The Bathroom : One Room Challenge – Week 1

Gibson-Bathroom-Design-PlanI’m excited to share that I’ll be participating in my FIRST ever One Room Challenge. That’s right- I’m jumping on the bandwagon with the rest of the crazies to finally complete our bathroom. Although I’m not a ‘featured’ blogger, I thought I’d participate as a guest and see how it goes this first time around. I’m also using this as motivation to get this room done. It’s been one of those spaces we just can’t seem to finish. Click through for the details, a peek at where we started, and the design plan!

If you found me through the ORC site, hi there! I’m Sarah, a designer located in Salt Lake City, UT. You can see my current home renovation here, as well as my previous Ohio home here. Thanks for reading!

I’ll preface this post by saying this… we have ONE bathroom in our entire house. This is it. I knew this space wouldn’t be feasible to share in perfect ‘real-time’ for the ORC because it’s our one and only bath. I was not about to drag it out for six weeks and go without a shower or toilet for over a month. So here’s where we’re at: halfway done. We’ve already demoed, replaced the tile, and upgraded the toilet, but we have a LONG way to go (electrical, new drywall, new ceiling, lighting, accessories, etc). Even though we’re to the halfway point (because I demanded use of the toilet/shower), I thought it’d be fun to share the entire process with you- from the very beginning… until you’re caught up in real time. How’s that sound?

For week 1, I wanted to show you all of the before images along with my design plan. It took a ton of planning and prep since this is the only bath in the house. We had to make sure all of our ducks were in a row prior to starting demo. Here’s what the bathroom looked like prior to demo…

B E F O R E   I M A G E S

BEFORE-tiny-bathroom

bathroom-BEFORE-1As you can tell, we’re short on storage, space, and overall this is not a room I love spending time in. From the yucky green walls to the boring tile, I knew everything had to go- including the original, dated medicine cabinet.

BEFORE-demo

Medicine-Cabinet-BEFORE-DEMOI’ll also tell you about the vanity and toilet placement because images don’t do the existing floor plan justice. If you’re an average sized human, you can bet when you sit on the toilet in this room, your naked butt or side of your hip is going to touch the vanity. TMI? Either way- the situation really grosses me out. Look how tight it is!

Toilet-BEFOREYou might also notice the tank on the toilet was installed backwards. That’s because the homeowners or renters who installed this toilet, put it in the wrong spot and there is no room for the tank to face forward… it only fits backwards. Imagine explaining to guests they have to find the flusher / lever on the BACK of the toilet, and reach their hand into the unknown. It definitely gets weird.

Flooring-BEFOREThe linoleum floor wasn’t in great shape either. It was stained and bubbling in various spots.

Window-BEFOREOther items on our growing to do list? Replace the window, as well as the ceiling and lighting.

Lighting-BEFOREHere’s a peek at my design plan and what you can expect to see in the coming weeks… exciting stuff!!

Gibson-Main-Bath-PlanObviously we’re going to address the following: function, storage, aesthetic, correct size toilet, etc. I’m most excited about the tile (shown in the intro image)… I can’t wait to spill the details! It’s no doubt my favorite part of the space. Next week, I’ll be sharing the scariest part of the processs- demo, so be sure to check back for that! Things always get way worse before they get better.

Thanks for following along my first ever ORC journey. I’m excited to take part in something new and I always appreciate your encouragement along the way! You can see all of the participants in the fall 2017 ORC by clicking the logo below.

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40 Comments

  1. I’ll be following along for sure because my small bathroom is on the list to get done next year. Love that tile!

    1. Thanks so much Jeanie! xo

  2. How crazy that the toilet tank was backwards! I am excited to see the tile!

    1. I know!! Who does that?! haha

  3. Oh my gosh! This made me laugh out loud…the things that people do never fail to amaze me. Your plan is beautiful. Can’t wait to see the finished project.

  4. Becca Smith says:

    Have you already sourced that vanity? I love it!

