Bathroom Refresh

As much as I love color and tend to use a lot of it in my designs, I have a huge appreciation for the simple and clean look of bright white—especially in a teeny tiny space like my bathroom. As a renter, I’m limited on how much of a face-lift I can give my place, but fortunately it has really great bones and a lot of character to begin with. Twelve-foot ceilings, hardwood floors, moldings around the door and window frames and marble tile all form the footprint of my Victorian one-bedroom apartment and make the styling process really fun and easy (most of the time). And while my bathroom was blessed with a sleek pedestal sink, marble tile on the floor and high ceilings, it was completely void of storage and style.

Shortly after moving in I quickly added the IKEA cabinet (because I’m a woman and have a ridiculous amount of hair products, face creams and miscellaneous toiletries that desperately needed a home). Next came overhauling the existing light fixture—a terribly misplaced rustic wrought iron chandelier (see before photos below) that had no business being installed in the first place, but I digress. Rather than buying a new one and dealing with electrical (again, I’m renting) I decided to paint it white and hope for the best. Still not a style I would choose, but a vast improvement over its original state.

Before photos:

Next came the styling part (my favorite). While the room has height—thank God—its perimeter is about the size of a small hall closet. Seriously, though; even if I had someone to shower with there’s no way in hell two people could fit (although it’d be quite humorous to try—any takers? kidding). For this reason I wanted to keep the décor light and airy, so I stuck to a color palette of mostly white and cream with hints of black, gold and a splash of natural greenery. Complimentary patterns in neutral tones create a look that is playful without being too busy or overwhelming. The end result is a space that feels refreshingly bright and happy.

– S A D Y E  E V Y N  R E I S H

Cabinet (IKEA)  //  Target: shower curtain (Threshold), curtain rings (Nate Berkus), bath towels (Threshold) + hand towel (Threshold)  //  plant pot (Urban Outfitters – old)  //  clock (Baby Ben – vintage)  //  clear vessels (old)

P.S. Other DIYs in this makeover include spray painting the baskets above the shower a creamy white (they were previously charcoal gray) and making a custom shower curtain rod (a wood dowel cut to size and spray painted gold)—because let’s be honest, a tension rod (the only readymade option that would fit the tiny opening) doesn’t exactly lend itself to a stylish space. Next up is making a new window covering to replace the chevron patterned one (pictured in the “before” photos) that I made prior to redoing the space.