Bathroom Update 2016

You may recall that last month I told you I was going to cover my bathroom vanity top with concrete. Now. This would not be something I would just randomly decide to do. But. Our bathroom vanity was cracked last summer (by Hannah and I don’t believe her story for a minute) and I just didn’t want to go through the hassle of replacing the entire piece along with the medicine cabinet and other cabinet that matched. I liked what we had and didn’t want to start over. (We last did the bathroom in 2009 and you can go here if you want to see what we had prior to that and prior to this most recent update.)

So anyway. For months we lived with a big ole crack in the sink top. And I hemmed and hawed and looked at vanities and did . . . nothing. Until I saw this idea on Pinterest and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I decided to go for it. I mean, really, what did I have to lose? That vanity had to go one way or the other and if this didn’t work I knew I could just bite the bullet and buy a new one. So, I took a deep breath, got Dale and I a couple of cheap American beers, and just.did.it.

Here’s the very first photo I took of this project. You’ve seen it already but you just might need a refresher.

bathroom sink before for carole knits

And this one, because, really, it sums up so perfectly Dale’s concerns for my project. Trust me, I said. It will look great, I said.

bathroom sink progress with dale for carole knits

It’s a good thing he loves me, right? Because this is what it looked like after the first coat of concrete. And in case you think I came up with this idea on my own, I did not. I followed this tutorial very closely.

bathroom sink first coat for carole knits

This is after 2 or 3 coats. I think. I sort of lost track of all of this because it was a lengthy process. Easy. But it took the better part of a week. In any case, it’s looking less like a hot mess.

bathroom sink 2 coats for carole knits

And finally, the finished product. Not bad, huh?

sink after 1 for carole knits

While we were updating the sink we (and by we I mean me) decided to paint the walls, too. I loved that orange for a lot of years but I was ready for something quiet. And neutral. The new wall color is Smoked Oyster by Valspar and it’s a really soothing grayish brown. It matches the concrete nicely and I love the way the white wood pops.

sink and vanity for carole knits

We also – finally! – had a new floor installed. Since we saved so much by redoing the vanity ourselves we were able to spend that money on a new floor. Seriously, I’ve been waiting 20 years to replace that old bathroom floor. It was faded and had burn marks from back in the day when Dale smoked and it was just horrid.

bathroom floor for carole knits

I absolutely love this hexagon tile look. I especially love that it’s luxury vinyl and I don’t have to clean lots and lots of grout.

bathroom corner 2 for carole knits

We have new towels and new accessory pieces and it feels like a whole new bathroom.

bathroom corner for carole knits

With the same old shower curtain. I know, I know, but I still love it and I don’t want to change it. The good thing is, though, that with all of these neutral shades, I could easily change the shower curtain for different seasons and still put this one back up whenever I want.

shower curtain for carole knits

There’s one last glamour shot of the sink. I have to say that I’m really proud of myself for doing this. Usually, when it comes to stuff around the house, I do all the planning and Dale does all the heavy lifting. Not this time, though. This time, this sink, was my project and I took it from start to finish. Woo hoo. (I still had him do all the painting and other stuff, I’m not an idiot.)

sink after 2 for carole knits

And there you have it – our updated bathroom! And the cost, including the new floor, paint, new towels and all, less than $700.

I call that a win.

Related Posts

Comments (32)

  6. Carole – I adore your new floor can you tell me what pattern it is and where you found it? By the way the bathroom looks GREAT!!!!

  7. That photo of Dale is so priceless!! And, best line of the entire post, “I still had him do all the painting and other stuff, I’m not an idiot.” I love the entire look – sink, flooring, painting, and the shower curtain! Bravo to you!!

  8. That is FABULOUS, Carole! The whole thing — but especially the sink! I bet you just love spending time in the bathroom now. And Hannah’s story? Ummmm. Not a chance. . . 😉

    (Glad you saved the shower curtain. Love the colors!)

  9. I was, shall we say, skeptical when you mentioned concrete, but it looks great. I admit to having personal concerns about dropping things on it, but I can be a bit of a butterfingers some days. And not that it matters, but I still love that shower curtain, too.

  10. Wow, Carole – it looks fantastic! (and congratulations on the budget, too – quite impressive!)

  12. I might just completely copy you! I’ve been thinking about painting my bathroom grey for a while now, and my sink sure could use this fix.

  13. It looks great! You were brave to attempt that. Love the whole look and color scheme.?

  17. I love it! The sink is fantastic. Have to say, I was thinking about all kinds of yhings that could go wrong on that project.

  19. Fantastic, seriously, fantastic all the way around! I wish mine were as easily accomplished as yours (and as inexpensively!). Good for you in doing it YOUR way!

  22. Gorgeous—it looks like a spa in there now!

    I am laughing just a little at your concrete—my dad worked as a cement finisher for over 50 years, and when I was in high school, he bought me a 1971 Ford LTD. I loved it—it was fire engine red with a black vinyl top. It developed a pretty big rust hole over one of the rear fenders, so my dad patched it with cement and spray painted it red. (Yes, he did it to irritate/tease me). Four years later, when we sold the car, that cement patch was still hanging in there. There is a reason why they refer to cement as a PERMANENT building material.

  24. Nice going, Carole! I think the bathroom is a number one priority when it comes to redos. After all, we spend a lot of time there! Enjoy your new bathroom and the weekend ahead!

  27. The bathroom looks awesome – love the sink! You were pretty brave to tackle that DIY project. But I want to hear Hannah’s story!

  28. Wow! Fantastic job!! I love your new wall color, too, and the pop of color from your old shower curtain! 😉

  32. I’m WAY behind on my blog reading buy you guys ROCK on the bathroom upgrades!!! And WHERE did you get that shower curtain and how long ago did you get it??? It is FABULOUS! I have so many projects on my house ‘to do’ list I hardly know where to start… 🙂

Comments are closed.

Back To Top