Spa Retreat Bathroom

Before

Turning an ugly bathroom into a peaceful retreat on a small budget isn’t an impossible dream. Our experts show how it’s done.

Wall paint – $20
The walls are painted taupe to cover the outdated sponge treatment.

Cabinet updates and molding – $116
To update the vanity, the cabinet base and doors are painted black. The cabinet door insets are cut out and replaced with Plexiglas and striped fabric.
Inside the cabinets, black molding is attached to the front of the wire shelves to create the appearance of wooden shelves.
Black molding that matches the cabinetry is hung around the mirror. The same molding is used to frame the wall divider, which makes a handy toiletry shelf.

Mirrors – $70
Two oval mirrors are superimposed onto the large wall mirror, thus keeping the benefits of the large mirror and adding the updated look of individual vanity mirrors.

Floor Covering – $38
A large sisal rug is placed in front of the vanity, and two small fluffy rugs are laid on top of the sisal, one in front of each sink.

Lighting – $3
To cover the outdated bar/vanity lights, a shade is placed over each fixture. First a large lampshade is cut in half vertically. A piece of quarter-round molding is hung on the wall just above the fixture. (Tip: Hold the shade in place beforehand to make sure you’ll have enough room to fit a light bulb into the fixture.) The shade is bent around the molding and fastened with a staple gun. Then the bottom of the shade is attached to the bottom of the fixture.
Window treatments – $58
A striped Roman shade is added to the window. Bath towels are sewn together to create a curtain and help soften the look of the shower door.
Accessories – $189
A handy stool is placed next to the tub, and a pillow is laid on top and secured with ribbon and stapled underneath.
Accessories also include a square side table, pillow fabric, bath towels, a towel bar, towel rings, a penshell plate, a vase, shelving, and denim-lined baskets.
Total cost – $494