Indoor Projects

Updating Our 1950s Bathroom with Style

September 27, 2021 /

Light, Bright and Fun Bathroom Updates

All of the sources we used to renovate our hall bathroom to make it lighter, brighter, and a lot more fun for our kids and guests!
Chelsea Lipford Wolf in Completed Bathroom with Double Sink Vanity

You can’t have a post about a bathroom remodel without including what it looked like before! This is how it looked when we closed on the house.

1950s Bathroom with Blue Wall Tile Tub and Toilet

Then we stripped the wallpaper, changed out the sconces and mirror and switched out the curtains for frosted windows. And she looked a lot more like this.

Retro Blue Bathroom with Modern Updates

/ sconce* / mirror* / frosted window film* /

It held us over a few months but I had too many great ideas on how to update this room I couldn’t just leave it at that. The floor screamed ‘dated’ and the blue toilet wasn’t flushing that well (after 65 years…imagine that!). Then after living in it, we realized the position of the door in the center of the hall wall meant you had to shimmy around the vanity in order to open and close the door. Not ideal, especially if a small child is standing in front of the sink. Which we have three, so there’s a good chance one is in the way when you need to get into the room.🤣

Our entire bathroom renovation was featured in an episode of Today’s Homeowner. But if you didn’t catch it, then you don’t know…we didn’t just move the door to the side. Nope. We moved the whole wall!

The space right outside the bathroom was essentially unused hallway. We had about 30 inches we were able to use to build a new wall without disturbing Mary Helen’s bedroom entrance nearby. And that’s all we needed to be able to add a vanity twice the size of the old one in the bathroom.

And if you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I did not just buy a vanity from the store or order one online…big fat nope again! I built one from scratch and it is glorious!

Hall Bathroom Vanity Complete with Sources

/ drawer pulls* / cabinet knobs* / hand towel ring* / paint* / wall panels* / door knob* /

Another bonus to moving the wall out was being able to add a little space next to the toilet too. We placed the vanity where the toilet was centered in its own little space. Not a big deal but little details, like an equally-spaced toilet, add up.😆

White Toilet Installed in Modern Retro Bathroom
/ toilet* / toilet paper holder* / tile*(caffe) / grout* / moss ball* /

Speaking of small things…I can totally vouch for an open-ended toilet paper holder. Instead of the spring-loaded ones, it makes it so easy for small children to change the toilet paper roll themselves! I love giving them more responsibilities and autonomy!

Turn around 180 and you’ve got ANOTHER reason extending the room was beneficial…we were able to make the closet a little more legit. Previously it was 4 cabinet doors. It worked but it’s nice to have a real door that matches our other new doors throughout the house. We were able to get slightly deeper shelves in there too. I mean, are you even an adult if you aren’t excited about storage?!

Small But Mighty Hall Bathroom with White Trim and Marble Walls

/ interior door* / door knob* / tub* / showerhead and faucet* / wall panels /  towel hook / towels* /

For months I had planned on using 3 sconces with a mirror over each sink. Well…when I went to wire and hang the sconces, I realized they were too small and didn’t fill the space between the mirrors enough. The word ‘dinky’ comes to mind. So I rushed and ordered a 4th fixture and fortunately it was delivered in time for the final ‘beauty’ shots for the TV show. It was a little nerve-racking there for a few days wondering if it’d come in time or not.😬

As it always seems to happen, it all came to together in the end!

Completed Hall Bathroom Renovation with DIY Vanity

/ mirror* / sconces* / faucet* / vanity video / wall panel video / outlet cover* / light switch plate* / 

It’s only been a few months but gosh it’s hard to picture what the bathroom even looked like before without looking back on pictures. It functions so much better for our family and looks so fresh and modern too!

Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea

*This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a small commission from your purchase without increasing the price for you!*

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