My husband and I bought our 1960s home in a rush; it was one of only five homes in our price range on the market when we relocated to Alabama. It was a fix-and-flip home, and pretty much any character had been replaced by gray walls and white cabinets. There was only one room in the home that was left untouched — our kids’ bathroom.
Unfortunately, when we first moved into our home, that small bathroom quickly became one of the most frustrating spaces in the house. With two young kids, bath time felt impossible because the layout just didn’t work. As much as I wanted to work with the vintage look, the space was too cramped and awkward. Plus, some of the old tiles were cracked, the ceiling had an ugly popcorn texture, and the built-in cabinet situation was not ideal.
We knew a full remodel was necessary. Even though we have dozens of DIY projects under our belts, this was our biggest undertaking yet. It was a complete gut job with the two of us doing most of the work ourselves.
The clawfoot tub is the centerpiece.
The first step was demolition. We tore everything out down to the studs. From there, we brought in plumbers to move a few key fixtures around to better fit the way our family actually uses the space — namely, we swapped the vanity and tub spots.
We found our beloved clawfoot tub (the highlight of the project) on Facebook Marketplace. It was only $350 and in perfect condition, and even came with a faucet and showerhead. We drove over an hour each way to pick it up, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat! The tub adds character and a vintage feel to the space.
We installed a wraparound shower curtain rod with a simple white shower curtain, which is the perfect finishing touch. (We found the hardware to do this on eBay. It was used, but again, in great condition.) I absolutely love it. Once that work was done, it was our turn again.
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We upgraded the walls and floors.
When it came time to choose materials, I didn’t want to erase the bathroom’s personality. The old tile had a nostalgic feel that I genuinely liked, even though it couldn’t be saved. So instead of going ultramodern, we looked for ways to make the space look interesting. We used Medici porcelain tile from Floor and Decor since we liked the colors and the pretty bohemian pattern. We painted the walls using Sherwin-Williams’ Mariner, which is a bright blue with green undertones that our kids liked. We also chose a simple, small blue vanity to fit in the small bathroom with a pretty gold mirror to finish the space.
Goodbye, popcorn ceilings. Hello, warm wood.
One of the biggest changes we made was adding wood to the ceiling to cover up the popcorn, which saved us from having to scrape it all off, which is a messy and time-consuming project.
The wood-paneled ceiling instantly made the small space feel warmer and more finished.
The “after” is everything we hoped it would be. The bathroom is a more functional space that has its own personality. There’s space to move around during bath time, and the layout finally makes sense for a family. The clawfoot tub adds character, and the mix of textures makes the room feel layered and cozy.
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