It’s here! We’re finally revealing our DIY Modern Powder Room Makeover and are so excited to share all the details! Our powder room went from boring and dingy to fabulously clean and modern with a boho twist in just 6 weeks. The best part? We did it all ourselves and for less than $350!
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When we moved into this house, it was no secret that the powder room had seen better days. It was also completely void of any personality. After getting the bigger projects out of the way, it was finally time to tackle this modern powder room makeover.
Here’s what it looked like before:
So, what did we upgrade for less than the cost of a fancy coffee machine?
- The floors: $97
- The vanity: $41.50
- The wall paint: $46.50
- The faucet: $45
- The baseboard molding: $14
- New mirror and décor: $102
Total: $346!
To put this in perspective, it would have cost AT LEAST $300 just to have new ceramic tile installed in this powder room.
The first step in planning this modern powder room makeover was to decide on the specific design. I spent weeks sifting through ideas on Pinterest and various other websites. I actually showcased some of my favorites in this blog post.
During the design phase, there were several factors to consider:
- The ceilings are not super high so I wanted to make them appear taller. I focused on elements that would bring the eye upward (green arch and hanging plant) and I stayed away from elements that would bring the eye downward (wainscoting).
- This powder room is pretty small and there’s isn’t any natural light so I wanted to stick with an airy, light, and bright color scheme.
- To achieve that light and airy feeling, I stayed away from the “moody” wallpapers we all LOVE. It was very tempting but I decided to save those for a future DIY project.
- The goal for our new, modern powder room was to make it feel like a boho retreat with a clean, fresh, and organic vibe. I knew that the colors selected for the walls, vanity, and décor elements needed to support that overall feel.
When we had a solid plan, we got to work creating our new modern powder room.
Painting the vanity was the first project. We wanted to replace the center panels of the cabinet doors with cane webbing. So, after removing the doors and hardware, I knocked out the center panels.
Then, I gave the vanity and door frames two coats of a beautiful green paint called Grape Vine by Behr. I used the Behr Marquee paint line which I loved, however, I found that if I went over a painted spot before it had dried, it took that first coat right off! Almost like what happens with a dry erase marker. Still, it was worth it for the creamy coverage and beautiful finish.
Next, I tackled the sink faucet. I wanted a modern and sleek black faucet as opposed to the brushed nickel we had. When I shopped around for a replacement, the ones I loved were all over $100! So, I decided to turn that into a DIY project and spray paint the one we already had. The entire tutorial can be found here along with tips for deciding whether it’s actually worth the effort!
The next task was to paint the trim and walls. Now that we had most of the other paint projects out of the way, I could be confident that a set of clean white walls wouldn’t get splattered.
Before I could start painting, however, I had to rip off the splash guard on the side of our sink. That thing was hideous. Luckily, I only had to do a few minor cosmetic repairs (with this awesome stuff) to the wall underneath prior to painting.
The wall paint we chose was Palais White by Behr. It’s a beautifully clean, neutral white with an LRV of 87. We used Ultra Pure White by Behr on the trim which has an LRV of 94.
LRV stands for Light Reflective Value which indicates how much light the color reflects and, in turn, how light a paint color will look. 94 is the maximum I would ever go for any paint. It’s at this point where you begin to lose depth. Many whole-house colors tend to range from 65 to 85 and I always stick to the higher end of that spectrum.
After painting the trim and walls, I began my very favorite part of this project. Painting the arch! I had seen the arch element in interior design prior to starting this project and instantly fell in love! It was the unique, modern-eclectic element I needed!
To create the arch, I began by deciding how tall and wide it needed to be and taking the appropriate measurements. Then, I drew the vertical lines with the help of a large level. Finally, I used the old grade-school nail, string, and pencil maneuver to draw a perfectly round arch at the top.
I taped off the lines with painter’s tape and painted it with the same green I used for the vanity. After removing the tape, I touched up any uneven spots with a small brush.
The whole process was incredibly satisfying.
At this point, we were about 2 weeks into the modern powder room makeover and super excited for the next DIY project: The floors.
The most time-consuming project in this powder room was painting and stenciling the floors. However, it was also the most rewarding.
I began by making the stencil for the floor design. I designed it on Canva, perfected it in Paint 3D, resized it in the Cricut Design Space, and finally produced it with the Cricut Explore 3. Holy crap. Take my advice – just buy one from Etsy.
After researching the best products and methods for painting a floor, I placed an Amazon order and made a trip to the place I love and dislike at the same time, Home Depot.
You can view the entire step-by-step tutorial here.
The last big project, before adding the decor, was to install the cane webbing in the vanity doors.
The rattan caning material took about 3 weeks to come in but it was totally worth it. It was much easier than I thought it would be and the juice was definitely worth the squeeze. This was the design element that created most of the natural boho vibe I was going for. Check out the step-by-step tutorial here.
As for the décor, natural elements, contrasting terracotta-colored pieces, lush greenery, and fun textures were the name of the game here.
Due to the lack of natural light, I opted for a faux hanging plant but it looks so realistic! I got mine from At Home but you can find a similar one here on Amazon.
I also decided to take a shot at making my own rattan-look-alike wall décor and it turned out pretty well!
Finally, it’s finished and it was a wild ride! I made my fair share of mistakes but learned a ton and I am so excited to share it all with you!
Remember, it’s not always necessary to remodel an entire room. You could take any one of these DIY projects and incorporate it into a space for a new, modern feel!
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