Girl’s Bathroom Remodel

Well 2020 is almost done. Hallelujah!! Last time I posted we were just about to put our Virginia home on the market and in a whirlwind of 48 hours (with 15+ offers) we were under contact and about to have a home inspection on a new house in North Carolina (which ended up falling through). Fast forward a month and I stood for in my beautiful backyard balling my eyes out while I pushed my two girls on their swing set for the last time and took in all the memories we had in our Virginia home. We knew our next chapter was going to be scary and after losing multiple homes in North Carolina from the competitive market we were even more nervous we had made a HUGE mistake. We were very thankful we had a place to crash while we were searching (thanks parents haha). Almost two months later we closed on our new NC home. It wasn’t our dream home we had pictured but we loved the commute to my new office, cul-de-sac, schools and established neighborhood. And to be honest, it wasn’t the smoothest closing and the first few weeks were a rough transition and moving in a pandemic did not help things one bit. Then amongst all things we helped my husbands parents sell and move to North Carolina and start their home search while they stayed with us. Now it’s December and we feel like new people and we have everyone settled and starting to make changes to our home. I started little with the office remodel (follow @howdyliving on Instagram to see reveal) and some light fixtures. This was my BIG first renovation along with a kitchen change (but I’ll save that long story for another kitchen specific post).

So here’s the girls bathroom! All inspired by a stunning remnant piece of quartzite I found at a local granite store. Always check with your granite folks if they have anything leftover for smaller projects to save you money! I had some leftover Sherwin William Agreeable Gray paint from Willie’s parents condo spruce before market so that’s the neutral color of the walls. I reused the mirror that was already in the bathroom but painted it using Fusion Mineral Paint in Raw Silk. I then painted the vanity using Fusion Mineral Paint in Homestead Blue. As I posted from my Instagram stories, I prepped the vanity starting with a scuff sand using 60 course sandpaper, next sand entire vanity with 220 fine sandpaper, then clean with a TSP diluted solution. Wipe again with water and wait to dry for at least an hour before painting. I took the cabinet doors off but left the drawers on and taped around. Tape all around the edges so you can get small areas with a chip brush and then try using a small paint roller for everything. The finish is so much smoother with minimal brush strokes. I finished with the Finishing Oil All in one Natural as an extra protective measure for a kids bathroom. The oil is like poly and can be frustrating because it will show shiny and dull very easily so apply slowly and carefully to cover everywhere. Let dry for at least a full 24 hours before using bathroom. New black hardware, black vanity light, and new black faucets to finish everything off! 

Full renovation budget = $1,090.64 – $700 remnant granite/sinks, $64.35 faucets each (Home Depot Black Friday special), $173.99 light fixture (Wayfair), $4.59 black handles (x5), $50 of Fusion Mineral Paint (used one pint for vanity and one pint white for mirror and in-laws coffee table + 1/4 oil can), $15 extra paint supplies.

I’m so happy with the results and LOVE the bold blue color of the vanity. I struggled between going safe white or trying something new and I’m thrilled I just did it! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. I know we are all excited to have 2020 on the past and look forward to what 2021 will bring for us. We are feeling great about the New Year and our new home!