Fixer Upper Friday (on a Monday!): Inspired Bathroom Renovation

The projects in fixer uppers are never ending. Sometimes it can be truly overwhelming, but other times you get to have a little fun. Finding cheap and easy ways to add something beautiful to a home is so gratifying. When I redesigned the attic bedroom in our fixer upper #1, I had so much fun creating a headboard.  Now I’m trying my best to figure out an affordable way to renovate the bathroom.

This bathroom has been the bane of my existence since we bought these houses. Popcorn ceiling and popcorn walls, ugly tiles on the partially finished floor, a sink that needs to be replaced, no shower or tub,  and worst of all, a leaky toilet. Honestly, this is a bathroom in name only. A renovation is long overdue, but bathroom renos can really break the bank.

So I decided to address some of the cosmetic issues first, partly because I wanted learn to love the space again and be inspired. A little back story: I was standing in the backyard with my sister and I looked up at the attic. There was a window overlooking the yard and I said, “where’s that window? Is that in the attic bathroom?!” I ran back into the house, grabbed a hammer, and beat the crap out of the drywall. Lo and behold, some former owner had covered an entire window with gross cottage cheese drywall. Sigh. Anyway, I called my handyman and had him replace the window, and then I set about tearing out the rest of the drywall.

Not only did I excavate that wonderful window, I’ve also uncovered these really cool wood panels. Since then my design ideas have been taking shape around the shabby chic feel of those panels. So far, Ive managed to tear out the rest of the drywall, scrape and sand the wood panels, paint the walls in a vintage looking grayish blue (Behr Marquee in White Metal), and replace the medicine cabinet.

I’m still a long way from the final reveal, but at least now I’m making progress. My next step is to create a bathtub out of a stock tank that I’ll place right in front of that beautiful window. Stay tuned for the stock tub bathtub post! If it works out, it’ll be a pretty cool thing to brag about 🙂 Have any of you seen stock tanks used as bathtubs? What do you think?