Our DIY Primary Bathroom
So I have a little confession to make. There is a little teeny tiny piece of me that thought this day would never come. {Sorry, honey.}
You see, 16 looooonnnngggg months ago, we ripped out our master bathroom, our hideously ugly master bathroom that once looked like this:
And then got a small upgrade to this:
And then was taken down to the studs where it sat… and sat… and sat. It was kind of an intimidating thing, this bathroom, even though, ironically, it is the tiniest room in our house. We were kind of learning as we went, having never completely remodeled a bathroom before, so each step took a lot of research, planning, and forethought.
I admit, there were several times where I told Donnie, “Let’s just hire someone to finish it! That way we’ll get it off our back and it will be done!” But he was persistent. And when this man does something, he definitely does it up right!
We went from yellowing linoleum floors and a stained plastic shower surround to this…
Not too shabby, right?! Would you think I was weird if I told you that I find myself wandering into our room for no other reason than to stare at this bathroom? I do. It’s just so light and bright and elegant that I think I might just live in there if it weren’t so little and tiny. 🙂
On Monday, I shared all of the details about our board and batten treatment. I just loved this look in other bathrooms I’d seen and was so glad to incorporate it into this space.
I’m not sure if there’s a rule about the correct height of board and batten or not– I’ve seen it at all sorts of different heights– but we opted to follow the rule of thirds and placed our top board 2/3 of the way up the wall. I think the higher b & b looks so elegant!
There was a whole lotta neutral going on in this space, so I knew I needed to throw in some color to brighten it up a bit. My DIY abstract art was just the ticket {even if it did take waaaaaayyyy longer to make than I thought it would… 😉 }.
You may be wondering about storage–there’s next to none in here! We actually have a large vanity/sink area as well as a medicine cabinet right outside the door of this room, so our storage needs are taken care of out there.
I went for an all white shower curtain with some texture to the material. I just think it looks so clean and fresh!
Behind the shower curtain, you can catch Donnie’s amazing tiling job. So, so amazing. He spent hours upon hours measuring, cutting and placing each piece so that it was exactly right. Is he good or what?!
He even included two insets so that we would have a place to set our soap, shampoo, etc.
We were having trouble finding the *perfect* floor tile… everything seemed too dark or too light, too big or too small.
When Donnie finished up the wall tile, though, he ended up having a few boxes of tile left, and he suggested that we use the same tile for the floor area and arrange it in a different pattern. I think he should just start doing the designing around here instead of me because I LOVE how it turned out!
This photo also shows the shower floor and curb. Because we decided not to go with another plastic shower surround, Donnie actually poured a cement base to create the pan for the shower, using this tutorial from Mr. Money Mustache. I was super impressed, but then I may be a little biased because he is my hubby. 😉
We added a few little colorful details like pretty towels…
And who doesn’t love fresh flowers?
And now it’s time for my most favorite part of any room reveal… the before and afters!! {I may have gotten a little carried away with these… 😉 }
I am so thrilled to be able to say that this space is finished, but I’m even more excited that it turned out better than I ever could have imagined.
And let’s be honest, Donnie is the real hero in this story. He has put so much blood, sweat, and tears into this little space, and I am so proud of him and what he accomplished.
Have you ever had a project that took waaaaayyyyy longer than you thought it would?
Love it Abby! Hubby did a great job on the tile work! We just finished board and batten in our dining room and I love it! Great bathroom makeover. ~Sonya
Abby! It is absolutely gorgeous. Every single detail is perfection. Amazing job!
Beautiful! I’m sure that elegant bathroom makeover was worth the wait.
I would love to tile our shower. Right now it’s a train wreck. It was robin’s egg blue (I can tell from a chip near the drain), and then the previous owners used that special tile paint to make it white… except that they didn’t clean the roller well and now there are pieces of fluff stuck IN the paint. It never looks clean! At least I can hide it behind a shower curtain. We have a few more pressing projects first, so I’m thinking it will be 5-10 years before we tackle the master bath. I’m going to show yours to Hubby as inspiration! 🙂
It is beautiful!! This really is a kick in the butt to fix up my bathroom 🙂 It may have been a long time coming… but totally worth the wait!!
i love that tile! too cute!!
