I know, I know…I literally JUST revealed our guest bathroom refresh and now I’m starting ANOTHER bathroom refresh? Yep! It’s true. I’m going to give our basement bathroom some TLC. Now that Finn is working in our basement for the foreseeable future, I figured I might as well make this space a tad cuter. It went from never ever being used to being used multiple times a day. Gotta keep the mister happy!

Even though we have plans to work on the rest of the basement someday, we probably won’t ever really rip out this bathroom and renovate it completely. It’s just not worth the money and we likely wouldn’t see a return on our investment. But, after seeing how amazing the transformation of our guest bathroom, I know that I can make this space much better on a small budget with a little elbow grease!

Let’s take a look at the before pictures of this space…

Our Basement Bathroom – The Before

The space is super small and the ceiling is incredibly low. Luckily, even though Finn is 6’2″, he doesn’t hit his head on the ceiling, but when his hair is pouty, he definitely brushes against it. And let’s be honest, his hair is usually pretty poufy! It’s also pretty dark because there is only the overhead light fixture. And see that strange “window” in there? Well, it actually was a real window to the outside world back in the day! Now it just peeks into our storage room. The back of our house was added on at some point over the past 100 years and this window actually opened to the outside. Now it just gives a creepy view of the tools in our storage area.

I hung that mirror last year when we first moved in. I originally ordered it for our first-floor bathroom and the shape just didn’t work in there. Instead, I opted for this one. Instead of returning it, I decided to hang it down here, in this basement bathroom. It’s the perfect size for the small space and I love the wood tones. It’s pretty much the only good thing happening in this room right now.

It’s a very basic and boring space and I just know that a little hard work will go a long way in here. I want to keep this makeover suuuuper budget-friendly, so I’m going to do my best to repurpose items we already have and paint all the things!

The Power of Paint

Walls: First, I’m planning to paint the walls and ceiling. Everything is pretty dingy and dirty, plus there are holes that need patching, so this entire bathroom will benefit from some new paint. The ceilings in here are super low and I want to make this room feel bigger. Therefore, I’m going to go with two colors – a taupey color on the bottom 3/4 of the wall and then a dark color on the top 1/4 and ceiling. This will make the ceiling look a bit higher and I think it will create a moody effect! Plus, I’ve never painted a two-toned room before and I think it will be a fun painting challenge. I always say opt for bold and dark colors in small spaces that don’t get much light. It makes them feel chic and cool. Let’s see if that works in here…

Floor: As you all know, I recently painted the floors in our guest bathroom and they turned out awesome. I learned a lot along the way and I’m excited to give this project another go on the basic 12×12 tiles in this basement bathroom. I’m going to opt for a more contemporary stencil (I’m eyeing this one) to change up the look and I’ll use different colors in the floor paint for this one.

Vanity: I just painted the guest bathroom vanity and this one is a lot smaller, so I’m hopeful I can fly through painting it! Not totally sure about the color just yet. Maybe I’ll match the bold color on the walls? We’ll see. Either way, I think a little color on this will look tremendous. Oh, and we’ll need new hardware too!

Covering the Window

Since I won’t be removing the window in here, I want to camouflage it the best way I can. As of now, I’m thinking maybe a large piece of canvas art? Or perhaps you have a better idea? I’m all ears, but remember, it has to be easy and budget-friendly!

New Light Fixture

There isn’t a vanity light in here, nor are there any windows (well, there is one but it isn’t to the outside world. Ha!). Instead, there is only one flushmount light fixture that is very dated. I’m going to replace that with a fixture that brings in as much light as possible! I’ve opted for this one because it has a low profile which works well for our super low ceilings in there. Plus, I think the brass will pop off the dark colored ceilings (and you can’t beat that price tag!).

Adding Some Black

I always say that every room needs some black. Here, I think I’m going to go with a new black toilet seat, but keep the rest of the toilet. The two-tone will look pretty cool and a new toilet seat is always a good idea for an old toilet! I already have a black toilet paper holder and I’ll probably get a black towel ring or hook.

New Faucet

The faucet in here has seen better days. In fact, there isn’t even a drain plug in the bottom of the sink. So, I think it’s time for an upgrade. I’m hoping to find something super budget-friendly and I’ll be sure to share the tutorial here on the blog.

Storage & Accessories

There’s a large gap next to the vanity and I’m not sure if I’ll add something there. Maybe something tall for storage? Maybe shelves? I’ll see what I can find to make that nook a little less awkward.

What’s Next?

Painting the walls will be my first big project in this space and I have a feeling just a fresh coat of paint will make a world of difference! Then, I’ll slowly start to tackle the rest of the projects in this room and (of course) bring you along for the ride. We’re kicking off our kitchen project soon, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to whip this bathroom into shape super quickly. But hopefully, over the next month or so, I can get it done. I’m sure Finn will appreciate it!

Casey

Catch Up on the Basement Bathroom Makeover

• Before Photos & Design Plan
• How to Paint Two-Tone Walls
• Tips to Install a Bathroom Faucet
• Painted Vanity, New Light Fixture, & Black Toilet Seat
• Creating Window Shelves
• Painted Floor Tile
• Bathroom Makeover Reveal