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Colorful Small Bathroom Makeover

My colorful small bathroom makeover is finally finished! This is the bathroom that’s in the hallway — the same one that I completely remodeled about four years ago. And at the beginning of this month, I decided that it needed a shot of color. Here’s how it turned out…

colorful small bathroom makeover with coral vanity, wood countertop and floral shower curtain

Almost all of last year, this bathroom had a dull gray vanity and grayish green walls. I didn’t realize just how boring and depressing the bathroom felt until I changed the wall color and added some bold color to the room. Here’s how it looked before…

hallway with white and gray horizontal stripes, hallway bathroom with gray vanity

I can’t believe I lived with that for a whole year. 😀 The “new” bathroom is so much more me.

bathroom makeover with coral vanity, wood countertop and floral shower curtain

The makeover started with the new shower curtain fabric, which actually isn’t new at all. I bought that in 2016 during my failed attempt to turn my living room into a dining room. I had intended to use that fabric for the dining chairs, I believe. I can’t really remember now. But it’s been sitting in a box ever since I gave up on that vision and realized that my living rooms should be a living room.

colorful small bathroom makeover with coral vanity and floral shower curtain

I’m so glad I came across that fabric again as I was rummaging through my fabric stash, because it made the perfect jumping off point for a pretty shower curtain in this colorful bathroom makeover. And then I pulled the coral-ish color out of the shower curtain and used it on the vanity.

colorful hallway bathroom with horizontal stripe walls and dark teal interior doors

And I didn’t even have to repaint the doors. 😀 That’s a good thing, since this door color that I selected during the hallway remodel is the very reason I ended up painting the vanity from teal to gray in the first place. A hallway full of teal doors with a teal vanity was too much teal even for me. The shower curtain fabric has the door color in it.

But the door color is in the shower curtain fabric, so it worked out perfectly!

View from hallway with horizontal striped walls into bathroom with colorful floral shower curtain

I think this new more colorful, brighter bathroom is now more fitting with the hallway and the rest of the house.

hallway with horizontal striped walls in white and gray, dark teal interior doors, and coral accents

Although I don’t have a whole lot of color in the hallway, I do have my coral lamp, along with some colorful artwork, all of which now tie in perfectly with the bathroom.

hallway bathroom with coral vanity and dark teal doors

And I love that the bold watercolor floral shower curtain fabric can be seen from just about every angle.

hallway with horizontal stripe walls in white and gray, and dark teal bedroom doors with black door knobs

All of the mosaic tile got a bit of a makeover. The original had some dark tiles in it, which you can see here…

bathroom with teal vanity, light green walls, and white wainscoting with mosaic tile accent

But the darker tiles were really distracting in the new brighter, bolder bathroom. So using an artist paint brush, I primed and painted over the dark tiles so they wouldn’t stand out so much. You can see the before and after of the mosaic tile makeover here…

painted tile in bathroom - before and after

I was amazed at how much of a difference a little bit of strategically placed paint could make! Of course, I also had to do the tile at the back of the open shelves, but it went pretty quickly.

before and after of painted tile in a bathroom with floral shower curtain

After I got the bathroom finished, put all of my tools and supplies away, and cleaned up, I realized that I forgot to paint the dark tiles in the little mosaic tile strip to the right of the open shelves. 😀 Those stand out like a sore thumb, so I’ll need to do that ASAP before I get too used to seeing them and forget to paint them. See those three dark tiles?

bathroom linen closet turned into open shelves and lower cabinet with wood countertop

You might also notice that all three of the open shelves now have lighting. When I built these shelves four years ago, I cut little spaces at the front corners of each of the shelves so that tape lights could be fed through, but then I never got around to purchasing and installing them.

So it only took me four years to finish that project. 😀 I used the same LED tape lights that I used in the pantry and on my front porch to go up one side, across the top, and down the other side with the tape lighting. The tape lights are stuck to the back side of the face frames on the open shelves.

bathroom linen closet turned into open  shelves

I’m so glad I took the time to give this bathroom a little makeover. It definitely suits the rest of the house much better now.

Hallway with horizontal striped walls in gray and white, with dark teal interior doors. Bathroom with coral vanity and colorful artwork.

