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My Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeover: BEFORE & AFTER

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Dare I scream it from the rooftops that my pretty lavender bathroom makeover is finally done??!! You’d think that small bathroom makeovers are quick and painless, but this one was challenging.

What was supposed to be a 30-day master bathroom makeover turned into a 3.5-month makeover!

I did something I never thought I could do: I built my DIY bathroom vanity from scratch! Each step of the process was wrought with obstacles that made me question whether I could successfully complete it. But I forged ahead and I absolutely love how the whole lavender bathroom makeover turned out.

I have been waiting months for this reveal!

So prop up your feet and let me tell you a little story about the time I spent a quarter of a year doing a master bathroom makeover. HA!

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO

No time to read this post? Just listen to it!

 

Let’s just jump into the embarrassingly ugly pictures of what my master bathroom looked like before I got started.

BEFORE

As you can see, the old peel-and-stick floor tile had been turning yellow over the years and was in horrible condition.

The vanity had been painted twice since moving in, with a top that was also stained and outdated.

What you can’t see tucked back to the right was the 1970’s turquoise shower.

In the past, I have tried to deal with this bathroom the best way possible–through cover-ups and camouflage.

But there comes a time in a bathroom makeover where you can no longer ignore the fact that you’ve got to make real improvements and not just little cover-ups. Sometimes those improvements are costly. And sometimes you can do them on a dime.

With this room, it was going to be a little bit of both.

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeover - This is the BEFORE with ugly flooring. - Thrift Diving

 

AFTER: Pretty Lavender Bathroom!

Anyhow, in just over three months, my master bathroom is now fresh, clean, and it feels amazing when I walk into it!

I’m very partial to lavenders and pinks for small bathroom makeovers and laundry rooms because it makes them feel like a private oasis, evoking a sense of calm, well-being, and serenity.

Plus, if you knew me in real life, you’d know that I’m a big tomboy!

Although I love getting dirty and doing traditional “manly” things, there is a raging girly-girl inside of me that absolutely loves anything soft, pretty, romantic, and feminine! So you’ll notice that many of my room makeovers take on that vibe. 🙂

The color was perfect: Behr Mulberry Stain!

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Behr Mulberry Stain wall paint. - Thrift Diving

 

Since there is a lot to share with you about this master bathroom makeover, I’ve broken it up into sections. Feel free to click and jump around to read more about each element in this room!

CONTENTS

The Shower Makeover
The Closet Makeover
The Flooring Makeover
The Toilet Makeover
The Vanity Makeover
It’s Okay If It Takes Longer Than 30 Days
A Special Thanks
SAVE THIS PROJECT

 

The Shower Makeover

If you can actually believe it, I painted my shower and it turned out awesome.

When we moved in, this shower stall looked even worse. You can see how horrible it looked when we moved in.

 

BEFORE

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Remove glass shower door. - Thrift Diving

 

It wasn’t difficult to unscrew the shower stall and remove it. I just had to be careful it didn’t fall on my head or toes.

 

AFTER!

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Shower and tub refinishing with a 1970's turquoise shower. - Thrift Diving

 

I knew that when I made this bathroom over, those ugly shower doors were coming down and a shower curtain was going up.

The problem with old shower doors is that they amass so much gunk and disgusting stuff in the cracks and crevices, most of which you can’t see until you start removing them!

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Shower and tub refinishing with a 1970's turquoise shower stall. - Thrift Diving

 

And this is why I will never have a framed shower.

Ever again.

Knowing what I know now, how in the world could I have showered there and felt clean!? Gross!

There are hidden dangers of shower frames and shower doors, my friends!

BEFORE

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Gunk gets trapped underneath shower doors. - Thrift Diving

 

During this bathroom makeover, I toyed with the idea of just teaching myself how to rip out the shower and tiling it myself.

I mean, the quotes I got from professional installers were about $4,000 – $6,000. There is no way in heck I would pay that! You could buy a nice, little, used car for that price! LOL

So when Bath-Works reached out to me and asked if I would try their Bath-Works Bathtub Refinishing Kit, it was like the stars had aligned.

It was the solution that made the most sense financially and time-wise.

Plus, I figured that if it didn’t work out, I had nothing to lose.

And I was right–my tub and shower refinishing looked amazing!

(Watch this video to see how this painted shower looked 10 months later!)

