Renters, Rejoice! 2 Ways to Transform Your Itty Bitty Bathroom
Around these parts, we’re pretty much color-obsessed. Adding swatches of bright color to everything we can get our hands on is par for the course. So, when we decided to team up with Lowe’s to give my boring beige apartment a DIY makeover, simply adding color was top of mind. And what better place to add a splash of color than the splashiest place in your home? ;) Not only will we show you two totally different ways to use color in this transformation, but we’ll also create lots of new areas for keeping bathroom essentials on hand.
My husband David and I live in a one-bedroom but, miraculously, we have two full bathrooms. We also have a lot of friends and siblings who like to crash with us often, so even though we don’t have a guest bedroom, we do have a guest bath! Even though we’re lucky to have two bathrooms, they’re both fairly small and don’t offer a ton in the way of storage and organization. Scroll on to see how we turned one bathroom into a floral, green, tropical wonderland and the other one into a cool blue zone perfect for minimalists.
Before we get to these gorgeous water closets, a little more about this apartment makeover series: We’ve teamed up with Lowe’s to transform my boring, un-decorated apartment into a home that truly reflects my (and my husband’s) personal style. Not only have we stocked up on plenty of decor items and DIY materials from our local Lowe’s, but we’ve tapped into their style team to get advice on how to coordinate the new with the old and how to better define space with a few simple tricks. Check out the whole series right here to see how my apartment gets totally transformed, room by room.
Read on to see how we fancied up two tiny bathrooms!
TROPICAL RAINFOREST BATHROOM
That’s right. I’m calling this one the Tropical Rainforest, but without the humidity and mosquitoes, of course. I wanted to create a nature-infused space to start the day. Though the bedroom is where we wake up, the bathroom is really where the day tends to start. For me, a day doesn’t even begin until I’ve showered, brushed my teeth and taken my pup Turkey for a walk. To create a rejuvenating and refreshing space to really wake up, I wanted it to feel lush, green and alive — hence, the tropical rainforest theme. By mixing shades of green decor with actual greenery, I was able to achieve just what I set out to do. And now this space is a great place to start the day. (P.S. Stay tuned for the super calm ocean-inspired bedroom that coordinates perfectly with this!)
As you can see in the before and after, a little paint, coordinated textiles and on-the-wall organization and plants can go a long way.
Step 1: PAINT
As with any room upgrade, the first step is to paint your walls. I chose a warmer green tone that made me think of vacation vibes: Organic Green, from Lowe’s collab with HGTV HOME™ by Sherwin-Williams (the exact color is FF 11 Organic Green SW 6732). Be sure to choose a paint that is bathroom-friendly, meaning it can handle moisture and condensation.
Step 2: BRING IN GREENERY
Next, we decided to bring in some greenery. I love these leafy greens that are super hearty, no matter what the season. We have the same ones in our kitchen, in fact. They have the power of making a space feel cozy and alive, and they’re not bad on the eyes either ;) Head to your local Lowe’s to check out their nursery department — they’ve got tons of ferns, palms and other lovely options to add life to your space.
Step 3: ADD IN COORDINATING LINENS
You can’t go halfway in the color department. The point of this design was to make the space feel more refreshing and calming. On the towel front, we like to keep a his and hers approach, so we went with one dark green towel and one light green. Top it off with a few hand towels and you’re good to go.
Step 4: MAKE A JEWELRY ORGANIZER
When it comes to accessories, I’m a super visual person. Jewelry boxes have never done the job — I can never find what I’m looking for, or I forget certain things even exist. In the past, I’ve simply stuck push pins in the wall to hang necklaces. Now, it’s time to upgrade that hack and make an on-the-wall jewelry organizer that doubles as decor. Check out the video below to see how it’s done!
Did you catch all those steps? If not, here’s the breakdown.
Materials:
– 12×12-inch piece of wood (we got ours cut at Lowe’s)
– sanding block
– painter’s tape
– paint brushes
– screw driver
– drill
– various knobs (we used crystal knobs, porcelain + nickel knobs, brass + porcelain knobs and white cabinet knobs)
– pale green paint (CC 01 Recycled Glass SW 7747)
– white paint (FF 17 Ibis White SW 7000)
Instructions:
1. Sand all sides of your wooden square.
2. Drill holes in the wood! This is where your knobs will go. You can go with a grid design or just drill them randomly, which is what we did.
3. Make sure to also drill two holes at the top for hanging.
4. Tape and paint! Use painter’s tape to create a diagonal design. Let the first color paint dry, then move the tape over and paint the second color. Let dry, then remove tape.
5. Add in the knobs. Use a screwdriver to screw them in on both sides. Done and done!
As you can see, we also added a few hooks directly into the wall to create as much jewelry display space as possible. And how fly are those wall planters?!
We used Rust-Oleum spray paint to paint these metal garment hooks gold and complemented them with three white robe hooks.
Step 5: DESIGN AND ORGANIZATION DETAILS
Finally, a few design details will finish this scene off. On the sink, make sure your toothbrushes, Q-tips and everyday makeup essentials are at the ready. Our shelves are filled with bins for organization, extra towels and more. And on the floor, we’ve got a cushy aqua polyester bath rug.
Personalize your bathroom by adding photos and other decorative elements on your shelves. As you can see, the more plants, the merrier ;)
We even dotted the windowsill with a little family of succulents. So fun!
Treat yourself to a tub tray for when you really need some R&R.
MINIMALIST GUEST BATHROOM
For the guest bath, we wanted to take a very minimal approach. The less clutter, the better! The big challenge in here is actually finding space. This bathroom didn’t come with a mirror or any shelving, so our guests have to crowd all of their things on the back of the toilet or on the window sill. We wanted to solve that, and also create a space that feels clean and calm.
Step 1: PAINT
Surprise, surprise, the first step is painting the walls. We chose a crisp, cool gray for this room (HGTV HOME™ by Sherwin-Williams, FF 19 Upward SW 6239) to make it feel a little more spacious than it actually is.
Step 2: INSTALL A DIY VANITY
As I mentioned, this bathroom had no mirror or shelving. So, the big challenge here was figuring out how to invent a vanity! First, we installed this brush nickel rectangular bathroom mirror. We paired the mirror with a matching glass bathroom shelf for at least a little space to house bathroom essentials and a dopp kit. How handy is that?
Step 3: ADD A SECOND TOWEL BAR
To further increase space, we added a second towel bar. Obviously, this is great for hanging additional towels, especially if you have multiple guests. The other way we were thinking it could be used is as a mini closet. Guests can hang up their clothes and let them steam a bit while they shower and get ready in the morning. We used this polished chrome towel bar by Kohler.
Looking pretty darn good!
Even this brass + beige shower is looking better with a little gray blue paint next to it.
And there you have it! Two bathrooms completely transformed by color.
Looking for more design inspo? Follow Lowe’s on Pinterest.
This post is a collaboration with Lowe’s.
Styling and Production: Anjelika Temple, Kelly Bryden, Brittany Griffin
Photography: Chris Andre
