Blue and White Bathroom: Small Space Solutions.
Have I ever told you the story of how we found our house?
Or that we barely even looked at any houses before deciding on this one?
Or that we had a 5-7 year plan for this house ….
and here we remain 19 1/2 years later?
Mike was on a business trip. Our realtor called with a “for sale by owner” property she spotted and thought would be perfect for our 5-7 year plan. I zipped by during lunch hour …
and got a tour by the owner.
He was a contractor. And he and his wife lived in the house as they renovated it. And he shared the details: original mouldings couldn’t be saved because they were painted with outdoor paint; roofs were raised to add more square footage on the second floor; the home was first built in the late 1880’s. He even showed me a scrapbook of the renovations.
That owner was Lou Manfredini. A contractor 19 1/2 years ago. A contractor who, over those 19 1/2 years, has morphed into a local and national celebrity …
with a weekly “Mr. Fixit” WGN radio show … and regular appearances on WGN’s morning TV news program … and regular appearances on the The Today Show …
and Ace Hardware’s expert spokesperson.
So when Ace Harware asked me to be on their blogger team, it seemed destined …
even though the folks at Ace Hardware had no idea that I bought my home from their expert spokesperson, Lou Manfredini.
I bring this up now because I’m going to share with you my “Weekend Project” for Ace Hardware. A project that involved tackling the second floor bathroom. The one used by the kids. And a bathroom that, until last weekend, looked exactly the same as it did on the day Lou Manfredini gave me a tour of his “for sale by owner” home …
I know. I hold my head in shame.
So here’s how the weekend broke down. Oh, and it was a long weekend that started on Friday night …
Friday Night
when I painted the ceiling with Ace Hardware’s ceiling paint. And painted the beadboard wallpaper (I’ll share how I hung it at a later date) with Clark & Kensington Designer’s White.
Oh, and I painted the upper built-in cabinet with Ace’s Cabinet, Door & Trim paint …
Saturday
The walls received two coats of Clark & Kensington in Lucky Charm …
The cabinet received a second coats of the Cabinet, Door & Trim paint.
Sunday
Install and decorate. The shelves went up.
The upper cabinet door received hardware and was reinstalled.
Even the little details were taken care of … including the hardware. The hooks for towels …
And I’m happy to report this is working …
no more soggy towels on the floor!
The toilet paper dispenser …
And then the shower curtain. And bath mat. To finish it all off …
Phew. It was a long and busy weekend …
Here’s a complete list of supplies supplied to me from Ace Hardware (along with links to www.acehardware.com) to help me with my weekend bathroom remodel project:
Schlage Georgian Privacy Lock in Satin Nickel — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2957846&cp=19050496.2626334.2627421
Franklin Brass® Crestfield® Toilet Paper Holder in Chrome — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3706297
Amerock White/Chrome Globe Coat And Hat Hook — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=18438916&cp=18905676.1259627
Amerock® Round Cabinet Knob in Chrome — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1290902
Ace Cabinet, Door & Trim Semi-Gloss Alkyd Enamel Paint — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12664179
Interdesign® White York Design Shower Curtain — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3706774
Interdesign 34in x 21in Verto Bath Rug in White — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11940810
Amerock® Modern Cabinet Pull In Polished Chrome Finish — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1291066&cp=2568443.2568451.2626205.2626227
Zenith Metal® 42-72in Tension Rod in Chrome — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1279261
Creative Accents® Wall Plate — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1294132
Interdesign® Forma Soap Pump — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3414482&cp=2568443.2568448.2626058.3716508.1260842
Interdesign 3.1in D x 5.8in H York Toothbrush Stand in Stainless Steel — http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11940793&cp=2568443.2568448.2626058.3716508.1303830
I’m thinking Mr. Lou Manfredini might even be impressed with the final after …
even though it was 19 1/2 years in the making. 
P.S. You can learn more about how I painted my sink by clicking here …
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This post was written as part of my partnership with Ace Hardware as a member of the Ace Blogger Panel. However, any and all opinions are my own.
Wow! Busy weekend – looks fantastic!
It looks beautiful! I can’t believe you got it all done in a weekend!
What a great transformation! Love it!
Well all of your work sure paid off! It’s gorgeous Linda!
The room looks super. You really ACED it. How did you like that aloud paint?
Love the daily breakdown you did! It turned out beautifully and it looks so fresh and new now. Amazing work!
