When you have a master bathroom that’s anything but, and you’re working with a limited budget, it’s time for a small bathroom remodel.
This mid-century house belongs to Logan and Hannah, who share it with their daughters Brooklyn and Dakota and, soon, another baby girl.
The growing family has a master bathroom that needs to grow too, but since it can’t, we’re making the most of what they have.
The Problems
Logan and Hannah’s master bathroom is not much of a master. It’s small and has a dated light fixture and medicine cabinet, tired tile, a toilet too large for the space, and an overall lack of storage.
Then there’s an oddly placed outlet that prevents Logan from entering the bathroom without getting tangled up while Hannah blow-dries her hair.
Finally, their exhaust fan sounds like a freight train when it’s turned on.
And we’re going to fix all these problems with a small bathroom remodel on this episode of Today’s Homeowner.
Adding a Vanity
The sink is, well, just a sink. There’s no vanity, and that means there are no drawers, no doors, and no storage. That means Hannah has to store things in a basket under the sink — not ideal. So, the first thing we’ll do during this small bathroom remodel is replace this sink with a proper vanity.
Usually, when you have water lines coming out of a bathroom, there’s a shutoff valve. While there’s one of those near the toilet that we removed, there’s not one for the sink. That means we have to turn the water off at the street and then add shutoff valves. This is a job for the plumber, Artie.
He will do more than add shutoff valves; he’ll also install an offset toilet flange. This will allow us to position the toilet closer to the vanity.
But before he arrives, I’ll remove the dated ceramic cup holder and toothbrush caddy.
Beautifying with Beadboard
We’re installing a vanity that has Shaker-style doors and beadboard fronts. Chelsea loves the look of beadboard and glues a piece on the side of the vanity, next to the toilet.
She also wants to cover the linen closet door’s louvers with beadboard; this will make them look fresh and modern. So, we cut panels from the beadboard and use Titebond II Premium Wood Glue to adhere them to the door recess, to dry overnight. Then we caulk the gaps so we can paint the door.
Painting the Walls, Ceiling and Trim
When it comes to paint, Chelsea thinks we should go bold or go home. She chooses Modern Mocha, with Hannah’s blessing, and paints the ceiling and trim the same color as the walls.
The seamless appearance is on trend and makes a big statement for this small bathroom remodel.
Laying Porcelain Tile
Once the walls and ceiling are painted, floor prep begins. We rough up the old tile surface with sandpaper, clean it thoroughly and chalk our layout line for difficult cuts by the tub.
Bear mixes thin-set and cuts tiles to fit around the tub and other awkward spaces. Then Logan and I apply the thin-set and lay the tiles.
The floor dries overnight, and the next morning we prep the surface with Aqua Mix Grout Release from Custom Building Products, which prevents staining on the tiles when you use a dark-colored grout.
Then we apply Fusion Pro Single Component Grout from Custom Building Products. It’s ready to use, stain-proof and color perfect.
Once the tiles are grouted, we’re ready to add a transition from the master bathroom to the master bedroom.
I’m often asked, “How do you transition from the new floor to the old one?” Every situation is a bit different. In this case, we used the same threshold that was there before; we just modified it with a bevel.
Hanging the Shower Rod
No small bathroom remodel would be complete without a special touch that helps make the space look high-end.
So, we’re hanging the shower curtain rod from brackets on the ceiling, not a tension rod. This gives the illusion of more space and height in the bathroom.
Plus, it’s a change from what most people do, which adds a special touch to the space.
Finishing It Off
When the grout is dry enough for traffic, we install the vanity cabinet, countertop and linen closet door. And this small bathroom remodel is complete, and the master bathroom is finally worthy of its name!
Source: Today’s Home Owner
