Black and White Kids' Bathroom Renovation

We recently finished a big renovation project in our home, and I wanted to share the before and after photos with you guys. We bought our house in 2007, and we are still working on remodeling projects little by little each year. Isn't that always the way? Well, we just marked THIS one off the honey-do list!

At the beginning of this year, we decided that the boys' bathroom was long overdue for a makeover. I'm going to just cut to the chase and show you the finished product because I'm just so happy with how it came out that I just can't stand it anymore!

We chose to makeover the boys' bathroom in black and white for the main pieces and fixtures. We figured that we could always add color with paint and accessories, but that a black and white bathroom would hopefully be a classic choice that would give us more options down the road.

Right now, we've let them choose the wall paint color and accessories that they liked (a dog theme), but with the main colors being a basic black and white, we could easily transition down the road to a farmhouse bathroom or a modern bathroom without much effort.

I will post a list of links to many of the products we used at the bottom of this post in case you are interested in using any of them for your own project.

The Bathroom Before Pictures

This is how the bathroom looked before we did our makeover:

It probably looks OK at first glance. But who remembers this scene from the 1990s hit movie Clueless?

I'm probably dating myself there, but it IS an accurate description of this bathroom.

We really didn't do anything special to this bathroom when we first moved in because we had a lot to do in other areas of the house and this room was (by comparison) not so bad. We painted the beadboard the same color green as in the polka dots in the shower curtain and called it a day. 

Aidyn helped me to pick out the shower curtain specifically because we had a new baby on the way, but we didn't yet know the gender and I wanted a gender neutral space for their bathroom. But we left everything else the same as it was when we purchased the house.

Fast forward 11 years . . . 

And on closer inspection, the fixtures were starting to show their age. But that even wasn't the biggest problem; one of the sink faucets was broken beyond repair and needed to be replaced altogether. And if we were going to replace one of them, we needed to replace both (since they needed to match each other).

The original paint in the bathroom was starting to chip in places. And the ceiling was painted the same color yellow as the walls courtesy of the former homeowners (so this was my chance to give the whole bathroom a fresh coat of paint)!

The floors were lineoleum that had deep cuts in them, and the linen closet had a 1970s gold pattern that was different from the rest of the bathroom. Thankfully, you could only see it when you opened the closet door!

The countertops were a cream colored formica with a tile backsplash that (although hard to see in the photo below) didn't quite match in color. And the walls were a butter yellow that didn't quite match either the tile or the formica. So it was time for an update!

The Bathroom After Pictures

So here's what the boys' bathroom looks like now that it has been renovated!

We replaced the countertops with cultured marble in white with the slightest hint of a light gray swirl and upgraded the faucets and the light fixtures.

We upgraded all the hardware and fixtures and put a fresh coat of paint on everything.

The boys chose a dog theme for their new bathroom, so I accessorized with vintage Avon bottles that look like our Chance and Smitty.

The German Shepherd bottle is Avon Noble Prince Wild Country aftershave and was new in the box with the original box included. The Scottish Terrier milk glass bottle is Avon Unforgettable cologne.  I purchased both of these from separate Etsy sellers. 

If you were paying close attention in Harris Sister Deanna's post about her Grand Old Opry trinket box, you might have spied a milk glass Cocker Spaniel Avon bottle. If you are looking for small dog figurines or are a collector of milk glass, these often turn up in thrift stores and antique shops, so keep your eyes peeled. Of course, if you are looking for specific breeds (as I was) then Etsy and eBay are your best bet.

Pretty good match, right?

I also found some very cute retro wall decor for their bathroom.

I added a few other dog-themed accessories here and there, but mixed them in with other black and white bathroom accessories.

Project Notes

• We chose to use a contractor for this project because it involved demo, tile work, plumbing, and electrical work. While we probably could have tackled each of these things, it would have significantly lengthened our timeline for this project. And since this bathroom already had a broken sink faucet and a broken shower faucet, we were anxious to get this bathroom up and running again as soon as we could!
• We kept our original wood cabinets and had them repainted. They were in good shape and were the same size as ones we would have replaced them with.
• We kept our original tub and shower. We did need to repair the faucet in the shower, but it turned out to be a simple fix.
• We kept all the original beadboard and molding in the room. It had been installed correctly and just needed repainting.
• Note: When laying this particular floor tile, the installers had to be very careful about matching up the pattern so that it matched correctly when they were finished. While the overall effect is stunning, apparently hours of staring at the pattern while laying the tile is a bit taxing on the eyes. So, keep in mind that you'll need to be patient and take a few breaks if you choose this pattern. And make sure that you don't accidently mismatch your patterns!
• With the exception of a few accessories that I purchased from Amazon and Etsy and the countertops that we purchased from a local vendor, we purchased all of the other materials from a Lowes Home Improvement store, which helped to keep project costs low.

Project Materials

• Wall Paint Color - Valspar Dreamy Clouds
• Ceiling Paint - Valspar Ceiling White Flat Latex
• Cabinets & Trim Paint - Valspar Signature Semi-gloss Latex
• Mirror Trim Paint - Black Gloss
• Floor Tile - American Olean Alameda Satin White Honeycomb Mosaic Ceramic Wall Tile
• Tile Grout - Pearl Gray Unsanded Powder Grout
• Light Fixtures - Millennium Lighting 3-Light 24-in Chrome Vanity Light
• Faucets - Delta Foundations Chrome 2-handle 4-in Centerset Bathroom Sink Faucet
• Toilet - Sterling Stinson White WaterSense Labeled Elongated Chair Height 2-piece Toilet
• Cabinet Pulls - 3-in Center to Center Chrome Cabinet Pull
• Hardware - Bathroom Hardware Set & 2-Hook Chrome Towel Hook
• Retro dog wall decor - Etsy seller DexMex

So that's our big home improvement project for the year! We think this bathroom renovation project turned out great and more than anything, we're so happy that it's finished.

Hope we've given you some ideas for your own black and white bathroom makeover!

This post contains affiliate links.