Our Farmhouse Bathroom Makeover (Before & After)

I've missed you! I think this was my longest blogging break to date, and it wasn't by choice. I've been having major computer problems. No fun! I'm glad to be back today and am excited to share pictures from our recent bathroom makeover.

While each of our bathrooms could stand a refresher, our main-level bathroom has been crying out for help the loudest! Recently, when the towel rack got ripped out of the wall at one of our kid's birthday parties, I knew that was the final straw. I could no longer ignore our wallpaper-clad, plaid room. Did I say plaid? I meant VERY plaid.

When we first moved in, almost two years ago, I remember my impression of this room. It went something like this, "Huh. Hmmm. Okay..." Not what I would choose, but we could live with it for awhile. Our home is set up as a horse property and this bathroom had a Ralph Lauren circa 1990s equestrian feel to it. It also looked boyish to me, and since we have three boys... I embraced it for as long as I could.

Tired of my own procrastination, I forced a decision a few weeks ago by impulsively ripping down a piece of the wallpaper. I knew that would motivate me to get after this room!

So my boys and I started ripping down the wallpaper. At first it was kind of fun - even therapeutic. The novelty soon wore off and the boys ran out to play. 

It was just me. Alone in a sea of plaid...

Everywhere I turned, there was more. (Are you dizzy yet?!) So I broke down and rented a steamer from Home Depot. Best $35-a-day rental ever!

However, it was the first time I'd used a steamer. I didn't leave it on each section long enough and although the majority of the paper came down, I was left with lots of tiny little pieces of the wallpaper backing stuck to the wall. So, I had to go back over the room, scraping each of these little pieces off. (Learn from me and leave the steamer on each section until it basically falls off of the wall!)

But finally, I was starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel...

After removing the wallpaper, I painted the walls, ceiling, trim, door, vanity and mirror. I used Benjamin Moore Decorator's White for the walls and Brilliant White for the trim. I really wanted a fresh, crisp and airy room!

Next, we added a natural wood color, shiplap-inspired wall. To keep costs down, we used sheets of 4X8 underlayment (moisture resistant). The nice people at Home Depot cut them down to 8" strips for us. 

We swapped out the dated light fixture with this one from Lowe's. I love it's industrial farmhouse feel and the touch of "shine" it gives the room!

My husband recently gave me this European olive basket for our anniversary...

I would have been happy with a reproduction, but this one is extra special to me, knowing the basket was actually used to gather olives, somewhere in Europe, years ago. This touch of rusty, aged goodness provides some character and contrast in this mostly white, airy room.

And a view of the shower...

So, now a few before and after comparisons:

Before



After

Before



After

Before

After

I would call this bathroom a makeover, not a renovation, since we didn't replace the vanity (someday I'd love to have a stand-alone dresser with sink!), flooring or shower. 

Here's a breakdown of what we spent (not including a few tools):
Wallpaper steamer - $35
Paint - $79
Wood for accent wall - $36 
New light fixture - $150

For the time and minimal ($300) investment, I'm really happy with the changes. The bathroom now has a peaceful, light and updated feel. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Xo

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