 

Shower and Tub Refinishing - How to paint your tub or shower if it's worn or colorful from the 1970s. - Thrift Diving

 

AFTER

After getting the new floor and painting the shower with Bath-Works bathtub refinishing kit, it looks like a whole new bathroom!

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Paint a colorful shower white. - Thrift Diving

 

BEFORE

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Dirty old shower stall and glass doors. - Thrift Diving

AFTER!

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Shower and tub refinishing of an old 1970s shower. - Thrift Diving

 

I picked up this cute little shower curtain from Home Goods.

With the shower stall frame and door removed, I put up a cheapie tension shower rod from The Home Depot.

I’d like to buy a nicer rod because this one reminds me of a geriatric orthopedic walker. Ugh! HA!

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Shower and tub refinishing of an old 1970s shower. - AFTER - Thrift Diving

The Closet Makeover

When we moved in, the master bathroom closet had shelving that was covered with ugly contact paper.

In the previous makeover I did in this bathroom, I just left it–didn’t change it. But that was years ago before I really knew anything about making over a room. I never focused on the smaller details like I do now.

I had even bought some cheap plastic buckets and called it “organized.”

But clearly, I hadn’t done a great job with the previous makeover.

Who in their right mind would do a makeover and leave the old vinyl floor moldings?! What was I thinking?? LOL

ICK!!

BEFORE

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Bathroom closet makeover - BEFORE - Thrift Diving

 

Removing the old sticky vinyl moldings was tough! There was lots of sanding and scraping (and a bit of cursing, too. LOL). I can’t seem to find those pictures, but believe me–it wasn’t the most fun part of this room makeover!

 

AFTER!

This time around, however, I found a bunch of baskets from Ross, cut fresh pieces of 1″ x 12″ pine boards, stained them, nailed them in place, and tossed out the other particleboard contact-paper-wrapped crap.

(Watch the tutorial to see how I did a similar kitchen pantry makeover in my kitchen!)

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Nail pine boards to ledge to create shelves. - Thrift Diving

 

A coat of sealer using General Finishes High-Performance top coat (my favorite) will help to protect them.

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Protect pine boards with a clear topcoat. - Thrift Diving

 

I also installed new vinyl (aka: water-resistant) baseboard molding with vinyl shoe molding, using my brad nailer. Since this is a moist bathroom, it’s better to use than MDF boards.

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Attaching vinyl molding shoe molding in wet bathrooms. - Thrift Diving

 

And instead of throwing our dirty clothes on the floor in the closet, I invested in this amazing Steele laundry basket from Home Goods!

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Bathroom closet makeover - AFTER - Thrift Diving

 

When I saw it, I knew that I had to have it. There was something so alluring about the sturdy canvas, and the castor wheels were unbelievably silent!

But it cost $80. GASP!

I know…much more than I have ever spent on anything like this before.

But I couldn’t walk away.

 

Anyhow, I paid the amount, kept it movin’, and decided that I didn’t have to justify my $80 laundry basket to anyone. LOL

The Flooring Makeover

Let’s talk about flooring.

Because this was a biggie.

As I mentioned before, over the years, I simply disguised the floor with rugs.

But there comes a day when you realize that you just have to replace it.

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Vanity makeover - BEFORE - Thrift Diving

 

I’ve worked with Carpet One Floor & Home on several other projects, so they wanted to team up with me for this project, too, to install Verostone flooring in my bathroom.

On Day 28 of this room makeover, they sent their guys over and ripped out this floor much faster than I ever would have been able to do it!

(Click here to read all about my flooring installation with Carpet One).

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Bathroom floor makeover - BEFORE - Thrift Diving

 

What they left behind was a beautiful clean slate on which I could start on the rest of the bathroom makeover!

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - Bathroom floor makeover - AFTER - Thrift Diving

 

How to Remove and Install a Toilet Yourself

At this time, I also removed the toilet and installed a new toilet myself.

This is the second toilet I have removed and replaced in my house, and I have to say, it’s one of the easiest home improvements you can do!

You can see how nasty of a job it can be, with hidden, dried pee (I’m totally blaming that on the men in the house because no woman can anatomically create this same mess! LOL).

Related: 5 Tips for a Budget Bathroom Makeover That Will Save You a Ton!

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - How to remove and install a toilet. - Thrift Diving

 

You might need someone else help you remove the toilet if it’s heavy.

I didn’t wait for hubby because when you need a nasty toilet hauled away now, you need it hauled away right now.

 

Pretty Lavender Bathroom Makeovers - How to remove and install a toilet yourself. - Thrift Diving

 

The new Denali toilet by Mansfield Plumbing that I installed was going to be lovely!

