A Budget-Friendly Bathroom, Almost Two Years Laters - What Held Up, What Didn't

In preparation for our exciting reno, the bathroom has been largely dismantled and we're down to the studs on one side.  There's no going back!  Before we ripped apart the walls, I quickly snapped a few photos to show how the budget-friendly spruce held up.  Here's what the painted vanity, painted tile, painted hardware, and painted light fixture looked like when everything was freshly done:



And here's that same view, right before demolition commenced (which is why, if you look closely, it's not as clean - seemed like a waste of time to clean in the weeks days before we started to demo):



As a quick reminder, here's what the bathroom looked like when we moved in:



I have to say that I really, really liked the makeover.  Of course, aqua cabinets would have been even better, but I wanted to work with what was there, like the linoleum floors, the mint counters, and the bisque toilet, sink, and shower, because the goal was to spend as little as possible.  When we bought the lakehouse and started tinkering with floor plans, sketching out mini makeovers, and spacing out/budgeting for major renovations, the original plan was to renovate the bathroom last year.  Unfortunately, the delay in selling our townhouse (plus the disappointing sale price), and the resultant delays moving in and tackling the kitchen meant that we just weren't prepared to renovate the bathroom last spring.  Having a spruced up space made delaying the renovation by a year so much easier.  Plus, it helped me figure out what I wanted for the bath renovation in the long run, and I'm grateful for that time to ponder.

So, how did everything hold up? 

The Painted Bathroom Vanity

It held up beautifully!  I am actually very surprised, because the Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations kit required no sanding or priming (click here to read my post about it).  It made me so nervous to skip those steps, but it adhered perfectly and held up to lots of scrubbing and cleaning.  In one teeny tiny area, where we forgot to put a cabinet bumper, the constant opening and slamming shut of the door rubbed off a tiny fleck of paint.  Cabinet bumpers are a must!  I was provided this product by Rustoleum, but would happily purchase it because it was far less labor intensive and messy than sanding, priming and painting (which we did for the kitchen cabinets), but it held up better than primer and paint.  I have had to touch up the kitchen cabinets in a few spots, but I haven't touched up the bathroom cabinetry (I ignored the little fleck because it was so wee).

Then

Now

Would I recommend it?  Yes!  Whole-heartedly - especially to someone who doesn't have ready access to a workshop or garage.  Sanding is so messy, but de-glossing can easily be done indoors without making a mess (as long as there is good ventilation).

Are there drawbacks?  The colour options are limited, but you get it tinted in-store, and I think that an adventurous person working the paint department could custom tint it.  They did that for me for the tile transformation kit because they didn't have the code for the exact white.  So custom colours could be a possibility.  As for other drawbacks, in can be a bit pricey if you're only refinishing a small set of cabinets - but there are kits in different sizes (small and large).  As I mentioned before, the only tricky part with application is the clear coat, which can end up streaky and is difficult to fix so you need to work quickly, in good light, and get an even application the first time.

The Painted Hardware

I am slightly disappointed with the painted hardware, but I think my sanding/prep work is to blame.  Overall, the hardware maintained its lovely matte black finish, but on two knobs the gold peeked through (see photo below).  It was such a bummer!  I didn't prime (the Rust-Oleum High Heat Enamel spray paint I used doesn't require it), so perhaps that would have helped.  I think that the real problem is that I didn't wipe off the residue well enough after sanding.  If I painted hardware again, I'd sand really well and then clean with TSP - that stuff works really well.  Using metal primer would also be a good idea.



Would I recommend it?  Sure!  It's just paint, and if you have hardware with a nice shape but unwelcome finish, it can be a really cost effective way to update it - especially if you're using leftover paint like I did.  If I was really bothered, it would have taken me two second to fix the gold patches.