And I guess it actually wasn’t such a small project. I painted all of the walls (top and wainscoting) and the vanity. I made a new shower curtain. I painted the mosaic tile. I made some new resin petri artwork.

Colorful artwork made of clear resin and alcohol inks.
Colorful bathroom makeover with coral vanity, wood countertops, and bright floral shower curtain.

And the most time-consuming and challenging project was refinishing the wood countertops. The first time I did these (when I originally made the countertops), I used so much stain to hide the yellow and orange undertones in the pine that the finish turned out almost opaque.

Teal bathroom vanity with dark stained wood countertop and mosaic tile backsplash.

It was so dark and heavy-looking, but I figured that since I used cheap pine, and I didn’t want to see those undertones, a thick stain finish was my only option.

Well, in the years since then, I’ve learned a bit, and I discovered the awesomeness that is wood bleach. So I stripped the countertops, bleached them, and refinished them. I love the softer, more natural look, and that you can actually tell that it’s real wood.

Refinished wood countertop in bathroom with coral vanity and white mosaic tile backsplash.

And it’s a perfect neutral brown without the yellow and orange undertones you’d usually find in pine.

Coral bathroom vanity with stained wood countertop, dark teal bathroom doors, white mosaic tile backsplash.
Coral vanity in bathroom with wood countertop and undermount sink, white mosaic tile backsplash, bright floral shower curtain.

So it’s finished…and I’m so pleased with how it turned out. I love walking through the hallway and seeing the bold, happy colors in the bathroom.

Coral bathroom vanity in hallway bathroom.
Small bathroom makeover with colorful floral shower curtain.
Colorful small bathroom makeover with coral vanity and stained wood countertop with undermount sink.

DIY Projects for this Colorful Small Bathroom Makeover:

There were a few new DIY projects that went into this makeover. You can find those, as well as the ones that went into the original bathroom remodel, right here…

[laurel_index cat=”hallway-bathroom-diy-projects” title=”Hallway Bathroom DIY Projects”]

Post Archives For This Bathroom Makeover:

Want to read about this colorful bathroom makeover from start to finish? You can find all of those posts here…

Helpful sources and products:

If you missed the original bathroom remodel before and after, where I tore the bathroom down to the studs, floor joists, and ceiling joists, and rebuilt it myself, you can see that here…

  • Behr Tandoori – This is the new vanity color, although it looks brighter and bolder in my bathroom than it does on the Behr website.
  • Behr Polar Bear – This is the color I used on all of the wainscoting and trim. It’s my go-to trim color throughout my house. It looks a bit brighter and whiter in my house than it does on the Behr website, unless I use it on my ceiling. I’ve tried a couple of times to use it on a drywall ceiling, and it’s awful. Each time, it has had very noticeable red undertones when used on a ceiling. That doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have the same experience, but I just stick with pure white ceiling paint now. Interestingly, I used Behr Polar Bear on the wood plank ceiling in my music room, and it’s beautiful. There’s something about putting it on a drywall ceiling that seems to bring out red undertones.
  • Benjamin Moore Classic Gray – This is the color I used on the upper walls. It’s a very nice and bright barely-there neutral wall color. It’s just enough color to make the white crown moulding and trim stand out.
  • P. Kaufmann Pattern Play Tutti Frutti — This is the shower curtain fabric. I can’t remember exactly where I got mine, but if you Google the name, you’ll find several sources and can compare prices.
  • LED Indoor/Outdoor Tape Light – These are the lights that I’ve used in my pantry, on my front porch, and now on the open shelves in the bathroom. I like that they’re dimmable with the remote control that’s included. And they’re very long, but you can cut them to any length you need.

Please note: This post contains affiliate links.

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99 Comments

  1. Beautiful! Love how you were able to just paint the dark tiles to make it work instead of ripping it all out. I also love how that paint color really does read as white but looks better than actual white. Love it all!!!

  2. I like the makeover. It is now lighter and brighter which is an asset looking in from the hallway! Way to go!

  3. Glad you are looking for shower curtain fabric source. I LOVE that thing. This is way more you. Glad you took the plung.

  4. It is all so beautiful! Thank you for being a blogger not afraid to use color. I love bright happy colors they make me smile and feel alive!

  5. I think the shelves with the towels, etc. would look pretty with the tandoori color on the interior sides. This bathroom really looks like you now.

