My guest bathroom wasn't "bad" per se. It wasn't some 1970's monstrosity. It wasn't dilapidated or nonfunctional. It was just very...brown.
The problem I quickly reached was that a majority of the brown was coming from the matching floor and shower tiles. While I respect everyone who is willing to tackle a tile project; that is not me. I was worried about painting the tile in such a high traffic and water heavy area. I didn't want to replace the tile because that would take this from a "bathroom redo" to a "bathroom renovation," and I did not have a renovation budget for this project. So, how did I take this bathroom from very brown to airy and beachy? Let's dive in!
The walls: The walls being brown was a brown that I could easily eliminate. I painted the walls in two coat of Behr in Helium.
The vanity: Ideally, I wanted a new vanity, but for budgetary reasons and because I didn't want to haul a new vanity to the second story of my house I opted to paint the vanity. I used Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint in Linen White as paint and sealed it with Rust-Oleum Chalked Protective Topcoat in Matte Clear. These products worked perfectly. I didn't have to sand the vanity to paint it and the topcoat is much more protective than the wax products traditionally used to seal chalked painted products. I also replaced the faucet and all the cabinet hardware to complete the updated look.
The shower: For a more elegant look, I moved the curtain rod to ceiling height. This had the added benefit of hiding the brown shower tiles unless you are actively showering. I replaced the shower curtain with a 72" x 96" in white waffle weave. I wanted a "spa" kind of feel, but I ultimately felt like it looked a little boring. I, then, sewed on tassel fringe in navy blue and grey to spice it up a little bit. I get so many compliments on the shower curtain. It was worth the extra effort.
The mirror: The gold and ornate mirror was also not really my taste. I went to my local antique market and purchased something with a little more character. The mirror I purchased is allegedly made from Balinese boats by local fishermen in Bali. Do I believe that? Maybe...but it looks good and makes a nice story.
The cabinet: Since I didn't replace the vanity, I still wanted to add a little something "extra" to the bathroom. I measured my space and had the perfect amount of room to add a floor to ceiling cabinet. I used a combo of BILLY and OXBERG with the height extension from IKEA. I used matching hardware to the vanity instead of the IKEA provided hardware.