BEFORE & AFTER: My Colorful Gray Bathroom Makeover With a Wall Stencil!

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This small half bathroom makeover has been a work in progress. Watch its transformation!

 

Watch This Half Bathroom Makeover In Action!

 

 

When we moved in, this is how the previous homeowners left this half bathroom. It was badly in need of a makeover!

BEFORE

 

I thought for sure knocking out this small gray half bathroom makeover with a wall stencil would be a drop in the bucket compared to my other room makeovers.

I mean…how difficult could it be to make over a measly 27.5 square feet??……(asked the naive DIYer)…….

Well, considering that my muscles feel like I trained for a heavyweight championship boxing match, I’d say this project kicked my butt.

Small Bathroom Makeover = 1

Serena = 0

But I can’t deny it was sooooo worth the fight. Wouldn’t you agree??

Half Bathroom With Paint Instead of Wallpaper

 

It took some time for me to get around to giving it some style, but when I did, oh man…it looked sooo good!

AFTER!

Stenciling Virgin

I’m going to be honest with you–I’m a wall stenciling virgin.

I’m very Plain Jane when it comes to wall treatments: two coats of pretty blues and call it a day.

But I wanted to shake things up a bit with something bolder than I have ever done:

A stenciled bathroom.

Correct: a stenciled dark gray bathroom. GASP!

I felt so adventurous. 😉

I’ve done my share of stenciled furniture, but never walls.

I was in for an eye-opening experience.

 

(P.S. Check out my awesome stenciled furniture makeovers using my favorite floral damask stencil):

• Vintage Dresser Makeover
• Turn an Old Jewelry Box Into Craft Organizer
• How to Stencil on Furniture
• How to Paint (and Stencil!) and Outdoor Patio Table

Materials

• Mansion House Grille Trellis wall stencil from Royal Design Studio (comes in large and small). This stencil pattern also comes in a super affordable, smaller furniture stencil!
• Weathered White interior satin latex Behr (half a gallon)
• Grant Gray interior satin by Behr (1 quart)
• Cabana Blue interior flat by Behr (1 quart)
• Ultra Pure White interior semi-gloss
• Large roller for walls
• Small foam roller for stencil
• Brushes, paint trays, rags
• Painter’s tape
• Leveler
• MDF boards
• Crown molding
• Instructions for installing DIY crown molding

 

Stencil and Bathroom Paint

I wasn’t sure which wall stencil I wanted to use because I’m usually not a “patterns girl.”

But the Mansion House Grille Trellis (the small one) stencil grabbed my attention immediately. There was something sooooo pretty about the metalwork-inspired design. And since it’s so new, I knew it wouldn’t be some cookie-cutter design that you see smeared all over Pinterest.

 

 

 

 

(P.S. Some of you have asked about my Fred Sanford shirt. You can buy it HERE!)

You know how I love blue…so I had to include it, but a bolder color!

 

 

Flashback From the Past

I can’t show you this project without including how this bathroom originally looked shortly after we moved in.

I started removing the wallpaper and then painted, but I had never done anything special with the bathroom.

 

 

It Stayed Like This For Years

With the wallpaper gone, and a few random pictures hung, it was just a basic half bath. My husband asked for years for me to focus my attention on this bathroom since it’s the guaranteed place that visitors will always see in our house.

But I had more important room makeovers to tackle (like our laundry room, kids’ bathroom, and family room).

 

 

But I was excited to finally get this project going!

A Small Gray Bathroom Makeover With a Wall Stencil

Thankfully, I had done most of the hard work of removing the wallpaper some time ago, so there wasn’t much to do to get started on this project. I was also thankful that I didn’t have to remove the toilet. This one, albeit a little short, didn’t need to be replaced immediately.

How to Remove and Install a Toilet

NOTE: If your toilet needs to be replaced, or if you’d like to replace it with a taller one that’s ADA-compliant, check out my step-by-step instructions on how to remove a toilet yourself without paying for a plumber. Once the toilet is removed, you can follow these instructions on how to install a toilet yourself.

STEP 1: MUST.CLEAN.WALLS!!!

This is the bathroom that my kids usually use. It’s right off of the family room and is most convenient for them.

I’ve got three boys.

Need I say more??

I had to start with wiping the walls down with Simple Green to clean off all the pee residue and to prep for the paint. ICK!

STEP 2: Painting the Base Coat

I used the Weathered White as the base coat, so I painted two coats over the walls and ceilings.

 

 

STEP 3: Measuring For Chair Rail

I decided to measure up from the floor about 30 inches and used a leveler to make sure the lines were straight.

When doing chair rail, make sure you don’t put it too high or it can look funny. I ended up having to lower mine because the first lines were waaaaay too high! This is how high the line were originally.

Too high

 

Must better!

….but I decided to lower them about a foot!

 

STEP 4: Taping Up the Stencil

I decided to start in one corner and work my way out. I used painter’s tape to get it hold in place.

 

 

 

STEP 5: Loading the Grant Gray Paint

I used a small foam roller for the stencil. But you can also use a stencil brush.

I think the roller is faster, but I think stencil brush provide cleaner results. I had some seeping out of paint under the stencil, but I think I could have done a better job taping off, too.

 

 

STEP 6: Painting Over the Stencil

I was loving how it looked!

So bold and so much different than my usual style!

 

 

When I was done the first section, I moved the stencil down, re-taped it, and lined up a few the cutouts, making sure it wasn’t crooked.

 

 

I added a piece of tape at the bottom to mark off where the chair rail was going to be so that I wouldn’t paint over that line.

NOTE: Be sure to use a SMALL amount of paint on the roller! So little paint that you can barely see the paint. Then, when that first coat dries, add another light coat. It will help to minimize the bleeding of the paint under the stencil.

