Bathroom Progress – Powder Room

Bathroom projects can be really costly but as I shared a couple weeks ago, there are ways to make simple updates that can make a big impact that doesn’t cost a lot.  I also suggested that when it comes to rooms like this, the key is to do some planning up front, know your budget, make a priority list and then start sourcing your materials and supplies.

For my powder room project I knew I needed the space to be more functional for both the shop during the day and for guests to our home on the weekends.  I knew my top priority was storage but I also wanted to add some personality to the space.  I determined that my immediate budget was between $200 & $300 so I set out to find the things I need to make the updates I wanted to.

On one of our trips to Lowes, we walked through the Clearance section that is usually along the back of the store spanning from plumbing down to the building supplies.  There is usually a variety of things like bathroom fixtures, kitchen appliances, windows, doors and various flooring scattered throughout.  While looking through the clearance we spotted a bathroom vanity that was the exact style we had been wanting.  The downside was that the top was missing.

The originally $200 vanity was just $50 so we decided to take our chances on getting it and figuring out an alternative for the top and sink.  It didn’t take us long to decide on doing a concrete top with a vessel sink.  We DIY’d concrete countertops in our previous house in the kitchen so a small top for the vanity seemed like child’s play.  I found a simple and  modern vessel sink on Amazon and suddenly we had a great plan.

The last thing to find was the faucet.  I knew I wanted an oil-rubbed bronze / black look with more of a vintage or farmhouse look.  We are going for a modern farmhouse kind of look so I loved the idea of mixing modern and more retro elements.

Despite loving the light fixture, it didn’t really go with the new design scheme so I decided to swap it out for a simple enamel pendant.  I bought a cheap one similar to the one below and did a little DIY paint project on it to make it look more like pricier options.

 We bought 3″ thin pieces of wood at Lowes and B helped me make our simple ladder for over the commode.  I used stain I already had and then added the basket. with screws.

Below are some similar metal baskets.

The wall paint and trim paint were supplies we already had.  I tend to buy mis-tints when I find them in light, cool neutral colors because it can be a huge money saver if the colors are similar to things I would want anyway.  This can be a gamble sometimes but it can also pay off like in this case.

Finally I finished out my update with a mirror we already had.  (I stained the wood to make it match the other woods in the room) and I added some new hand towels and the rug.

$50 Vanity

$10 Concrete, and form

$85 Sink

$37 Faucet

$20 Ladder

$25 Basket

$30 Hand Towels

$35 Rug