Our Second Bathroom Reveal... {Basement Bath Reno}

We're ready to reveal to you our new bathroom. 

It's 95% done, and we're so happy with how it came together.

I should mention that we're a whole new family over here. The one bathroom tension has lifted and we're all breathing a little easier. Really, we haven't had any problems since the toilet was installed weeks ago. But I'm glad it caught up aesthetically.

The custom vanity was a great asset to the bathroom. It's made from a bamboo counter top purchased from Lowe's for just over $100. The handyman made two pieces from it plus narrow supports that hide underneath, so that the vanity looks like it's floating (the surfaces were cut just shy of fitting in case the wood expands). We sealed the surfaces with Cabot's gloss spar varnish with marine durability, so we don't need to sweat any water getting into the wood. If you look closely, you can see that we sealed the hair line space between the counter and wall with a clear bead of caulking. On top is the the Cheviot Quattro vessel sink we purchased online from Lowes.

We're digging the oil rubbed bronze faucet from Overstock. It hides everything (every smudge or speck of dirt -- a mama's dream) plus the single hole makes cleaning a breeze. Aesthetically, I love the contrast between the white sink, the faucet's bronze finish, and the bamboo counter top.

The Kichler sconces also came together well. Their 5" extension was just the right amount for a mirror to tuck in behind (and reflect the light back), and they keep the space from feeling crowded.

As far as the vanity's accessories, I'll give a full source list below, but wanted to make note of a few items. I found the storage boxes at Homesense and although they weren't initially what I was going for (I was hoping to find matching baskets) they give ample storage because they extend right to the back with the plumbing falling in between. The mirror is my favorite accessory. It's circular shape breaks up all the hard lines and the etched glass along the outside brings character into a mostly modern bathroom. And thirdly, we went with a standard towel ring from Home Depot for easy use, and it ties in with the finish on the sconces. I picked up two hand towels from Target's closing sale to pull together the bathroom colors. I alternate the towels when one is in the wash.

We're in love with the shower.

It's spacious, plus we love the generous shower head. The back of the shower curves which is a cool feature and there are little spaces for shampoo, body wash, etc. There wasn't much selection with regards to shower stall curtains, so I ended up with this white curtain with a waffle-like texture from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It does the trick. We picked up a curtain rod from Home Depot and curtain rings from Target. The rod and rings are hidden behind a little step up in the ceiling.

Next to the shower we went with two hooks, which could easily be added to in the future. But really, only the handyman or I occasionally use this shower. Although, the handyman thinks that towels are too nice and doesn't use them just yet. By the way, stepping out of the shower is amazing because of those warm heated floors. They make all the difference in a cool basement.

These are my first Turkish towels, and now that I've gone Turkish I don't know if I can go back. I love the designs, the fray along the bottom, and how little space they take up when folded. I was giddy when I found this particular design (blue, brown, white) at Homesense, since it ties in the color scheme of the bathroom. Their nice to look at, not like our other towels (but it's not worth replacing our other towels at this point). I bought three at ~$17 each -- the third is in the vanity storage.

We placed one towel hook higher so that it wouldn't interfere with the toilet paper holder. By the way, we ended up purchasing the same swivel toilet paper holder that's in our upstairs bathroom. We didn't notice until we came home, and realized that we must be married to the swivel. I can change my toilet paper in about 2 seconds with 1 hand. Although, I'm not always in favor of matchy-matchy finishes we decided to match the paper holder, towel hooks, and hand towel ring for a semi-seamless look in such a small space.

Here's the third and final corner of our bathroom (not counting the corner where the doors swings in). I went with a shelving unit above the toilet to gain a bit more storage space. But I didn't want to fill it up too much to start. I went with a small holder for Q-tips, a lotion bottle, extra soap, an artificial plant for greenery, and two small books for reading material. Other than the plant, these items came from around our home, keeping in mind the color scheme of the bathroom which are natural tones -- browns, whites, and blues.

I was always appreciate a little bit of art in every space. I picked up this art print and frame from a thrift store for just $5. The wooden frame is in great shape, as well as the glass. I love all the blues, greens and whites, especially the unique blue matting. The flock of birds birds flying above those rolling hills and church brings in some whimsy.

That wraps up our bathroom tour. But just for fun, here's a few more pictures.

It really puts the rest of our basement to shame, although if our basement had a point system (hot or not) it just went up a few points given this new asset. And what did I mean by 95% done? We need to add a stool under the vanity for little legs. I've search high and low at thrift stores but to no avail. We also need to touch up a few spots on the wall that got roughed up along the way. Lastly, I need to go over the grout one more time to truly bring out the charcoal color between the tiles and then seal it up.

But to think it was just a small storage space a few months ago. Amazing. 

By the way, we're still looking to move. Just nothing has come our way that we love yet. But when we move, I wish I could pack up this little bathroom with us. I'd even take it as my ensuite. In fact, it beats any other bathroom we've seen during our house search. It was our first project from scratch and we really enjoyed it... so perhaps I'm also sentimental.

Ok, here's that source list :

Shower stall & accessories - Emco
Toilet - Lowe's
Tile - Lowe's
Heated Flooring Accessories - Sacwal Flooring Center
Door - North Pole Trim
Knob - North Pole Trim
Floating Vanity - DIY, bamboo counter top from Lowe's
Vessel Sink - Lowe's (online)
Faucet - Overstock
Mirror - Homesense
Sconces - Amazon / Living Lighting
Pot Lights (3x) - Rona
Bulbs - Home Depot
Dimmers - Home Depot
Fan - Home Depot
Storage Boxes - Homesense
Hand Towels - Target
Soap Dispenser - Target
Towel Ring - Home Depot
Towels - Homesense
Towel Hooks - Home Depot
Towel Rod - Home Depot
Shower Liner - Home Depot
Shower Curtain - Bed, Bath, and Beyond
Shower Rings - Target
Toilet Paper Holder - Home Depot
Paint - Behr at Home Depot
Shelving Unit - Homesense
Artificial Plant - Homesense
Wooden Trash Can - Target
Art - Yardigans

And if you want to catch up on all the other bathroom posts check out here (the beginning), here, here, here, here (toilet and flooring), and here (sink, faucet, lights & door).