Oh WOW Abby! This is STUNNING!!! I love, love, love the clean and crisp look of it all! I’ve been dying to try the board and batten walls in our little powder room and this gorgeous bathroom might just be the kick in the butt I need to get going on it! I think laying the same tile on the floor, but changing up the pattern was an absolutely brilliant move by Donnie! It helps keep the small space simple. SUCH a lovely space Abby! I bet you smile every time you walk into it!
Sharing with my favorite things tomorrow! xo
Hi, Abby! Your new master bathroom is just gorgeous! Congrats! I would love to re-do my home’s master bathroom. The shower stall with the cheap glass doors and plastic bottom that the builder installed is just hideous! Enjoy your new room! 🙂
I Love that your husband did this and stuck with it! A great quality indeed!
Love it! It’s so fresh and clean looking. I hope to re-do both our bathrooms one day but for now I will just dream about it. Thanks for sharing.
Our hall bathroom has always been odd and tiny. Last Thanksgiving my husband took a shower in there because one of our daughters was in our master bathroom, well after that he gutted it. I was told, “it will only take 2 weeks to fix this.” FAMOUS LAST WORDS. It didn’t get completed till 3 days before Christmas.
Our master bathroom started out with me saying I just want to paint it and that turned into a 2 week project of a new vanity, toilet, moldings etc.
I love it! Are you going to have more info later on the shower install? I would love to know how much tile it took and everything involved. We have a prefab shower with the old brass glass door I can’t wait to get rid of. Your hubby did a great job!
Wow! This space looks so bright and beautiful. Our master bedroom definitely needs a makeover in a big way.
This looks Ahhh-maz-ing!!! This is inspiration for us, our bathroom is as tiny as yours and so ugly. This is proof that you CAN do cute remodels to small spaces! And a huge high five to Donnie for doing it all HIMSELF! I showed my husband this and said he needed to step it up. He was a little scared. 🙂 But really, who wants CARPET in their bathroom like we have? EW. Great job, Abby!
Abby,
The bathroom turned out beautiful and was well worth the wait. Isn’t it wonderful that we both have husbands that are so handy.
It looks beautiful! I love the Board and Batten treatment! I really ties everything together.
You’re adorable and so is your new bathroom! I think my absolute favorite part are the insets in the shower! I may be slightly obsessed with all kinds of storage and organization though hehe
~ Meaghan from DIYfaerie
Its gorgeous…very spa-like and I love that tile. Bet its nice to stand in that shower, enjoy the beauty of the bathroom after your surgery…..glad you all got it done!
hugz,
Suzanne
Your bathroom is so pretty and serene! I’m so glad you were able to get this done before the surgery. And no–I don’t think it’s weird to walk in just to stare at it. I would do the same thing!
I love it! So fresh and bright! The inset shelves are awesome. We didn’t put them in our showers in our last house when we tiled those but they are definitely going in the showers in our new house when we tile them!
Looks fantabulous!
Wow Abby what a beautiful transformation. It is so light and bright now. I have a small bathroom and I know they can be a challenge to work with/in. Your hubby did a great job.
LOVE LOVE LOVE it, Abby! What a gorgeous space. Donnie really did an amazing job on the beautiful tile work! Just perfect 🙂
The bathroom looks so nice. I love the wooden sign on the wall- what a nice saying.
My master bathroom is just as small as yours. I can’t wait to redo it. I plan on using lots of light paint, tiles and finishes. It is literally the size of a closet. But it gets the job done. I love how yours turned out!
My, oh, my! What an amazing transformation! I am in love with that tile! The whole bathroom has such a different vibe to it now – very, refreshing and calming! Fantastic job!
Hello! I was trying to find out the name of the tile and grout color you used. Do you mind sharing? Thanks!
Oh that is a great question. This was such a long time ago and we don’t even live in this house anymore for me to look at the tile closely, but I know it was ceramic tile similar to this one: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Daltile-Marissa-Carrara-10-in-x-14-in-Ceramic-Wall-Tile-14-58-sq-ft-case-MA031014HD1P2/203183266 . We used white grout– I think it was bright white like this one: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-Building-Products-Polyblend-381-Bright-White-10-lb-Non-Sanded-Grout-PBG38110/100553533 . But I do remember that it was an absolute bear to clean. If I was doing it again, I’d probably do a light gray grout so that cleaning wasn’t so difficult. I hope this helps! Have a great day!
