Easy Bathroom Refresh Without Renovation

In both houses we’ve owned, the bathrooms were super sad. I’m one to try to work with what we have rather than gut and replace, so I find myself trying to make lemonade out of lemons.

So Much to Love but…

When we bought our Nashville house I liked the hall bathroom, but I didn’t like the color of the tile, pale yellow and burnt sienna. Another great feature of the bathroom is that the water pressure is awesome in the shower. The also window provides a ton of natural light. There is even a large storage closet but the ugly tile still bothers me!

The Creative Process

I enjoy the creative process especially when I’m limited with resources. I also know I’m most happy when my surroundings are organized and appealing to the eye. Knowing this need, plus my limited resources cause me to think outside the box to create spaces I love with what I have. I actually thrive when my choices are limited.

Painting a Bright Canvas

The first thing we did was paint the trim and walls. It just brightened things up a bit which really helped. The wall color is white dove and the trim is pure white which are the same colors we used all throughout the house.

I thought and thought about what direction to go with this tile. How in the world could I make it work? The boys primarily use this bathroom so I wanted it to have a fun feel but also make me happy. Originally I thought about going with a vintage superhero theme; something that could grow with them, but I wasn’t able to find a shower curtain and artwork I really loved.

Just the Right Shower Curtain

I kept asking myself how I could make it work. What color could I add? What design would go well? After roaming the aisles at Target one day I found the solution. A navy and white shower curtain with graphic shapes. Since the tiles are mostly square I needed something that would compliment that type of pattern. I like that the print looks hand-painted, I didn’t want a formal feel. I also like this shower curtain and this one.

For the bar and shower curtain rings, I chose a dark bronze which I thought looked so nice with the blue and the other golden color accents in the room.

Window Treatment

For the window, I added the BLEKING roller blind from IKEA. I went with the dark brown since that’s the color blinds we used in all the other rooms in the house but I especially liked its natural material and the dark color went well with the tile.

Adding a Spark of Whimsy

Adding the plant was an easy one for me since I love having a plant in every room, if possible. I still needed something to make the room more fun and kid-friendly. I wanted to use something we already had rather than buying something new. I asked myself, what do we already have that I could repurpose to decorate this space? One day it hit me — dinosaurs. We had a tub full that was rarely played with but would look so cool sitting on a shelf.

Details that Make it Shine

To tie the whole space together I decided to spray paint the cabinet/drawer pulls and towel hooks all the same color, champagne bronze. I also found a wall clock, similar, that matched. It’s a very simple upgrade, but I think it makes a huge difference since I find most things are in the details.

I went with black towels from IKEA and a simple navy floor mat, similar to this. I wanted things that would be easy to wash and not collect a lot of stains.

It’s crazy but the tile colors that bothered me so much at first now I don’t even notice. This space makes me smile every day. I love seeing the dinos hanging out by the towels. After almost two years, I still think the shower curtain was the right choice.

Looking for more inspiration? I found this bathroom refresh inspiring. It has a great solution for hiding old towel bars.

You may be interested in 3 Small Household Appliances We Love or Board Games for Preschoolers.

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