  6. Kristi, you are much more likely to use bold colors than I am, but I love everything about the update. My only dislike is the coral vanity. I would have gone with door color or white of other cabinet. But I know you love coral and orange so I hope you enjoy it. Lovely job!

  7. It all looks so beautiful, Kristi! I love the pop of coral colour and how your lamp in the hallway ties into it too, this is sooo you! Great choice in making the petri dishes into one frame. How did you light the open shelf cabinet area and what kinds of lights did you use?

    1. I added the link to the bottom of the post. It’s the same LED tape lights that I used in the pantry and on my front porch. When I built the shelves, I cut little notches in the front corners to allow for tape lights to go all the way up both sides, but it took me four years to get around to finishing that project. 🙂

  8. What I have learned from your blog is to always be happy with the end result, it should sing every time you walk on that room. And also it should sing to you and your family not potential owners down the line! Job well done!

  9. It really turned out beautiful. I didn’t think that I could like that coral vanity, but I do. The big picture with your hallway really helps tie everything together too. There’s even a little pop of coral in your geode gallery wall off to the left that ties in too. I imagine that you have a permanent smile stuck on your face, walking around through all of these colorful and beautiful rooms! Can’t wait to see what’s next!

  10. I love it all! I get so amazed and shocked, when I look at it all, and realize you made almost every single thing in your home. You are just so talented, HGTV needs to meet you! (p.s. I sent them a message about you, don’t know if anything will ever happen, but I can sure wish for it)

  11. The finished bathroom is gorgeous and colorful! Just the right amount of pop! Looking forward to your next project! Absolutely jazzed to see when you will be starting on the studio!

  12. We have a smallish section of stone on the front of our house (around garage door) they are large stones and there is an orangey color stone (maybe 20 total) that I’ve wanted to try painting. I’m going to go for it!
    Thanks!

    1. Yes! I stood back in the hallway to take pictures showing the hallway and the bathroom together, and I thought to myself, “Oh my gosh, it looks like I planned it that way from the start! They go together perfectly!” 😀 A happy accident, indeed!

    2. Yes! I totally noticed that in the photos too! And I think Kristi’s clever subconscious did it on purpose.

  13. The original completed bathroom was fantastic. The tweaks were awesome. This new transformation is incredible.

  14. Your house is just a happy place. I like everything you do. If I lived there I would have a permanent smile on my face :-). I am looking forward to your next adventure into your to-do list.

    1. This is such a beautiful space. You did a great job. The shower curtain is fresh, bright and happy! Love love love. What is the name of the fabric?

  15. Looks awesome! One suggestion-maybe carry that coral color onto the mat of your framed resins? I love a good white mat, but sometimes a colored one really makes the art pop 🙂

  16. I love it!!! Somehow when you redo rooms/areas three times or so, they turn out looking better every single time! The new pops of color are perfect. I didn’t realize how drab and dark the bathroom looked until you showed the before and after a!

  17. I just love the changes! It’s so much brighter and happier than before. The shower curtain and petri dishes look so great together. Are you planning on putting the sliding bolt lock back up? I really loved the look of that when you originally installed it. It gave the doors such a nice vibe.

  18. Gorgeous! Liked it before. Like it now. Colors are joyful. Never thought I’d hire a decorator. But I’d hire you in a heartbeat. Ready to follow you along on your next adventure in design and decorating.

  19. Love it. I have a tall cabinet next to my vanity – should I paint both the same color or just the vanity in a bright color and the cabinet in a white. If they both are in a color in would be about 7 feet of wall cabinets.
    At this time, they are both in the brown/pine color that comes from Lowe’s for bathrooms and kitchens.

  20. Love it!! I am struggling with a small dark/bland bathroom refresh myself, and really appreciate seeing yours transform to something so cheerful. Beautiful final result 🙂

  21. I’m with many others here. The old bathroom pics side by side really do look drab! This is amazing! I love the view from all around!!

  22. Really beautiful. Love the way it coordinates with the hall – it’s all so amazing. What a gorgeous home.

    JoAnne

  23. I can’t believe it’s been almost four years since you did the bathroom the first time! I liked it before and would have never thought to change it, but I love the changes! That fabric is dreamy.