Oh, wow! It’s absolutely gorgeous, Abby! Such a light, airy and serene space. Amazing work, you two!
Lovely! What size were the shower tiles before your hubby cut them?
Thank you,
Stacey
Beautiful Abby!!! We are tackling our master bath next!! Don’t feel bad…we’ve lived here TEN long years with the bath undone…and unusable!! We updated our kids hall bath and have been sharing that one all this time. 😉 Now that’s crazy!! lol
Nancy
Hi Abby!
What an amazing transformation! So impressive! Isn’t it amazing what a difference board and batten can make to bring a space alive? I love the pop of color the flowers add as well! Great work and thanks for sharing!
Stacy
Yes! I think I’m pretty much addicted to b&b now. I can’t wait to use it somewhere else in our home! Hope you’re having a great day, Stacy!
~Abby =)
Abby, that’s a stunning before and after! I love Donnie’s idea of using the extra tile for the floor, and the pattern he laid them is very nice. I also really like the board and batten. It adds a nice touch. Great job!
Thank you so much, Jann! That Donnie really knows what he’s doing! 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
Can you share what paint color you used? I love it! (and if anyone knows how to get a husband to do what yours does I would be forever grateful!) ; )
Thanks!
Lol! Thank you, Pam! Thankfully he usually goes along with my crazy schemes. I had to give him a nice, long break after this one, though, because it was a ton of work! The gray color is Behr Marquee Silver City, and the white is Behr Premium Plus Ultra Pure White. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
~Abby =)
I adore this sweet little space! My bathroom like yours is super tiny and we are just about to start our diy remodel. I really love the board and batten and your tile choice! Do you mind my asking what your shower wall tiles are? There are so many to choose from it can be a little over whelming!
Gorgeous transformation! I love the wainscoting. The tile is perfect! I am currently in the before stages of my master bath. Vanity replaced. Shower still horrible. You’re lucky your husband is handy and can do it himself! The wall color is also so calming and pretty.
Phenomenal work you people have done @Abby!!
They are just Adorable pictures of before and after..must say..no bathroom would be complete without an infusion of your personal style. You can add personal touches to a white on white bathroom through the use of decorative glass, woven baskets in earth tones, or by infusing live plants into your bathroom.
white color look absolutely beautiful..love to read and see your all blogs..keep posting..
Aw, you are the SWEETEST Erin! Thank you so much! I hope you are having a wonderful week! ~Abby =)
Woo loving these great tips for bathroom.. I am just thinking to remodel my bathroom space, and definitely going to follow these wonderful tip..
Thanks for this great share.. )
Love this bathroom! The different styles of white tile look great against each other, they create such a fresh and clean look. Bathroom inspiration! Ruby https://www.stitsontiling.co.uk/
WOW! Great transformation! We recently purchased a new home and the master bath is a mess… I would love to re-model it but am so afraid to take on such a large/expensive task.
Plumber Columbia SC
Great looking bathroom, I’m sure you really enjoy it now that it’s finished.
Thanks so much!
~Abby =)
I am very impressed with the tile job in your shower. It is also good to know that a simple white shower curtain can compliment it so well. It would be a good idea to set a budget before starting a project like this to ensure that everything can be done in a reasonable amount of time instead of having to wait for more money.
Thanks so much, Jade! Have a wonderful week!
~Abby =)
Wall mounted water cabinet can save you space.
I love your make very. It’s gorgeous. I am trying to redo bathroom at my church. It’s a challenge, the only thing I can’t figure out how to make more attractive is the two sinks that hang off the wall. They do not have cabinets under them and the pipes show. Using a fabric skirt is not workable, health codes. Do you have any suggestions? My budget is almost zero. I’m hoping to use some refurbished cabinets, don’t know how to make them appear tasteful and not “homemade”. Lots of eyes watching this and I want to suceed to show how this can be done cheaply and tastefully..
This pin uses two corner shelves put together to hide pipes and add storage, and it looks cute: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/531776668496163059/ . The shelves they’re using are from IKEA and not super expensive, but I bet you could find some corner shelves even cheaper than that. Maybe WalMart or Dollar General? Paint can always help too if you find some cheaper ones but don’t like the color! Have fun with your project!
~Abby =)