I can’t believe it’s almost been one full year since Brian’s sister and I painted our master bathroom. I haven’t shared the update on the blog until now because the bathroom still has a long way to go. With the exception of a poorly tiled shower, our master ensuite bath has really good bones. In addition to the standalone shower, we have a garden tub in a corner, his and her sinks joined in another corner of the room by a makeup vanity.
Before I go any further, the above image is not our bathroom. The next photo is our bathroom.
There’s a reason they say kitchens and bathrooms sell homes. The main selling points of our house were the large kitchen and the large master suite. Were they in my preferred color palettes? Not in the very least. I’m sure many people like beige and brown and granite, but it’s not my cup of tea.
Even though our house is only 10 years old, the shower tiles are literally falling off. I guess that’s what happens when builders cut corners during the housing bubble. I’m pretty sure we have regular drywall behind the tiles, as water currently goes through the walls when I scrub the tiles. Not good.
Luxury to me means lots of natural light, pale, barely-there color on the walls, lots of white, and marble. Always marble, or at least economical materials like porcelain or ceramic that look like marble. With so many options on the market, there’s no need to break the bank, as you’re bound to find something in your budget to achieve that spa-like bathroom.
We consider this our forever home, and while we really aren’t on any timeline here, we are updating our home little by little. I would love to have a bathroom that matches my taste, even better to have a functional shower. And, since we haven’t used our shower in months, we both decided it’s time we do something about it now. I previously purchased a tub and tile refinishing kit with the intention of painting the shower tiles, but once they started shifting and cracking and falling off, I knew we just needed to demo it. So, I’ve saved it for another project: our garden tub. It’s in great shape (just not in a color I like) and we can save several hundred dollars by refinishing it.
Here are some bathrooms that exude the bright and luxurious spa-feel that I so want. I’ll share with you which materials we consider using once I look around different home improvement stores.




These two bathrooms (above and below) have to be my favorites in this roundup. Two things they have in common are gorgeous semi-flush mount chandeliers and an elegant window treatment. Light fixtures are to a room what accesories are to an outfit. One bad choice ruins the whole ensemble.




I love the dark grey vanity above. The white countertop softens the look, while the brass accessories add some charming bling. I’m not so sure I could live with gold long-term, so a brushed nickel would be the metal I’d go for. But it’s totally tempting.
Our vanity is a medium warm tone, and while I don’t hate it, I don’t particularly love it either. I don’t want to spend $2k+ on a new vanity and countertop, so I will most likely be painting the vanity and also the cultured marble countertop.


Have you remodeled your bathroom? Where did you find inspiration?