Guest Bathroom Makeover
When we moved into our home in 2015, both the master and guest bathrooms were still rocking their original 1988 look. They weren’t terrible—perfectly functional, actually—but they were definitely showing their age and begging for a refresh.
Fast forward five years. The winter chill had settled in, the pace of life had slowed (thanks to our now-empty nest), and we found ourselves ready for a new project. That’s when we decided it was finally time to give our guest bath the makeover it deserved—and what a transformation it turned out to be!
The Debate On Which Room To Do
When we moved into our home in 2015, both the master and guest bathrooms still carried their original 1988 charm. They were far from unusable—actually quite functional—but the dated finishes and tired style made it clear they were ready for an update.
Five years later, winter had settled in, life had slowed to a comfortable pace (one of the perks of being empty nesters), and we were itching for a new project. That’s when we decided it was time to give our guest bath the makeover it had been waiting for—and the transformation was nothing short of stunning!
Our Guest Bathroom Makeover
In the end, we decided the guest bath would be our first project. That was back in 2021—and yes, our master bath is still exactly the same. And that’s okay! We’ll get to it eventually. At the time, our focus was on getting our last child through college.
Since then, life has been full in the best way—two of our children got engaged, and this summer is packed with wedding celebrations just six weeks apart.
Maybe next year will finally be the year for our master bath makeover! Ironically, we’re already tossing around ideas for our next project. My husband is rooting for the master bath (and I’d love that too!), but we’re also in desperate need of new carpet upstairs… so the debate continues.
The floor, vanity, and toilet were all ready to be replaced. The existing flooring was a square ceramic tile in a peach hue—and let’s just say nothing was charming about it. It definitely had to go.
The vanity sat unusually low, clearly designed with little ones in mind, and the countertop had started to yellow with age. And the toilet? Well… it was just plain old—and who’s a fan of an old toilet? Can I get an amen?
Time to Demo
The floor, vanity, and toilet were all ready to be replaced. The existing flooring was a square ceramic tile in a peach hue—and let’s just say there was nothing charming about it. It definitely had to go.
The vanity sat unusually low, clearly designed with little ones in mind, and the countertop had started to yellow with age. And the toilet? Well… it was just plain old—and who’s a fan of an old toilet? Can I get an amen?
He didn’t waste a single second on that peach ceramic tile—went straight for the backer board and ripped it right out of the floor. Then, like a man on a mission, he hopped in his car, drove to the store, grabbed fresh backer board, and was back in no time to help Jeff install it that very night. Now that’s a good friend! 🙌
If only we’d called him a week earlier… 😩 But hey, better late than never! We were finally on our way to a brand new floor and one step closer to finishing our guest bathroom makeover.
Beadboard & Trim
With no vanity and no toilet in the room, it was the perfect opportunity to install the beadboard. We learned as we went—making a few mistakes (and some questionable cuts) along the way—but that’s all part of the DIY adventure.
The walls I had envisioned were starting to come to life. How to Elevate Any Room With A Beadboard Wall is where you can get more in-depth details about beadboard walls.
We swapped out the original trim for a 1×4 board along the base and added another 1×4 at the top, topped with a 1×2 laid flat. Not only did it give the room a clean, finished look, but it also created the perfect little ledge for leaning signs or displaying pictures.
Laying Tile
We chose an 8 x 36-inch ceramic gray tile that had the texture and look of wood. It was light and fresh, and we were so excited to see the transformation. Jeff did a great job laying the tile. It took a few days to complet,e and it wasn’t long before the tile and grout were done.
This was only our second time laying tile (the first was years ago in a basement bathroom), but it was our first time grouting. We were both a little fearful of starting and making a mistake, but we did it. It looks grea,t and we are so happy with the tile we chose and how it turned out.
We are not experts at most home projects but we use Youtube and ask questions and learn along the way which is a Godsend!
Paint
While the room was empty of the toilet and vanity, we painted, making the job so much easier to accomplish. Given the size of our bathroom, it didn’t take much time to complete it. The top half without the beadboard was painted White Dove by Benjamin Moore
The beadboard paint color is Grey Owl by Benjamin Moore. Did you know you can give Home Depot the name of any color paint from Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams and they can find the formula in their computers?
I am a big fan of Behr paint and if you need to cover a dark-colored wall, their paint and primer in one is an excellent choice. It is a little bit more pricy but it is a great choice.
Once everything was painted, it was time to bring in the vanity.
The Vanity
We purchased a free-standing vanity on Wayfair.com. It was delivered right to our door within a week! The vanity is a beautiful olive green and the top was made of Carrera marble. It was quite heavy, as you can imagine, and sat in our garage until the room was ready. It was no simple undertaking to get it to the second floor.
From This… (BEFORE)
To This…(AFTER)
On Easter Sunday, my extended family came for lunch and we enlisted the help of some big guys there to get it up the stairs.
Plumbing
We opted to pay a plumber to modify the pipes to accommodate the new vanity. It was money well spent and worth knowing it was done correctly.
