whole bathroom was a last minute addition from a picture I saw in a magazine. I am so happy we did it. It totally finished the design and brings everything together.
When I told the contractor that I wanted to do this and showed him the picture, he quoted me how much more it would cost in materials. Let’s say it almost didn’t happen. It was almost 50% more in the tile cost. How can that be? It was such a small portion of the entire tile job. I was having none of it!!!
I went to Home Depot found the thin black tile for a fraction of the price. So I just bought it myself and brought it home for the tile guy to install. I also ended up buying the flooring from Home Depot since it was also more economical.
Buyer beware. Always do your homework. Some might argue that the quality of tile is better from the “tile” store rather than from the big box stores. For me these items were “exactly” what I wanted. Almost 10 years later I am still happy with the bathroom as the day it was completed. Seriously, there’s nothing I would do differently or change {except the paint color that is}.
controlling clutter is key in a small space like a bathroom
I ask the kids to please keep the counters clear and uncluttered of stuff and products so I have created a few storage systems for them. One of them are these baskets to hold toothpaste, tooth brushes and the such. These baskets were a fun project {weathered baskets DIY}. I also installed these cabinet organizers from Bed, Bath & Beyond to help with the product clutter in each of their cabinets. This really is more of a Miss M issue really rather than a Master M, but I have to admit she does organize her cabinet nicely.
The biggest aspect I changed in this bathroom was moving the toilet. We moved it from the right wall when you enter to the right side of the vanity against the front wall when you enter. Not a huge move just a 45o turn really, but all the plumbing still needed to be moved. Before the remodel, the door would hit the toilet when the door opened all the way. It drove me absolutely bonkers.
The other big thing I wanted done was adding a sink. I wanted a two sink vanity since both kids were sharing the bathroom. This way each one had their own space and ownership over keeping it orderly. I opted for this furniture style vanity, which I love. Keep in mind you have to be attentive to keeping the underneath clean.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my old, new bathroom.
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“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.”
Frank Gehry
sharing @ between naps on the porch
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