The Painted Light Fixture

Gah!  That thing bothered me - not the paint makeover, but the fixture itself.  It's just so ugly.  I will admit, though, that it did provide nice light.  I always looked good in this bathroom, sort of airbrushed, which sometimes resulted in a botched makeup application - something I'd realize in horror when I looked in the truck vanity mirror, halfway to town.  I recently busted two bulbs cleaning it, so now I'm even less enamored with it.  I should admit that I am a hair spray fanatic, so everything in the bathroom gets coated in a light dusting of sticky mist.  The matte surface of the paint made it a bit trickier to wipe the spray residue off, but it also disguised it a bit.  I think a glossy finish would be better for something that requires regular cleaning, but there were no problems with the paint - no chips or loss of paint. 



Would I recommend it?  Yes!  De-brassifying the light fixture made me much happier with the bathroom and it helped tide me over until the reno.  It definitely helped me save money because otherwise I might have been tempted to drop $20-50 on a new light fixture, which would have been a total waste.  I'm probably too worried, but because those bulbs do give off some heat I felt more comfortable using the Rust-Oleum High Heat Enamel spray paint (which has a really limited colour and finish selection).

The Painted Tile

Remember how I goofed that up?  If I'd followed the directions during the application, it would have been amazing!  Despite my rookie mistake, the Rust-Oleum Tile Transformation kit still held up - no damage or chipping, and it was easy to clean.  I have seen people cover tile using paint (like Jenny's bathroom makeover), but I can't speak to how well that holds up or cleans.  I can say that the Rustoleum tile paint ends up super smooth, just like ceramic - and not like paint at all.  I'm overly concerned with how well it cleaned, but sometimes I see a bathroom reno or makeover - with decorative crap littering the toilet tank, for example, and sigh, "that can't be easy to clean".  It's the hairspray thing - it clouds my vision.



Would I recommend it?  If you've got hideous tile and are in need of a temporary solution, I can't think of a better way to simply and cost-effectively update it.  I think of these Rust-Oleum products as band-aid solutions, though, and wouldn't recommend doing this and then investing in expensive new cabinets or something - this is for the budget-conscious, because once the grout lines are painted, close up it's evident that it's a faux finish.

After its budget-friendly makeover, the bathroom got a lot of love - especially from Apartment Therapy readers, many of whom deemed further renovation unnecessary.  Some even suggested taking the spruce a bit further and replacing the sink and counter, for a more permanent change.  But there are (were!) many things to dislike about the bathroom, despite my efforts at gussying it up:

The Portal to Nowhere

The shower portal is probably the #1 reason we want to renovate.



I absolutely hate the shower portal, but I'm happy I lived with it for a year and a half, first.  Had we renovated immediately, I would have been tempted by a modern version, because the shower doors do contain the steam better than a shower curtain, which produces a cozier shower experience - until you step out into the frigid bathroom!  Ultimately, what has bothered me the most is how difficult it is to clean!  Okay, yes, I seem to be a bit preoccupied with how easy it is to clean things in the bathroom, but cleaning the glass doors was a nightmare!  Even after vigorous scrubbing, they never looked perfectly clean, plus they got covered in soap scum immediately anyway.  This is the day after I scrubbed them:



See that grime? Oh yeah, and the door didn't properly open and close anymore.  I can't believe I'm showcasing all of this grossness.  I even left my hand lotion and face wash on the vanity for photos - without putting them in pretty bottles.  They're going to revoke my blogger license!!

It is also awkward to clean inside the tub, because the glass panels prevent me from reaching inside easily.  I am SO excited to have a shower curtain again!  It will be easier to clean everything, and it won't produce such a dramatic temperature difference between the shower and the rest of the room.  Plus, I'm excited for new faucets because the existing ones have taken a beating and just look so sad (that's mostly wear - not all soap scum, but it's some soap scum, I'm not going to lie).



