The old adage goes, there are two rooms that sell houses, and those are bathrooms and kitchens. While these two rooms may sell houses, I am of the mindset that these rooms should always look nice and they should fit into your life. For this week’s Tune Up Time, I will be giving this utilitarian rental bathroom a makeover that will greatly increase the look and the functionality on a budget.
In this bathroom, there are two things that I would not touch for this renovation: the first is the cabinets, they’re a nice dark wood shaker style, which contrasts the lighter elements in the space well, and the second is the brushed nickel/chrome fixture which are timeless and versatile so they will work with almost any style. Both of these two elements are fairly simple as well which helps them fit into almost any style. For this renovation, keep these fixtures and save the budget for other parts of the new design.
The first change for the space needs to be dressing up the window corner. The mgniblinds that were used are ugly and look like they were taken out of a 1980s office. And while they need to go back to that office, they can be difficult to take down and put back up when you move out. Instead we are going to focus on hiding them. A cornice will look nice, and if it is added from ceiling level to just below the top of the window it will conceal the ugly mechanicals for the mini blinds. Then hang long curtain panels inside the cornice that reach the floor which will hide the edges of the mini blinds and the additional hardware like the cord the turning rod. Just remember we are only trying to hide the edges of the window, because we are technically treating the wall not the window.
The shower could use some dressing up as well. The original curtain rod is a nice place to hang an inexpensive clear liner so the water doesn’t splash everywhere, but it isn’t very high up, which will make the ceiling seem oddly low. To fix this problem, add a curved shower rod that is high up and further out, just outside the shower surround. The curtain used here doesn’t have to be a shower curtain then since it won’t be getting wet, however, the curtain should be similar to the one used on the window since the two are in the same room.
The next change for this bathroom is all the white grab bars and toilet roll holder need to be replaced with chrome, brushed nickel, or stainless steel ones. All three of these metals look similar enough that you can get by with combining them and they don’t look out of place. This way the bars will match the plumbing fixtures, the cabinet hardware, and the light fixture. The white bars look cheaper than the metal ones even though they cost more, especially on the gross beige off white wall that should be repainted high contrast white. By replacing these bars, you will then unify the space because all your fixtures will match.
The next glaring issue with this bathroom is the weird medicine that is divided into thirds. I never seen a medicine cabinet divided up like this outside of this building, especially coupled with high storage cabinets right next to the sink, so it just needs to be replaced. Medicine cabinets are easy to take down and put back up when you move out with a simple drill-driver. In its place, a mirror that is framed to match the cabinets instead of getting something with an equally weird white border will help unify the space as well. That way you can actually use the mirror without large black lines dividing your face into thirds like some kind of geometry problem.
Next, cover the vanity top with marble contact paper. While this project is not expensive at all, it is involved, but it will dress up the room and make it worth it. The white fiberglass top is ugly and will be a pain to keep clean unless you religiously bleach it. Marble is timeless, and will keep the light look that the top currently has, which I do like since it contrasts the cabinets in a good way.
Then, in the odd gap between the vanity and the window, place a small end table which would be a good place to add a plant. The plant will add an organic spa like element to the space, and a real plant will help clean out the air which is always nice. Just make sure to leave enough space in the corner for curtain panels to gather.
Above the toilet is an oddly large empty wall. This space would be perfect for either high above the toilet overflow storage or it would be a nice place for a large mirror that would also be framed to match the cabinets. If you go with the storage idea, either use shallow off the shelf cabinets that match the vanity or DIY a shallow open shelving unit that is stained to match the wood of the cabinets. Either way use French Cleats to hang the storage since they can be hidden easily and are remarkably strong. Either solution will fill the space in nicely and create a welcoming feel for the space.
Finally, the grouted vinyl tile isn’t a great look especially in the fake red stone finish, so a nicer rug would be perfect in the space. For a completely unique look, an outdoor rug would be perfect, since there aren’t as many designs for bathmats as there are outdoor rugs. Outdoor rugs are also designed to get wet and dry quickly, so they are prefect for use in a bathroom. The rug is the final touch that will bring the room together and unify the space.
With simple touches, the space went from looking like a hodgepodge of random utilitarian off the shelf elements in a typical rental, to a personal bathroom that would be pleasant to use on a daily basis.