Do you have a small powder bathroom and are planning to remodel it? Or are you just looking for some bathroom ideas? Then you are in the right place because I am going to share with you my powder bathroom renovation!
If you have not read my article about My Kitchen Remodel, here is a brief background on how my home remodeling journey began. In February 2020, we bought a totally outdated 1950s house even though my husband and I are not the D.I.Y. type of people. Actually my husband was not enthusiastic about it, he bought the house just to please me. He knew that I wanted the experience have personally designing my own house and to see the transformation from old to being new again. See also Master Bathroom Remodel:Tips and Ideas For Bathroom Remodeling, to see how we transformed our 1950s bathroom into 2 modern bathrooms.
I will show you the before and after photos and tell you how we went about making this outdated small powder bathroom into a modern bathroom. And I hope my bathroom remodel journey will give you an inspiration to take on bathroom remodeling as your upcoming project!
Before Pictures
My powder bathroom is only 18 sq. ft, it’s actually very small just enough to accommodate one person to do their business. I was actually pretty surprised that this house had a powder bathroom. Some of the old houses that we looked into before we bought this house typically did not have a powder bathroom. I was happy that this house had one. It’s definitely better to have a small bathroom than nothing!
What did I like about this bathroom? The WINDOW, that’s it! After that, I did not like anything about it. I disliked the sink, floating glass shelf, the curtain, tiles and everything about this small bathroom. However, again I was still grateful that the house had a powder bathroom.
My Powder Bathroom Remodel Plan
Chip Gaines of Fixer Upper has his favorite part in fixing houses which is the DEMO DAY. My favorite part is the PLANNING DAY! Although it is really exciting to see a demolition, tearing down every part of the house that you do not like, but obviously, I was not able to be part of the demolition day because I am not capable of doing it! Planning is where I was able to contribute and impart my interior design skills (I’m a self proclaimed interior designer enthusiast) in turning an outdated room into a dream space.
My Bathroom Remodel Plan was not complicated at all because of its size. Below are some of the highlights of my bathroom renovation plan:
- Bathroom Layout – No changes on the layout because it was a small bathroom. There was really no room to play with in order to change the layout unless we would expand the square footage, which would have been a big NO! NO! Why? Because it would have been an expensive project to undertake. We would have had to tear down a structural wall of the house. So it was better to stay with the existing layout.
- Remove and Replace Everything – Although the tiles were in good and clean condition, I just did not like them. Since the tiles were going to be removed, we decided we should replace the toilet bowl and the sink as well.
- Bathroom Floor – We decided to remove the tile flooring and replace it with a wood look laminate flooring. The reason is because every time I was looking for some inspiration photos for the powder bathroom, I always ended up liking the wood or wood look flooring.
My Powder Bathroom Design Board
As I have said earlier, our powder bathroom was small and we had no plans to expand the foot print of it. I stayed with the same layout. However, I did ask my design consultant (known as PINTEREST) about what we could do to transform this dull looking powder bathroom into a modern powder bathroom. Here are some of the inspirational photos that we came up with.
Image source- Pinterest
Image source – Pinterest
Image source –Pinterest
Based on the Inspirational Photos (thanks to the generosity of PINTEREST), I came up with My Powder Bathroom Remodel Design Board.
Powder Bathroom Remodel After Pictures
Are you ready for the big reveal of my powder bathroom remodel?!? Welcome to our newly renovated small powder bathroom!!
- Accent Wall Tile – We ended up not getting the mosaic tile that I had originally planned because it was expensive and I had a second thoughts about it. I was concerned that I may grow tired of the design over time. However, I really like the accent wall tile in my powder bathroom that I ended up with. It’s really an attention grabber, the moment I saw it, I knew I made the right decision choosing the Catalina Ceramic Subway tile. I still remember that my husband and our contractor were both hesitant with the choice of tile because the tiles did not have a straight surface like the regular subway tile. I am glad that I stuck with my decision against all the odds!
The gorgeous gray herringbone tile accent wall adds tons of texture and esthetic appeal and transformed my powder room into a simple yet sophisticated design. My newly renovated powder bathroom now has a very distinct look that has a combination of traditional and contemporary feel.
- Bathroom Vanity – We did not end up with the floating bathroom vanity showed in the inspirational photos. This was because the dimensions of the wall hung bathroom vanity were wider than what we needed. Since the bathroom was so small our choices were very limited. We were looking for specific dimensions for a bathroom vanity to fit into our powder bathroom. We couldn’t customize the floating bathroom vanity because we would have ended up spending too much money. This was money we did not want to spend. After all of that, I realized that it was much better to get a regular bathroom vanity so we could have storage for all of our bathroom essentials. So I guess I made the right decision because I am happy with the results. We were able to utilize the storage that comes with it.
- Mirror – I decided to go with a mirror with a simple look and nothing fancy. My main criteria while I was looking for a vanity mirror were its dimensions. It could not be wider than 14 inches and it had to have a simple design a white color frame. I wanted the accent wall to be the center of attention and not the mirror.
