A DIY Half Bath Update!

I have some really supportive friends who have been cheering me on with my blog and my DIY projects. I wanted to occasionally spotlight some of my friends/family who are doing really cool things at their own homes!

My friend, Rose, is a fellow “new-to-DIY-er”. (I’m going to make that a word 😉 ). She bought her house new back in 2006, and has lately been itching to do some updates. Like me, she is learning as she goes and wants budget-friendly ideas. She is also the one who told me about the really cool local shop where I got my peel-and-stick shiplap for a steal!

Rose has done a few updates lately, like adding shiplap to her kitchen island and changing out her wood flooring. But the project I wanted to focus on today was her recent half-bath update.

Before, her bathroom was a typical half-bath that was a narrow space with a toilet and a pedestal sink (which I think was very “2006-ish”, because our last house was built in 2006 and had the same sink!). They had painted the bathroom a nice shade of gray back in 2008.

Fast-forward to 2021… time for an update! And update she and her hubby did!

They started by adding the peel-and-stick shiplap on the back wall. She did a penny-gap between each piece of shiplap (where you literally stick pennies between the boards to space them out). It turned out beautiful.

Next, they worked on removing the pedestal sink. They faced a couple of issues when doing this. First, they had to get the piece of the sink that covers the pipes off, which was a bit of a challenge. The sink part was attached to the wall with glue and caulk, so her husband had to cut out the caulk from the back and basically rip the sink off the wall. Removing the sink damaged the drywall behind where the sink was.

They also had an issue with the pipes. They realized the pipes had bad valves, so they had to cut the water off to the entire house and replace the piping. Also, the new vanity sat further away from the wall, so the piping was also not long enough to reach the pipes on the new vanity. They bought a new pipe and cut it to the new length. They also replaced the coupling because once the original one was removed, it wouldn’t go back on! I think Rose’s husband could now add “Professional Plumber” to his resume. 😉

I love Rose’s quote when telling me about this… “It’s always something”. Ain’t that the truth!

So, once the plumbing was figured out, it seemed like the rest would be pretty simple. Just install the vanity, hook up the pipes, and they’re done… right? Of course not!

The sink vanity didn’t cover up the wall damage! Doh!

They tried to touch it up with paint, but you could still see the line where the sink had been.

Rose’s husband had to detach the vanity from the pipes and use joint compound on that area to make it flesh with the rest of the wall. That required overnight drying, sanding, and then re-painting. But guess what?…

It is now perfection! What a difference! You can’t even tell the drywall had been damaged.

So, they put everything back in place, and added in some new decor.

Rose is even modifying her current decor to match the new bathroom.

Here are some before and after comparisons:

It’s amazing how some shiplap and a new vanity will give a half-bath a completely new feel! I can feel Rose’s pain with planning a DIY, doing all the appropriate measurements and thought processes, and then- it never fails- something always comes up. Though I feel like it makes you better for the next DIY! Speaking of, Rose… what’s next??