The Counter

The laminate counter, although I grew fond of the mint, chipped and began to peel (they were totally popping up in the kitchen when we moved in, but the bathroom was okay at the time).  Covering it with Rust-Oleum's Counter Top Transformations would have helped, but I didn't like any of the colour choices.  If we were living with the bathroom for longer, I would have probably tried it.  The concrete finish everyone is doing looks cute too, but that looks awfully dusty.

 
The Height

This vanity is SO low: only 30" (including the counter)!  I know we were accustomed to the taller, brand new vanity in the townhouse, which made this feel even shorter, but still - it's so short.  It seems like the silliest thing to complain about, but after you wash your hands and accidentally soak the crotch of your pants right before leaving the house - a dozen times - you start to pine for a taller vanity.  I'm very excited for our new walnut vanity, which will be between 36-37" tall - plus we'll have the bonus of double sinks!

So there you have it, some updates on our budget-friendly spruce (what held up and what didn't), and also a little tour of the grossness to better explain why we're renovating.  If you're curious about the makeover process, here are the other posts about making over the space:

Refinishing the Bathroom Cabinets
Refinishing the Bathroom Tile
The Before and After
Styling the Bathroom with Art & Accessories
Summary of Cabinet Refinishing Options

Now, forget you ever saw my grimey shower ;)

Half Bathroom Makeover

Just moving into a new home and doing nothing would make me so twitchy.  I need to put my stamp on things as soon as possible, even if the change is minimal, unfinished, and at the expense of a plan.  I like a fresh canvas.  The powder room is slated for a full gut job when the laundry room and kitchen see their Phase II renovations but until then, like the kitchen and laundry room, I had to give it a little facelift.

Behold...the oak-less, duck-less space:

Here's a reminder of the "before":

I'm the first to admit it's a pretty unremarkable makeover - it just sort of happened, despite my having a million neat ideas.  (Do you have any rooms like that?)  Still, it just feels so much better!  Newer, fresher, cleaner, and brighter.

I painted the walls, ceiling, trim, and door white when the rest of the house was painted.  When the main bathroom got it's makeover, I used leftover supplies to paint the oak cabinetry grey, the dated 90s tile cream, and the gold light fixtures and hardware matte black - thanks to my friends at Rust-Oleum.  A matching towel ring courtesy of Plumber's Surplus replaced the old towel bar and glass shelf (not pictured).  Hubby's Grandpa's bold green painting, hung in a fit of "all of our favorite art will get damaged if we don't hang it right this second!!" makes a great statement.  In the adjacent laundry room there are two more of his paintings so it feels planned.  The other two prints in the washroom are from Hungary.



Because I don't have a floor plan for the house, this photo might help a bit.  The powder room is just beyond the laundry room.

Since initially updating the powder room, I've thought about going bolder - maybe hanging my silhouettes en masse? They would have so much more impact in a small space.  Turquoise stripes on the wall?  A bright green ceiling?  Because it's immediately beyond the turquoise adorned laundry room and the bold turquoise kitchen, I think guests might like some respite from the bold choices to collect their thoughts in the more neutral powder room.

While I ponder, I'm turning my attention back to other projects.  We need bedroom curtains and closet doors.  The office is demanding to be more than a glorified storage room.  The Etsy shop is currently a maze of boxes.  Plus I have gallons upon gallons of exterior paint and deck stain taking up real estate in the garage.  I also have a hankering for a really do-able, afternoon-type project.

So I'm especially happy I gave this space a little love when I had the chance, even if it's kind of humble.

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How to Paint Over Dated Ceramic Tile

The main bathroom in the lakehouse will be the first room to be fully renovated, hopefully this summer.  Other than the size (huge to me) and layout (nothing unusual), I hate everything about its original state. The oak cabinet doors and trim were woodsy and the vanity uncomfortably low, the gold knobs just bugged me, the pink walls were criticized by everyone who came through (and they just weren't "us"), the light fixtures were utilitarian and dated, and don't even get me started on the beige tub, sink, and portal shower.