(RESOURCE: Click here to read more about the Denali toilet and learn how to remove and replace your own toilet)

 

Removing and replacing an old toilet - Thrift Diving

 

The Vanity Makeover

The vanity was the biggest time-suck for this bathroom makeover!

Once the flooring was done, there were no other excuses for not moving faster other than my insecurity with making a wrong move and ruining the whole project!

Before I show you the finished vanity, let me show you its transformation over the years.

BEFORE

When we moved in back in 2010, it was clearly very 70’s with its howdy-doody molding on the doors.

I had painted some things before, but I wasn’t a die-hard DIY’er back then, so painting it white was the best option for me.

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover - Old bathroom vanity from the 70's. - Thrift Diving

 

I don’t know how readily available furniture paints were back then. But I did what I knew how to do: I just sanded, primed, and painted it a semi-gloss white.

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover - Old bathroom vanity from the 70's was sanded and painted. - Thrift Diving

 

The wallpaper came down…a new mirror went up…

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover - Wallpaper was removed from old bathroom. - Thrift Diving

 

…and the AFTER was pretty dramatic and clean!

(RELATED: Click here to learn more about this Sherwin Williams Sea Salt paint color).


Pretty lavender bathroom makeover -Bathroom makeover with Sherwin Williams Sea Salt. - Thrift Diving

 

I had painted it Sherwin Williams Sea Salt and I loved how zen-like it felt.

We lived with it like this for years, until last year I painted it gray and stenciled it. I filmed it during a YouTube tutorial on how to paint a bathroom vanity.

And while it looked good, we couldn’t ignore the fact any longer that the floor was in really bad shape (see the flooring section above).

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover -Painted vanity makeover with stencils. - Thrift Diving

 

Since we were getting new flooring, everything was going to have to come out, anyhow.

I figured it would be a great opportunity to replace the vanity.

My friend Edmundo came over to help me take out the old vanity.

We had to cut that thing out of there! Otherwise, it wasn’t fitting through the skinny bathroom door! LOL

(RESOURCE: Click to read my tutorial How to Remove an Old Bathroom Vanity).

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover - Removing the old bathroom vanity. - Thrift Diving

 

I was left with this disgusting mess and 30+ years of dust that had collected underneath! ICK!!!

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover - Removing the old bathroom vanity and it's dirty underneath.

 

The wallpaper peeled off easily, and I taught myself how to repair huge holes in drywall.

(RESOURCE: Click here to read How to Repair Big Holes in Drywall).

 

How to repair big holes in your wall. - Thrift Diving

 

I didn’t want to look in the new vanity cabinet door and see big holes staring back at me! LOL

 

How to repair big holes in your wall around plumbing. Thrift Diving.

The Complete Tutorial – Building a DIY Bathroom Vanity

I won’t go through each step of building the vanity since I have created separate posts for each step in the process. But you can check them out here:

BEFORE

Without further ado, here’s how things turned out!

 

How to remove a bathroom vanity - Thrift Diving

 

 AFTER!

It turned out so cute!

I kept the same mirror and just used a couple coats of Beyond Paint on it, in the shade of Pewter.



Pretty lavender bathroom makeover with a DIY bathroom vanity and lavender paint. - Thrift Diving

 

I decided to go with the dark gray mat because….well….my 10-year-old son told me to. LOL

The kids went with me to Home Goods one day and I couldn’t figure out if I should get the white or the gray rug.

He insisted on the gray, and I’m glad he did.

It feels like the gray rug anchors the vanity.

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover with a DIY bathroom vanity and lavender paint and new flooring. - Thrift Diving


Pretty lavender bathroom makeover with a DIY bathroom vanity, lavender paint, new flooring. Thrift Diving

BEFORE

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover - BEFORE - Old vanity. Thrift Diving

 

AFTER!

Now the new granite top looks a bit more modern and clean!

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover - New vanity top. Thrift Diving

 

It took me weeks and weeks to get through all the steps of building a DIY bathroom vanity but the “trouble” was worth it!

Because not only did it turn out gorgeous, but I learned soooooo many important lessons about working with wood, refinishing wood, and tips I can use for projects in the future!

The final result of the vanity was a clean look with a rustic touch of limed Red Oak!

And you can see how much nicer these floors are than the flooring that was there!

(RESOURCE: Click here to learn how to use wood dye and liming wax to finish Red Oak).

