Master Bathroom : Easy & Doable Upgrades at Lowes

I recently worked with a client that wanted to do a simple upgrade to their Master Bedroom Bathroom.   They were not particularly into the "gilded look" - as they referred to it - of their existing bathroom accents that were all done in brass.   

The existing bathroom was divided up into two areas : a dressing room area with closets and drawers (all with brass hardware) - as well as a counter with a mirror and brass sconces.  Then, as you continued into the room - the other side featured a sink and mirror area (more brass), toilet and walk-in shower.  

The Dressing Room Area

My goal was to do some simple changes to make the room more inviting and easier on the eye.  The homeowners both liked a "southwestern style" and that became part of my inspiration for the quick re-design.  Having recently traveled to Sedona - I had that influence on my mind - which fit in perfectly.  They had a limited upgrade budget to work with - but I always take that as a challenge to be creative with what we have to work with!

With the dressing room area - the task was to find a new mirror, new light fixtures and give the whole room a new paint color.  The existing bright yellow walls - combined with the brass accents - left the before room feeling cold and uninviting.  I had a warm sand tone in mind for the walls matched with crisp white for the trim and details.

Existing Brass Hardware

The other easy thing to do was to change out the existing brass drawer pulls and knobs.  This is something any homeowner can do for an "attainable" change in their spaces.  We would also clean up the look of the drawers and closets with a fresh coat of white paint.

The Bathroom Side

On the other side of the bathroom - the existing base cabinet needed a fresh coat of paint, some new knobs, some new light fixtures and a new mirror.  Again, the brass accent throughout was not the homeowner's style - so replacing the faucet on the sink was a must-do as well to convey a new look.

Looking at this image, you can see how the light fixtures had a more feminine look to them.  Since the space was shared by the couple - they really wanted the space to be a place that they both enjoyed being in.  Again, the "southwestern style" helped inspire me towards what I would create for them.

The existing mirrors that were glued right to the wall.  So I decided not to remove them and simply find larger mirrors that could cover them up.

Here you can see the fuller expanse of the before space looking from the bathroom area towards the dressing room area.

Dressing Room Area

Existing Lights

Existing Brass Faucet

Bathroom Area

I wanted this project to truly be a great example of making simple changes and upgrades to a space.

These were my goals:

• Paint the walls
• Replace Existing Sconces
• Find New Mirrors
• Change Existing Faucet
• Replace Existing Hardware
• Add "Southwestern" Accents and Details
• Replace Existing Window Treatments

With this list, we hopped into the car and headed over to Lowes to see what creative options we could find for them.  My experiences of shopping at Lowes have always positive ones - so I wanted to upgrade project to be a good one for these homeowners as well.  A perfect way to illustrate to them that if you have a TO DO List in-hand - and an idea of a creative direction you want to move in with your project - it will make the journey of finding the right products more enjoyable and successful.

We returned from a successful shopping trip with products that would make it all come to life.

After painting was done - I replaced their roman shades with crisp, white 2" wooden blinds on both windows.   I like these because you can control the amount of light and privacy.  Plus, they look clean and simple from the inside - but they also make the windows look good from the outside of the house...There are great options at Lowes - both Faux Wood Blinds and actual Wood Blinds.  I tend to like either one in white - they just have a classic look.

Next, I took a piece of repurposed driftwood and mounted it to the wall as a base for a DIY towel rack...

When we were at Lowes, I found these hooks in a dark bronze color - I created a stylish place to hang towels on what had once been an unused wall...The hook's finish actually inspired the "finish" we would then be looking to use throughout the rest of the space.  At the store, there is a whole section of knobs, pulls and hooks in drawers to choose from.  It was a matter of walking that aisle and finding what "spoke to us."  Once we saw these - things started falling into place as we shopped.

The dark bronze finish was an influence on the fixtures and hardware color I would choose for the knobs, drawer pulls, faucet and an accent on the lighting too...

The new Dressing Room Area. You can see a glimpse of the new mirror in a dark wood tone and the warmer looking sconces that add a layer of texture to the room...

So now when you enter into the room - it's much more inviting and much more the personal style of the homeowners.  The new mirrors were simply hung up on top of the existing mirrors.   They didn't want vanity cabinets on the wall - so it allowed us to use much larger mirrors in the space - which gives the room a larger feel.

The wood tone of the mirror was something I was excited about because it had a vintage look to it - even though it was brand new from Lowes.  Sometimes it is a matter of shopping to be inspired - which was the case with these mirrors.  Once I saw them - the room started falling into place even more.

As the final room started coming together, it was all about shopping their house for props and details to bring the new look to life...The layers of life details...This is something I urge you to do in your own home.   We all have extra stuff we can repurpose and use in exciting new ways.

The new lights had a slightly contemporary look to them - but they fit in perfectly with the design... I like how the fabric shades added that softness I wanted for the room - yet still allowed the lighting to be functional for everyday use.

Adding dimmers to the light switches is another way to control the levels of light in the room...

By simply changing the existing hardware on the cabinets and replacing each knob or pull with the new, dark bronze hardware - the whole look comes together.  There was no drilling or major time spent on that : simply remove and replace...

I added this warm-colored rug from Pottery Barn - I was able to add that southwestern layer over their marble floor...

The new mirror and lights give this whole area a new feel and the cabinet makes more of a statement in the room... To make the built-in cabinet more like a piece of separate furniture in the room - I could have added a darker tone of paint on the cabinet to make even more of a statement.  This is something that could be done later on.

No more brass faucet!  The dark bronze accent color is seen on the faucet as well.  When we were shopping at Lowes - there were great options to choose from in the "fixture aisle" but this simple, yet classic faucet from American Standard worked great for this project.  It was a simple replacement of the old faucet with this new one.  I am not a plumber, but I was able to replace it myself!

This view of the bathroom above is a great way to illustrate an upgrade for any bathroom - whether you are staying in your home and want to make it more inviting for yourself or if you are selling your home and need to give your existing bathrooms a facelift to make it "buyer-friendly."   All things to consider when doing your own upgrades.

To leave my own artistic mark on the room - I added one of my art pieces on their wall from a collection I did inspired by my travels to Santa Fe.  My collection of various photographs and art pieces are something that I remain excited about when I'm able to bring the final pieces of styling into any project.  Art can make a room come to life.  Check out my partnership with Artistic Photo Canvas.

Simple stones gathered from their own southwest travels in a wooden bowl....All in the details.

In the end, their space represented a new style for them that was more in line with what they loved.  I didn't do major changes or do major construction - it was all about changing out things that were easy to remove and replace.  Then, it was about bringing a theme together that made these homeowners feel at home when they came through the door...

Hopefully this project will inspire you to see certain rooms in your home as doable, attainable rooms where you can make change happen NOW.

Thanks Lowes!

Be creative!

P.S. - here are a few other Bathroom-focused makeovers to inspire you :  Project 1 and Project 2