My “New” Old Bathroom: It Started with the Floor

If you’ve ever given a room a makeover, you know how easily one thing leads to another and before you know it – you feel like you’re in the midst of a storm. Such was the case with my old bathroom. All I wanted was a new floor, but then realized the walls should probably get a makeover, too. It didn’t stop there though and it’s still not quite done. But here’s where I’m at with the space with maybe just two or more elements to go. (This post contains affiliate links – see my privacy policy.)

First let me say this is THE hardest room in my house to photograph. There’s no window in this downstairs bathroom, and if I turn on the vanity lights, you’d see nothing but glare. So I have to put my camera on a tripod and leave the shutter open for a ridiculously long time to capture enough light and avoid breathing so the camera doesn’t move!

 

Here she is! This is as much of my “new” old bathroom as I can capture in one shot. My overall goal was to create an English style bathroom that features a vintage vibe. I was worried the luxury vinyl floor might be too busy after choosing it, but I absolutely love the result. I wanted a patterned floor – and not just slightly patterned. I wanted to make a statement with it. And because it’s a luxury vinyl, it’s thick and slightly cushy to walk on. We kept the shelf above the tub and added a new scalloped wooden mirror.

 

Hubby refinished the inside of the claw foot tub, but I kept the exterior its same black color. The wallpaper is a small tulip pattern and the board and batten lower half of the wall is painted Perfect Greige by Sherwin Williams. I originally chose an off-white paint but decided something a little warmer with more punch would look better. I’m so glad I changed my mind! I added a new cabinet (which took forever to find), and added new mirrors and artwork to the room. I’m still looking for one more piece to hang above the toilet – maybe a small wooden shelf.

Although it took me a while to find the floor cabinet, I’m super happy with it. I looked at Pottery Barn, where I got my new vanity hoping to find something to match, but no luck. I looked at several other online stores but nothing was quite right. I was willing to spend whatever it took. LOL. But fate showered a bit of luck on me and I found this pretty cabinet in just the right size on Amazon for a great price. I was worried the color might not match the vanity, but it was perfect. Even the doors look the same I’m probably going to change the knobs to match the vanity.

I absolutely adore the framed goose painting that I found at Linen and Cloth. Just like its name implies, the canvas looks and feels like linen. It’s prettier in person and I’d like to get a few more pieces of printed art from them. The dragonfly print by the tub is from Cocoon, a local shop in Geneva.

 

On top of the bathroom cabinet is a sweet little oil painting of a cat that looks like my little Mignette (pronounced like Vinyet but with an M). I found the artist, Mary Engel, on Instagram and have started collecting her miniature oil paintings. They’re so sweet and realistic. I love her work!

 

After choosing wallpaper and flooring for my “new” old bathroom, I knew my old white vanity just wouldn’t look good in this space anymore. It was a cheap vanity from Home Depot and I wanted something larger, preferably in natural wood or gray to go with the floor and found this beauty at Pottery Barn. The marble top and sink were included, but I purchased the faucet separately – also from Pottery Barn in a polished nickel finish to match the claw foot tub’s new fixture. I decided to splurge on a new mirror and vanity lights while I was at it. The toilet is also new but who cares about toilets? I would’ve loved a vintage toilet but they were too pricey.

 

Here’s a close-up of the sink’s faucet. You can see the distressing on the ball-fringe mirror, too. I like that the balls match the globes on the sconces.

 

Here’s the new faucet on the claw foot tub that I found at Vintage Tub and Bath. They have lots of lovely things for an old bathroom. The hand-held shower option is a wonderful feature.

 

The shelf above the tub has a bouquet of faux flowers, because every room needs flowers, right? This shot also gives you a better view of the wallpaper.

 

In addition to a small shelf above the toilet, I’m going to swap out the light fixture and switch plates in the room. But for the most part, this room is finished. It was a bit stressful because I was buying things online, trying to match colors without seeing things in person. I did bring samples of flooring and wallpaper home with me, though. The success of the room (for me) really hinged on whether I loved the floor or hated it after installation – and I’m happy to say I love the floor in my “new” old bathroom. I feel I accomplished the goal of creating a vintage English style bathroom.

 

Here’s the list of resources if anything caught your eye:

Mannington Tapestry flooring

Tulip wallpaper

Pottery Barn vanity

Pottery Barn vanity faucet

Claw foot tub faucet

Gray floor cabinet

Scalloped mirror above tub

Ball fringe mirror above sink

Vanity sconce lights

Goose art work