Finally! The guest bathroom makeover reveal is here! I know – it’s been a long time! I started talking about the guest bathroom makeover in July 2016 (!!), then got hurt (fell off a ladder when working on the light fixture in the bathroom), then had Thanksgiving…I thought it would never get finished.
But it is, finally! So, without further ado, the guest bathroom!
Wait! Want to see what it looked like before the makeover? Let’s harken back.
This is what it looked like when we moved into the bungalow:
This is what it looked like right before this makeover:
Click on the photo for the list of changes to the guest bathroom I had planned to do.
I chose a navy blue paint color (Hale Navy):
I changed the shades on the light fixture, from victorian-ish to more industrial/modern (which is when I fell off the ladder):
And, now, the bathroom is finally, finally finished!
I have a lot to tell you about this makeover…
Those wooden wall planters were so easy to make! Click here for the tutorial!
I’m going to show you on Thursday how I made these shelves out of reclaimed wood. Hint: it has something to do with my daybed!
If you can’t wait, check out the tutorial on how I made the reclaimed wood shelves here!
But for now, I’m just going to show you the pretty pictures and tell you about my decision-making process.
For example, several of you – including some people related to me! – told me to paint just the walls and not the ceiling. As you can see…
I didn’t listen. And I’m glad I didn’t. I think everyone who said I should leave the ceiling white thought that a navy blue ceiling would make the room seem smaller. It actually has the opposite effect, though – it makes the room feel like it goes on forever. The dark color on the walls and ceiling makes them just recede into the background.
Also, as you can see, there’s no wainscoting. In this post about five changes to the guest bathroom, I talked about how I was going to paint the walls navy, but then add white wainscoting to break up the dark color.
I put one piece of the white wainscoting up on the wall and immediately knew it wasn’t what I wanted. It felt bulky and clunky and made the room feel smaller. I liked the expansiveness of the navy – so I just left the walls navy. The white trim, the white vanity, the white tub and shower curtain, and the white toilet would set off the navy just fine.
Click on the photo for how to make faux Roman shades like these.
I made faux Roman shades to cover the window. I followed this tutorial for making faux roman shades from shower curtains, but used a curtain I bought at Home Goods (rather than a shower curtain). The rug is jute and I got it on clearance at Home Goods for – you won’t believe it – $8!
I found this little tray at the thrift store for $1. The soap dispenser is from IKEA.
Can you tell what these planters are made from? I can’t wait to show you how easy they are to make!
Click on the photo or the link below to find the tutorial for how to make these easy DIY wooden wall planters!
You can find the tutorial for the DIY wooden wall planters here!
I’m really happy with how the bathroom turned out. I’m just bummed that it’s the guest bathroom and not my bathroom!
Here’s the full list of the materials used in this bathroom makeover:
- One gallon of Hale Navy (Benjamin Moore) paint (see how I chose the paint color here)
- Shower curtain – I had already, but it originally came from Home Goods
- Throw rug – Home Goods
- Curtain – Home Goods, altered to fit window as faux roman shade
- Shelves: Find the tutorial for reclaimed wood shelves here!
- reclaimed wood
- brackets – I had, originally from Lowe’s (bought several years ago)
- Terrarium for cotton balls and swabs – Goodwill
- Magnolia Home candle from Magnolia Market (read about our trip here)
- DIY wooden planters with succulents – click here for the tutorial
- Accessories (small mirror, soap dispenser, tissue box) – IKEA
- Towel bar, ring, and toilet paper holder – Lowe’s
- Art above towel bar – Home Goods
- “C” hand towels – Target
- New shades on light fixture – Home Depot
Pin for decorating inspiration later!
A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.
Congratulations on a job well done! I’m impressed with the painted ceiling! A bold move! In one of the photos, did I catch a glimpse of a shade on the lights over the sink? Last seen, there were Edison bulbs and no shades due to budget constraints, you said. They looked great. Did the extended time allow for the budget to recoup? : ) Love the fabric on the Roman shade. The guest bathroom looks great….when do you start on yours????? P.S. I think I recognize the wall planters.
Thank you, Karen! You have a great memory! I was going to go with bare edison bulbs, like I did in my bathroom, but with the navy paint, it just wasn’t enough light. I’ll add that to the post – thank you for reminding me about that change!!
I love the wall planters and can’t wait to reveal how I made them – super-easy, and cheaper than buying a similar version retail!
It turned out great – we had Navy walls in our last house -it was in Florida and very nautical
We did add white wainscoting in the kitchen/great room but not in the master bathroom
..people thought we were crazy when we first told them we were going with dark blue.but it turned out great and got tons of compliments. Yours turned out fabulous and I even like the ceiling the same color ( I think I was one of the ones who said “don’t do it” .) But it’s just beautiful.
Thank you, Marilyn! My mother-in-law told me not to paint the ceiling, too. But she just came to visit, and said the navy ceiling was her favorite thing! Thank you!
Isn’t it amazing what a good dark wall can do? I have several black rooms and black walls and I feel like it makes the room seem spacious because the walls just fall away. Your room looks lovely and I like all your projects like the shelves.
Thank you, Karen! I was surprised at how much I loved the rich, dark navy. But it’s true – the walls just fall away. Thank you!
This comment seems to be many moons past your original post. I actually stumbled upon this because of my absolute obsession with finding the perfect navy blue paint color for my kitchen. I had the same exact debate you had with the Hale Navy, Newburyport Blue and VanDeusen Blue. I am worried the Hale Navy may be a tad dark, but I am not liking the colors coming off from the other two swatches. My gut instinct is the Hale Navy. I have enough white to balance things out (I think, I hope!) LOL! I never like to go against my gut instinct and now after seeing your post, I’m jumping on the Hale Navy train! Thank you for the wonderful post.
Thanks, Jennifer! I’m glad it was helpful. I luuuuuuuve Hale Navy – to me, it’s the perfect navy.