    1. I clicked on your site through a link via YouTube. I’m so glad I did. Your home is beautiful and I’m sure much pleasure comes to you knowing it was created mastodon by you. I have Brain Cancer and when I awoke from my initial resection I feel as if I have become an overnight interior decorator. Ideas such as yours I find amazing. The inspiration is contagious!

  24. I like both versions, but I take exception to your statement
    “during my failed attempt to turn my living room into a dining room.” My failed attempt is just too negative for me and I think you should have written ..” when I wanted to turn my living room…”
    You change your mind all the time and are usually happy that you did. I simply have a hard time seeing you through a ‘failure lens’.

  25. I see you’re a white towel person. Me, too. Do you go for white towels cause they’re easier to wash and don’t bleach out? Or do you just like white towels?

    1. I like them for three reasons: (1) They’re easier to care for since they can be bleached and you don’t have to worry about fading. (2) To me, white lends more of a spa feeling to a bathroom. (3) I’ve never seen a towel/washcloth/hand towel so amazing that I’d want it to be a design feature in my bathroom. So I’d rather use white and let them fade into the background, and let other actual design features be front and center.

  26. Wow, gorgeous! You are my inspiration for all of my novice decorating. I truly believe I found my style once I started following you. Thank You. P.S. I just saw a dresser painted in a similar color as your vanity – hmm, now I’m thinking about using it in my bathroom 🙂

  27. Now I want to add some color to my drab bathroom. Mine looks like your bathroom before the makeover. Love, Love Love everything about this bathroom

  28. Personally, I’d like a different art work on the wall. The piece you posted that’s says “finished bathroom art work” is so pretty and has every color that’s in the new bathroom. I’d also put a basket on the floor with something (toilet paper, magazines?) just for interest and texture. I love the ceiling and that color vanity is to die for. I’m so wanting to paint all my doors the same color as yours. It’s striking!

  29. I love all the colors you used in your bathroom! So glad you are finally happy with it!!!!! Can’t wait for more things to come this year!

  30. Stunning! I love how bold you are with color choices. It’s inspiring to those of us who tend to play it safe with neutrals!

  31. I love it and enjoy receiving your updates. It inspires me to keep trying new ideas. But I do have a question. I though I read your husband was in a wheelchair. This bath seems small for a handicap person and you removed the ramp out front. Did I miss something?

    1. As far as bathrooms go, we make do with what we have for now. It’s very challenging, but we make it work. In the future (possibly this year), our current bedroom will be converted into a master bathroom, and will be completely accessible for him. The ramp in the front was torn out because it was way too steep and dead-ended into grass and rocks. It was dangerous for him, and dangerous for me to try to get him up and down that ramp. We now have a very nice concrete ramp out to the carport that has the appropriate ADA-compliant slope for him to easily and safely get up and down.

  32. It’s so pretty, and so you! I really didn’t mind the way it looked before, but NOW – I see what you mean about it being boring. I love the coral, the curtains and the petri art, but my favorite thing is the lighted shelving. That little corner literally and figuratively lights up the space. The fact that you went the extra mile in lighting that space shows that you know your stuff! No, it didn’t need it, but it enhances the whole room, in my opinion. Lighting is everything in decor!

  33. I am fairly new subscriber to Addicted 2 Decorating. Your bathroom before pics drew me into your delicious little world a couple of weeks ago. The bathroom was classy before your update and still is –now with a fun punch. I am thrilled to be in on the reveal.

  34. I am a fairly new subscriber to Addicted 2 Decorating. Your bathroom before pics drew me into your delicious little world a couple of weeks ago. The bathroom was classy before your update and still is –now with a fun punch. I am thrilled to be in on the reveal.

  35. Love it, and it does absolutely ‘go’ with your hall way! You can’t fool me on a happy accident! LOL!

    I have questions about paint tho. My pastor and family are moving, and need much help with the DIY end of painting this run down house.
    My question is what is the best paint for all the wood work, to be easy cleaning, and safe for children. We have done all the walls with simi-gloss latex, but have a time finding latex enamel for wood work, and shelves. The lumber yard kept giving them Alkyd enamel, which we wanted to stay away from for the health/breathing in a closed up house[it’s cold in N TX]. Will the simi gloss work and be easy to clean? Do you have a blog where you address the paint Qualities and best uses for each?

