Thursday, February 21

Mini Bathroom Redo

Our pretty new light!
I am not a fan of medicine cabinets. Never have been. I blame it on living so long in apartments – apartment medicine cabinets are uniformly ugly, cheap and hard to clean. I ripped the hideous medicine cabinet out of the master bathroom not long after we moved in, and would have done the same to the one in the hall bath except that it contained the light and mirrors, and therefore couldn't just be wrenched off without consequences.

At the end of January, though, we decided it was time to makeover the vanity in the guest bath. The rest of the room was in good shape – fresh paint and a matching shower curtain/ rug/ art print set made it feel clean and welcoming. We picked out a pretty light fixture for less than $30 at Lowe's, and my talented husband ripped out the ugly medicine cabinet.

Clean, matching and bright.
He wired in the new light, and moved a giant mirror we'd had somewhere else into the space above the vanity. I found a dark chocolate brown paint that matched the shower curtain embroidery and set to work coating the vanity inside and out. We snagged a rubbed bronze toilet paper holder for half price ($10!) to replace the rusted brass-y one that had been in there, and switched out the worn beige light switch plate for a clean white one that matches the door and trim.

Voila! Less than 50 bucks and a some elbow grease invested, and I'm thrilled with the result! The giant mirror and new light make the room seem much brighter – a huge plus, since its the only room in the house without natural light. Painting the vanity hid the water stains and gave it a clean, matching look that makes all the difference.

Where the color scheme came from.
Although we've talked about someday replacing the cheap vinyl floor with proper tile and popping window in over the shower so there's natural light, we're well content with the room as it stands now. It's clean, coherent, and reflects the kind of calm and welcoming demeanor we want for our house. With the hikes in taxes and gas prices, we've been reevaluating what house projects we can realistically expect to get done this year. But that's okay; after doing this project I am reminded that it isn't the size of the project that matters – it's the satisfaction you get from it that counts. I'll be okay with a handful of smaller projects if they all feel this rewarding.

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