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover with new flooring. - Thrift Diving

 

I loved the swirls of gray and tan.

And because it had so much going on with the pattern, I knew that everything else would have to be simple.

Originally, I had planned to keep the vanity light, maybe even unfinished, yet with a liming wax to highlight the grain. But the more I experimented with finishing, I knew that if the vanity were light, the vanity would just disappear next to the floor.

So, I went dark and didn’t look back!

 

Pretty lavender bathroom makeover with new flooring and board and batten. - Thrift Diving

 

The color of the wood dye I used was supposed to be Grey, but the process of finishing it turned it to a dark brown. I actually like this color better than the original Grey I was going to use!

The liming wax settled nicely into the grain and drew attention to the natural wood.

Hardware was purchased from the bath aisle at my local home improvement store.

 

Pretty lavender bathroom - Vanity drawers - Thrift Diving

 

When building the vanity, some of the Red Oak I used were two different hues. You can see that the doors have more of a reddish tone and the body is browner.

If you’re going to be working with Red Oak, just keep that in mind, so that you don’t end up with varying tones.

For me, I actually kind of like it. It makes it unique and visually interesting!

 

Pretty lavender bathroom - Vanity with oak vanity. - Thrift Diving

 

And if you recall, this is what the legs looked like before they were upcycled into the vanity legs.

BEFORE

 

DIY vanity legs - Thrift Diving

 

DURING

After cutting and painstakingly stripping them…

 

Salvaged vanity legs. - Thrift Diving

AFTER!

…they became the inspiration for the DIY bathroom vanity!

 

Lavender bathroom makeover - See the pretty BEFORE and AFTER pictures - Thrift Diving

 

I may go back over some of the vanity with another coat of liming wax to fill in those areas. I was worried that some parts of the grain were taking up too much liming wax, and so I went back with a small brush and removed some of the wax.

Now, I think I may want to see more wax. But overall, I’m super happy with the DIY bathroom vanity!

 

Lavender bathroom makeover - New vanity. - Thrift Diving

 

I love the Kohler Worth 4 in. oil rubbed bronze faucets that I picked out!

(You can read more about the vanity faucets and granite top here.)

 

Lavender bathroom makeover - New faucets. - Thrift Diving

 

I go to IKEA for little accessories like this fake plant since Black Thumbs like me can’t keep anything alive! 🙂

 

Lavender bathroom makeover - New faucets and painted bathroom mirror. - Thrift Diving

 

And please don’t think I was able to execute this vanity 100% without mistakes! HA!

Oh….there were mistakes. Plenty of them!

The vanity is a little wonky in some spots. I feel like Harry Potter with the amount of magic I had to pull out of my butt to make it happen! HA!

Like this little gap here in the drawer.

I could get it to fit better if I make some adjustments to the drawer slides. This is why it’s so important to check your right angles when building!

But at this point, I don’t care–lesson learned.

I just want to move on!

If I never look at another bathroom makeover, it will be too soon. HA!

 

Lavender bathroom makeover - New vanity that I built from scratch. - Thrift Diving
What I love is that absolutely no one else in the world has a vanity quite like mine!

It feels like such an accomplishment that I made this with my own two hands!

And the lessons I learned along the way made it that much more valuable.

 

Lavender bathroom makeover - I built this vanity from scratch. - Thrift Diving

 

If you’re interested in reading more about how I built and finished this DIY bathroom vanity, I wrote up a complete series, with each step going into detail about what worked well and what didn’t work quite so well!

You can read more about the DIY bathroom vanity tutorial here.

 

Lavender-master-bathroom-makeover-Thrift-Diving-9550

 

This is the other side of my lavender bathroom.

I love board and batten because it gives a room character without overwhelming it. I’m very simple when it comes to furnishings so the vinyl wall boards make a room feel dressier without overpowering it. (Be sure to use vinyl and not MDF boards because MDF will warp when exposed to water).

(See More: Check out the board and battens I did in my kids’ bathroom makeover with a “Navigation” theme)

 

Lavender-master-bathroom-makeover-Thrift-Diving-9609

 

I decided to leave off the board and batten from behind the door because I felt like it was such a small wall, having two boards on there wouldn’t have made much difference.

 

Pretty lavender master bathroom makeover - Behr Mulberry Stain wall color and painted shower. - Thrift Diving

 

I tried to reuse as many of the hooks that I already had on hand. I hung these two on the door so that we could hang our towels off of them.

