Much like the master bathroom, the guest bathroom got a complete makeover during the remodel, and I’m so excited to finally share the before & after!  This bathroom included the only wall (a whole two feet!)  that we had to take out during the entire renovation, but that little change made a world of difference.  Like in other ‘before & after’ posts, I’ve included a full source list with pricing at the bottom of the post.

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THE BEFORE

There’s really not a whole lot to say about the ‘before’ state of this bathroom other than, “NO MA’AM!”  The tile was gross and cracked, everything was yellowed, and I basically just wanted to burn it all down.  But instead of risking a raging inferno, I settled with ripping out the wall and door that separated the vanity and the toilet / shower area…and everything else.  The only thing that stayed was the cast-iron tub, because after a good cleaning–and a LOT of bleach–it was almost as good as new.

THE PLAN

When I put the townhouse on the market last spring, we took the opportunity to get out of town during the weekend of our open house and headed to Nashville.  We stayed at the Thompson Hotel, and I was obsessed with the design and decor! The guest suites had this black and white cement tile in the bathrooms, and I ‘mentally pinned’ them and knew I wanted to include them in a new house when the time came.

After closing on this house, I priced the tiles out for the guest bathroom, and they didn’t really fit in the budget…but the tiny baby Craigslist angels heard my prayers and lo and behold if 80 square feet of these tiles show up in a search for a FRACTION of their retail price…  I only needed half of that, but the price was too good to pass up.

THE AFTER

The process of laying cement tile is much different than your standard ceramic or porcelain tile, so make sure that your installer (or you!) has experience or has done their research.  Here is a great resource on how to prepare, install, and care for cement tile.  One thing to also note is that cement tile is much thicker than regular tile, so even after ripping out all of the sub-flooring, there was a bit of height difference when walking from the hallway into the bathroom.  Luckily, I found a transition piece at Home Depot that matched the stain of the wood flooring upstairs to conceal the lip of the tile–and to prevent a tripping hazard.

I found a 48″ pre-fabricated vanity online, marble countertop included, and swapped out the original aluminum hardware with the same brass hardware I used in the master bathroom.

I also used the same mirror as the master bathroom and hung it horizontally.  Hey, if it ain’t broke…

I used matte black finishes throughout the space, including the plumbing fixtures, door knobs, towel rings + rods, etc…And, to create a contrast against the standard white subway tiles in the shower surround, I opted for a darker (almost black) grout color.

One of (many) 1990’s features of the house, pre-remodel, was the vanity in the guest bedroom, facing the closet.  We ripped it out the vanity, along with the pony wall and medicine cabinet, and dry walled to make the wall flush.  Luckily, there were extra planks of flooring in the garage when we purchased the house, so we were able to fill in where we ripped out.  We salvaged some of the baseboards that were ripped out from the first floor, gave them a little paint touch up, and now everything looks seamless.  Since we also removed the only lighting in that area, we installed a single can light in the space (not pictured).

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SOURCES

Concrete Tile, Craigslist, 40 sq. ft. @ $7.50/sq. ft. = $300.00
*Tile can also be found here and here.

Grout, Home Depot, Used leftover from powder bathroom, $0.00

Vanity, J. Keats, $1,449.00

Vanity Hardware, Amazon, 2-5 packs @ $10.99/ea. = $23.79

Sink Faucet, efaucets.com, $278.57

Mirror, CB2, $215.42

Vanity Light, Wayfair, $266.24

Door Knobs, Amazon, 2 @ $24.38 = $52.78

Shower Tile, Lowe’s, $0.22/piece x 480 pieces (60 sq. ft.) = $114.31

Grout (Color: Pewter), Home Depot, 1 qt. @ $21.62

Tub & Shower Faucet Trim, efaucets.com, $170.07

Shower Valve (with tub diverter), Amazon, $32.44

Recessed Shower Light, Home Depot, $27.03

Toilet, Home Depot, $172.12

Toilet Paper Holder, Amazon, $19.07

Robe Hook, Amazon, $19.92

Towel Ring, efaucets.com, $28.47

Towel Rod, Amazon, $35.71

Wall Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White

TOTAL: $3,226.56

The above total includes sales tax, but does not include labor (dry wall, electrical, plumbing, tile installation, etc.).

If there’s any information I left out, or if you have questions about anything, please let me know!  Also, BIG NEWS!!! I’m finally taking the leap and have started Katie Taylor Design.  So whether you’re in need of a room refresh, product sourcing, furniture placement, or assistance with a remodel of your own–I’m in business!!!  Yes, I’m still working a (very) full-time job, so I will only be taking on a few clients at a time, but if you’re interested in any of my services, please let me know!