My Plain Bathroom Was Begging for a Redo — Here’s How I Transformed It
When my partner and I bought our builder-grade townhouse (built in 2017), it was essentially a blank slate. It was wildly different from the older historic homes we had been looking at in Boston, but unlike many of the other flipped homes or new builds we had seen, this one managed to still have character like detailed trim on the windows and picture moldings on the walls. And there was one huge benefit of moving into a newer build: Because it didn’t need any work to update outdated or neglected features of the home, we were able to focus on aesthetic changes right away.
One spot that was begging for a redo was the powder room in our finished basement, which is also where my partner’s office and our media room (aka giant sectional and huge TV for watching movies and playing video games) is located. We got lucky in this bathroom in that not only was the floor in good shape, but the vanity and light fixture also had personality and therefore did not need to be replaced. This whole project was just about adding lots more character.
The bones were good, which meant we could splurge on the wallpaper.
My decor style is maximalist, and my partner mostly lets my vision run wild, although I did a lot of work to find the places where our tastes and aesthetics overlap — and jewel tones and florals are two of those places. The wallpaper from Mitchell Black with this big floral pattern was the first decision we made in the space, and we went with a paste rather than peel-and-stick. We hired professionals to install it, as well as to paint the ceiling and trim, as we saved money by using a lot of other things we already owned in this makeover. I chose a big, bold pattern that would do most of the work in the space.
The painted ceiling, door, and trim add warmth.
Because the space was so small and the pattern was so big and bold, I let it be the star. To complement it, we had pros paint the trim, walls, and ceiling a shade of deep blue that coordinated with the new wallpaper (Benjamin Moore’s Deep Royal).
A lot of people are afraid to paint ceilings and worry it will feel dark and cramped, but I think our painted ceiling really completes the space and adds warmth. I added one large piece of art above the toilet and a few smaller pieces in other spots, but mostly I didn’t want to hide the print!
Don’t be afraid to layer statement pieces on top of statement pieces.
Even with the bold wallpaper, I didn’t want to skimp out on the other decor. The striped mirror (from the Jungalow collection at Target), loud rug (hand-tufted from Magic Carpets), bright art (a canvas print by Kim Leutwyler and floating orange frame from Etsy), and intricate cabinet (from Anthropologie) all work to create a room that is both visually interesting and feels completely like ours.
The striped hand towel is from PB Teen, the trans version of the “Lovers” tarot card is by Fyodor Pavlov, and the small “Wonderwall” print is from Etsy.
I’m a firm believer that there’s no such thing as “too much” if you’re filling a space with things that make you happy. I know in design, you’re often discouraged from adding statement pieces if you already have one, or you’re encouraged to add neutrals to give the eye a place to rest. But in a small bathroom where people don’t spend long periods of time, that wasn’t a concern for me. I’d much rather love every piece in a room than feel like some items were filler just to avoid going too bold! In this bathroom, every single element is a star.
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