HGTV makes house projects look a lot more fun than they actually are. After a few weeks of a giant mess, I finally completed the guest bathroom refresh in our house.

We moved into this house in November 2021 and immediately got to work making the house a home. It was fun to dream and research all of the decor ideas I wanted to implement but I believe any TV show should have a disclaimer that a house project will take twice amount the of time and probably cost that is initially expected. The biggest thing we learned was to take house upgrades from one room at a time. Read what we accomplished in the first year here.

before: guest bathroom

My biggest challenge with the guest bathroom when we moved in was the color of the wood. The house had a light oak or white trim in every room except for this bathroom, where the trim was stained dark. The sink also did not allow for counter space, which makes it very challenging for women to get ready.

Planning for a refresh

The planning part of the bathroom refresh was the most fun part of the process. I found a photo in a Wayfair magazine that I loved. I knew I wanted a colorful vanity and a floral wallpaper to make the bathroom elegant yet fun. I also knew the trim needed to be painted white.

Once I had ideas picked out, it was time to prepare the bathroom. I did order the vanity before the process began so we could measure and plan accordingly.

The steps went as follows:

1. Remove old vanity and mirror - sold on Facebook Marketplace

2. Turn off the power and remove the old light fixture

3. Wipe down walls and baseboards

4. Prime (twice) and paint (three times) the trim white

5. Move electrical boxes and patch drywall for new light fixture and vanity

6. Prime the walls with a mildew-resistant primer

7. Paint the walls Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

8. Wallpaper one accent wall

9. Move vanity into place, attach plumbing

10. Admire your hard work

It’s a lot easier to type the process than to do it.

AFter: Guest Bathroom

It took weeks for this all to get finished but I’m so pleased with the results. The tile stayed the same so it was important to choose a color pallet that complemented the current tile. The sage green vanity is the perfect accent color and the wallpaper looks incredible.

Looking for wallpaper tips? Comment below to let me know if that would be helpful! I did learn a lot during this application process, including how to tear an entire strip off the wall and start the strip over.

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