Small Bathroom Remodel

So…we have the smallest master bathroom on the planet. It’s kind of a joke that the builders even called it a master bath. It had a pedestal sink for criminey’s sake! But because it’s tucked away where no one but us can see or use it, we hadn’t touched it since the day we moved in. We finally decided to tackle a small bathroom remodel, however, and although the footprint hasn’t changed, it is so much more functional!

The best way to show you is probably with a series of before and afters. Because who doesn’t like before and afters?

          

Before: an oversized vanity from the ’80s that we banged our heads on when leaning down into the sink to brush our teeth. A light fixture that I’m sure you really envy. And the aforementioned pedestal sink with a plastic travel soap case as our soap dish. It’s like we didn’t even try.

After: A flush-mount mirror so no more bruising.  New sconces. A low-profile vanity that has storage (gasp!) Oh, and a framed picture and a candle make me feel like I finally have a grown-up bathroom.

          

Before: A shelving unit shoved between the sink and toilet. A pile of crap that overflowed onto the toilet tank. And dingy, old-school shower doors that fell of the track CON-stantly.

After: Shelves above toilet for oft-used toiletries and my makeup. A basket for towels on the floor (no more running to the linen closet dripping wet). And a newly-tiled shower with glass doors that makes the space feel sooo much bigger.

You needed to see that tile job a little better.

          

Before: A towel bar that you wouldn’t think would get in the way but it did. And dull vinyl tiles that I had given up trying to look clean.

After: No towel bar (we now have them hanging on a rack behind the door). And tile floors that look like pickled wood.

And now for a little hint: wander away from the bathroom aisles when shopping for accessories. First off, soap dishes are unnecessarily expensive (have you ever noticed that?) and the run-of-the-mill bathmats are…well, just that. I opted for a kitchen rug instead.

Forget standard soap dishes. I bought a melamine appetizer plate that works much better and washes up beautifully.  Also, our old toothbrush holder was too hard and gross to clean so I swapped it for a clear plastic tumbler from the kitchen aisle that I can just throw in the dishwasher once a week.

Finally, baskets are your friend for adding texture. I love this seagrass one that peeks out from behind the vanity.

It may not be bigger, but the aesthetic makes me want to spend more time in there. Hm. Is that why I’ve actually started taking off my makeup at night? Maybe I’ll even start flossing!

Do you have a small master bathroom? What are some of your storage tips and tricks?