Modern Meets Eclectic Guest Bathroom Renovation

Mike and I began our guest bathroom renovation in February of 2018. The project took us about four months as we did all the work ourselves alongside our full-time jobs. The original floor plan of the bathroom was VERY odd. The bathroom had an entry-room of sorts that had a countertop and sink on the left and a closet on the right. Straight ahead was a pocket door that led into a secondary space that had a small vanity and sink, a toilet, and a bathtub. We decided to close off the second area to use later as square-footage for our future master bathroom renovation. As far as style, I wanted to blend a sense of modern edge with eclectic character. I kept the color scheme neutral and added pops of color with the Persian rug and eucalyptus print. The fixture and finishes list is posted at the end.

Step One: Demo

We started by using a pry bar to rip out the vanity and sink. We used duct tape to keep the mirror from shattering as we removed it from the wall. Next we took out the closet shelves and tore down the framing surrounding the closet (the future location of the tub/shower). Lastly we took out the pocket door to prepare for the framing in of that wall.

Step Two: Tile install and grouting

Mike installed the tile using thin-set mortar and 1/4" tile spacers. We decided to use black grout to contribute to the contrasting flooring design.

Step Three: Frame and waterproof the shower

We framed in the shower using several sheets of Wonderboard. We then waterproofed the shower using RedGuard. The RedGuard was fun because it goes on hot pink and dries a deep red (see how fun it it to paint on in the YouTube video at the bottom). Next we adding the accent tile in the shower niche. This tile was one of my absolute favorite parts of the bathroom - what a fun pop of pattern!?

Step Four: Install subway tile in a herringbone pattern

Installing the tile in a herringbone pattern was much more challenging than anticipated. Our walls were not perfectly square which required unique cuts for all corner and edge pieces. The main middle areas of the wall went by easily, but the overall instal of the tile took two afternoons. We used "Jolly Bright White" Schluter strips to end the edges of the tile. We later added "Bright White" Polyblend grout to the gaps in between the tiles.

Watch a quick timelapse of the tile instal!

Step Five: Instal vanity and fixtures

To add extra support and ensure the vanity was securely mounted to the wall, Mike added two custom-cut 2"x4"s. We then installed the mirror, the pendant lights, the sink faucet, toilet, shower faucet and other minor fixtures like the towel bar and ring.