Before and Afters
Bathroom Design
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Bathroom Makeovers
Jumbled Style Goes Vintage Chic in a D.C. Bathroom Makeover
Sloppy on the outside and alarming on the inside, this row house bathroom now sports a clean new look and systems that work
Under this bathroom's previous painted subway tile, purple vinyl floors and dark red walls lurked a mishmash of electrical and plumbing problems, and a rotted joist under the toilet. With the help of local professionals, Megan Adams and her husband gutted this outdated bathroom in their Washington, D.C., row house and started from scratch. About $10,000 and a month of construction resulted in a clean, classic and efficient design.
Project at a Glance
What: Full bathroom remodel
Location: Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Size: 40 square feet
Budget: About $10,000
Project at a Glance
What: Full bathroom remodel
Location: Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Size: 40 square feet
Budget: About $10,000
BEFORE: The bathroom looked extra small due to its dark red hue. The painted-over subway tile, purple vinyl floor tiles and sloppy-looking ceiling may have called for a complete overhaul on their own, but more dangerous structural issues required immediate and professional attention. The beam below the toilet had rotted to the point where the toilet had started to sink beneath the floor. Electrical complications in the wall and the need to replace the main water pipe also cut into the budget.
AFTER: In the bathroom’s new layout, the awkward half wall is gone, allowing for a full wall of glossy white subway tile. Adams and her husband originally chose white grout, but “it somehow made the tile look plasticky and not very interesting,” she says. “So we smartly went with a charcoal grout.”
She wanted to use a lot of subway tile in the shower and hex tile on the floor, so she stuck with standard but durable stock tile to stay within budget.
Shower fixtures: Moen Banbury; shower curtain: Belgian Linen, Restoration Hardware; step stool, rug: Ikea
She wanted to use a lot of subway tile in the shower and hex tile on the floor, so she stuck with standard but durable stock tile to stay within budget.
Shower fixtures: Moen Banbury; shower curtain: Belgian Linen, Restoration Hardware; step stool, rug: Ikea
The 40-square-foot upstairs bathroom is the home's main bath.
Above the toilet a Woolly Pocket holds moisture- and shade-loving ferns for a splash of greenery.
BEFORE: Dim sconces, part of the bathroom's previous remodel, barely provided enough light for the couple to get ready in the mornings. The mirror took up space but didn't provide storage.
Instead of taking up wall space, all of the bathroom's storage was in a vanity topped with faux marble, which meant it was an extra-bulky feature.
AFTER: A simple wall hung sink ties in with the rest of the home's vintage vibe and uses minimal square footage. From the get-go Adams wanted to salvage an old tub and sink. She and her husband found both items for a total of less than $200 at Second Chance, a salvage store in nearby Baltimore. The new mirror includes a medicine cabinet.
Adams also found classic, vintage-inspired light fixtures to tie in with the rest of the house. But she's already itching for some new, more modern lights.
Light fixture: Rejuvenation; photograph: 20x200
Adams also found classic, vintage-inspired light fixtures to tie in with the rest of the house. But she's already itching for some new, more modern lights.
Light fixture: Rejuvenation; photograph: 20x200
Vintage accessories from local shops and Adams' own homewares store give the classic bathroom extra character. "It makes for a more interesting space," she says.
Blinds, textured glass and a curtain once blocked the bathroom's only access to the outdoors. Now a simple, sheer fabric provides provides privacy as well as a flood of sunlight.
Adams had her contractor build two small niches into the new drywall, adding more storage space.
Custom black paint and shelving made of leftover cedar planks make the niches stand out. "While it's still a pretty small amount of storage, it works for us," she says. "We don't have lots of stuff."
Animal hooks: View From Here, Anthropologie; paint color for nooks: custom; art: framed poster reproduction
Animal hooks: View From Here, Anthropologie; paint color for nooks: custom; art: framed poster reproduction
Wall paint: Twilight, Behr; sink, tub: vintage, Second Chance; toilet: Highline, Kohler