- Vanity Light – I actually was not planning on buying this type of light. However, I was getting tired of looking for an alternative light (light within our price range). While we were at Home Depot my husband noticed this light with the white frosted glass shade. After looking it over, I decided it was not too bad and the best thing was that it was very inexpensive.
- Wall Paint Color – I chose the Nebulous White SW7063 because it has a gray undertone which is a coordinating color with my gray subway tile.
If you do not know how to choose a coordinating color to go with your preferred color, just go to the Sherwin Williams website on their “explore color” section. Once there, choose a paint color family that you are interested in and click the details of the color that you like. Once you click the details of the particular color you chose, they will show you the coordinating colors, similar colors and other details. On top of that, they will also show you a picture of a room using the color that you chose. This will help you to visualize your space with that color. It’s as simple as that. Now you will know for sure that you will have coordinating wall paint colors in your space.
- Wood Look Laminate Flooring – I like the simplicity of the wood flooring in a bathroom. This is the same laminate flooring that we used in the entire house. I really like the color and I must say that we have received a lot of compliments from it.
- Suction Cup Hook – I was not able to find a place for a regular hand towel holder so I decided to have this suction cup holder to hold the hand towels. Why suction? We did not want to take any chances of breaking the tile by trying to install a regular hand towel holder that requires wall drilling.
- Toilet Bowl– It’s always nice to have a new toilet bowl, no need to explain why right? However, what I like about this particular toilet bowl is that it is easier to clean the toilet cover and seat area. This one reason alone made it a good decision to install a brand new toilet.
- Faucet – I chose the timeless chrome finish faucet to match with the chrome finish hardware that we have in the entire house. It has a simple and classic style.
We also added window trim in our powder bathroom window and it was a very simple addition but it made a lot of difference. The trim around the window makes a small window look bigger and is definitely a good addition to enhance the esthetic appearance of any room.
Before And After Photos
Planning Tips:
Looking for some inspirational photos on Pinterest or on the internet is actually an important step to take especially if you are not a professional designer. Why? Below are some of the reasons:
- By browsing inspirational photos you will able to determine the style and function that you would like to have for the space that you are planning on renovating.
- This will give you an idea more or less of the cost that will be involved to achieve the style that you would like to have. It will also make it easier for you to communicate your ideas to your contractor so they will have a clear understanding of what you want for your space. At the same time, it can help your contractor to give you a close estimation of the material cost and other miscellaneous items that come along with remodeling.
- You will also know or have an idea as to what products and materials to buy to meet your needs and style.
- If you find out that the product that you are planning to buy is beyond your allocated budget, do not buy it. What you should do is to find an alternative product within your price range that still compliments your style. In this way you will keep your budget in check and on track. Trust me, there are a lot of products out there with a similar design but with vastly different price tags. So do not feel discouraged if you do not get what you originally planned to have, just be patient and be open to other alternatives.
Shop My Design:
- Accent Mirror
- 1-Light Sconce with Frosted Glass Shade
- Bathroom Sink Faucet
- Catalina 3″ x 12″ Ceramic Subway Tile
- Heavy Duty Vacuum Suction Cup Hooks
- Dual Flush Elongated Toilet in White
- Vanity Cabinet with White Sink
- Ball Towel
- Laminate Flooring:Valencia Oak
- Wall Paint Color – Nebulous White SW7063
My design is basically very simple and the color palette is mostly white. I chose a white wall color paint to make the bathroom feel bigger but I did not want to have an all white color bathroom. Incorporating the Accent Wall Tile into the design drastically added texture and drama that definitely turned my plain looking bathroom into a beautiful one.
How Much The Powder Remodel Cost Us
Below is the breakdown of the cost of the major items for the powder bathroom renovation.
- Modern & Contemporary Accent Mirror – $168.36
- 1-Light with Frosted Glass Shade – $17.97
- Bathroom Sink Faucet with Drain – $72.52
- Catalina 3″ x 12″ Ceramic Subway Tile – $312.29
- Heavy Duty Vacuum Suction Cup Hooks – $11.99
- Dual Flush Elongated Toilet in White – $188
- Vanity Cabinet – $359
- Labor – $1,500
Total = $2,630.13 (does not include the flooring, paint cost and some miscellaneous cost)
The cost of a powder bathroom remodel will be dependent upon your taste, design style and how much money you are willing to spend. You just need to set your budget, set aside money for unforeseen issues, and look for a reliable contractor. You will need to pick and choose what aspect of the renovation you would be willing to spend more on to make it a space that you love. Just like in our case, I decided to spend more on the accent wall tile rather than to have a customized vanity sink. Even though we ended up not getting the sink that we wanted, we were still happy with end result of our powder room renovation. The room is now simple, clean and beautifully designed.
Final Thoughts About A Powder Bathroom Remodel:
Is a powder bathroom remodel worth it? Definitely Yes! Although a powder bathroom is not as important as a full bathroom, it is the room that your guests will probably use whenever your hosting a gathering. Having a beautiful powder bathroom creates a good impression about your personal style. A clean and beautifully designed powder bathroom makes your guests feel comfortable and will give an impression that their convenience matters to you. Besides, according to Realtor.com, a powder bathroom remodel is considered a good investment because it will definitely add value to your home.
