A Few Updates for an Older Spanish Bathroom

My project this past week has been to update our older Spanish-style bathroom. We have all intentions of overhauling what is currently the only full size bathroom in the house this fall, but the dated look and feel needed just a few tweaks until then.

Without taking on the cost of changing fixtures or hardware I set out to ‘modernize’ the space with a few inexpensive ideas and lots of paint. I hope you find a few inspiring tips in here, too!

Here’s the professionally shot ‘before’ picture from our realtor:

The first to go was the giant mirror. Next came a layer of patching, sanding and priming. Working with the blue theme our previous owners left us with, I color matched a slightly lighter shade to add to the walls.

We also replaced the white vinyl shade with an espresso-colored bamboo version:

Did you notice that the counters in the bathroom are a bit smaller than average? The previous owners adjusted the height to accommodate for their 97-year-old Mom, who had lived in the house since the 50s. That’s also the reason the bathroom is covered in handicap bars – but per our remodel rules I wasn’t allowed to go tearing fixtures and hardware down just yet. That would have to wait.

The inside tub nook (with that neat architectural arch detail) got yet a slightly lighter blue to highlight the feature. That’s my newspaper-tape job above, don’t laugh.

Here’s my Ikea buddy cutting out the perfect striped fabric for the project (I looove stripes). After searching high and low through my favorite fabric shops I was amazed that Ikea carried my ideal pattern – and at $6.99 yard I was thrilled with my find.

I found this basic stand at Ikea as well. A quick coat of paint to match the new mirror frames and it was ready to go:

Last but not least I updated that giant old-school mirror with two small vanity versions framed in espresso Aaron Brothers wood frames. The mirrors were purchased at Lowes for $10 a piece and I used my favorite 40% off coupons for each of the frames.

I’m putting the room and all of it’s pieces in perfect order now – come back tomorrow to see the finished project!