 

STEP 7: The Dreaded Frequent Cleanings!

This is the part that I didn’t like the most: having to frequently stop to clean the stencil. When using stencils, paint gets caked on it and “gunky” and can mess up how well the stencil works.

You have to stop every few sections and clean it off in the sink or tub.

This is what it starts to look like when you need to clean it. Just be sure to have a strainer to catch the bits of paint from going down your drain.

 

 

STEP 8: The Dreaded Corners!

This is the other part that I found hard when using wall stencils: getting the corners. I’m pretty sure I used every curse word I knew. LOL

I finally figured out that instead of using the roller or brush when I get to tight corner spots (because otherwise it’s a mess), I would just trace the pattern on the wall and use a small paint brush to fill it in.

 

 

Even when using a brush, though, it’s going to look a little jacked up until the next step, where you clean it up.

 

 

 

STEP 9: Cleaning Up Your Messes

Trust me. You will have messes. LOL

But the best part is that you can fill them in with a small paint brush and paint.

Look over your design and use a small crafting paintbrush to go over the areas that are a little sloppy, like in the pic above (see to the left?)

 

STEP 10: Adding Trim and Molding

I adore rooms where there is chair rail separating the top and bottom!

I used some MDF boards (about 1.5″ – 2″), painted them, and used my 18-gauge nailer and Liquid Nails to attach them.

 

 

 

I Painted the Vanity

I had painted this vanity years ago, but it needed a pop of color. I’m tired of being afraid of deep colors! I chose Cabana Blue by Behr. I absolutely love it!

BEFORE

 

AFTER!

Bathrooms are the perfect place to experience with bold colors, and that’s just what I did!

I left the hardware the same, although I plan to paint it black or gold. Sometimes, you just run out of time… LOL.

 

 

The Vanity Light

It’s embarrassing to admit, but this is the light we’ve had in this bathroom since we moved in. When we took it down, there was still the old wallpaper underneath! LOL

 

 

I don’t do electrical stuff, so this is where I love my hubby to help out!

 

 

AFTER!

And the beautiful part is that I let my 9-year-old pick out the light, and this is what he chose! 🙂 I love getting my kids involved in these decisions. My 6-year-old said, “Mommy, it looks like a hotel light!” I guess that’s his way of saying it looks fancy. HAHA

I admit that it wasn’t my first choice, and the mirror doesn’t match it. But you know what?? My baby picked it out. And I’ll forever be able to look up at it and remember the time he went with me to pick it out. So who cares if it doesn’t match the mirror! 🙂

 

 

The $7.00 Thrifted Mirror

My favorite thrift store was having a 50% off sale for MLK Day and with my luck, I found this $14 mirror for $7.00!

You know….

I rather liked the vintage gold!

This bathroom is very modern, but I wanted a bit of vintage, and the mirror was perfect! The shape was beautiful, and the gold just “spoke” to me. My husband thinks we should paint it and make it “fresh” like everything else. But a little bit of chipped scuff-ness is just the edge this bathroom needed.

 

 

 

For this makeover, I also hung crown molding. This is the 3rd room I’ve done now! I can’t say my gaps are getting any smaller, but hey–caulking hides EVERYTHING! 🙂

If you’re looking for detailed instructions on how to install DIY crown molding, you can get a copy of my free ebook here: How to Put Up Crown Molding Like a Novice. 

 

 

I still have some DIY wall art to do…… and to find a cute little wire basket to go over the toilet….maybe some shelves….and definitely new sink hardware.

But this project is proof that with just a few materials and about 3-4 days, you can really transform your house into something you can be proud of for not too much money!

Project Cost

Here’s a cost breakdown of absolutely everything for the bathroom:

• $0 – Mansion House Grille wall stencil – Provided for free from Royal Design Studio (Click here to buy)
• $33.66 – Crown molding
• $5.86 – MDF boards for chair rail
• $74.97 – New vanity light
• $12.99 – IKEA rug
• $7.94 – Thrifted mirror
• $6.99 – IKEA toilet brush
• $5.99 – IKEA toilet paper holder
• $4.97 – Light bulbs
• $8.99 – IKEA soap dispenser
• $1.98 – Hardware for TP holder
• $2.38 – Picture hangers for thrifted mirror
• $26.48 – Weathered White by Behr
• $13.47 – Grant Gray by Behr (quart)
• $12.47 – Cabana Blue by Behr (quart)
• $1.98 – Latex gloves
• $3.24 – Caulk for molding
• $3.77 – Liquid Nails

Taxes = $14

Time = 4 days

TOTAL SPENT = $247.32

This is how I felt when I was done!

 

 

Even with a few things still on the “To Do” list, it still felt GOOD to have a pretty bathroom! I imagine now when people come over, I’ll be eagerly asking, “Hey, do you have to go to the bathroom?? Right this way!!” instead of dreading them seeing this room.

Maybe I didn’t get my butt kicked after all. I’d like to think I was the victor in this fight. 😉

Watch The Video of This Project

I did record the entire project and captured some of my frustration and fear. HAHA Check it out here on my YouTube channel:

 

 

Narrow Half Bathroom Makeover

Several years ago, one of my blog readers, Jessica, from Petal & Ply, made over her half bathroom during one of my 30-Day DIY Room Makeover Challenges, as well, but hers was much more narrow than mine.

Here’s what it looked like BEFORE:

Afterwards, it looked amazing! You can find out more info about this narrow half bathroom makeover on her blog.

P.S. Did you know that they also make a bunch of smaller furniture stencils?? You can find the Mansion House Grille Trellis furniture stencil HERE if you like smaller stencil projects.

 

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