My Renter Friendly Bathroom Updates
Hello Family, and Welcome to the blog today. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to sit with me for a few.
Hello family! How is everyone doing on this Wednesday. I hope you’re enjoying your Summer, staying cool and hydrated, and getting out (a bit). I know these times are tricky, and I (myself) haven’t even taken a “real” vacation but I know in time that I will be able to (actually) get away from VA for a few days.
It’s been quiet over the last few months which is just how I like it, but I also figured that now is a great time (before the Fall season) to make a few “renter friendly” bathroom updates.
“2021 rent prices with 1994 bathrooms and kitchens”.
My daughter shared a similar quote with me that she found on Facebook which is funny but also ironic. Everyone has to live somewhere and if you’ve been a subbie for a long time you’ll know my struggles with buying a home. But in the meantime, renting is my option. However renting doesn’t mean that I have to live with old raggedy finishes.
My townhome was built in 1994, and the bathrooms and kitchen reflect that. Yes the kitchen cabinets have been refaced, and I put on new black cabinet pulls, but I figure the appliances are circa 2006 because they are stainless and newer. However the kitchen is not the issue, it’s the bathrooms.
Master Bathroom
My bathroom is large (this is one side of it), and something I wasn’t used to. It’s a cavernous sea of white, off-white, something like white, and beige or almond. The tub is cream, the countertop is cream, the floor tile is tan and the walls…I don’t even know what color that was. Moreso than the color whomever (I’m gonna assume the owner) used a flat, matte paint for a bathroom, with no windows.
Really…why. I mean just why. I spend the better part of two months scrubbing the walls to remove what I thought was just dullness or dirt. But every time I did that it left a water stain. Why, because the paint was flat. Here’s what not to do. You don’t use flat paint in a space that’s gonna retain heat and moisture like a bathroom or a kitchen. That’s probably the first rule I learned from my Dad who did interior and exterior paint jobs for a living. You ALWAYS use gloss or semi-gloss in bathrooms.
Around May I had, had enough of cursing at the walls. I’m not even gonna get into my daughter’s bathroom, because it’s significantly smaller, so every time you splash any water guess where it goes. And guess where those spots stay. I mean it was crazy, so new plan.
The Plan
When I first moved I asked about paint and the owner got funny and said let’s talk about it. I’m like…I’m not doing that because the color I’m talking about is not a crazy color, it’s just white. Why do I have to get permission to add value to your property. (renter troubles) But I digress. I decided on the color Bit of Sugar (white) which is a little creamy, but bright. I knew this would significantly change the whole space.
I also (initially) added brushed nickel drawer pulls, because the original stuff was a little round knob that was (you guessed it) another shade of white. After sitting with this for a few months, the nickel finish is so dull, and because my vanity is SUPER low, I’m always bumping into those pulls, so I’m going to change the drawers to a larger knob, replace the existing one with a black.
A Little Love
I know that for most folks the bathroom is an after-thought because you’re not in there for long periods of time. However I want minimal upkeep. So if I mark the walls, I can wipe it off. If scratch it, knick it, or make a small hole it’s easy to repair. For the most part, this space just needs some love, and to look like I actually live here. (LOL)
So you know I had to make a vision board. Vision boards always help me pull my thoughts together cohesively, and if you have a plan you can budget. Keeping in mind that it’s a rental so my cost for all three bathrooms should not exceed a certain amount of money.
I want a good balance of decor so it’s not many items and it’s looks clutter but enough items to help absorb sound and to diffuse some of white. I’ve chosen some colorful art. Two pieces above the tub, one over the toilet, and some faux plants because real plants would die with no window or light.
Shopping Resourses
Towel Bar … Amazon
T-Knob … Amazon
(I haven’t decided whether to use all the rounds pictured above instead of mixing them)
Toilet Tissue Holder … Amazon
Round Knob … Amazon
Semi-gloss Behr Paint … Home Depot
Peach Lady Art … Society 6
William Morris Poster … Society 6
Geometric Bath Rugs … West Elm
(These just came in last week, and you know I couldn’t wait to put them down already)
Wooden Stool … IKEA
(I’m definately hacking this little stool with a richer finish, or dipping the legs with an accent paint)
Glass Jar Candle … Target
Cedar Magnolia Candle … Target
So Far
Currently all I’ve done is paint, and I haven’t finished painting because I wanted my new towel bars and hardware in place. This also allows for trial and error in seeing what works and what will not work. I’ve pained a third of the bathroom, but I still need to touch up and paint my baseboards. Once that’s done I can add my towel bars and decorate (that’s the fun part…LOL).
Still More To Do
Thanks so much for visiting the blog today. Stay tuned for more updates and the final reveal. After this update it’s on to my daughter’s bathroom, and then the half bath. Don’t forget to follow and subscribe, and have a great rest of your day. — Peace —
