BEFORE | A Plain, Dated Space
AFTER | A Fresh, Trendy Space
After: Simple wall paneling, floating shelves, vintage-style hardware, and lots of white paint better reflect the home’s farmhouse aesthetic.
Inexpensive builder-grade finishes rarely stand the test of time. When Angela Jimenez moved into her 1993 Parker, Colorado, home, her bare-bones bath looked outdated and worn. (See “before” photo at right.)
To add some life to the space, Angela started by painting the walls and vanity, then used a special paint kit to give the laminate vanity top a granite look.
Inspired by shiplap walls found in old farmhouses, she attached horizontal V-groove planks halfway up the walls, capping them off with MDF 1x3s.
Before adding new baseboard molding, Angela glued down the ripped sheet flooring and covered it with adhesive-backed driftwood-look vinyl planks, which she chose for their water resistance and easy installation.
Putting her stockpile of scrap wood to use, she framed the existing mirror, built a set of floating shelves, and replaced the old metal towel rack with one she crafted herself, then painted them all white. A new shower curtain covers the sliding doors and adds some color; a wire basket is a stylish storage boost.
Angela is thrilled with how much bigger, brighter, and more up-to-date the room feels. “The farmhouse elements add a cozy, inviting feeling,” she says. “It’s a completely new space.” (Scroll down for the “after” photo and project tally.)
The Project Tally:
- Created shiplap-style wall paneling using V-groove planks from the home center capped with MDF 13s, then added new baseboards $50
- Painted walls with a quart of light gray and used a leftover can of white on the planking and vanity $10
- Updated the vanity with a countertop paint kit made to emulate granite that was bought (but never used) for the kitchen renovation $0
- Covered old sheet flooring with vinyl planks $20
- Built floating shelves and a towel rack from scraps of pine, plywood, and MDF that she had mostly on hand, plus crafts-store wood knobs she found on sale $32
- Added a new shower curtain and rod, brushed-nickel bin and bar pulls, and metal accents, including a wire basket and a candle lantern $84
Total: $196
