A SPACIOUS AND FRESH FEELING BATHROOM 

“How much do you think it will cost?” This is the first question a homeowner asks when I show up to their home for a consultation. This question is always a tricky one and oftentimes the deciding factor that can make or break a dream renovation boils down to material choices. This rings especially true for smaller rooms like bathrooms where the majority of a budget is allocated to what I like to call “big ticket items” like tile that are go-to for their moisture resistance. This can get pricey not only for the material but for labor as well. So if my clients are on a budget, finding creative ways to transform their space while not compromising on the integrity of their renovation is paramount.

So what do you cover a wall with when you don’t have a hefty budget for floor to ceiling tile? Paint! And although this hot pink bathroom had plenty of it, its previous teenage habitants had vacated and it was way overdue for a more finished and polished look. Using light and airy colors of Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® paint to make the bathroom feel fresh and bright is exactly the transformation it needed to feel more spacious. For the walls, Soft Linen provides a calming effect for this new space of refuge. The creamy neutral had a lot to stand up to against the hot pink so a primer was a must.

In order to properly prepare the walls, we used KILZ® Mold and Mildew Resistant Primer; not only for its hot pink covering ability but also, as it states in the name, it protects against the problems caused by moisture and humidity from steamy hot baths and showers and splash zones (if you’ve got little ones at home!). It does this with an EPA registered active ingredient that creates a mold and mildew-resistant film that protects against mold and mildew growth. And if you’ve ever been stuck in a small room with chemicals, you will appreciate its low odor, low VOC formula that makes for a safe and pleasant workspace.

In addition to transforming the wall color, we painted over the existing black vanity with Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® Trim, Door & Cabinetry Satin Paint. This water-based acrylic product is specifically designed for surfaces such as kitchen and bathroom cabinets, trim, window frames and doors. Its self-leveling, fast drying formula provides the hardness of a traditional oil-based paint but in an acrylic formula making it ideal for this bathroom vanity transformation. Silverado Sage is the new cabinet color and is a far cry from glossy black. Just like the walls, it needed some serious mold and mildew resistant primer film as well.

With our new selections of Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® paint and KILZ® primer ready to go, the bathroom walls and vanity were well on their way. But before we could experience the joy of covering up the hot pink and black palette with a clean slate, prep work had to be done.

For the walls, we began by removing the stickers and screws from old bath accessories. This scraping and pulling did some serious damage so to patch things up, we skim coated and filled in holes with spackle. Once dry, we took a fine grit sand block and smoothed over the surface, removing any excess clumps of paint as well. After sanding, we thoroughly cleaned the room, removing all dust and wiping the walls down with a damp cloth as well as soap and water in sticky areas that needed some additional scrubbing. Once dry, we applied the first coat of primer with a nylon/polyester brush and roller (3/8″ – 3/4″ nap). Although dry to the touch within a half hour, the primer needs a full hour before applying a second coat, which this hot pink definitely required!

To prepare the vanity for the primer, we removed all the doors and drawers and sanded the surface with 120 grit sandpaper to remove the gloss from the black paint to allow for the primer to adhere. After wiping clean and removing dust, once dry, we applied one coat of KILZ® Mold and Mildew Resistant Primer to the face frames and door and drawer faces.

With all the surfaces primed and ready for paint, we were ready for the new, bright and fresh color scheme. For the walls, we used a ½” nap roller to apply Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® Interior Paint in Satin finish. For the vanity, we used a high-quality nylon/polyester brush to apply Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® Trim Door and Cabinetry Paint in Satin finish. These quality paints were easy to apply and required minimal coats thanks to the blank slate provided by KILZ® primer.

With the addition of some fixture updates and soothing accents throughout the bathroom, the result is truly a transformation from dark, dated and dingy to bright, airy and fresh. And thanks to proper prep and quality products, even without a “big ticket” item like tile, these bathroom walls are well protected and we didn’t have to compromise on design.

*This is a paid partnership with KILZ