A look at the main floor bath scope & progress as Ken and Erin add wainscoting and turn a vintage desk into a bath vanity. Mood board with sources!
We’re digging into phase 2 of our main floor bathroom update, and it’s going to be good! The previous owner made some quick band-aid updates to this bathroom like a molded plastic surround in the bath/shower, and a cheap melamine vanity that I’ve always wanted to update. This bathroom has kind of limped along the last 7 years, and now we’re turning it into a space we love. The goal is to preserve and enhance the original 1930’s bones, all while creating a functional space that fits our style.
Last year you may remember, we replaced the plastic tub surround with tile, and now we’re moving onto the other side of the room. We’re addressing the sink, and also adding wainscoting and trim while we’re at it. When you do the work yourself, sometimes it has to be done in chunks, and that’s okay. That’s life!
Typically, I do separate blog posts to introduce the ‘before’ space, design direction, progress, featured DIY projects, etc. But this time I’m wrapping several blog posts all in one: main floor bath scope & progress. One hit wonder blog post, my friends.
Existing
To the naked eye, the vanity looks somewhat innocuous. I mean, it’s white, and the paneling on the doors isn’t bad, but the drain lever has never worked, the melamine is peeling, and the vanity has never sat flush with the wall so it appears it was dropped in rather sloppily.
However, the thing that bothered me the most is, inside the cabinet the back was cut away to make way for new supply and return water lines. So,—and I kid you not—when you open the cabinet, that back wall is what you’d see–water lines willy-nilly, and all. I was always wrestling with those waterlines every time I reached for my hair dryer.
Vintage Desk Sink Console
Here’s a sneak peek at the vintage desk I thrifted for $40. I love her, and she’s just small enough to fit in our postage stamp bathroom. In my next post, I’ll explain in great detail exactly how we’re turning it into a functional sink console. Five key modifications!
And below is a vintage-desk-turned-sink console by Trisha Troutz that I’m inspired by. The marble top, the polished nickel faucet and the wainscoting behind–I’m into it! Check out more furniture-sink-console inspiration here.
Wainscoting
For the wainscoting and walls above/trim we tried several paint colors. I wasn’t sure whether to go with a beige neutral or pull the green gray out of the tile for the beadboard. Ultimately, we went with Benjamin Moore, Horizon Gray, satin finish, for the beadboard, and Cloud White, eggshell finish, for the walls above and trim.
Progress
Wainscotting going up! I wanted the height to be somewhere below the sconces and bisecting the medicine cabinet. The exact height though was determined by the light switch and outlets which are unusually high on the wall. I didn’t want cut outs in the molding around them, so the molding went in as low as possible, just above the top of the light switch.
And lastly, here’s a look at the big picture of fixtures and materials. The original 1930’s floors are something I’ve always LOVED about this bathroom, and so the additions we’re making are all sort of based around this tile. Polished nickel, black accents, delicious moldings, and a marble-topped vintage vanity are all part of the magical equation in here.
So there you have it. Our main floor bath scope & progress. I can’t wait to show you more!
Materials & Sources
- Floral Art Print
- Sconce Housing
- Sconce Turtle Shade (Opal)
- Benjamin Moore, Cloud White Paint Color
- Benjamin Moore, Horizon Grey Paint Color
- Bead Board
- Decorative Trim
- Wall-mounted Faucet
- Marble Sink Top
- Shower Head
- Shower Arm
- Shower Valve Trim
- Shower Valve
- Wooden Sink Console: Vintage
- 3×6 Subway Tile
- Original Tile Floor
- Accordion Arm Mirror
- Polished Nickel Toilet Paper Holder