  36. I have a very sad rental condo bathroom (but the rental price reflects it, and we have no cash for improvements) and would have been thrilled to have your “old” bathroom, but I can really see how all the new colors and patterns are “you” and I am thrilled that you are happy with it. The weird thing is that I just love the two smaller doors for the bathroom. How do they lock on the reverse? May we have an inside view of the hardware?

  37. What a ding dong I am. (see my previous comment above) I am just now relating to the bathroom doors as showing what I’d see on the inside! I was wondering what a previous commenter was talking about when mentioning the hardware. I imagine you don’t lock those doors at the moment. Certainly a very brave move. I’d be the person on the inside when a surprise visitor walked through the door! That’s my luck! : ) I’ll look forward to the hardware when you find it!

  38. It’s such a happy room! I really liked your bathroom before, but this one is even better! You did it, Kristi! Now you have two rooms you can walk or peek into and just smile really big. Congrats!

  39. I love reading your blog. While your color choices are not ones I would choose for myself, your end results are always beautiful. The most valuable lesson I have learned from your blog is to not be afraid to try it and if you don’t like it – change it. When I first found your blog, I had been living with a living room I hated because I had chosen the colors and did all the work so I shouldn’t waste the money. I read your post about your kitchen cabinet color and thought I should do that in the living room. I absolutely love my living room now.
    Thank you for being willing to put yourself out there and for the encouragement you are to be yourself.

  40. Kristi, I really liked your bathroom before, but wow, when I see the side by side photos of your bathroom, this ‘new look’ is really YOU and it ties in perfectly with your hallway. Once again, your incredible talent and vision comes to fruition and I am always in awe of what you achieve. Another amazing transformation!! What a great way to start 2019. It’s going to be another exciting year for you and Matt and us as your followers.

  41. WOW – so much more “you.” SOOOO glad you did this – it looks amazing and has happy written all over it! It makes me smile!

  42. I’m sorry I’m so behind. This makeover is beautiful. It’s bright and clean and I’m loving the colors in the shower curtain and the vanity makeover. Well done and now you can check it off your list.

  43. Gorgeous! The prints in the hallway coordinate with the colors in the bathroom now. So glad you added lights to the open shelves. After I found your blog, I went to the beginning and read up to the present. I have gotten so many ideas from you.

  44. It’s great to see coral cropping up in another room! I can really see your smile whenever you pass by this bathroom. Good on you for keeping on until it makes you happy!!

  45. Love it! I’ve been in Florida for a month and just checked your blog. I loved the grey, but the change is so great and from one fabric hoarder to another, so happy with your shower curtain colors! My mom who had a very tongue in cheek humor/dry humor; said she painted a bathroom gray back in the early 60’s and every time she went into it; it was so depressing…..she couldn’t feel good about anything in her life. She repainted it; and one time out of necessity; mixed cans of paint together to paint an outhouse (seriously, it was early 1962 and we didn’t have an inside bathroom); it was a lavender outhouse!

  46. I like the two-piece crown on the ceiling. Adds nice dimension instead of smallish one piece. I installed 3-piece in my bath remodel. Requires patience. The blue double doors allow you to open them to outside leaving bath unimpeded inside, uses little space in hallway and it just looks cool. I just tore out my large bath floor, cultured marble shower pan/walls and tub. Gave away the 300 lb tub. The sheer weight of the debris felt overwhelming, as was numerous trips down stairs carrying it in garbage cans to the trailer. I like the tile above the wall panel. Nice job

  47. I love the tub surround. Do you have a tutorial on this somewhere? Alao when you tiled the back of the shelves did you have to up hardy backer or can you tile over sheet rock?

  48. Kristi, this is the first time I have ever commented on a blog. I’ve been on your blog many times and just went through you bathroom remodel journey. I identity with literally everything. We have the same bathroom as you did. And I am doing most of the work myself. You are so impressive. So thanks for taking the time to document all of this. It gives me hope.

  49. i just did vanity top with a herringbone butcher block (lowes) and then coated w 3 coats oil based poly for water in bathroom. I wish I wouldn’t have went so dark.
    Funny my bathroom remodel very similar to yours!
    How do I take off the oil based poy to lighten like you did?
    Love your style!