Urban Bathroom Makeover

I’ve mentioned before that I love brick paneling, right?

I do.

Like, love-love.

The reason? You get a whole bunch of bang for your buck, without the commitment either. Don’t like it in a few years? Take it down, patch the holes and you’re good. Sure, it’s not the real stuff, but sometimes that really doesn’t matter.

Take the “H” bathroom for example. Mrs. “H” hated it. It was the one area of her home that she desparately wanted to re-do, and a space that her guests needed to use most of the time. After our consultation, it was clear that she wanted a unique overall vibe with one-of-a-kind elements that you just don’t see everywhere. With four girls in her home, she desired to keep this space gender neutral, yet fun and hip (does using the word “hip” make me sound un-hip? Thought so). Anyways, here is where we started:

A terra cotta color was painted on two of the bathroom’s walls, while greige adorned the remaining two. A pedestal sink was in place with a basic vanity sconce and mirror. As Mrs. “H” will tell you, this bathroom was lacking character…but all that was about to change.

With high ceilings and enough room for a larger vanity, this loo just needed to be re-worked.

Ready for the after?

Such a big change and I kind of love it.

Now, when I originally designed the mood board for this space, I knew I wanted to find an epic (yes, epic) piece to be used as the vanity. What I found was actually a buffet/sideboard that was then painted and converted specifically for this bathroom. There were a lot of moving pieces and people that had to come together to make this finished room, finished (so make sure to check out the details below for all of the specifics).

In the meantime, here’s some more info.

Once the vanity was a done deal, lighting and that sweet round mirror were the next elements to configure.

BUT, because the only light source in this bathroom was a sconce, I needed to make sure the light given off wasn’t being cast downward by the selected piece. So we went with the glass/matte black finish combo you see below.

The vessel sink and faucet were also key players in this bathroom makeover. I provided Mrs. “H” with a few options of each of these elements and love what she ended up choosing; a rectangular porcelain white vessel sink trimmed in black with a distressed black matte uni-lever faucet to accompany it. So pretty.

Last but not least came the decor. Jaxon Blvd signs were selected in black and white paint finishes and rustic wood trim. Monograms were added as were industrial shelves (not pictured). Mrs. “H” introduced her own rugs and a sweet faux tree in addition to.

One unique, urban bathroom makeover completed.

The Details:

Brick Paneling: Home Depot (installed by Nate Koogle)

Vanity/Buffet: Odds n’ Ends (Imperial Valley)

Vanity Paint: Robert Reyes (SW Tricorn Black)

Buffet Reconfiguration/Plumbing: Nate Koogle

Mirror: Kirkland’s

Vessel Sink: Wayfair

Light Sconce: Wayfair

Vessel Faucet: Wayfair

Signage/Decor: Jaxon Blvd

Drawer Pulls: Anthropologie

Why Brick Panels Are All the Rage.

By now you've probably seen them pop up all over Pinterest. Or maybe you've spotted them on one of your strolls through the local home improvement store aisles. Either way, the look of brick is in and brick panels are all the rage. 

Brick panels basically give the look of a brick wall without all of the hassle, mess, or expense. Granted they aren't the real thing but if you're anything like me, I change my mind a lot when it comes to decor and it's probably best if some elements within my home remain semi-permanent. Even better? These panels can be whitewashed if so desired for a totally different, antiqued look. Plus, they can go anywhere and everywhere within a home.

I so dig them.

But if you haven't seen these panels, you're probably begging the question: " how do they really look?"

Check these rooms out:

"R" wanted a superhero room complete with a cityscape and brick panel wall. The goal was to create a room with an urban feel that could grow with this seven year-old but also change as needed. We used a total of three brick panels in this space on one full wall (that makes two feature walls in one room!) and I'm kind of crazy about it.

This kiddo also needed a desk so once again, we implemented some pipe/wood shelving (thanks to mastermind and carpenter, Nate Koogle) to create a functional but also really cool, classic piece for him to use. I dunno but I think he's pretty happy with his new digs

Next up? "B's" room. This sixteen year-old asked for a fresh, fun, updated space for his birthday and his parents definitely delivered.

"B" dug the look of the exposed brick and preferred the grey grout (found at Home Depot) over the black grout as shown in the room above (located at Lowe's). These panels retail for $25 each and even though I've stated it before, they are a great value considering the texture and "wow factor"they bring to a room.

After using six panels spanning two walls, a lot of cutting was involved in order to make the look we achieved appear less faux and more fo reals. A mix of wood/pipe shelving and a matching nightstand were then implemented, along with an industrial clock and magazine rack to finish up this space. Two-tone Pottery Barn linen curtains were added to dress the windows. And the coolest part? Check out those guitar grips! Metal hands extending from the wall meant specifically to hold this guy's favorite instruments. So awesome and functional!

So what do you think? Would you give these panels a go?

R's Room:

Brick Panels-Lowe's

Drapes-custom made, fabric purchased from Hobby Lobby

Cityscape Wall Mural- A Fresh Coat-Yuma

Tire Toy Storage-Amazon

Bedding-Pottery Barn Kids

Pillows-Kirkland's/Etsy

Superhero Wall Decor-Kirkland's

Locker Nightstand-Target

Desk-Nate Koogle, Carpenter

Desk Decor & Knick-knacks-Hobby Lobby

B's Room:

Clock-Wayfair

Drapes-Pottery Barn

Bedding-Amazon

Brick Panels-Home Depot

Magazine Rack-Hobby Lobby

Guitar Grips-Amazon

Nightstand/Shelving-Arizona Rustic Lights- Yuma, AZ