I’ve shared my home many times on GG before, because it’s always evolving. If you aren’t familiar, we rent a small, 800-square-foot house with two bedrooms and one bathroom. That’s right, one bathroom. I admit, it’s my least favorite part of our home, but living in San Diego, our options are limited unless we want to spend a ridiculous amount of money these days. We’re pretty lucky because our landlords are really open to changes we want to make to the house, and after five years living here with no plans to move any time soon, I decided it was finally time to tackle the bathroom.
Our bathroom is a little under 22 square feet, it is tiny. And our landlords definitely tend to favor dark, wooden fixtures. Ready for the before images?
It’s not bad, but it definitely wasn’t my vibe. I tend to like color and lots of airy features, especially in such a small space. My bathroom makeover was actually really easy and affordable, and I think a few changes made a huge difference.
The Floors
Because it’s a rental, we opted for these genius peel-and-stick tiles from Chasing Paper. The tiles in our bathroom were larger than your average square tile, so we used 2-by-4-foot pieces to create a custom fit. They were so insanely easy to install. I mean, I’m seven months pregnant and did it all by myself in under an hour. It was a piece of cake and I think it made a world of difference.
I went with the “Marrakesh” tile in a matte blush and I’m so happy with how it turned out.
The Fixtures
How fun are these brass cicada knobs I found on Etsy? I love unique, outside-of-the-box décor and these were a fun find.
I know switching out fixtures is actually a really easy rental upgrade, but I just never got around to it because I was worried about cost. Honestly, I didn’t want to have to spend a ton of money hiring a plumber and an electrician to work on upgrades in a space we didn’t own. But I also hated the light fixture and the old faucet in the bathroom. It was time for them to go.
First off, can I say how obsessed I am with this light fixture? I think when I found it I texted a picture to at least four friends who agreed that it was perfectly “me.” I feel like this simple swap gave the room a completely different vibe, and it is just so beautiful to look at. If you’re into the floral theme, it comes in a variety of sizes/bulbs!
I discovered a local company in San Diego called Switch Your Fixture who ended up being exactly what I needed for this project. It was less than $130 for them to come out and swap out both the faucet and the light fixture in under an hour! If you’re local, I highly recommend using the company for projects like this.
The Décor
I feel like when our landlords designed the bathroom they were trying to pack in as much storage space as possible with a large cabinet over the toilet and mounted rack on the opposite wall, but it just made the room feel smaller. I swapped out the heavy cabinet for a white over-the-toilet shelf that immediately made the bathroom feel bigger.
I also removed the wall rack and added a dual towel bar that matched the faucet and light fixture.
And then of course I needed to update the textiles – new towels, shower curtain, bath mat, the works. Overall, it feels like the bathroom is much more in line with my personal style, and makes the entire space feel more like home. If you’re a renter, I hope it inspires you to make some personal touches to your own living space. With so many great “temporary” solutions out there for renters, it’s a great opportunity to get creative!
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