    1. Yes! I’ll share all of the links and sources in the coming weeks. It’s gorgeous in person. xox

  5. Iris Nacole says:

    That tile is amazing! I’m so excited to see this space come together!

  6. Laurie Anne says:

    Yay!! Can’t wait to see the transformation!!

    1. Yay!! Can’t wait to feature my favorite artist in the space ;) xox

  7. “Correct size toilet.” Best photo caption ever. :D

  8. Marti | Project Palermo says:

    Oh good lord, that backward toilet!

    Excited to see you work your magic!

  9. Would love a detailed tutorial about how you replaced your tile. We are hoping to do this in the next few months. All of your lessons learned would be appreciated!

  10. Oh this is really going to be special!! Love every single thing, but love that tile!!!! Swoon. Can’t wait to follow with you! Looking so forward to seeing more and more!!! Susie from The Chelsea Project

    1. Thank you so much, Susie!! xox

  11. Laura Irion/ Laura Design Co. says:

    Welcome to the ORC! It’s a total blast…and all the stress is worth it in the end. :) OK, so I’m dying over those tiles! They are fabulous!! I’ll be very excited to see how you lay them out. The whole plan is perfection. Good luck!

  12. Nicole Varga says:

    Oh, I can’t wait to see what you do!!! That tile is fabulous!

  13. Colette @ restyle it wright says:

    OMG obsessed!!!! I love the tile you picked! It’s going to be classically gorgeous and glam!

  14. Tim@DesignMaze says:

    Love a clean, crisp, black and white scheme! This bathroom will look amazing. Can’t wait to follow along!

  15. Love the tile you picked for this bathroom makeover.

  16. Jen @ Noting Grace says:

    Love this color scheme! This bathroom is going to be so glam!

  17. Happy Haute Home says:

    Love your selections, going to be a beautiful transformation!

    1. Thank you so much, Denise!

  18. I can’t wait to do the bathrooms in our house. What software do you use to create your moodboard, or plans for a room?

    1. I use photoshop for the mood boards.

  19. WE JUST FINISHED OUT MASTER BATH. and DIY’d it like you guys. I feel your every pain. but it’s so worth it! Looking froward to seeing your finished result and even more cant wait till your shop opens! I’m using you for inspiration in my OCR for accessories :)

    1. That’s amazing!! I’ll have to check it out. Thank you so much- that’s so sweet of you. I’m working hard to get it up and running, but it’s taking longer than expected. Hopefully next week! xo

  20. Oooh, I love black and white bathrooms! I’m excited to see how it turns out!! I’ve never done the ORC before and am tackling my master bedroom this time around… So excited to be in this with a big group of people doing the same thing!

  21. I can’t believe the toilet tank was on backwards!!! Holy cow, I would have went crazy!! Your mood board is amazing and I can’t wait to see this bathroom all done…it is going to be amazing!!

  22. Ashley - The Gold HIve says:

    Those hex floor tiles are so so good!!! Can’t wait to see everything come together!

    1. I’m obsessed with the floor tile too!

  23. Suzanne Fortescue says:

    Looking forward to watching the process. Black and white is a great combo for a bathroom.

  24. Nicki Parrish says:

    It’s gonna look amazing! Can’t wait to see it. I have made over two bedrooms in past ORC’s Good luck!

  25. Brenna@Domestic Charm says:

    I am loving all of your choices! That black floor tile is amazing!

  26. Jessica | Petal + Ply says:

    I love your design plan! That floor tile is amazing. Can’t wait to see it in action!!

  27. Oh wow!! I am in a house that is the same way, I have seen some of the weirdest things in here!! Lol!! I love your plans you have for the space…it is going to be perfect when you get done!! Good luck girl!!

  28. Jennifer Faur says:

    I’m so excited for this project!! That tile!! (Insert heart-eye emojis) Also, laughing so hard over your toilet situation! Funny not funny.

    1. Thank you, Jennifer!! omg- that toilet though. Who does that?! I learned pretty quickly to tell guests about the lever before they entered the bathroom. We had a lot of awkward “how do I flush your toilet?” conversations there for awhile. haha!!