 

Pretty lavender master bathroom makeover - Behr Mulberry Stain wall color and hook on door. - Thrift Diving

 

I still need to figure out artwork or an inspirational quote to go above this wall. For now, I’ve left that bare.

 

Pretty lavender master bathroom makeover - Behr Mulberry Stain wall color and new closet shelves. - Thrift Diving

 

Edmundo is going to come over and help me wire a new vanity light over the vanity, too, which we really need.

 

Pretty lavender master bathroom makeover - Behr Mulberry Stain wall color and board and batten - Thrift Diving

 

One of my favorite parts of this room makeover is the DIY window privacy screen that I made!

You can find complete instructions on how to make one by checking out: How to Make a DIY Window Privacy Screen.

It doesn’t require any hardware for holding it up, either!

I can move it up or down, depending on how much privacy I want.

Someone had a great suggestion to attach Velcro to it so that you can change out the fabric for the seasons. Great idea!

 

Pretty lavender master bathroom makeover - Behr Mulberry Stain wall color - Thrift Diving

What About Cost?

I say this every makeover: I didn’t keep track of the costs.

I know….I know….You’d like to know that this didn’t cost more than $50, right?

But that’s never the case for me. I’m always updating structures, buying wood, and all of those things are expensive. They’d be even more expensive if I used professionals, so at least I save money by doing many things myself, right?

 

It’s Okay If It Takes Longer Than 30 Days

If it weren’t for these room makeover challenges that I do with readers, I really don’t think I would have gotten any rooms in my house done! And I seriously mean that.

When we’re all working on a makeover at the same time, it gives me fire and motivation to get it done. I know that you guys feel the same way! We feed off of each other, right? 🙂

As I mentioned, what started off as a 30-day lavender bathroom makeover quickly turned into over three months. And I wanted to bring special attention to this because, although I have been able to successfully get rooms done in 3o days (and with a lot of late nights), this room just couldn’t be done that quickly.

 

 

TA-DA!

Pretty lavender master bathroom makeover - Bathroom reveal with Serena - Thrift Diving

 

And If You Like Small Bathroom Makeovers…

…then you’ll love my small half bath makeover! When we moved in, it was covered in ugly wallpaper! Click here to see the “AFTER” of my stenciled colorful gray half bathroom!

BEFORE

Small bathroom makeovers - Colorful half bathroom makeover - BEFORE - Thrift Diving

 

Special Thanks!

Carpet One was an amazing sponsor for providing the Verostone flooring! You should definitely check out your local Carpet One Floor & Home if you’ve got a flooring project, carpet project, etc.

 

Pretty lavender master bathroom makeover - New Verostone flooring - Thrift Diving

 

Mansfield Plumbing was awesome to have sent me a Denali toilet to install in this bathroom! A big thanks to them for sponsoring it and giving one away to a lucky challenger.

This is the second toilet I have installed myself, and I am proud to say, I haven’t noticed any leaking or anything unusual. 🙂

(TIP: Stop paying for plumbers. Read my detailed tutorial on how you can easily replace your own toilet. It’s an easy job!)

This bathroom makeover wouldn’t have been what it was without Bath-Works sending me the tub and shower refinishing kits to paint my shower stall! So thanks to them for emailing me with perfect timing!

So I have to know….what do you think of my pretty lavender bathroom?!?!?!

Leave a comment below this lavender bathroom and let’s chat!

 

Pretty lavender master bathroom makeover - Thrift Diving

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89 Comments

  1. Congratulations! Both on finally finishing a tough project and for creating a beautiful new bathroom. Enjoy it since you deserve to take a break now. Thanks for sharing the final reveal with us at #HomeMattersParty

  2. What a beautiful transformation! I love the serene color palette you’ve chosen too.

  3. You are one to greatly admire! So impressive, lady.

  4. Wow! I love before-and-after posts, and this is one of the best I’ve ever seen. You did a TON of work with beautiful results. I’ve pinned this post because I know I’ll go back to it time and time again.
    Carol (“Mimi”) from Home with Mimi

  5. You did a fantastic job!!!! I used to do this kind of stuff all the time and loved it. It is so empowering and satisfying to DIY. You could do this as a side line!!

  6. Pat Kennedy says:

    Hi Serena, I am absolutely loving this redo! Great job! It makes me want to get a new bathroom too! I love the whole thing! Thanks for sharing. I loved listening to your description and details. You are terrific!
    Cheers!
    Pat

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