We’re giving a couple’s master bathroom a facelift to make their space more worthy of the title.
This house belongs to Tom and Linda Lyles. Since they moved in 16 years ago, they’ve wanted to renovate the master bath.
Dated floral wallpaper once covered the area so the couple took it down and did some damage that they just didn’t know how to fix.
That was over a year ago, so this master bathroom is past due for an update.
Linda would like a new countertop, along with painted cabinets and updated pulls, and an electrical outlet for her husband’s side of the vanity.
Tom would like the doorway leading to the water closet converted into a cased opening.
In addition, he’d like to see the builder-grade mirror replaced with two separate mirrors.
So, besides painting the walls, we’ll replace the mirror, convert the water closet doorway to a cased opening, update the vanity, and replace the sinks and countertop.
The Projects:
Master Bathroom Facelift
Chelsea and I disconnect the sink and remove the countertop. With the master bathroom’s countertop out of the way, we can finish removing the wallpaper — with a little help from a paper scoring tool and some hot water.
After stripping off the remainder of the wallpaper, Chelsea and Linda remove the doors and drawers from the vanity while I cover up the wall damage throughout the room with a coat of joint compound. Then we tackle the doorway to the water closet.
After removing the split jamb, I begin nailing 1-by-6’s to the framing to make this a proper cased opening.
Convert Vanity Doors to Shaker Style
The master bathroom’s vanity doors were a French provincial style and we’re changing them to Shaker style.
The conversion isn’t difficult because I found strips that are the right width and thickness at the home center.
I just have to glue the strips to the door and then we can paint.
Install a Quartz Countertop
The master bathroom’s new quartz countertop arrives without any holes for the sinks.
Of course, that’s normal. The sink comes with a template, so you just have to place that on the countertop and trace it. This gives you the guideline for cutting out the hole.
Once the sink openings are complete, the countertop can go into place, followed by the back and side splashes.
Replace the Master Bathroom’s Vent Fan
After I remove the master bathroom’s old fan grille and unplug the motor, I remove the motor and mounting plate.
This NuTone QuicKit includes a new motor and mounting plate that fits right into the same spot.
It also includes a new grille that makes it look as good as it performs.
We also:
- Added a GFCI outlet to the switch box for Tom’s side of the vanity
- Replaced the light fixtures
- Installed crown molding
Post-Production Thoughts
Tom and Linda’s master bathroom facelift had stalled after they removed the wallpaper. The vanity was showing its age and the lack of electrical outlets and the location of the laundry hamper made it more difficult to use the space.
Now, the bare drywall is gone and the room has a clean, comfortable feel. The vanity has new life thanks to updated doors, a coat of paint, and of course the new quartz countertops.
New mirrors, light fixtures and the addition of crown molding create a more custom feel for the space, and that additional outlet makes it easier to use. So does the new laundry chute into the closet.
Finally, the conversion of the water closet doorway to a cased opening makes it all feel planned, not accidental.
And we were able to do all of this for about $1,800 in materials.
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