What a DIY Bathroom Renovation REALLY Looks Like

casting a vision and making it happen

Jul 11, 2025

Many moons ago, when my babies were still little squishy chubs I hauled around on my hip, we renovated our little cottage bathroom. Those of you who have been with us for a while may remember the DIY renovation we tackled with our very mediocre renovation skillz- I talked about in this blog post from back in the day.

I love our small home - and I really did delight in this little bathroom for all those years - it felt like such an expression of my style and taste. I seemed to fit perfectly into our cottage, even as a modern bathroom with modern conveniences. (Yay for indoor plumbing!)

Unfortunately, our little bathroom had the duty of serving our family as our sole bathroom for many years - forty square feet that we put to the test with (probably) no less than 89,174 toilet flushes. And probably that many showers too. Our house is small and used - really used.

The bathroom began to show its many miles - all of which were documented in detail for this week’s new video in which we begin our cottage bathroom makeover. Again.

before our first renovation, after the first renovation, before the second renovation

In the video, I share with you Stuart’s one requirement for the bathroom makeover which will really change how the bathroom looks and functions going forward.

Here’s was my vision board for how I see the new bathroom coming together. I always end up adding layers of art, textiles, and “pretties” after the bones are in place, as I feel inspired.

Here’s a few fun details:

I'll reuse my same $40 thrifted mirror because oval mirrors are the best
We have to replace the toilet because back in the day, a kid flushed something, and it’s never worked correctly since
The walls will be “Carter Cream” white by Magnolia
To keep hardware consistent in our home, the faucet and shower head are all unlaquered brass which I find on Etsy
I ordered our tile from Wayfair - it’s beautiful! I watched its price for months before pulling the trigger, waiting for a sale… luckily, it finally dropped down into our price range. Unluckily, if you love it, the price is back up. Keep an eye on it and wait for it to drop to $14/sq.ft.
The new vanity is modern with loads of functional drawers. To help it fit our vibe, I ordered some vintage drawer pulls off Etsy to replace the modern ones.

As always, it’s far from perfection. It’s more about making the best use of our space and helping it to reflect our family. This is what gets me excited about curating a home, regardless of one’s personal style. Spaces that feel intentional and loved are the best.

Taking a break from the demo-labor, we quickly make one of my favorite smoothies together. Here’s the recipe!