Coastal Bathroom Makeover Reveal: Modern, Minimal and Marvelous

In our coastal bathroom makeover, we banished the boring builder-grade features of this half bathroom. It now features a striking blue and white wallpaper that serves as the perfect backdrop for this modern minimalist space.

Needless to say, 2020 has NOT been my favorite year. But some good things have come from all of these months of being hunkered down at home. One of them is the list of home update projects we’ve been able to tackle.

At the top of the list is the budget-friendly makeover of our half bathroom.

I’m so glad we put this makeover on the DIY Home Improvement Project List because it completely updated and transformed this room. It’s a space we use regularly. And every time I’m in the space, it makes me happy!

The Half Bathroom: Before

Here’s what the half bath looked like when we purchased our home (this photo is from the actual MLS listing):

Like the rest of the house, it was boring and bland. I knew immediately when I laid eyes on that pedestal sink that we would need to replace it with a vanity that can provide storage space for some of the basics (toilet paper, etc.).

When we first moved in, I painted the room a beautiful shade of blue (Sherwin Williams Tempe Star — paying homage to the paint color palette from our last home) as an interim fix until we were able to carve out time to complete a full makeover. This room also initially benefitted from:

our floor refinishing project that took place prior to our move-in day;
our whole-home door hinge and handle replacement project.

As the decorating vibe of our home has evolved over the short time we’ve been in our new home, I’ve found myself incorporating more and more coastal elements. So when it came time to completely overhaul this bathroom, I decided to go ALL IN on a modern, coastal bathroom makeover.

Coastal Bathroom Makeover: Design Plan & To-Do List

Let’s start by taking a look at my vision for this space:

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You may recognize some of the same elements of our former powder room creeping into this new design. That’s because I LOVE them and they served us well in our old house (the faucet, the decorative grass, and the light fixture).

Here’s the project to-do list we tackled for this DIY bathroom makeover project:

1. Install Wallpaper

If you’re a long-time reader, then you’ll likely remember me uttering the phrase NEVER AGAIN when it comes to installing wallpaper in our home (even though I found a fairly easy DIY wallpaper removal method since our first wallpaper removal fiasco).

Well, never say never!

Not only did we install wallpaper as part of this makeover, we actually centered the design around this stunning blue and white patterned wallpaper.

2. Replace the Light Fixture

We swapped out the existing unattractive builder-grade light fixture with this modern beauty:

Yes, it’s the same fixture that we used in our last powder room. I thought about going with something that’s a bit more in keeping with a strong coastal theme. But when it comes to the more expensive fixed elements of a space, I like to avoid trendy and opt for more timeless choices.

That way, if the mood strikes, we can change things up in a few years without the need to swap out the light fixture again. This one is really versatile and would work with many decorating styles.

3. Swap Out Existing Pedestal Sink with New Sink/Vanity

This task was by far the most challenging one on the list (even more than wallpaper installation). First, it took an inordinate amount of time to source a vanity/sink combo that I liked and that did not break the bank.

When I initially embarked on my vanity search, I was dead set on selecting a navy blue vanity. But once I decided on the wallpaper, a white vanity suddenly made more sense. After months of searching, I landed on this amazing little number:

One of the reasons I chose this vanity/sink combo was because it would camouflage the existing patch of unfinished flooring that was exposed by the removal of the pedestal sink.

BUT, I soon realized that this positive feature also posed a bit of a challenge when it came to the installation:

Seriously?!?

THAT’s weird. Water pipes coming out of the FLOOR instead of out of the WALL. We’ve discovered over the months that weird things like this are par for the course in the new Chez Gallagher.

I was crushed at the thought of having to go back to the drawing board to find an alternative vanity. We decided to hire a plumber to handle this headache in order to move the project forward faster. He came up with this solution:

Nothing a basket can’t hide!

I’m forever thankful for this creative solution because I could not bear to part with this super affordable + super high-quality vanity/sink combo.

Just look at the solid wood dovetail construction and marvel at the soft-close drawers:

And I absolutely love the rectangular angled sink bowl:

4. Replace Faucet

I couldn’t wait to replace the outdated double handle faucet with this stunning modern chrome faucet:

This faucet serves as the jewelry in the room for sure. I thought about selecting something different since we used this faucet in our previous home. But then I asked myself,

Why mess with perfection?

5. Remove and Replace Existing Mirror

Naturally, the mirror that was in place at the time we moved in was affixed to the wall with construction adhesive and framed out with difficult-to-remove trim.

PSA to homeowners: please please PLEASE do not glue plate glass mirrors to bathroom walls. It makes it REALLY difficult (and dangerous) to remove them and causes lots o’ wall damage. You can purchase simple hardware to safely attach that mirrors to walls.

The time it took to remove the mirror and patch up the wall was well worth it, given how it turned out. This wooden octagon mirror is truly a statement piece, don’t you think?

6. Remove and Replace the Towel & Toilet Paper Holder

When we ripped out the plate glass mirror and frame, we also seized the opportunity to remove the generic towel and toilet paper holders from the wall.

We chose to replace them with a freestanding chrome toilet paper holder (you’ll see it in the Accessories section below), and this lovely modern square chrome towel holder:

7. Accessorize with Coastal Bathroom Accents

The last step in any room makeover is accessorizing. I went light on the accessories as I wanted to keep it simple and minimal. After all, with that wallpaper, there’s really no need for a ton of accessories.

First, I pulled in that familiar concrete planter filled with faux grass from our former powder room.

Next, I broke up the pattern on the walls with a few pieces of coastal-inspired blue and white art:

Finally, I added a woven hyacinth storage bin for magazines, a chrome toilet paper holder, a new hand towel, and cute soap and lotion dispenser set:

So that’s it!!!! What do you think?

We got a lot of bang for our buck with this project. With the exception of the plumber bill, this coastal bathroom makeover came in under $1,000. Not too shabby!

You can find the info for all the sources below.

Modern Coastal Bathroom Makeover Source List:

Room makeovers are always gratifying, but this coastal bathroom makeover will hold a special place in my heart because it’s the first major room redesign project we completed in our new home.

Love a good room reveal? Check out more room makeover transformations here!

Coastal Bathroom Makeover Reveal: Modern, Minimal and Marvelous

The Half Bathroom: Before