Bathroom Remodel Status: Complete. From 70’s to Sleek.

After beginning the bathroom remodel process over 4 months ago I’m thrilled to call this project DONE. After being quoted $8,000-10,000 for our little hallway size bathroom from professional contractors my husband and I unexpectedly decided that we would DIY it. I was shocked myself but after doing so much around the home already we learned that we were more capable than we thought. YouTube is a magical thing and it gets all of the credit for teaching us how to completely build a bathroom from studs to finish.

When we bought this home we knew the bathroom would have to be completely gutted and re-done. There was a tiny, disgusting toilet, a mauve/pink little tub and plain tiles, and the kicker- the seas shell sinks and deteriorating vanity that was crumbling with each touch.

Steven had fun with the demo and tore down most of the room in one day, leaving us with a toilet, sinks, and bathtub in our living room for a few days until the junk guy could come!

oldbathroomreno — Getting the tub in was a PITA

sanding — It only took 8+ hours to hand sand the seams and nail holes. Sheetrock dust is no joke. (I don’t like electric sanders)

Every weekend for the next 3.5 months was dedicated to remodeling. It was exhausting and we both spent long days doing labor intensive work. DIY renovation is not for the faint of heart or for couples on the verge of divorce. Our love and sanity were tested again and again and this process just about killed us all. It was HELL.

The results were totally worth it.

newbathroom1 — View from outside- newly refinished door which had to be scraped clean and repainted, including all hardware.

newbathroom2 — Spray painted handle-formerly worn out bronze

newbathroom4 — Open curtain and sexy new tile

newbathroom5 — Everloc shelf and towel bar

newbathroom6 — Tile close-up and Onyx glitter grout

newbathroom17 — Push to close bath drain and sleek overflow in Kohler tub. Retrofit Delta hardware so we didn’t need to mess with the connections.

newbathroom19 — When the lights go down the shower curtain looks amazing

newbathroom8 — He holds towels too! Ikea hooks and towels

newbathroom9 — View of the new vanity/mirrors/light/sinks from above.

newbathroom12 — Boon Grass for toothbrushes and accessories. Genius.

newbahtoom12 — Swanky toilet with slow close lid (to not smash my little boy’s weiners!)

newbathroom14 — Custom art “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie wipe the seatie” inspired by the art at my grandmother’s. From etsy.com

newbathroom16 — Porcelain tile that mimics the look of whiteashed wood floors.

Grand Total: $4,800

Including the $500 for the labor used to install and cut the shower tiles (which is the only professional help we used for the entire remodel) the total cost of this bathroom comes in at about $4,800. The costliest item was the vanity and sinks coming in at $1500 (faucets were seperate). The mirrors were the best deal at $30 each from Homegoods and the texture matches the floors perfectly. It was a lucky break. We ordered most of our large items (toilet, tub, vanity, faucets) from FaucetDirect.com and were very happy with how that went. The artwork was purchased from Chelsea Burdick Designs on Etsy and she was kind enough to color match my paint after I sent an online example. The giant octopus stencil is also from Etsy from Olive Leaf Stencils. The tiles were all purchased locally at Floor and Decor.

It doesn’t even seem real that we built this bathroom with our own bare hands. Drywall hanging, spackling, sanding, tile laying, mitering moulding, tub installing, plumbing moving, painting, the list goes on. It came out beautiful and exactly as I imagined. Sleek and modern but still fun enough to be a kid’s bathroom. My husband and I made a great team. We both had strengths and we played to those. He is great for caulking but I’m the master of perfectly smoothing it out. As a perfectionist DIY really is the way to go. If you make a mistake you can live with it and know you did your best. If a contractor makes a mistake you feel cheated and annoyed at their laziness/carelessness. I will admit that I have to paint the trim still… but I just couldn’t wait to shaire the new bathroom!