We know our limits and plumbing is definitely not something we mess with too often. Jeff can replace a fixture or clean out a drain but hardcore plumbing, it’s a no. We also had the plumber hook up the toilet since he was already there. Voila, all the pieces were in place.
Shower/Tub Combo
The shower/tub must have been replaced prior to us moving in. It was a prefabricated piece and it looked practically new. Honestly, my preference would have been to rip out the insert and replace it with tile. However, it just didn’t make sense to spend the money. Sometimes wisdom trumps desire and this was the case for the tub.
From This…(BEFORE)
To This…(AFTER)
The Linen Closet
There is a fairly large linen closet in this bathroom. As you enter it is directly behind the door. In other words, it is a door behind a door. It was a bit of an inconvenient place. In this renovation, we opted to remove the door to the linen closet and spruce up the closet.
We painted it entirely white and with the placement of our towels and a few select things and a very small amount of decor it looks like it was always supposed to be that way. I placed a cute wicker basket at the bottom of the closet for dirty laundry.
Most people probably wouldn’t take the door off the linen closet but it has worked wonderfully for us and has eliminated the opening and closing of two doors. You cannot see the linen closet from the hall because it is hidden so it works!
One of my talking points for our home space utilization is to always use the space so it works best for your family. See my post How to Elevate Any Room With A Beadboard Wall where you will find a section all about this!
The Final Touches
From this point, we added the mirror, light fixture, and faucet. The mirror was an inexpensive find at Home Goods. The warm wood color brought warmth into the bathroom and gave it that cozy, warm vibe.
I added some tobacco trays on the walls, a wood blind, and a few other bits. This is a small room so it didn’t require much decor. Adding the decor, of course, is my favorite part. I found a rug, not your traditional bathroom rug, but a fun reddish, Persian-looking rug that fits the guest bathroom makeover perfectly.
I did a 180 in 2014 when we moved to a new state and literally painted everything white…lol. I’ve strayed from red totally except for Christmas decor. That being said, I love how this rug works in this guest bathroom makeover.
We also added a simple white shower curtain from Target which hangs on a curved shower curtain rod. I love how the curved rod provides you with the feeling of more space in your shower.
We now have a beautiful bathroom for our guests. It was under $2000 dollars in its entirety with the majority of the budget going to the vanity and plumbing.
Obstacles & Budget
This project was not without its obstacles (removal of the ceramic tile), but there is nothing like a feeling of accomplishment when you complete a project that wasn’t easy. Honestly, is there ever an easy project? There are always obstacles along the way. I love the quote “Nothing worth having comes easy.”
This rug was outside of the color scheme in our home but it worked with this room and I loved it. It grounded the room in a way. Our home was full of the color red for years back in the ’90s and early 2000s.
We do everything around here on a budget and I do my best to shop around and get the best price. Wayfair, Target, Walmart, Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and even Goodwill and thrift stores are all my go-to stores. If you are looking to do make some budget-friendly changes in your home this post might help, 7 Budget-Friendly Steps To Love Your Home.
One of my favorite things to do when it comes to decor is to add touches of vintage to all my spaces. I love how it adds character and soul to each room! You can find more info in my post Thrifting: How to Thrift and What to Look For.
I firmly believe you can have nice things and create beautiful spaces on a budget. We have not regretted focusing on the guest bathroom makeover at all. It was a great choice. We often host guests in our home, whether that be our own children coming back for a visit or a friend staying for a few days.
The Purpose Of Our Home
It gives me a good feeling to provide a clean, beautiful place for our guests to rest their heads, shower, and feel at home. I believe that our home is a gift from God. It is my desire to always use it for Him.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Everything we have is God’s. It is easy to lose sight of that at times. We can get possessive and selfish. I do it too! If we begin to look at our homes as a gift from God then we can easily shift our mindset to the fact that we are to give it away.
It is easier at times to keep our homes to ourselves. We can tend to not invite people into our homes because it is a lot of work and intimidating and takes away our personal free time. But when we look at our home as a gift from God it becomes easier to shift that mentality.
I love making our home a beautiful, warm, cozy space and that is why I share all about our home on this blog. That being said, it is for a greater purpose and I pray you understand my heart in this matter.
Your home is where you are creating beautiful memories, teaching life lessons, and establishing roots for your family. Inviting others into your home is all part of that.
Remember to explore the purpose behind your desire to make your home a beautiful place. Is it to show off your possessions or is it for a greater purpose? We all need to keep our motives in check from time to time. It is easy to get sucked into the latest and greatest.
And of course, I could go into a whole tangent on being content because who doesn’t struggle with that? If you go to my post How to be Confident in Your Home Decor Style you can find a section all about being content.
Our Life Purpose
My prayer is that my posts inspire you but I also pray that they challenge you. Let’s remember the purpose set before us.
1 Peter 2:9 says this, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
That right there, sweet mamas, is what it is all about. Let’s declare the praises of him to our families, our friends, and our neighbors, and let’s use every good and perfect gift, including our homes, from God to do it.
Much love~Kim💗
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