Thursday, June 16, 2011

Before & After Home: Master (Mini) Bathroom

We have a "master bathroom" off our bedroom. I use the term "master" very loosely though, because it's a tiny little space (as in closet sized). I am so thankful that there's actually room for a shower, toilet, sink and storage space! Having two bathrooms is a must if you ask me. Having two showers/bathtubs is an extra bonus! Our house was originally built as a ranch style home, and the second floor was added later. They had to be creative when adding this handy little bathroom.

When we moved in, the "master bath" was blue. Navy blue. As in almost black, blue. Talk about trying to make a room feel smaller. Especially with a slanted ceiling. I guess the goal was to match the floor tiles? Interesting tactic. I couldn't stand the way it was. It felt so dark and gross.

The first step was to lighten up the place! This is the only room that I can take credit for painting. Primarily because it's only about 5x5 feet and I am not the best painter. We used Sherwin Williams paint in "practical beige," leftover from our kitchen. It's a nice beige that goes with everything.

If you notice in the "before" photo, the window trim was painted white but the original wood was left inside. The house has these beautiful dark wood windows, and the previous owners went around and painted them all white. Not cool. I attempted to strip the paint off but didn't get it all off completely. I think it looks better than it did half white and half wood. A project for another day. Or year.

The sink area before and after. Bye bye dark depressing navy blue! Switched out the switch plates and towel ring too.

The toilet area (or throne, whichever you prefer), with an over-the-toilet shelving unit added much needed storage and made use of wasted wall space.

There used to be a "closet" with handmade, unevenly and widely spaced shelves enclosed by a hideous pull screen. I think I got rid of that screen out the day we closed on the house. I ripped out the shelves shortly after. It wasn't worth having a door behind a door in such a small space. I purchased a tall metal shelving rack to put in its place. It's not the most sightly thing at times, but it keeps everything organized. A quick storage solution.

And a standup shower with a reversible shower curtain that I love. Flowers on one side, stripes on the other. There are two rods, one for the plastic liner and one for the decorative curtain. It was a height issue and I didn't have double-sided hooks like in our other bathroom. Gerbera daisies are my favorite flower. The farmed art was a long narrow poster that I cut into 4 pieces and framed. A metal rack from Marshalls holds towels and extra toilet paper. Gotta have extra TP!

That's a look at our master (mini) bathroom and how I turned it from dark and dreary to light and cheery. Anyone have a tiny room project they're proud of? Any tricks you'd like to share for making the most of a small space?

2 comments:

  1. Love the storage solution over the back of the toilet-would love to know where you purchased it-I haven't seen one quite like it before.

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  2. Thanks! I got that storage unit at a local home & garden store that has unfortunately gone out of business. I wish there was a manufacture name or brand I could give you.

    I found the white shelving unit seen here http://sohldesign.blogspot.com/2010/10/creative-bathroom-storage-for-small.html at The Christmas Tree Shop.

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Thank you!