As kids mature, their bath may need a boost to keep up with them. Case in point: the one shared by the twin daughters of Ronda and Les Batchelor, in Magna, Utah. When the girls hit their teens, their DIYer mom identified a couple of issues: The vent fan couldn’t cope with all those long, hot showers—and there was no place for the girls’ arsenal of hair supplies and makeup.
Ronda began by swapping in a high-power fan and installing wall tile as a moisture barrier above the shower stall. To step up storage, she recessed a wide, deep thrift-shop medicine cabinet and added shelves inside the vanity. Then she gave the room a cosmetic makeover, adding a faux board-and-batten wainscot over the drywall.
A coat of blue paint and new knobs gave the oak vanity a fresh look, as did a marble pattern Ronda painted on the acrylic top, using leftover gray paints sealed with a two-part epoxy. A pale-blue glass mosaic backsplash and a navy-striped shower curtain solidified the new color scheme, and display shelves and a new light added character. Not only have the twins found it easier to keep the space tidy, they’re proud of the grown-up design. Says Ronda, who blogs at Batchelors Way, “They’ve brought all their friends over to see the transformation!”
The Project Tally
Upgraded a builder-grade vent fan, repaired water-damaged corner bead around the only window, and added subway tile above the shower stall, $130
Created faux board-and-batten wainscot using scrap wood over drywall, and finished the walls with leftover paint, $0
Installed, trimmed out, and painted a thrift-store medicine cabinet, $44
Painted the vanity and gave the top a faux- marble treatment, added shelves inside, and replaced the knobs, $42
Covered the existing backsplash with glass mosaic tile, $24
Added a five-light fixture above the mirror, display shelves, and towel hooks; swapped in a new shower curtain, $45
Total $285