A little before and after bathroom update

Here’s a before and after of our bathroom remodel. This is what this 1950s bathroom remodel looks like now with this bathroom update.

If I look at this picture and close my eyes, I can still smell the aqua net and hear the flock of seagulls on the boom box and the box fan blowing full blast. In case I never mentioned it before, we didn’t have air conditioning in this house when I was growing up.

And yes.

I live in Texas.

This is the bathroom I lived in growing up.

There is a jack and jill bath upstairs between those two bedrooms. My bedroom was on one side and my sisters bedroom was on the other side. They shared a bedroom, and I got my own.

I wish I had pictures of that bedroom when I grew up.

At the risk of stating the obvious…

….it was amazing.

It had Laura Ashley wallpaper and Laura Ashley lamps and Laura Ashley bedding and a Laura Ashley comforter with little flowers that flip when you flip the comforter over.

It was magnificent.

But the bathroom?

It still looked like a 1950’s bathroom.

He always looked like this.

Aqua tile on the floor and white square tile on the walls and built-in toilet paper holders and mirrors with mirrors that close the way.

And butterfly tiles that look similar to this one.

The two butterflies decide to fly together for eternity with their bright light blue and navy wings.

until.

Until one day I decided it was time for the butterflies to fly away.

So we tore the bathroom down to the studs and took out part of the closet and replaced the toilet and renovated the tub and tiled the room on the ceiling to create a bigger vanity for the twins.

And now?

// Beaded hanging light fixture //Three part faucet //Pink and White Polka Dot Tote (similar) // Gold door cabinet handles // Gold mirror (similar) //Towel bar //

I’ve shared this before, but here’s the next one with a few updates.

Can you too?

wait

Do me a small favor.

Please scroll up and see before and then see after.

*sigh*

I did it 10 times to make my day happier.

before

Here’s who’s first.

//Floral Shower Curtain (similar)// Floral Artwork (similar)//

then

And the same angle with the new tile.

//Floral Shower Curtain (similar)// Floral Artwork (similar)//Overhead light fixture //

I have now added this light fixture.

I decided to go with gold instead of the traditional brushed nickel to create the impression that the room has jewelry.

It’s kind of amazing that it reflects the light all over the room and keeps everything very light and bright.

// Beaded hanging light fixture // Three part faucet // Gold mirror (similar) //

The faucets are brass.

Accessories like this toothbrush holder are made of marble and brass.

The mirrors were originally silver and I added a little rub n buff to give them a little more shine.

// Gold door cabinet handles //

Handles are brass.

The pull is brass.

(Total decorations aside: the vanity actually came from our bathroom. When we cut out the wall to make room for the door, the vanity was too big, so we rebuilt it in this bathroom and changed the hardware.)

// Hanging light fixture //

//Floral Shower Curtain (similar)// Floral Artwork (similar)//

Faucets and shower heads are also brass.

There is a lot of white in the bathroom.

So the room needed some color and pattern and some updating. Enter the shower curtain.

// Gray hand towel (similar) //

Here are a few more fun updates. Love these fun hand towels with pineapples on them.

and patterned towels.

and pink and white polkadotted organizers.

and painted floral artwork on the walls.

I also added a pink and white bathmat for the floor. You can see the complete resource list for bathrooms here:

Here’s one more time before.

// Beaded hanging light fixture // Three part faucet // Pink and White Polka Dot Tote (similar) //Gold door cabinet handles // Gold mirror (similar) //Towel bar //

And here’s the after.

But just in case you were wondering.

If you were worried that the butterflies have all flown away.

If you thought I had forgotten my roots.

No worries.

I saved a tile.

I think I will frame it for the bathroom.

Just to remind me of sky-high bangs.

and flocks of seagulls.

And stirrup pants and red lipstick and concho belts and prairie skirts and bangs…

…that vaguely refreshing smell of aqua net.

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