Category Archives: Bathrooms

Small-Space Bathrooms with Style

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Katie | 1 Comment

If you’re thinking of renovating your small-space bathroom or if you’re just a little curious how others have transformed theirs, well, we’ve got you covered. We’ve seen some fabulous bathrooms on our home tours and thought we’d share a few of our favs here. Bathrooms don’t have to be big to have that spa-like feel, as these beauties with surely attest.

After a long hard day at work, your feet will love the smooth and calming texture of this river rock floor. Wow.

Modern, sophisticated and oh so peaceful, this bathroom received the star treatment. The completely renovated room boasts a vanity modeled after Billy Joel’s bathroom, marble tile and extra storage. The chi is happy here.

Sometimes the best route is to embrace your vintage home. Built with quality materials, but just in need of some TLC, this bathroom has classic style and oodles of charm.

We LOVE how this handy homeowner created a recessed ledge shelf in this 1950s bathroom. Of course he had to remove the old tile and plaster and expose the studs, but he added stylish storage and that’s a job well done!

Glass tile is expensive, but here, a little definitely goes a long way. The color pops against the rest of the white wall tile and the blue-green hues coordinate with the room’s paint and towels.

Spruce up your bathroom with a sophisticated and handsome vanity. You could even take an old dresser or cabinet and make your own unique base.

If having a rental is giving you the blues, try adding removable shelving to store towels and other bathroom accessories. Functional, decorative, and you can take it with you to your next home.

Even your powder rooms deserve a little fun. Paired with a modern sink, a modest-sized mirror, and minimal accessories, this orange tiled accent wall is a show-stopper!

Have you made any updates to your bathroom? We’d love to feature your room here. Send an email to diydelray[at]yahoo.com.

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Posted in Bathrooms, Interior Design, Rooms

Tagged bathrooms, renovation

A Bathroom Reno with Vintage Style

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Katie | Leave a comment

If you’ve purchased a house as-is, you’re probably familiar with the classic Del Ray rowhouse bathroom — cracked and mildewy tiles, a tub that’s hard to keep clean, and not enough space for two people. And this is exactly what Sarah and Lee got when they purchased their house. Here’s a before shot:

Based on the deteriorating condition of the bathroom, Sarah and Lee decided a complete gut-rehab was the best option. They wanted a classic look for the new bathroom to keep with the style and age of the vintage house. For inspration, Sarah found these pictures of Billy Joel’s bathroom that matched the look she hoped to achieve.

And here’s how it happened. First, the bathroom was completely gutted.

The demo alone took two days. New pipes were added in the floor:

They installed a new cast iron tub and subway tile for the tub surround (Daltile Rittenhouse Square, special ordered from Home Depot).

And here’s the end result — classic, clean, and simply chic!

They chose a marble basketweave tile for the floor The design is similar to the original tile, but with much more panache.

The sink is an American Standard Retrospect console table. The toilet and fixtures are by Toto.

Sarah says the best move was opening up the bathroom by pulling the door out to the landing and getting rid of a mini-hallway that led to the bathroom. This was Sarah’s mom’s idea (she’s an interior designer). As a result, the bathroom door no longer blocks the tub when you are in the bathroom with the door open. The room feels so much bigger.

They replaced the linen cupboard from the landing with a Pax wardrobe from Ikea (with a shaker door). Not only does the wardrobe look great, it holds a lot of linens and bathroom essentials.

If it’s true that bathroom renovations are one of the best investments you can make in your house, then this one was well worth the time, money and effort.

Posted by Katie

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Posted in Bathrooms, Interior Design, Rooms

Tagged basketweave, bathroom, daltile, ikea pax, marble, renovation

Little by Little, Bathroom Gets DIY Makeover

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Katie | 3 Comments

Christophe is not afraid to tackle a home improvement project; he’s a true DIYer whose passion and enthusiasm come out in his exceptional work.

The original bathroom in his 1950s rowhouse needed some sprucing up. It had some redeeming qualities — the neutral white and gray tile floor and the tub were in good shape – but overall the room was dated.

