Besides getting new carpet in our house and a new roof, re-doing this bathroom was one of the first projects I wanted to tackle when we bought our 1928 craftsman style home three years ago. Everything in this basement bathroom under the stairs that needed to be fixed was cosmetic so the transformation should be fairly simple. The thing is though when you live in such an old house and you are not a millionaire the projects pile up and sometimes things break faster than you can fix them.
So it wasn’t until a year ago when I was seven months pregnant that I had finally had enough and started working on this basement bathroom one little project at a time. Looking back I think I might have lost my mind due to pregnancy related issues and/or I was nesting.
Inspiration Board: One of the things that help me most when decorating a new room is putting together an inspiration board. This allows me to put together all my different ideas and see before hand what does and doesn’t work for the space. It also helps bring a uniform look to the whole room design and is a tool that you can reference back to so you can stay on track with your vision for the room as you acquire different items and various pieces to decorate the room with. You can make an inspiration board using a photo editing software or keep it simple and just make a Pinterest board for that specific room you are currently working on.
My goal was to create a modern update that was fresh and relaxing. It was also important for me to add some vintage touches throughout because my house is almost 100 years old and I want to highlight how special this craftsman style home is.
Before & After: Nothing about this bathroom said Craftsman Style or old style charm. It was plain and boring with the ugliest mirror I have ever seen. We painted the room a soft mint green and went with traditional black rubbed bronze metal accents throughout including the light fixture, towel holder, wall mounted storage rack, frosted glass shelves and even the amber glass soap dispenser.
Storage: The bronze metal organizing rack is one of my favorite pieces in the room. Its even larger in person and very sturdy. I love being able to hang towels on the hooks instead of holding them over a towel bar. I also like the three different compartments. We use the three compartments now to divide up the toiletries. My girls have all their body wash and shampoo in one compartment, and I put all my stuff in another. Then we keep extra wash clothes in the last compartment. I also like that its right by the shower at arms length so we are not cluttering up the sides or the bathtub with all of our various products.
This gold framed photograph of Tulum Mexico was taken by me last year during a very special family trip to Cancun. I gave it a simple travel poster flair before sending it off to the printers. This was a very inexpensive project that adds a special touch to this basement bathroom makeover and it also brings in a little bit of that tropical feeling without over taking the room.
I went back and forth for months on wether I should get black wood floating shelves or these black Rubbed Bronze Frosted Glass Shelves. There were a lot of bad reviews on amazon for the wood floating shelves not being able to hold anything and falling down a lot. I’m so glad I got these frosted glass shelves with the rails. They are super sturdy and I like that the light passes through them instead of having dark heavy shadows on the wall. The black bronze metal detail goes great with the rest of the bathroom and also adds to the subtle vintage vibe I am trying to incorporate. The toilet paper holder I got for a dollar at a yard sale last summer.
The Details: It was important to me that the bathroom wasn’t too themed. I have an eclectic style and wanted to include special touches that mean a lot to my family and me. I was also on a tight budget and wanted to save the bulk of my money on the bigger pieces like the Mother of Pearl mirror from Hobby Lobby and paint supplies. That meant I had to go supper frugal on the nicknacks.
Kitten Jewelry Holder: $1.00 at Deseret Industry
Toilet Paper Holder: $1.00 at local yard sale
Moroccan Painted Rug: $12.00 (half off ) at Hobby Lobby
Vintage Gold Knobs: $5.00 each Hobby Lobby
This was an important detail because a lot of the door knobs in our old craftsman style are a
clear glass knob with a brass/gold base.
Square Picture Frame & Word Art Print: $1.00 for the frame at a yard sale and I printed the
word art at home on my personal printer.
Amber Glass Jar Soap Dispenser: $15.00 at Amazon
This was a bit of a splurge for just a soap dispenser but it had so much character I couldn’t pass it up.
If you love either of these prints I designed for this bathroom you can also have them in yours for FREE! Here is the google doc link to the free pdf file printable:
Wash Your Hands – Word Art Printable & Tropical Leaf Art
I almost feel like I should call this blog post part one because someday I plan on adding new flooring and a new shiny sink faucet. But for now we are loving this little basement oasis. It’s so much more pleasant and functional than before.
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This blog post was not sponsored in any way. All of the items used in this bathroom makeover I acquired myself because I thought they were wonderful and would make a great addition to my bathroom. I am an amazon affiliate so if you buy any of the items I linked to I will receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps me continue to bring you quality home and family content.
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