Boys Bathroom Refresh

January 31, 2024 in Decor, DIY's

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission- at no extra cost to you.

This project is not sponsored in any way. I purchased all the supplies to update this space with my own money and I have not been compensated for this post.

I have been planning to refresh my boys bathroom for over a year. Its last update was almost 4 years ago. It has definitely started to show signs of wear. The floor I stenciled has started to peel around the toilet area. The hand stenciled wall tiles have started to fade away. It is time for an update. Let’s first take a look at the space before we get started:

The stenciled floors didn’t match up, I started and stopped in two different spots.

The paint is peeling away around the toilet.

the hand stenciled “tile” look on the lower walls is fading.

the vanity is chipping in the most used areas.

To start, I always create a mood board. I am very visual and this helps me to “see” the look all put together in one place. I like to use the Canva app. This is my initial mood board for my boys bathroom.

I also like to have a plan B,C, D in place in case something doesn’t work out, because lets be honest… anytime you do a home project, things happen or don’t happen and you have to pivot.

For this space, I had plans to replace the toilet ( it has been running .. for a long time… and a new flapper didn’t fix it). Since it was original to our 1990 home- it was time for a more efficient replacement.

After ordering all the supplies and getting paint I got to work.

First, I removed the old toilet. This allowed me the space to work and the ability to install the new floor under the toilet, rather than around it. Once the toilet was out, I started on the flooring. I have loved the checkerboard flooring that Wallpops worked with Chris Loves Julia to create. It had been out of stock for awhile, so as soon as I saw it was restocked, I ordered what I needed. You can find the flooring I used HERE. I used 4 boxes for my boys bathroom. They recommend calculating what you need and adding 10% to cover cuts, mistakes, etc. I had JUST enough.

The tile can be laid in a checkerboard pattern or a diamond pattern. I knew I wanted to lay it in a diamond pattern. I first found the center of the floor vertically and horizontally. Then, I dry fit the tiles to see where I wanted them. I wanted as many whole tiles as possible, but also wanted it centered with the door and the vanity. I figured out the pattern and started laying the tiles out in the center of the floor, working my way out. The tiles are easy to cut with a utility knife and metal straight edge. TIP: make sure you change your blades on your utility knife frequently so ensure clean cuts. I also layered a few broken down boxes and used them to cut on so I wouldn’t damage any of my surfaces.

Once the floor was installed, I started to install the beadboard wallpaper on the lower 2/3 of the walls. It could be painted. It came prepasted. This was my first time working with this type of wallpaper. It was very thick and once you wet it, it could easily rip. I had lots of cuts around windows, outlets, etc. The wallpaper kept ripping and once it’s wet you can’t really cut it until it has fully dried (which can take 24 hours). After multiple tries and some ugly words, I decided to move on to PLAN B for the walls.

I updated my mood board for the new plan :

Next, I installed the new baseboards. I used primed 1×6 boards. Getting the pre-primed boards saves a step (since you don’t have to prime raw wood), and I have found that they tend to be straighter boards too. I cut the boards to length and used my brad nailer to nail them into the studs. I then caulked the top edge and filled the nail holes with paintable caulk.

I also used primed 1×3 boards about 2/3 the way up the wall. I have 8 foot ceilings in my home. The top of my boards are at 61 inches from the floor. I used this board as a divider for the upper and lower wall colors I planned to use. I installed the boards the same as the baseboards, cutting to size, nailing into the studs then caulking with the paintable caulk on the upper edge, lower edge and sides of each boards. The caulk fills in any small gaps (because no wall or board is 100% perfect) and allows for a clean, finished look.

Once the caulk was dry, I started painting. I painted the lower walls first. I used the color Juniper Ash by Behr in the Behr Ultra Scuff defense paint. Since this is a bathroom, I went with a satin finish for durability. I did two coats for full coverage.

For the upper walls, I used my favorite white, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace and had Home Depot mix it in the same Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Paint in a satin finish.

lower wall color (stock image from Home Depot website)

After the paint dried on the walls, I installed the new toilet. I am no pro, this is only the second toilet I have ever installed. But the overall process isn’t too hard. Thank goodness for YouTube. I watched a couple of videos before I installed my first one. My tip is to buy a jumbo wax ring, and get an extra wax ring– just in case you don’t get the toilet lined up right the first time ( you can’t used a damage wax ring). Also get toilet base bolts that have a washer to hold them in place while you are lining up the toilet. There is nothing worse than lifting something heavy, trying to line it up and have a moving target. The wax ring I bought came with the screws that have those washers. Wahoo! new toilet – no more running, and much more efficient!!!

Once the walls were dry, I installed a new light fixture. I love the mix of the brass and black finish. I also installed a large round mirror over the vanity.

I also needed to update the finish on the vanity. The vanity was structurally sound, so rather than replace it, I updated it with paint. I found a paint product that is made 60% of wood, so you can stain it to create a wood look. I chose the “light” color base and used the same brands stain in Briarsmoke. You can also use a non-penetrating stain with the base coat. I initially bought the small kit, not sure what I was thinking…. I definitely needed more of the base coat, which you can buy separately, so I ordered a larger 32 oz size.

I followed the instructions for prep and painted 3 coats of the base coat for full coverage, allowing to thoroughly dry between coats. I then applied one coat of the Briarwood stain, let it dry and one coat of a matte polycrylic topcoat. Once it was dry, I was worried it was a little too “orangey”. I was wanted more of a Pottery Barn wood look finish. I found some whitewash stain from Rove + Dwell I had on hand and applied one coat of it to lighten up the finish. I ran out of the whitewash stain, so I ordered some more, and may still add one more coat. The Rove+Dwell stain has a built in topcoat.

You can find the full step by step vanity tutorial HERE.

Once the stain was dry it was time for the accessories. I added a new toilet paper holder, new hand towel ring, new towel bar. I also found some great Star Wars prints and frames that my boys helped me pick out. I added some fresh new towels and installed a new shower rod and double sided curtain hooks. I reused the same shower curtain we already had and love, to complete the space. You can find most of the items I used in their bathroom HERE.