Unique and Inexpensive Ways to Update a Half Bathroom

Check out these unique and inexpensive ways to update a half bathroom.  It was a small space that lacked charm.  I was ready to make it warm and welcoming.    

Where we started

When we built out semi custom home a few years ago we didn't do any upgrades in this space.  Other then upgrading the floors through out the house.  This space had beautiful hardwood floors but everything else was standard.  

The bones of the space were good but was pretty boring.  By making a few subtle changes that didn't cost a lot we were able to create a pretty and unique half bathroom.

This half bathroom came with a pedestal sink, ugly oval mirror that wasn't framed, a working toilet and the cheapest light ever.

Before I was better at taking before and after pics we changed out the light and mirror so you'll have to trust me when I say they were cheap and ugly.

The Beginning Steps

The beginning steps I took to making this space a little better was take the down the ugly mirror and replace it with something pretty.  I found a cute mirror at TJ Maxx Home Good store.  It's such a fun store with so many options. 

I also took down the cheapest vanity light ever and replaced it with something nicer.  I don't even remember where I purchased the light.  It was better then the super cheap builder grade one but wasn't what I wanted now.  This space sat like that for quite awhile.  I was ok with it because I was busy working and doing other projects in the house.

Beadboard Ceiling and Baseboard Inspired Crown Moulding

After living in our home for a couple years I was ready to make this little space more exciting.  Because it is a small space I thought it would be fun to add a wood treatment to the ceiling. 

I love the look of beadboard.  I have never put it on a ceiling before but I knew it would look amazing so we got busy making and creating.  We had added baseboard inspired crown moulding in other spaces in our home.  Take a look at them HERE  It was the perfect way to finish off the beadboard ceiling.

You can see the steps we took to create this beautiful beadboard ceiling HERE.  It was a simple enough project that made a huge impact in the space.  This was an inexpensive update that created uniqueness in our half bathroom.

Peel and Stick Wallpaper

The beadboard ceiling made a huge difference in the half bathroom.  Next up was creating a feature wall with peel and stick wallpaper.  I was seeing a lot of peel and stick wallpaper on social media but hadn't tried it.  We have hung wallpaper before, the old school kind that was a mess to install and a nightmare to remove.

Because peel and stick wallpaper is mess free and removes easily I decided to give it a chance.

I found a cute wallpaper at Lowe's.  There are so many designs and patterns available.  Deciding wasn't easy.  If I get tired of it I can pull it off without damaging my walls.  No scraping and wetting it down trying to loosen 20 year old glue.  Can you tell I've had a little experience with glued on wallpaper.

Check out our peel and stick wallpaper installation HERE.  

Adding a Cute Shelf Perfect for Decor

I love wood.  My favorite is sanding especially if it is old and worn looking and I can make is smooth and beautiful.  Monte and I like to find treasures in dumpsters.  Our neighborhood is fully developed so the dumpsters are gone but if we need wood scraps Monte looks for a dumpster to find what we need.   A few years ago we found a beautiful beam in a dumpster.   We brought it home knowing we'd find a use for it later.

I wanted to update the shelf in our half bathroom and thought this beam would be the perfect piece.  Because I wanted to make it a floating shelf Monte had to get a little creative with how we were going to hang it.  

Thankfully he was up to the challenge and we were able to create this beautiful shelf that is perfect to display fun product from my shop Decor to the Door.  

After installing the vanity I knew the color of the shelf wasn't going to work so I used mineral spirits to wipe off some of the Annie Sloan Dark Wax.  I still love the Annie Sloan Wax but the color was off for this space.  After wiping it with mineral spirits I sanded the shelf then used my new favorite stain combination.  By taking Varathane wood conditioner, white wash and special walnut stain you get a gorgeous finish.  It was the perfect finish for this shelf.   It now a perfect addition to this unique and inexpensive half bathroom update.

New Vanity and Light

I had been wanting to take out the pedestal sink for a long time but just hadn't got around to it because it felt like a waste of money.

It wasn't necessary but after saving some money and finding a great deal on a vanity I was super excited to update the space.

I was also over the light I'd put in several years ago.  Here are the vanity and light I choose from Lowe's.  I am so happy with the way they look together.  It is a beautiful update to our half bathroom.

The DIY Snowball Effect

Often when I start a project it snowballs, where one thing leads to another.  I'm not mad that this happens in fact I find it kind of amusing.   I wasn't planning to paint but realized how much easier it would be with the vanity and light gone.    

I had recently painted a guest bedroom the same color as the trim and doors and loved the brightness.  The windowless half bath is a dark space so I decided to brighten it up with Dover White paint from Sherwin Williams.  Dover White is the color of all our doors and trim picked by our contractor.  I like that its not bright white but a warm white.   It warms and brightens the space.

Final Look and Thoughts

I love the look of this updated half bathroom.  The ceiling, wallpaper, shelf, vanity, mirror and light all elevate the space and make it look special. These unique and inexpensive tips to update our half bathroom didn't happen all at once.  Some were stacked on top of each other but most were done a little at a time.  But the end result is beautiful. 

Making and creating beautiful spaces is something I love to do.  It's in my DNA.  I can not turn off the part of my brain that is always seeing updates we can do in our home.  It's really fun for me.  Sometimes when we are in the mess I wonder what I was thinking but I enjoy the process almost as much as I enjoy the end result.  

Decor to the Door

Not only do I love DIY and but I love home decor.  I love finding seasonal decor and timeless decor.  My shop is filled with unique pieces that work season after season or are specific for holidays.

Check out all the products available at Decor to the Door.