We're at it again.
We bought our house a little over seven years ago and during that time we have made significant changes to every room here. Because of the number and scope of all these projects, we had to prioritize. We spent our first two years here tackling two big projects:
The pool
and the kitchen.
During that same time, we sprinkled in some smaller upgrades throughout the house.
Included in those early-day improvements were some changes to these two guest bathrooms. This season, we are revisiting them again. I'm calling it Round Two as we begin refreshing some of the elements that didn't make the priority cut last time around.
The first time we toured this house with our realtor, the first guest bathroom looked like this.
The other bathroom had the same vanity top, tile, and faucet. They were very similar and they were both dark and remarkably boring.
Because the bulk of our remodeling dollars was being spent on our two larger projects we had to cut back here but there were a few things in these rooms that we thought required immediate attention.
1.
Countertops
The first thing we did was upgrade the synthetic contractor-grade countertops with their molded sinks to a Taj Mahal granite top.
At the same time, we added the under-mount sink and a faucet with less of a 90's vibe.
2.
Shower doors
During this first phase of updates, we also changed out the old sliding shower doors with new swing-style glass doors.
3.
Vanity Cabinet Paint
An easy update that I did in one of the bathrooms was to eliminate the weathered look finish on the vanity by painting it white. Will it stay white? I'm not sure.
I never did get to the second vanity, but that will happen too.
4.
Cabinet Doors
As we progress with this second round of updates, both vanities will be getting new door fronts that match what we put in the kitchen and master bath.
If I had given it more thought, I would have been a bit more creative with the guest cabinet doors. Something like this...
(image found on Pinterest. Original source unknown).
5.
Update the Hardware
I like the hardware on that previous cabinet too, but I'm also
considering something like this.
6.
Raise the Shower Head
On the advice of our contractor, we had a plumber come out and raise the height
of the showerhead.
7.
New flooring and tile
A few years ago we replaced the tile floors in our home with an engineered wood floor and we carried this into the first guest bath.
In the other bathroom, we left the original tile floor. But that one is getting an update this time around. They began installing it last month but somewhere we got off on our figuring and we are two boxes short. Yikes. I'm hoping we can still get it, that the colors will be the same, and that it isn't on some cargo ship floating around in the Pacific. I'd hate to be torn up for months waiting on two boxes of tile.
The flooring here had been a 12x12 square brown tile.
We are changing it out for a brighter lighter tile option here and in the shower areas.
Since tile is so expensive to change out I always opt for something a bit more conservative.
Even a color evangelist like me has to have some neutral elements.
8.
Paint
Next up will come the paint colors. The countertops we chose in 2015 read rather brown to me now. Especially the longer one. I wouldn't choose it today, but we are going to try and work with it and play up some of the cooler gray tones in the stone. Currently, the walls are Benjamin Moore White Down and they look a bit yellow to me. I think a whiter and slightly cooler shade is where I'm going this time. I am open to any suggestions but thinking perhaps
Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
I'm not sure about the vanity cabinet. Does it stay white or perhaps something in a sand color? Or do I make my statement with the cabinet and do it in a dark grey or navy to detract from the countertop? Color me undecided.
9.
Mirrors
Because of the banjo countertops, we will keep the look of the large mirrors in both bathrooms but in the bathroom with the longer vanity, we will be replacing the mirror itself with a new piece of glass. The current mirror has a cutout in the glass to allow for the single bar type fixture above the sink. I'd like to do something different here. The plan is to have the new mirror cut to allow sconces to be hung on the mirror instead of a single fixture over the sink. Both mirrors will have the mirrored framing replaced with a wood frame.
10.
Lighting
Once the mirrors are in place the new lighting can be installed. We updated the light fixtures in our first round but that was nearly seven years ago and this is Florida. As a result, both lights are showing some corrosion and need to be replaced again.
This was our starting point.
circa 2014
circa 2015
Looking forward, I plan to work with sconces and two more can lights in one bathroom. In the second bath, I will work with a smaller lamp on the mirror and pair it with a chandelier.
I haven't made any decisions yet. This is where I can bring in some personal style. Do I make it more contemporary or bring in a bit of a chinoiserie feel? Beyond style, there are also other things to consider such as illumination, finish, and, of course, cost.
I hope you will stop by again to see how our projects look as they move forward. Better yet, sign up for Be Colorful Coastal updates here on the blog so you don't miss a post.
Lighting options:
