High Heels and Spray Paint

Bathroom Makeover Part 1

Now, I call this part 1 simply because we have two bathrooms in desperate need of a makeover.  

As first time home owners - everything about our soon to be home looked appealing. 

The previous owners put in a lot of handwork.. but were left dumbfounded after the home sat on the market for a year in an easy to sell (as they get) area. Then we come along.. "ohhh wood floors! Shiny counters! cute and cozy!" <----- things not to think about when buying a home. They simply did not understand that the changes they made to their home alienated the majority of their buyers. We live in a historic area... an area that modern must be done tastefully and not too boldly.  The style of our home was anything but meant for many of the changes they made. From sponged on brown and orange paint under a wainscoting - to cabinets that perfectly match the floors in our kitchen. Just FYI - due to the military - we bought site unseen. Which was slightly a nightmare - but so far, so good as far as cosmetic problems go.    

(Say 'Hello' to the amazing photo of our bathroom given to us by the Realtor when considering the purchase. It's okay if you need to divert your eyes. She looks BAD.)

Basically, long story short , a year after living in this - we have come to terms with the fact that if we EVER want to sell this home - we need to make it buyer friendly.  How do we do that? Pick out key points in the home and make changes. I have been slowing making changes as I can.. little ones that really will matter. Such as, Caulking every single gap visible to the human eye in Trim, windows, base boards, etc.  Second would be re-painting every single 'beige' baseboard heater... blah blah I could go on and on.. but I will instead try to make separate posts so you can follow on the amazing changes we make to the home.. with the ultimate goal at the end of our tour : Sell and make a profit (no matter how small!).

Today - I highlight the upstairs bathroom. This bathroom is shared by my husband and I - and one day our son when he learns to use the potty.   

(My 'before' picture. So that I can always remember what hideous color lies beneath my now graceful bathroom.)
 

Can we say - WOW. From the beige wainscoting - to the obviously 'kiddie' blue wall color - with the clashing bronze antiqued lighting fixtures - and the random black curtain rod/drawer pulls.  This was a mess. A huge mess. My husband left me to go on a mancation - So I jumped into action!

Luckily, we had hit up a yardsale the day before he left and one of Lou's amazing co-workers gifted us with free paint galore. Grey Paint - completely full. White primer for wood trim. Clear glossy spray paint, roller brushes, paint brushes, and handles for everything! I was able to get started on my project without even entering a hardware store. 

 (After! Oh, man - I could hug her!)

I taped everything off .. and painted away! Two layers of grey and two layers of primer later - I was ready to get started on the other projects in the bathroom. I made a quick trip to the hardware store to grab some white satin paint for bathrooms an kitchen to finish off all of the trim and wainscoting - along with black spray paint for the fixtures. 

I scored the shelving at a place called "The Christmas Tree Shop" for $5.99 and $6.99 - while the photos are from a thrift store - all 6 for $3 (which, if they are original are valued at $70 each - by R.E. Kennedy, circa 1974).  The mirror is a Linen N Things mirror originally $180 - Found at a consignment shop for $25. 

 After priming, painting, and glossing the fixtures. Hanging my shelving and mirror, and re caulking the entire of the bathtub, baseboards, gaps, etc. We had a complete bathroom. Sorry for the lack of during photos - much of this was done before I decided to blog - but I like to post my photos on Facebook!

 (What color valance should I put up? I was thinking a tulle style white)

The entire cost of my project was literally under $70.  So, what do you think? Does this make our home a little more buyer friendly? 

Thanks for reading!
Kristin