Sunday, March 6, 2011

Small Changes, Big Results

Anyone who has done much home improvement has no doubt realized that sometimes small changes can yield HUGE results. Such was the case with the bathroom in my previous home. I started with a fairly nice, builder-basic bathroom--all white with a vinyl floor. I had big plans...I envisioned subway tile halfway up the walls with a travertine border and accent tiles, recessed panels on the clipped ceilings, and a built-in cabinet for towels in one corner behind the closet.


Bathroom Before



Another angle
I struck a deal with a builder friend to purchase enough walnut travertine to do the floor. He'd gotten a huge shipment of 18 x 18 tiles that he was using in all of the spec houses he was building at the time. My total investment was about $200. Now, I wish I could say that the more ambitious parts of my plan fell aside because I realized the bathroom just didn't need tiled walls or more built-ins. The truth is, after a month's worth of weekends, mornings of tip-toeing through construction debris, and hair-pulling trying to figure out the transition between my new travertine and the carpeting in the adjacent bedroom and closet, I was just ready for the bathroom to be done! (Full disclosure: ultimately, another builder friend spent a Sunday afternoon laying the tile!)

 So, a coat of paint and a new bargain floor later, my builder-basic bathroom looked like this:

Walls are Sherwin-Williams "Hopsack"



Pottery Barn "Porcelain Blue" Rugs

Paint and all supplies, there may have been a grand total of $400 spent on this bathroom makeover. I thought it made a huge difference though, and so did the buyers of my house. At closing, they remarked that the master bath is what sealed the deal for them.

This post is part of the Metamorphosis Monday party over at Between Naps on the Porch. Click over there for more before-and-afters!

21 comments:

  1. Your bathroom looks fabulous! The paint & new flooring made all the difference in the world!

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  2. Wow, its amazing what a coat of paint and a new floor can make. Great job, thanks for sharing.

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  3. This is gorgeous! I love the new colors...looks so warm and sleek! Great job!
    Sharlotte

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  4. I love the new tile and the new wall color. What a difference it is in there! Great job!

    I'm here from BNOTP's party and am your newest follower.

    Have a great day.
    Pam

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  5. You are right, it made a big diference! I found you through Metamorphosis Monday, and thought I'd say Hi! Sandi

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  6. The paint and floor made such a big impact, it's beautiful.

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  7. thank you all for your comments! This projet made a much bigger difference than I thought! Was probably my favorite room in that house!

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  8. Awesome transformation! The before was ok, but the after is so much warmer. It's amazing what a little color can do, especially with white woodwork & cabinets, as I have in my home. Great job. :)

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  9. That is exactly the transformation I made on my "garden" bathroom when I moved into my home. The chocolate brown just "pops" and the white is electric off the brown. I also did the same flooring and it was always proclaimed to be the most beautiful room in my home by anyone who ever saw it. Beautifully done.

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  10. Fabulous change.

    I used a similar color in our weekend home kitchen. Just recently did our hearth room family room and kitchen, at home in SW Sticks and Stones which is a warm gray. I love how the white pops against these colors.

    Pat@BPM

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  11. love the color..loks so rich against white woodwork

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  12. Great makeover! Thanks for giving us the color you used too!

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  13. I totally understand construction mess AND having to use the space during that said construction. This is really nice and I have to wonder if putting the tile up the wall would have cut an already slopped ceiling too much, so I say this was the happy and perfect result.

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  14. Thanks to everyone for the comments and for stopping by! One thing I forgot...the original baseboards had to be yanked out to put the new floor in, and I replaced them with 6" tall ones...that extra bit of white made a difference!

    And, Terry, I think you're probably right...doing the tile would have been too much.

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  15. What a great metamorphosis! Well done.

    I am having a hilarious Linky party with prizes this Wednesday. Details are on the blog today.
    I hope you'll join in on the fun.

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  16. Love the transformation! The floor is beautiful!
    I stopped over from BNOTP - glad I did.

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  17. Looks so great. I need to make over my bathrooms too. The travertine is awesome!

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  18. Wow! This looks great! I adore that paint color and the new floor tile. It does make the bathroom look fabulous!

    I dropped by from BTNOP Metamorphasis Monday after linking up my 'romantic' bedroom post:o). It's so nice to meet you!

    Donna @ Comin' Home

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  19. What a big difference paint can make; your bathroom is beautiful! I like everything you did to it. Stunning change!

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