Rainbow Bathroom Reveal

A few weeks ago I thought “this bathroom needs a one day refresh” and then, well, I tore the wallpaper off and was completely surprised to find water damage. So my one day refresh turned into a few weeks of work. But that’s ok because I took a bunch of time to think of how I really want the space to feel, and so I was able to really able to make it mine for this rainbow bathroom reveal.

Before

Let’s start with a walk down memory lane. Here’s how the bathroom looked when we first moved in. I hated the 2×4 trim (why?!?!?!), the dark wood cabinets, and the shower curtain around the clawfoot tub. The whole thing felt dingy and dirty. Probably because it was- the house was rented out to a bunch of college guys. 

It felt very country and I was going for more of a vintage modern feel. 2 years ago, we redid the space and I feel like we really got the bones right.

The tiny window got replaced with one twice as big and now the sun shines in! The toilet and vanity were replaced. I put down peel and stick flooring. New light, new mirror, painted the tub. The whole space got an overhaul!

You can see in this picture that the bathroom is connected to a hall where’s there’s linen and cleaning supply storage. That space got all painted.

So what was the issue? Why was I ready for change? First of all, the bathroom is beautiful, but it didn’t feel like me. I slowly quit being a \fan of the wallpaper- it felt too stuffy and formal for me.

Secondly, the hall and the bathroom felt like two different rooms. The only way to get into the bathroom is through the hall so I thought that by unifying both spaces, I could make it feel like one bigger space. Side note- this house was built in 1905 so the bathroom was an addition and that’s why it feel chopping. I prefer to look at it as charming though ;).

So I pulled down the wallpaper, dealt with the water damage even though I was questioning what I’d done to myself at this point. I painted the tub with rainbow stripes, added scalloped trim, and hung a rainbow gallery wall. Finally, I’m ready for a rainbow bathroom reveal!

budget breakdown

Before that though, I thought I should share how much these updates cost. I tried to use items I had on hand like the pink paint for the scallops and floor tiles that’d been sitting in my basement. Here’s the things I had to buy to complete this space. My goal was to spend around $100.

1. Frames for gallery wall $12 (I bought 3 frames and had the rest on hand)
2. Printing the art for gallery wall $16 (you can buy the printable file on my website here)
3. Accessories $14
4. Paint samples for tub $30
5. Painter’s tape $9
6. White paint for walls $31
7. Bow onlays $26
8. Caulk $3

Total $141

I feel like that’s a great price from going from feeling like “meh” about the space to now feeling like “this room is so me, I love walking in here! This bathroom makes me happy and I love spending time in here.”

To be honest, I was totally kicking myself that I did a big renovation on a room, didn’t love it, and in a few years wanted to change it. But I don’t think that’s productive. My taste changed and it’s ok that I spent less than $150 to help the room evolve with me. That’s not a mistake, that’s progress. At least that’s what I’m telling myself- lol! 

rainbow bathroom reveal

After- Tub Wall

chandelier / vanity / toilet / rainbow gallery wall art / peel and stick tile / pink cabinet / wall paint- ultra pure white / clawfoot tub faucet / tub brass caddy tray / faux peonies / floating shelf over toilet / 

This is my favorite new view of the bathroom! After I had painted the tub, I was stumped about how to tie the top of the wall in with the bold stripes below. My husband and I were chatting about the issue and he held up a piece of art over the window. “No- that’s too small” was my initial thought. But then I thought- what about a gallery wall?

And if I did a gallery wall, how fun would it be to make it all rainbow art?! My little sister Holly helps me with graphic design on my blog sometimes. She created a calendar for me in January with rainbow art each month. Maybe, I thought, she could change the color in each piece of art so it’d perfectly match the tub and I’d have a super cohesive gallery wall?!

I was SO excited about this idea! And Holly quickly altered the art and I got it printing. While I was, I couldn’t help thinking- “maybe I should make this art available to anyone!” It’s SUCH a great way to make a BIG statement with rainbows and you don’t have to paint anything. And now, all the art is available to purchase in my shop here. And it’s all affordable too! 🙌🏻

I recently added a new feature too. You can now buy the art as a digital download to print on your own (the most affordable option) OR I’ll print it for you and ship it to your house! I have that option available in the 8×10 or 11×14 size!

After- Hallway

letterboard tutorial / peel and stick tile / wall paint- ultra pure white / concrete tutorial / stencil backsplash tutorial

In the hallway area, the goal was to unite the two spaces so I put down more of the peel and stick tile, painted over the stripes, and painted the letterboard ledges so that they coordinate with the tub. I have a piece of decorative molding from Amazon that was supposed to be here yesterday for above the words that should finish this view off nicely.

 

This side of the hall stayed the same as before. I simplified what was on this shelf and love how it looks with the scallops.

After- Bathroom Vanity

arch mirror / abstract art / faucet / makeup mirror / chandelier / vanity

I love this little vanity area! That makeup mirror is SO nice to have. At a blogging conference, I was gifted that hand towel with my name on it. It’s something I would have never bought for myself, but I think it’s fun. I hung art over here since the wall felt too boring after taking down the wallpaper.

I cut these roses from my garden and think they look so pretty here! If you caught my Instagram stories yesterday day, I talked about ways you can finish a room by paying attention to the details. Things like caulking, touching up the paint on the trim, spray painting the register cover, deep cleaning, having accessories that feel right. 

These things don’t translate over to pictures for the most part, but in person it elevates a space. Especially if a room was a DIY project, those finishing touches make it feel polished and professional looking. 

After- floating shelf

flower art / floating shelf / cloche and flowers are vintage

After I took off the wallpaper, all the neutral art I had in here was way too mellow. So I pulled in colorful art that I had elsewhere in my house. This flower art makes a big statement! The cloche with ceramic flowers are items I found at an antique shop and bought for right here. Everything was starting to feel too new and shiny and so some vintage items help ground the room. 

Is this little cloche too “Beauty and the Beast”?! Lol, I like it! It feels old and I like that!

I love having a shelf over a toilet. Why? It brings the eye up so you aren’t staring at the toilet. Plus, the more pretty moments I can add to the room, the better.

After-

pink cabinet / wall paint- ultra pure white / faux peonies / dot wall art / 

When we first moved in, there was a medicine cabinet over the toilet. I wasn’t a fan of it, but I did need more storage. So I put this cabinet in here and that’s where toothbrushes, makeup, and items like that go.

For the top of the cabinet, I tried to arrange the accessories so there’s balance on both sides of the cabinet. When accessorizing, I like to put the visually heavier item on the left hand side (since we read from left to right, it leads the eye nicely).

On the right side, I did a grouping of three items that visually balance the flowers. I put that bathroom art on a little easel to give it more of a presence. Spraying painting it gold added a nice bit of sparkle. It used to be dark brown and didn’t really fit in with the room.

 

Before and after

I thought I’d end this blog post with a before and after. I know that this view isn’t for everyone, but it’s for me. It’s lighter and brighter and it feels unique and special. If you’re wondering who I am- this is it! And it feels amazing to have a room that feels just like me.

This house has two bathrooms and we set it up so my husband gets one and I get the other. It was fun to have free reign in this space. Though he did help me figure out how to pull the space together. My husband is pretty great and lets me have fun with my decorating. 

At the end of the day, you have to decorate for you. Don’t worry about what people who don’t live in your house think. Just make a space that you can really enjoy and that’ll be enough. If that means rainbows like it does for me- go for it! I really can’t say how great it is to have a room that I absolutely adore!

What do you think about how the room came together?

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