Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Bathroom makeover on a budget


For the past two days, I have been giving my bathroom a "facelift." This is the main bathroom on the main level, meaning that any and all guests usually use this bathroom. I wanted to make it clean and fresh looking, despite the not so clean looking rest of the house. Also, I wanted to do it on the cheap level. Everything I do is on the cheap level, so why not try the bathroom? Here's how I did it....


When we first moved in, this bathroom was purple. PURPLE. Not a pretty purple. It was more of a 13 year old little girl's room purple. What were the owners thinking? To make matters worse, the tub, toilet, sink, and linoleum were all BLUE. I had painted the bathroom a khaki color just to get rid of the purple, and because the paint was sitting in my parents' garage. It also matched the shower curtain I had at the time. It worked, but it absolutely was not my favorite. 

So fast forward to Sunday:

I went into my basement and looked at all of my leftover paint from other paint jobs. I had about a gallon left of the Antique White by Sherwin Williams that we used for the trim in the whole house. Knowing that I wanted a clean feel, I thought white would be the ultimate solution. So, I spent zero dollars on paint. Cha-ching. 

Next, I needed some curtains. But I couldn't really afford the kind of curtains I knew I wanted. I have been a fan of Miss Mustard Seed for quite some time now, and her favorite material she uses is Antique Hemp fabric. Thats exactly what I wanted in my bathroom. 

Well. As my budget would have it, I can't afford antique hemp, so I had to find a good substitution. I remember in past posts from Miss Mustard Seed that she used canvas drop cloth for almost everything before she found her love for the hemp. Ever since reading her blog, I have become OBSESSED with canvas drop cloth. ITS MY FAVORITE THING. I use it for everything.

So I packed my kiddos up, and we went to Lowes. 


To make the curtains, I measured the length that I wanted them to be, which was exactly four feet. I wanted them hung almost all the way to the ceiling because it acts as an illusion. I have hideous linoleum, so I wanted the eye to be drawn upward instead of straight to the floor. 

See? Oh, I just cringe. 
And don't even get me started on that sink.

Once, I measured, I laid the canvas on the living room floor. 


I cut the four feet in legnth. I wanted each panel to be about a yard so it would have room to bunch, so I also cut the width. 

Ta-da. I had two panels. DONE. 

I hung them up using clips.


But once I hung them up, I felt like they needed something else. Something with some "fluff". So using the left over material, I cut two small panels of 14 inches tall by three feet wide. 

(That creese is where I marked 14 inches. I also made sure I did it against a seem so I would not have to hem the bottom)

Then I just clipped them over top of the long panels. 

TA-DA.
No sewing involved. That's my kind of project. 

Next, I did my shower curtain.


Same concept, different dimensions.
I hung the curtain almost to the ceiling too. You would not believe the difference it makes. 



Using some things around that house, I hung a few things that needed a new purpose for the bathroom. The "R" was a clearance find at Target for just a few dollars, the plate was sitting in a box in my parent's basement, and that picture was a cross stitch that I made when I was in high school. Don't laugh. Cross stitching was a secret hobby. That beautiful frame was one that I fell in love with when my mom owned a frame shop, so when she sold the store, I snatched this beauty. It was actually silver and I spray painted it white. 


Now that I had everything in place, and a fresh new bathroom, I needed to iron out the wrinkles in my curtains and shower curtain. What a dreaded task. But thankfully, my mom has a dress steamer. She's so handy to have around!

Funny thing is, I don't have an outlet in my bathroom or in the hallway. So I had to use a 25 foot outdoor extension cord just to be able to use the steamer. 


Hilarious, right? 

What's that you ask? Where are my three screaming minions and how was I able to do all this?

The older two were just "hanging out...."


And my sweet baby was with me...

See the shower curtain in the back ground? It was cute at the time I received it, but it's worn out it's welcome here at the Redman Roost. 


And there you have it folks, a cheap bathroom "facelift.'' The whole project cost me a whopping $26. 

Hallelujah and Amen. 







2 comments:

  1. Everyone knows how it's important to improve the quality of your own house without spending a fortune. This article exposes what I was exactly looking for: a series of interesting tips to make your own bathroom more stylish, well-designed and fresh looking.

    It easily exposes all the necessary steps to follow. Even if you aren't an architect, you can do it!

    Wilfred Andrews @ LB Plumbing and Heating

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  2. Seems like you certainly have got your hands full, but what everybody says is right: it passes so quickly. What I wish I'd known at your stage of my kids' life is PUT MOM FIRST! Great job remodelling the bathroom, by the way. You're gonna be a great mom!

    Lovella Cushman @ Perfection Plumbing

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