The Little Cottage Bathroom Makeover
Hey friends! We are down at The Little Cottage today, and it’s time to check out the guest bathroom makeover I completed as part of my partnership with Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart. The design challenge this month was to transform a space with a before and after makeover and this bathroom definitely need a bit of attention! The timing always seems to be just right for my challenges. Probably because I’ve got so many spaces that need attention. This is a budget friendly makeover and didn’t require any major DIY projects, and can be completed in a weekend!
This bathroom, like most spaces, had it’s own set of challenges: the ceiling is partially vaulted, which is odd, the window has unattractive privacy glass, the light fixture box & plumbing (for sink placement) do not line up and the flooring is lackluster. Let’s take a look at what I started with.
BEFORE
Now for it’s assets: it’s large, gets decent light, is clean, and in good condition. I can definitely work with that!
Coastal Farmhouse Cottage Bathroom
Besides paint, the biggest change to the room was the addition of the Modern Farmhouse Cabinet from the new Better Homes & Gardens line at Walmart. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen me putting it together in my stories, and gotten a sneak peek at it!
Everything else sort of fell into place around it, and it became a blend of cottage & farmhouse, with a kiss of coastal.
FEATURE FIX: To fool the eye, and take the focus away from a mis-match or imperfection, you need to trick the eye and create visual focus, or pull the eye to another item or area in the room, with weight or texture.
NOTE – We chatted at length about the fact that the light fixture in this room doesn’t match up with the sink. If moving plumbing, or electrical outlets is not an option… it’s time to get creative! So I did. I totally realize this is not great design, but I was forced to work with a very fixed-in-place-for-now electrical box, and plumbing that can not be moved until we do a more in-depth renovation.
To do this, I hung the oval mirror in line with the light fixture. I did this for two reasons. I felt the eye traveled up to the light fixture and if I centered the mirror, with the present light fixture height, you would not be able to adjust it because it would hit the faucet.
Next, I layered my oval mirror, with the farmhouse style wood mirror from Better Homes & Gardens, and it’s the perfect visual pull! Your eye travels to the left, and up. Pulling the eye to the left and adding height in an area with an otherwise low ceiling.
I added a wood topped farmhouse stool as a ‘side table’ for guests.
When we have them, I’ll make sure to clear it for them. This also helped to add balance to the room, plus, it’s cute for adding décor!
I was able to add a new faucet (at no cost) because I’ve literally had this one, in a box, for over 10 years. I am not even joking!! I bought it for the upstairs bathroom… and we never installed it. Always intending to do a more extensive renovation. Well, main house bathroom. You snooze you loose. hahaha
It looks great in this space, and really helped solidify the farmhouse feel that bathroom started to take on.
I whipped up some free art work and added a few barn wood style frames, and a towel holder next to the shower.
The panels are linen… and supposed to be causally rumpled… but I am really feeling the compulsion to iron them. We’ll see. I decided on them, verses a shower curtain, because I wanted the softness without a traditional, full cover. The shower is wonderful and in great condition, just needed a little zhuzhing up.
Everything at The Little Cottage is sort of taking shape now, and the spaces are flowing together. A bit of vintage, a dash of farmhouse style… all balanced with cozy cottage and a hint of coastal. I think it’s a welcoming blend.
Now for a closer look at the new farmhouse cabinet!
It’s really quiet perfect for the space. With the fresh grey paint, and my fairly neutral flooring… it just slid right into place! It offer incredible, stylish storage. Let me show you!
The barn door slides either left or right.
Presently, it’s holding towels for guests and the nautical storage cubes offer hidden storage for a clean, sleek look. It’s loaded with goodies our guests may need on the other side. (I’ll share that with you later!)
It’s a wonderful height for the space as well, offering additional storage on top, that is readily reachable.
PAINT DETAILS:
I painted the whole bathroom, ceiling to baseboards. Walls are Worldly Gray in Eg-Shel from Sherwin Williams. The ceiling is Extra White in Eg-Shel from Sherwin Williams and the baseboards & trim are Extra White in Semi Gloss from Sherwin Williams.
After some deliberating, I decided to leave the floors alone for now. Once I painted the ceiling and walls, added the storage cabinet, and the light fixture & mirror (both under $70) I didn’t think it was a priority, and it’s super neutral (thankfully). My budget of both time & money was somewhat limited, and that I was able to give it such a fresh look, with smart storage felt good enough! Especially without doing any major DIY projects or a full renovation. I feel like this is a very attainable project, and I’ve been excited to share it with you, and our future guests!
I’ve included convenient clickable shopping links below for you. Some may be affiliate links. Click here for full disclosure.