With this being the only bathroom in the house, Christophe knew the renovation would be a long-term project. He needed to use the bathroom as he remodeled, so that meant he could only do a little at a time.

Christophe started by removing all the tiles on the walls and around the tub. He liked the gray color and some of the tiles were still in good condition, so he kept some to use as accents for the new walls. He took the walls down to the studs, including the extremely messy task of removing the plaster walls. The process took well over a month.

But it was well worth the effort. Here’s the tub with the new tile that goes all the way to the ceiling. The window ledge is also tiled (if you have a 1950s bathroom without a tiled window, you may be very familiar with the mold issue).

The original floor goes so well with the new wall tile. I’ve heard those old floors are a beast to redo, so Christophe was lucky this one was in such good shape.

In the end, Chrstophe created a spectacular new bathroom, still in line with the original style of the house, but with a more modern feel and some interesting accents including this recessed shelf.

Another creative touch is this mirror built into the wall.

Christophe’s attention to detail is exquisite — this does not look like a first-time tile job.

The project took months to complete and in addition to the tile, he also installed a new toilet, a new faucet and base cabinet for the sink, and a new light. The cabinet was purchased at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and the remaining supplies were purchased at Lowe’s and Home Depot.

Christophe’s advice for anyone undertaking this type of project: “Be patient. If you get frustrated, take a break, do not rush.”

Posted by Katie
Photos by Leslie

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Posted in Bathrooms, Interior Design, Rooms

Tagged bathroom, habitat for humanity restore, renovation, repurpose, tiles

Modern Bathroom Remodel in a Cool, Classic Style

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Leslie | 2 Comments

DIY Del Ray checked out a local bathroom renovation. The owners updated their bathroom to make it more their style. The design was somewhat dated, with, as they put it, boring tile, bead board that never looked clean, and scarcity of storage space.

Here’s their story. First, the before photos:

The Inspiration

We don’t have a decent design gene between us. We were waiting to get inspired, to see something we would like. We knew what practical things we wanted like the kind of faucet and shelf on the shower wall, and more storage space inside the bathroom. We wanted a vanity with all mirrors, plus mirrors inside to let me cut my own hair. We also thought the color theme was okay (white and light blue), and we liked the white porcelain for the toilet, sink, and bathtub, although we only ended up keeping the toilet.

What They Like the Most

We love the subway tiles. We like the creativity in the way we used a different color blue glass as an accent. We splurged and got two sets because we found one we liked better than the first one.

We also really like the huge medicine cabinet. We were really excited when we found it. It’s three times as big as the old one, but it makes the whole room seem bigger because it’s mirrored.

The whole space is more functional and looks better. The small glass tiles along with the cobalt blue tiles and floor tiles make it feel more spacious. The tile on the inside of the window was a great call.

Proudest Moment

We had the contractor make the window at a slight incline. You don’t notice, but makes it less wet on the edge and the caulking stays more dry. It’s a small thing, and we never had a mold issue before, but I feel like it was a smart move.

We weren’t sure what to do about the window. Should we put tile inside? We asked friends and a friend’s mom, an interior decorator, suggested putting the tile inside. We love how it looks.

What They Would Do Differently

I wish I put more space-saving things in like hooks because I have a child now and we need to store more stuff. I’d also find a sink with a cabinet or drawer underneath instead of the pedestal sink, which at the time, I thought would be a space saver, but wasn’t as it turns out.

Biggest Frustration

Our townhouse community was built in the 1950s as practical, very solid housing. When you redo one of these homes, it’s hard to get to the back of the walls. You’re faced with concrete, reinforced mesh, and rebar. Getting the bathtub in was especially difficult.

Materials Used
Tile: Ideal Tile
Mirrored Cabinet: Home Expo

Advice for Others

Get a good recommendation for contractor. Shop around.
Go to bathroom showroom to get ideas. The home expo was helpful too.
Find a picture to use as inspiration.

If you have a question about this project for the homeowners, use the comment field below. Want to share your before and after story? Email diydelray[at]yahoo.com.

Posted by Leslie

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Posted in Bathrooms, Rooms

Tagged bathroom, remodel