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Older homes often have markers of when they were built, such as intricate woodwork and vintage-style windows. Some of these old-fashioned features are appealing. Others, not so much.
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This bathroom is from homeowner Kristen Weininger’s 1909 Craftsman and had a bit of both. “The green tub, sink and toilet were being demolished by ugly beige tiles, vinyl floors and a very old medicine cabinet,” says Kristen. However, she saw the potential and decided to keep the charm and save the bathroom by ditching the rest.
It took Kristen and her spouse, Landon, four weeks to pull off a DIY bathroom makeover. To save time and money, they decided not to replace the beige wall tiles. Instead, I gave it a new look with a tile painting kit I got at the hardware store. Kristen said the process was more difficult than she expected and a little stressful. “It’s scary halfway through painting tiles,” she says. “Looks terrible. Just wait for the second coat and you’ll be fine!”
For her, it turned out better than OK. The resulting crisp white tile instantly brightened the room.
However, the couple had no intention of stopping there. The following weekend they painted the walls bright white to match the tiles. And in her third weekend, the couple worked on their most labor-intensive project. That was to install a new hexagonal black and white tile floor. The fourth weekend was all about finishing touches. That’s when Kristen and Landon installed new vintage-inspired light fixtures and sleek black-framed mirrors where the old medicine cabinet was.
The result is a much brighter and airier bathroom, with old-school green fixtures that shine. Now, the whole room looks like it was intentionally designed with a retro charm instead of being dark and dated. increase. “So many facelifts have been done, everything has been stripped and made white or grey. I love that we have kept the original character and enhanced it!”
