Chelsea's Hall Bathroom Renovation

Chelsea’s Hall Bathroom Renovation

Published On

October 9, 2023

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In this episode, we’re tackling the hall bathroom of Chelsea’s mid-century home.

We recently wrapped up working on her home’s exterior where we painted the home, covered the gable with cedar shakes and replaced the windows and front door. Be sure to check those projects out here!

Now that the home has curb appeal, Chelsea can start to move inside and make her new family home their own.

We’re giving the hall bathroom a modern facelift with a retro twist!

Demolition and Prep Work

We’re taking the blues out of Chelsea’s hall bathroom! These wall and floor tiles are dated and institutional, so we’re replacing them.

The bathroom, while being a decent size, isn’t as functional as Chelsea needs it to be for her three children.

It has a single vanity and a cramped entryway where you have to scoot around the counter to be fully in the room. With the new design for the bathroom, this won’t be an issue anymore!

I called in some help from my construction company to demo the old tile while I got to work on expanding the wall into the hallway.

The way the vanity is situated in the bathroom is awkward. To fully enter the space, you have to scoot around the corner of the vanity into a cubby-like area. The expansion into the hallway will create more space for a vanity and address the awkward door.

Once the demo is complete, we begin to prep by installing Purple XP drywall from National Gypsum.

Installing Mold-Resistant Drywall

Once the old tile, plaster and door are gone, the construction crew adds new Purple XP drywall. Its superior mold and mildew resistance are ideal for a bathroom.

Installing Low-Maintenance Wetwall Panels

All of the wall panels in Chelsea’s new hall bathroom are from Wetwall, a Wilsonart Company.

Chelsea chose a natural stone pattern to mimic an upscale hotel bathroom’s appearance. That trend would follow with her choice of flooring. Instead of isolating these panels to the shower enclosure, Chelsea decided to cover all the walls. Wetwall is durable and easy to clean — all you need is soap and a damp rag.

That’s especially helpful when you have three young children!

Installing these panels from Wetwall, a Wilsonart company, brightens up the bathroom instantly!

Laying Retro Penny Tile

Chelsea chose a swanky, retro penny tile to complement the walls and pay tribute to when the house was built.

Chelsea adds a retro pop charm to her hall bathroom with this penny tile!

These tiles are easy to install because they come on squares of mesh backing that you can cut with a utility knife. Trowel some SimpleSet Pre-Mixed Thinset Mortar onto the subfloor, lay the tiles and then grout with Prism Ultimate Performance Cement Grout.

Because of their linear appearance, you need to carefully lay these tiles. Even the slightest mistake would be noticeable if several rows are crooked.

Fortunately, Chelsea has a great trick to keep everything even. Simply line up the current mat you’re working with and the one just laid and drag it into place!

Building and Installing a New Vanity

One of the must-haves on Chelsea’s bathroom renovation list was a new vanity. The single vanity did not function for space or her three children.

Chelsea made this new vanity herself after seeing a similar item — for a high cost — at Pottery Barn. This vanity ties the room together perfectly and it’s quite a conversation piece.

The countertop—which was engineered at Delta Stone LLC, a local business—is made of quartz and complements the walls nicely.

This new vanity is more functional for this space, but best of all, Chelsea built it herself.

Watch DIY Pottery Barn Inspired Vanity for more information.

Production Thoughts

Before, Chelsea’s hall bathroom was full of boring blue ceramic tiles and tight spaces.

The single vanity was not functional for her kids and guests and the entryway made it difficult to get into the bathroom.

Now, Chelsea has a beautiful new hall bathroom that her three kids and guests can enjoy. The modern yet retro design makes the space pop with the penny tile she chose and the Wetwall panels.

Chelsea now has another portion of her Ranch Revival complete and it complements the rest of her home perfectly!