Bathroom Update: Working with what you've got

This bathroom before was a disaster. Awful linoleum with water damage, a dated mirror, light fixture and dingy cabinet were just some of the many issues with this bathroom. If I had it my way (and unlimited money) the whole thing would have been gutted and replaced with shiny new things. Unfortunately, this was not the case. My husband and I decided to allot our money to the master bathroom instead, leaving the guest bath with all its remaining issues. Quite an embarrassment when guests stayed over and not a true reflection of our style. So naturally it had to be revamped; some way some how.*We replaced the tile in the bathroom when we first moved in because of the poor condition but everything else was original to the house including toilet, vanity and mirror.*Old fence boards (literally took down my neighbors fence) were given a new life once I sanded them down and added a light white-wash over the top. A lot of the boards were a redish satin to begin with, so it added a the perfect touch of depth and color to the wall. By white-washing, I was able to tone down the color just a tad and brighten up some of the darker boards. I started the design process, like many things, with a key inspiration object. In this case, I found this shower curtain on Urban Outfitters and HAD to have it. I loved the colors and patterns! From there I selected paint. Choosing a paint color that was neutral enough for the space and wasn't too dark, was the hardest part. I thought I wanted an all white bathroom but since my walls had so many imperfections, I chose to go with a warm grey to try to hide them. After painting the walls, I decided to tackle the 90's-colored wood cabinet. This was a tough choice for me. Ideally I wanted to paint the cabinet white; something clean and bright. However, because the existing counter-top was an off-white faux marble, it would have clashed terribly.  I ultimately decided to go with classic black which turned out great. I still plan on adding a couple new handles and it look will be complete!

Instead of using traditional hooks or a towel bar to hang my towels, I chose to go with an unexpected approach and added  brass door knobs that I painted gold. These were left over from our remodel and I didn't have the heart to throw them out. This means these were FREE! Bam!

Who doesn't love faux taxidermy! I purchased this beauty which now holds my loose jewelry. I am pretty much obsessed with him!

Glam it up with a few gold accessories and you've got a "new" bathroom. Remember when designing to pick your battles! Bathroom renovations can be expensive and lengthy.