by Malena Lott
My 11 year old is a girly-girl, which meant when it came time to re-do her very dated bathroom in our 1981 house, I knew she wouldn’t mind if I took it over-the-top glam. As with all the posts on new hue and our home renovation, cost is always a huge consideration, so I’m giving you the best deals I found and tips to save.
1. Granite countertops – if you buy from a builder’s warehouse you won’t pay more (or much more) than you would buying a lesser quality material at a big box store. So Ms. A got granite, which came with an undermount sink. Kept existing side backsplashes, but painted them black to match the cabinetry, also painted black. New chrome knobs installed. Cost: $200
2. Chrome faucet – chrome is glam. $45 from Home Depot
with black and silver stripes
3. For dramatic effect, I painted silver and black stripes all the way up behind her sink to the ceiling. Taped off with blue tape. Then to add even more sparkle, I swiped silver glitter over the black.
4. New rug. An easy way to bring in more pattern is with a rug. This zebra-print one came from Walmart for just $12.
5. New towel bar set. The 5-piece set was on clearance at Home Depot for $22. Got the same set for my teen boys’ bathroom (which is the next post). It won’t go up until the bathroom is painted.
You don't have to use a "bathroom rug" in front of the sink
6. Removed the bathroom closet and hung pink curtains instead. (You can see the curtains reflected in the mirror.) The door was in the way and, even worse, it was wired so the light came on when you opened it so I had my dad rewire it so she had a lightswitch and the curtains make it convenient for her to get in and out. The curtains came from her former bedroom, so no cost. Curtain rod, same thing.
finally, add some artwork
Next step is to paint the rest of the bathroom a slightly darker pink that the one that’s up now. It’s so light that you can see the wallpaper underneath it, so that may await me this weekend if I gather the mojo. After the paint is dry, I’ll hang this final touch: zebra-print artwork with high heel she’s many years away from wearing.
If I had the extra budget, I’d give her a crystal chandelier (or some type of chandelier) above her sink. Maybe someday.
