We’ve been taking it slow the past month, so while I’ve been dreaming of projects, we haven’t been working on any. We’ve soaked in the moments of October and the joys of the season. It’s been so good for us to step away from the “doing” in our house and just enjoy it. But don’t worry! We have plenty of past projects to share that will hopefully inspire you to also love where you live, no matter your budget.
Small but mighty, our first floor half-bathroom had seen better days. You’ve heard us say this throughout this blog, but our 1950s home certainly bucks a lot of the trends around our area, some of which being its 3 bedrooms & 2.5 bathrooms – and we’re certainly thankful for all of them!
When we got the keys to the house for the first time, there were a lot of areas that needed some TLC (or at least a good scrub down). This half-bathroom was no different. Stylistically, can I just say I despised the way the wall tile looked with the floor tile? Because that’s what I’m saying … no thanks! Our budget didn’t allow for a renovation, so I did what I try to do best: using what I had to transform the space. Here’s how our low-budget half-bath update is doing 3 years later.
From the bottom to the top! The floor was obviously covered in carpet at some point. How do I know this? I scrubbed, scrapped, buffed, and used as many different chemicals I could to try to remove the old carpet glue/tape around the edges of the tile. While I was able to remove a lot of it, some still remains, which I bet you wouldn’t have known until I told you! 😉
We replaced what I believe was the original toilet and added some cute knobs from Home Goods to spruce up the vanity. If you could imagine, we also had to scrub and scrub and scrub the sink and fixture (both of which we kept).
Since I couldn’t hang with the wall tile, I decided the most inexpensive update would be paint! I used a bonding primer first and then applied a coat of Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray. It’s held up pretty well, but I’ve had to touch up a few spots. Overall, I would do it again! I’m all about loving spaces even in the in-between. The rest of the walls are Sherwin Williams Eider White.
You can faintly see it, but did you notice the trim around the window and door is a light mint green? Like I mentioned in this post about our family room, most (if not all) of the the trim on the first floor was painted mint green. Some of it was painted white before we moved in, but it remains here in our half bath. I don’t know if I’d ever choose it on my own, but I love the history and the pop of color. Our stairs were covered in grass green carpet when we moved in, so I can only imagine how it probably covered our first floor and would love to see what it looked like in it’s heyday!
Do you have a room you’ve transformed so you can love it in the in-between? Thanks again for following along, friend! Stay tuned for some fun things coming up, like one of my favorite things – Holiday Gift Guides – plus of course other home and hospitality offerings! If you don’t want to miss a post, you can subscribe to receive the latest blog posts to your email inbox (click here to subscribe).
Sources:
Mirror: I found this one at Hobby Lobby, so you could try to find in-store! The rope mirrors are less common now, but I also own this mirror I found online that I love!
Light Fixture: Double Vanity Light
Faux Plant: I found mine at Home Goods, which is a great place to look for faux succulents or plants. I also find a lot of luck at IKEA, TJ Maxx, and Target!