A Budget Friendly Kid’s Bath Update

Finally, the post so many of you have been waiting for!

I’m so excited to share our boy’s bathroom update with you today. When I shared a sneak peek of this space on Instagram a while back, it had such a tremendous response, and so many questions about sources, so here’s a full recap of what we did in the space and where to find it!

First, here’s a good look at the bathroom before

As you can see it was in need of a few updates. Because there were SO many projects that needed our attention when we moved into our Fixer Upper we knew we needed to come up with some budget friendly updates for the space that we could do right away. Our plan was to give it a “5 year” facelift, and then to eventually do some more major updates like flowing, and tile, etc.

Here’s the finished product…

So here’s what we did…

  • Walls – First, we removed all of the existing trim around the floor, windows, and doors. We then cut 8″ panelling, floor to ceiling, out of quarter inch plywood. We then used a quarter to achieve even spacing between each panel. Once all of the paneling was installed, we then went back and added new trim around the bottom and the top of the walls to finish it off. I really love the way it turned out, it adds a ton of character but yet keeps it clean and simple.
    • Paint – The paint we used on the walls was Benjamin Moore Super White. We recommend spraying paint over panelling, unless you’ve painted the wall beneath the same color, otherwise you will see that original wall color peek through.
  • Toilet – Brown toilets are SO in right now (NOT), so we updated it using this model we’ve used before in other remodels and love.
  • Shower Tile + Tub – Because it wasn’t in the budget, nor did we have the time to demo and completely replace the existing tan tub and tile, we decided to have it re-glazed. We strongly considered doing this ourselves, but decided to have a professional come in and do it for us in a pure white color. This cost around $700, which isn’t inexpensive, but was a good 5 year or so fix until we are able to revisit it. There are ton’s of products and tutorials out there on how to DIY with process, which I honestly think we would have done had we not been on a time crunch, so consider it!
    • In Hindsight – The company that did our re-glazing did NOT do a good job, so we ended up only paying $200 for the re-glaze, and were left with a rough texture throughout the surface. A year later it’s held up just fine minus the fact that it scratches super easy. SO again I think I would have rather done it myself, that way at least I would have had more quality control over it and would know how to do touchups if needed.
  • Shower + Tub Faucets – Changing out these faucets we’re a crucial part to updating the space. We went with this Moen Matte Black set. They’ve held up very well, and look fantastic.
    • What we didn’t expect – Was that our entire shower’s plumbing would need to be updated to accommodate the updated fixtures. This ended up being the MOST expensive aspect of our update. It wasn’t something we felt confident doing ourselves, and required special parts, so we we’re kind of stuck. That price tag came in at a whopping $800….. which was a tough one to swallow. Yikes.
  • Floor Tile – For the floor, again we we’re looking for a quicker more budget friendly fix for the 1974 outdated brown tile. I’ve seen SO many friends on Instagram DIY their bathroom tile by painting it, so we gave it a shot. First, we sanded the heck out of it, then we made sure it was clean. Next we added this tile primer paint. And then followed it with this chalk paint , and then a semi gloss poly, all applied with a foam roller.
    • 12- Months- Later – It goes without saying that white floors are hard to keep clean, especially in a BOYS bathroom. BUT this has held up really well. I have gone back and repeated the processed one time since we initially did it just to keep it looking bright and clean, and that seems to do the trick!
  • Cabinet – For the most part we used the existing vanity cabinet that was there. We did add a new “floor” to the inside of the cabinet, to clean it up a little bit. And we did also make new cabinet door fronts to update their look.
    • Paint – I knew I wanted to do a dark green or olive green in this space. After sampling some different options, we ended up going with Benjamin Moore Cushing Green, which I LOVE!
  • Vanity Top – Because we were working with an existing vanity base, we had to work within the confines of the width and depth, which was originally intended for a single sink. Because this bathroom needed to accommodate our three kids, we knew we wanted to add a double sink. After doing some looking we found a near perfect fit at IKEA! And for a steal. Installation was super easy and came with step by step directions.
  • Faucets The faucets we went with are one of my favorite features of the space. Their eye catching, chic, and the kids love them. Even better, they’re super affordable and come in a variety of finishes!
  • Accessories (Click for source links)

I hope you love this space as much as we do, and that it inspired you to tackle a “less than perfect” project of your own!