Vintage bathrooms and two popular *budget friendly* countertop solutions

Hello friends! I’m so excited to share a couple of budget-friendly countertop solutions as well as a few updates to my bathrooms, which I never share!

About nine years ago, we took out this bathtub and added a built-in closet, which we have never regretted.

I repainted the walls a mixture of BHG “Sunlit White” and Eddie Bauer “Limestone” and loved the fresh clean look, but still wanted to upgrade the countertops. I was actually working with MSI Surfaces, and they had sent beautiful samples of quartz for me to pick from, but the local installer was so condescending – in fact he laughed when I mentioned I had wormy chestnut counters in the kitchen, and made fun of the fact they were sending me the stone because I was a blogger. Then he wanted to charge exponentially more for installation than I could have outright bought new counters for locally, so I decided not to go that route, sadly.

I wanted to try something to upgrade this counter temporarily, though so I decided to paint the counters like I painted the kitchen island counters about 10 years ago.

I first sanded then rolled on a couple coats of Valspar Multi-surface primer, then three coats of Valspar Latex Enamel, which I already had, and finally brushed on four coats of Minwax Polycrylic.

I let it dry two hours between each coat, then several days before putting anything on the counter. I also caulked around the sink and edges.

I absolutely love how it turned out! It looks SO much better than before, and I love the clean, fresh white. Since I’ve had a painted counter before, I have a good idea how they will hold up, and also what not to do – set a hot curling iron directly touching the surface, etc. We’ve lived with them almost a month, and I’m happy with the result.

I decided to go ahead and make some more changes in here as well and restored more  wormy chestnut Victorian trim from great grandfather’s house here to go along with the doors I restored and installed nine years ago. And what a difference that made! It doesn’t even feel like the same room.

I used an old lace tablecloth for the curtain, and also have a privacy shade behind the curtain when needed.

We installed these doors nine years ago, but had trimmed them out with 1 x 4 pine, so I removed that and added the plinth blocks and moulding.

I also had to take out the old marble windowsill and make a new one to fit the new trim.

Mother had five yards of this fabulous floral fabric, so I made a new shower curtain. I had taken out the glass shower door several years ago because I hated it, and the bottom edge trim was sharp and always a safety hazard.

This side is where you can really tell the difference.  The before trim was very skimpy and thin, and because I could only move the electrical over to the next stud, I was lucky to find some 4.5″ trim for this door.

Of course the two-piece 10″ baseboards make a big difference as well.

These beautiful porcelain door knobs are also from the old house. This door is fitted with an antique rim lock, and the main door has its original mortise and tenon lock.

For decor, I tried to keep things vintage and antique including this 1930’s era Cherokee river cane basket made by Eva Wolfe. It is a treasure found at my parents’ house, and I love the organic texture it adds here.

The art was inherited from a family friend who lived in Tampa and spent summers here. Since my grandmother is also from Florida, I thought this was a lovely nod to her roots and the kind of art she might have used here in the old house.

I could not love more how this room turned out, and it truly feels like a bathroom in an old house. That’s exactly what I wanted – not a shiny new bathroom, but one with character and history. I feel like I really achieved that☺️☺️

 

Next up, the girls’ bathroom just got a countertop makeover, and this is one I would never have thought of trying until I started seeing it all over youtube the last several years. This is how the counter looked before.

There’s nothing wrong with it at all, and it’s in excellent shape, but I really didn’t like the look and wanted something lighter.

So I tried a product by d-c-fix, which is contact paper made specifically for countertops.

I actually tried a cheaper version contact paper more than two years ago as an experiment, and it held up pretty well, but I realized I also wanted a little more pattern and color, so I chose the “Cortes Marble Brown” color and could not be happier with how it looks.

I have to say, I thought this process was hard, and very awkward. I did make a template to go around the sink, and it was still hard to get the paper on without having it stick too soon, or leave bubbles behind. I did get it pretty smooth though, and also ran a bead of caulk around the sink because sealing that so water does not get underneath the paper is super important. I recommend watching the DIY Mommy video on youtube for all the tips and best ways to install this.

I do love the look, and you cannot tell it’s contact paper unless you’re up close. It really made this countertop look so much better, and the room as well. It cleans very easily, and because this bathroom doesn’t get a lot of use, it should hold up well. And this really is just a temporary fix, but it looks better than what I had.

I also painted the tile backsplash – first white, but it was too stark so I went back with the light gray I have in my bedroom: Colorplace “Geneva Swan Gray,” which was the perfect warm shade.

I have not changed much in here for years, and surprisingly,  I still love the decor and have no plans to change anything.

The faucet came from Overstock years ago, and the light fixture from Lowes, but the style was so similar, and they coordinate well.

 

I had photos from a family vacation put on canvases a while back, and this one I took of my kids in the ocean is a favorite. I love it here❤️

I have not changed out the trim in here, but I do have fluted trim from great grandmother’s little house painted this shade of gray to install here, but I’ll have to rehang the door to accommodate the rim lock first.

These are the larger towels I embellished with scraps from a ripped chenille bedspread. I love these, and love the vintage look they add to this room.

A window from the old house holds a photo my husband shot on a family vacation that is also a favorite. I love the beautiful colors and perspective of this photo.

These tongue and groove boards are from the old house and were the inspiration for the gray cabinetry throughout the house. I used Colorplace “Grand Smoky Mountain,” but it can be mixed in another brand paint.

This doorway goes to nowhere, because we have a pantry behind it, but I’ve been reluctant to close it up with a wall. For now, I leaned an extra door from the old house that I’ve attached a towel rack to.

The paint color in here is Colorplace “Sandy Rose Marble” and another favorite shade. I love the peachy pinks, and the vintage feel they have.

I love how this room feels so much better with a different countertop. I realize this is a temporary solution, but it looks exponentially better, and this is a great option for someone renting or in a situation where you can’t upgrade just yet.

I’m happy with how both countertops turned out, and that little bit of effort really made a difference in how these bathrooms look.  The d-c-fix paper  was $27 when I purchased it, so there’s not a lot to invest.

I spent $11.98 on the Valspar Multi Surface primer, and $22.97 on the Minwax Polycrylic. I had the Latex enamel already, as well as everything else I used in these makeovers.

 

As much as I would love to have beautiful, new quartz countertops in both bathrooms, there are so many other things that are more important. Staggering inflation has strangled us, so we, like a lot of you, have to watch every penny. That doesn’t mean I can’t make a beautiful home using what I have, can make, repurpose or restore. It just takes imagination and a lot of hard work. We can all do that❤️❤️❤️

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these methods, and let me know how it turned out and your thoughts below in the comments. Also, be sure to watch the video showing both bathrooms!

 

I also need to mention that subscribers are not currently getting emails with posts because my subscription service increased more than $330, so I’m trying to find another one. In the meantime, make sure you are subscribed to my youtube channel, and I will always update on Instagram as well as facebook, so you can follow there.

Thanks so much for all your support friends, and I hope you’re inspired to use your own creativity and make something ordinary beautiful❤️❤️❤️

 

 

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