powder room cosmetic re-model

12 years ago

We are doing a quick and cheap remodel of our powder room. We already have most the wall paper down and I have a new mirror selected. Beyond that, I'm not sure. The toilet, sink, and floor must stay at this point. We may redo them later but don't have the time or money at this point. I will get a faucet to match the finish on the mirror and paint or replace the light fixture.

The issue we have had in the past is water spraying the wall behind the sink. Any suggestions on what we can do to keep from damaging the wall in this location? When the wall paper was there, it was yellowed from always getting wet.

The room is very small (4'-7" x 5'4"). Any suggestions for for a water guard and/or design would be more than appreciated!

Sorry for the bad pictures...it's really hard to take pictures of such a small space

Featured Answer

PRO

Litwiller Construction

12 years ago

You have some nice photos in your bath idea book. Pick the look you like and go for it. You can retint the grout in your floor tile if the dark grout is killing your look.

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Comments (16)

Melanie
Original Author
12 years ago
and obviously the mirror will be hung higher. I just placed in on the sink for the picture.
PRO
Litwiller Construction
12 years ago
Was the wall getting wet from a faulty faucet or just from the fact that it's a tight space?
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Danielle Eastwood
12 years ago
Tile on walls to ceiling or as high as money will allow, of course waterproofing etc. use a tap that is curved, or have the tap set off the wall, that way when you are ready to change vanity and basin taps are in a good position to do so
Melanie
Original Author
12 years ago
just from people splashing when they washed their hands. Maybe from when they reached for the towels that used to be hung on the wall to the right of the sink
PRO
LM Interior Design, LLC
12 years ago
Hello mel07ag. I always run tile around the perimeter of a bathroom to a height at least 6" or more above any sink. It not only protects the wallboard (which is not waterproof) but it makes the room look finished & complete.
Plain sheet rock looks "cheap", if you'll forgive me for being honest here. Try to make room in your budget - you'll find that it's worth the investment. Plain subway tile or ceramic tile with a trim cap will really complete the look, as well as protecting the wallboard from getting damaged. And it's easy to keep clean, since you can wash it down.
~LM
Melanie
Original Author
12 years ago
No offense taken at all @LM Designs! At the minimum, I was going to retexture the wall and paint.

If I did something like subway tile half way up, do I keep the baseboards as is?
PRO
Litwiller Construction
12 years ago
I agree that you need a waterproof, easy to clean surface behind the sink and toilet. Bead board wainscot would work but I would also recommend tiling that wall , it would solve your water problem and could set off your new faucet and mirror beautifully.
PRO
Litwiller Construction
12 years ago
Remove the baseboard and tile down to the floor. You could tile that wall about as cheap and easy as you could fix and paint the drywall.
Melanie
Original Author
12 years ago
I need to look and see how much tiling would cost but if I had to choose, would it look better to tile all walls half way up or tile the entire back wall that the toilet and sink are on?
Denita
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
You can go bold here for not a lot of money. As mentioned above you can tile around the entire powder room to 6" above the sink. OR, you could tile just one entire wall, the wall behind the sink and toilet. Because the area is small, it is budget friendly. Here are a couple of inspiration photos for you. Hover to expand the photo. Click on the photo name to see details.
Interior Photos · More Info

Victorian Bathroom · More Info

Miami Condo · More Info

His Bathroom · More Info

Pratt Larson Bath · More Info

M Squared Projects · More Info
Melanie
Original Author
12 years ago
I really like the 1st and 3rd one. I guess I need to go check out some tile and see what my options are. Thank you everyone for the help!
Melanie
Original Author
12 years ago
Would something like this work with my current floor?
I'm not opposed to color, but worried that the whole wall of it might be too much.
PRO
LM Interior Design, LLC
12 years ago
mel07ag - to answer your question, I would remove the base moulding & run tile down to the floor for easy cleaning & a finished look. I've attached 2 pics that illustrate how simple subway tile can make a tiny room look much more pulled together. Some of them cost as little as $2.00 a sf. Be sure to use a brand that includes a trim cap & a base & use a grout that has mildew & stain blocker built right in such as TEC Powergrout.
toomanywhitewalls
12 years ago
My two cents. I think you will be disappointed if you install new tiles on the walls and leave the existing floor. I would always feel the room would look incomplete. How about doing a bead board around the walls and replacing the floor? Or just doing bead board with new paint for a refreshed look. This might be a cost effective way to get a completely new look. Although I am not sure on the costs of either. I understand your budget may not be conducive to redoing all the tile.
Melanie
Original Author
12 years ago
After sleeping on it, I agree with the flooring. I would love to replace it now, but I put myself in a bad position. We are hosting a shower at our house on the 29th so the bathroom has to be done by then. I just wasn't thinking when I started taking off the wall paper. I was just sick of looking at it one day and started ripping!

I plan to replace the floor along with a high efficiency low-flow toilet and possibly new sink in the future. I may just need to put a bandaid on the room for now and remove popcorn ceiling, re-texture, and paint. This way I haven't put too much money in something that will just be re-done in a year. This isn't ideal but it may be the best I can do in the next 2 weeks.