Basement Bathroom Updates – Painted Vanity, New Light Fixture, & More


The basement bathroom updates keep on coming! You saw me paint the space in two-tone colors and then swap out the bathroom faucet last week. Today, let’s review a few more things I’ve upgraded in here.

Black Toilet SeatMy new black toilet seat

Let’s start with the most controversial update…my new black toilet seat. Who knew a toilet seat could stir up so many opinions?! Personally, I’m a fan of the contrasted look but I know it’s not for everyone. (And you guys know my motto…”You do you!” I’ve gotta do what’s right for my home. You’ve gotta do what’s right for your home!) I think it makes it look a bit more high-end. After changing out the seat, I realized that it would look nice if I swapped the lever too. So I ordered this toilet lever after seeing Sarah from Room for Tuesday use it in her recent powder room makeover. Can’t wait to install it. New toilet seat in the bathroom

I ended up swapping my old toilet seat out with this one. Even if you don’t swap your toilet seat with a black one, I think it’s always a good idea to change toilet seats when you move into a new place. It’s kinda nice knowing your tush was the only one on it! Plus, there are some great soft close options these days.basement bathroom upgrades - changing out the toilet seat

I have an entire blog post that gives you the step-by-step instructions for changing out a toilet seat (so glamorous) along with tips on how to buy the correct size for your toilet.

Painted VanityNew painted vanity in the basement bathroom

The vanity got a major facelift with some new paint. I ended up using the leftover paint from the ceiling (Valspar’s “Chimney Smoke” in eggshell), so it was a free project! Since I literally just painted the upstairs vanity, I figured it would be a little redundant to give you a step-by-step tutorial for how I painted this vanity. I ended up following the exact same steps from this post and it turned out amazing. I like that it brings a little dark to the bottom half of the room since it’s pretty light down there with the taupe paint. Again, more contrast!Champagne bronze hardware

As for the knobs, I’ve been buying lots of hardware to figure out exactly what I want to use in the kitchen. After lots of searching, I finally decided on these knobs. (I think I needed 26 of them for the kitchen. Whoa!) I liked them so much that I put them on the new vanity too. The color is “Golden Champagne” and it isn’t too brassy, which I like. Plus, of course, I love the name of the color! I think it complements the new faucet nicely.

Here are some before and after photos of the vanity. It’s crazy what a difference new paint makes!

Vanity before painting
vanity after painting

Gold Light Fixturenew light fixture in the bathroom

When I painted the ceiling, I didn’t even bother to tape off the old light fixture because I knew I had an upgraded one coming in the mail. I ended up swapping out the old one with this gold light fixture and I love it! It was easy to install. I just followed the same steps from this blog post and I got it done in an afternoon. The hardest part is holding it up while trying to connect the wires. I had Finn come in and assist me a few times because my arms were shaking! It was quite a workout.New light fixture

The new light fixture emits a pretty light. I use these bulbs because they’re LED and the color temperature is perfect. I think it really freshens up the entire space.

New Towel RingAdding a new towel ring for basement bathroom updates

I’m usually a fan of using hooks for bathroom towels, but I’m actually really happy I went with this black towel ring in here. It was a great price and the quality is amazing. It has a nice matte black finish and feels really sturdy. New black towel ringI ended up buying a few towels from CB2 to swap in and out of here. I love their bathroom towels because they have little fabric rings on them for hanging. I also use their towels upstairs in the guest bathroom. This towel ring was incredibly easy to install and it adds so much to the vanity area.

Upgraded AccessoriesAdding new accessories to a basement bathroom

I’m not to the “finishing stage” in this room because there is still too much on the to-do list, but I did buy a few new accessories to jazz up the sink area.

I bought this faux plant (because we get zero natural light in here, I had to go with a fake one!), this black marble tray, and this soap dispenser. Just a few new decor pieces and it feels special in here all of the sudden. Crazy how that works!

Basement Bathroom Updates – Sources

 

basement bathroom updates

Brass Faucetย //ย Towel Ring // Rugย //ย Soap Dispenserย //ย Wood Mirrorย //ย Paint Details // Black Toilet Seat // Trash Bin // Light Fixture // Vanity Hardware // Faux Plant // Reed Diffuser // Black Marble Tray

What’s Next?New toilet seat in the bathroom

I still have two big projects left on the list in here…painting the floor and figuring out the “window to nowhere.” I bought this stencil for the floor design, but I’m going back and forth on what colors to use. I still have paint left over from my upstairs floor project (which would make this project free!), but I kinda want to do something different so it doesn’t look the same as the guest bathroom.  I already have the blue vanity and neutral floors in there. I’m considering doing a light base coat and then painting the stars a dark blue or slate? Any ideas for me?Window to nowhere in the basement

As for the window, you have given me so many amazing ideas on what to do with it. (Check out the comments of this Instagram post. It’s chock full of creative ideas!) I need to spend a few hours tinkering with the space and figuring out what I can actually execute in there. Stay tuned for that.

Casey

Catch Up on the Basement Bathroom Makeover


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.