As always, I’m including links below to all my Better Homes & Gardens items, so if you can’t get to a Walmart, or find what you are looking for at your local store, you can shop online! I ordered my Modern Farmhouse Cabinet online, and it was delivered right to my door! This has been a fantastic service, and I’m so thankful not to have to wrestle some of this stuff into a cart, out to my car… and then inside, especially the BIG stuff.
SOURCES:
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Better Homes & Gardens Modern Farmhouse Storage Cabinet [click here]
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Better Homes & Gardens Collapsible Fabric Storage Cube, Nautical [click here]
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Better Homes & Gardens Thick and Plush Bath Towels [click here]
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Better Homes & Gardens Blue Ombre Lamp (discontinued) [click here for blue lamps]
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Better Homes & Gardens Bar Stools [click here for similar]
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Better Homes & Gardens Glass Collection Soap Dispenser [click here]
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Triple Vanity Light [click here]
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Vanity Mirror [click here]
See all my Better Homes & Gardens Projects & Makeovers
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If you love my new Modern Farmhouse Cabinet, I shared the coordinating Modern Farmhouse Cart last month when I used it as a kitchen island set up for a family movie night!
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I love it! I would have removed the glass shower doors. I’ve removed two sets in my home and it opens the space visually and makes getting in and out and cleaning SO much easier! I have one more set to go. If they are good shape, you can donate them to the local Habitat for Humanity Restore sight.
That is a unique idea. It’s a full shower, not one with a bathtub on the bottom. So I think we will keep them 🙂
Yup, that cabinet makes the space, which turned out great!
Thanks so much Miss Bliss! xoxo
Can you tell me where you got the rug in your new bathroom?
Cindy, that is from RugsUSA and it’s the Maui chunky loop, runner, in bleached.
love all your makeovers you do such a great job…..
where did you get your light fixture?
Thanks so much Maddey, sweet comments keep me going, and sharing 🙂
That is from The Home Depot 🙂
Looks really good and “balanced”! I’d have to iron those curtains, too. There’s casually wrinkled, then there’s WRINKLED.
Where did you find the olive plant? I don’t know if it’s being in the middle of wheat country (AKA back of beyond) or what, but I’m not finding a source for those around here and I’m “needing” some.
hahaha. I know right? They are rumpled. That is why I don’t have linen clothing.
My mom gave that to me and I don’t know where she got it. I love it too! We had an Olive tree in our yard growing up!
Can out lovely. I love the cabinet and the wrinkled curtains. ?
Thank you Mary!! Those wrinkles are still there 😉
I love the new room! As others have mentioned, though, not the two mirrors. But, I totally get the problem you had. The basement bathroom in my first house is like that. I solved it in a similar fashion, but one that might work better for you. I added an extendible makeup mirror (Walmart or Ikea have the same one) on the left side, with the towel ring also on that side, and mounted a small q-tip dispenser (also Ikea), and my electric toothbrush on the right. I just placed them to have the same effect of the eye seeing it as all one centred unit. If I knew how to attach a pic here I would, as I believe I have one.
I had considered the pull out mirror. I had the square one though so I went ahead and used it. One thing that helps with, is if there is a man staying… he’ll be able to see. Because the oval mirror is pretty short 😉 It’s temporary, and works for now. I have some projects at the main house I’d like to tackle before I circle back to the guest house. But it will get properly addressed at some point. Maybe when the money tree blooms? hahaha
Good job on the bathroom. I really like the new cabinet and colors you chose but still feel a bit uncomfortable about the two mirrors. Would hanging the oval mirror horizontally made a difference instead of two mirrors?
Thanks! I love that too. It’s a temporary fix, until the wall can be dug into 😉
Absolutely stunning transformation! The layered mirrors was sheer brilliance along with your layers of design styles.
That is so much appreciated – thank you!!!! 🙂
Great makeover and love that cabinet! You did a great job in taking away the fact that the mirror and light fixture was not centered with the sink!!! A great “tromp l’oeil” affect!
Thanks so much! It’s one of those tricky spots, and I did the best I could with my time and budget 🙂 Much appreciated!!
I must say, I usually like your ideas but this not so much. It is very easy to move an electrical connection up and then a little drywall fix. If you didnt want to move the light fixture another mirror or light fixture choice would have been a good idea. I love that mirror because of the nautical look. I find the light fixture a little large for that height. The extra mirror takes away from the whole look. Your idea of the little table vinyet is a delightful idea and of course the storage cabinet makes a lot of sense. I like the idea of the baskets inside. They add to the surprise. Thanks.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment! I totally get that it’s not going to please everyone, and it does look so much better in person. I touched on this many times, but moving the light box was not an option. There are studs running both ways. So unless we did something major, it wasn’t an easy fix at all. But it will be addressed in the future. This was a fresh & clean, new paint kind of makeover 😉
Love it!!!