(Actually, the portal has been great for bathing Szuka, who has become a master escape artist dodging to the left or right and leaping out of the tub with surprising agility.  Unlike the townhouse tub, the space portal blocks her exits, allowing me to wash her without getting kicked in the head by her giant puppy paws). 

Even though we hope to reno soonish, I wanted to spruce up the room a little but spend very little in the process.  Every dime I spend in here takes a dime away from our dream bathroom.

There is such a small amount of tile (just between the mirror and vanity) that I contemplated just picking up some leftovers at Habitat for Humanity and redoing it.  But I've tiled before and, although it's not terribly tricky, it can be time consuming.  I really yearned for something quick and painless as well as thrifty, and thought that this bathroom would be the perfect place to experiment a little with a different kind of DIY solution, so I approached Rustoleum about trying their Tile Transformations Kit.  I opted for the Solid Colour Textured Finish, but they sent me the Natural Stone Finish also, which worked in my favour.

The first few steps were easy: remove the caulking around the tile and clean it thoroughly with the magic scrubbing powder provided.  Then I taped off the area and protected the surfaces with drop cloths.

Easy, peasy - no sanding!  Next came mixing the two parts of the paint together.  The instructions warn that this paint dries quickly (it has a 90 minute working time), so not to take your sweet time, but to not just slop it on, either.  It's a two-person job: one paints the coating onto the grout and the other follows with a small roller (the handle isn't included).  The instructions also warn to watch for drips and sags.  Due to my own guffaw (I'll explain in a minute), every time I tried to catch a sag, I removed paint in the process and revealed the naked tile beneath.  I fussed and fussed but couldn't get a smooth finish.  It had some sags and too much texture.  Hubby proposed that the paint might tighten up as it dries, so I left it.

The next morning I arrived at the lakehouse to see the sags had remained.  I contemplated sanding and starting over, or just ripping it out and replacing the tile after all, but I figured I had nothing to lose so I added the step for the Natural Stone finish.  It's basically a transparent, grey-tinted coating with flecks and glittery bits that is layered on top of the Solid Colour Textured Finish.  It is supposed to dry clear, but it tinted the original colour, dulling it a bit, which was a-okay by me but different than what the instructional video suggests.  I rolled that on without any trouble, hoping it would hide my goof.

Once it dried, it looked better!  The finish hides the sags a little because it has some sparkle and texture, and because it's meant to look like stone, a little irregularity actually helps the rouse along.  Crisis averted!! 

Here's a closer look at the finish:

In real life, the flaws are much less noticeable (I tried really hard to photograph it so you could see the texture I accidentally created).  Also, although it has a textured finish, to the touch the texture is smooth, not rough, so cleaning should be a breeze.  I wouldn't use this finish in a space I'm putting money into because without the grout lines it's obviously not real stone, but at a glance it looks refreshed - it's a perfect cheap and easy, temporary fix.  The tile is now plain and simple - definitely an improvement on the 80s tile design lurking beneath, and all done for only a couple of minutes of work.  Seriously, painting this tile and the half bathroom tile, both steps, took less than half an hour total (over two days), including prep and clean up. 

I am confident that the problem here was a user error.  The instructions indicate the paint must be used within 7 days of tinting and I was just barely passed this timeline but didn't think a few days would make a difference.  Because this paint hardens to an amazingly durable finish (definitely NOT the same as just priming and painting, this special coating acts and feels like real ceramic), I think it started to cure in the can and by the time I applied it, it was a little too firm to use.  Lesson learned: follow the instructions to the letter.  Even with the snag, the bathroom is coming along nicely and I can't wait to show you the (problem-free) makeover of the cabinetry next.  So long yellowy oak!

I partnered with Rustoleum for this project and although I was provided the product, I was not encouraged to provide a positive review.  Having diagnosed my error, I would happily try this product again because it was straight-forward and is a fabulous quick-fix for dated tile.  If you decide to try this product, be sure to follow the instructions carefully, and check out this video tutorial for more help.

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