Your bathroom makeover looks fantastic no matter how many years it took to get to this project. I have a list a mile long and a budget an inch long, so I bet I’ll have some 19.5 year projects.
Take care,
KC
Love the paint color on the walls and sink.It’s such a pretty room now. Do you mind sharing where you got the shelves? I am looking for something like them for my own bathroom.
Did she ever say where she bought the shelves? I love this idea for my bathroom
Here’s a link to the shelves: http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/8184671/type/dlg/http://www.homedepot.com/p/8-in-D-x-24-in-L-x-1-3-4-in-H-White-Floating-Shelf-HDCAE24W/203658712
HI Linda- I have the same shelves ready to be mounted in my small bathroom. How far apart are the shelves?
The shelves are 9″ apart and the first shelf is about 13″ up from the back of the toilet tank. Hope that helps and good luck! 🙂
Hi Linda –
I have the exact same shelves ready to hang in my tiny bathroom over the toilet. How far apart are the shelves spaced? I am struggling with what is the right # of inches.
Okay, the bottom of the first shelf is about 13″ off the top of the toilet and then each shelf is 9″ apart. Hope that helps and good luck! 🙂
Man Oh Man, you did have a busy weekend but the final make over looks Awesome.
Doesn’t look like the same bathroom. You done one heck of a fantastic job.
Now, you ready to come and do mine? :}
ColleenB.
Texas
Love the way your bathroom turned out. Where did you get the shelving? I really like them.
Thanks for sharing.
Irene
HOLY CRAP girl!! I can’t even believe you did this in a weekend! It looks so incredibly beautiful! I am dying over that beadboard and the gorgeous white chicness. Beautiful!
xo Kylie
Will you PLEASE come and makeover my bathroom!?!? I’m still on coat #1 of painting the shower surround….3 months later!
It’s GORGEOUS…I love the towel hook, the color of your cabinet and your SHELVES. Sigh…I live for shelves…and maybe a faucet. Okay, all I really want for Christmas is for the shower to be finished…and maybe a couple of doors that open and close without use of a hammer and screwdriver.
You ROCK..and so does Ace and, of course, Lou. Can I call him Lou? figure that I can because you know him….and I know you. That counts, right!?
Wow-looks great. What did you paint the lower cabinet with? You only mention the upper. was it the same paint?
Wow, we have almost the same story – 5 year house, been here for 19 years (and counting), AND I just re-did our 2nd bath! But we didn’t have an awesome contractor living here before us, unfortunately 🙂
I’m looking to hang shelves just like yours. Did you buy them or build? A small bath looks so much more airy with floating shelves, I’m just not sure how to go about it.
Great job on the spruce-up! Looks awesome!
What a transformation in a weekend! It looks beautiful! I love it so much I featured your bathroom paint color on my blog today. Thanks so much for the inspiration, you did a wonderful job. Have a great weekend!
I am curious about the walls … Did you add white panelling??? if so what is it ?? ?I would like this in my bathroom as well!
I found myself wanting more pictures! All I see are the teaser pics for Pinterest. Can you offer a bigger look at the space. I can’t tell where you hung those towel hooks. We stripped 7 layers of wallpaper off our walls which leaves them looking “textured”. I may need to try to beadboard idea to clean it all up. =)
It’s impossible to get a bigger picture view of the bathroom. The space is tiny, tiny and there’s a wall right across from the door so I just can’t get the right perspective. But the hooks are on the wall behind the door. They’re located opposite the sink & toilet.
Beautiful bathroom! Can you share the paint type and color used on the vanity cabinet?
Thank you! The color on the cabinet is actually the same as the wall color, Clark & Kensington in Lucky Charm. It’s a latex matte paint. I finished with a coat of wax. I talk about it more in this post: http://www.itallstartedwithpaint.com/bathroom-paint-colors-100-gift-card-giveaway/
What color is the vanity cabinet painted?
It’s actually Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White. Hope that helps! 🙂
I’m reading this in 2017, how does the re-painted sink look now? Does it hold up for a few years or a bunch of years?
It’s definitely not a permanent solution and won’t last more than 4-5 years or so without damage. Plus, this particular bathroom is used by the kids (now teens) so it’s taken a beating! I do see discoloration now and some scratching of the finish. However, it’s still an improvement over what was there before!
What color paint did you use on your sink cabinet? I absolutely love it!
It’s Clark & Kensington in Lucky Charm. The brand is only available at Ace Hardware.