Remember last week when I announced we were giving our downstairs bathroom at our rental a makeover? Yah, I know, a lot of you still think I’m crazy. We only have a left month left in this house, & I’m spending time doing this. I’ll say it again. I always tell you guys to make your houses a space that you will love, no matter if you are renting or if you own. I always say that it doesn’t have to cost a lot to be beautiful & that a few simple steps can make your home a paradise for you. & guess what, I lived here 6 months & HATED this bathroom & just dealt with it. I wasn’t following my cardinal rules. So, I decided that this last month that we are in our rental that I was going to LOVE this bathroom. Of course if you are in a rental, get permission before doing anything, but I was lucky {& I have to say they are too} that they let me paint & decorate this our rental. Over the weekend we actually got about 80% done with the downstairs bathroom makeover in our lovely historic rental. Just spending a few minutes here & a few minutes there we got this little space looking one million times better than it did & the amazing part? We only purchased two things for this whole space, everything else we had on hand.
Here is what the lovely little bathroom cabinet was looking like before I got my hands on it…
The cabinet was badly beaten up & had seen better days. I decided to use some of my DIY Chalkpaint because it’s durable, requires little to no prep work, & I knew it would help cover up the flaws that this cabinet had. Here is how it is looking after two layers of the DIY paint…
A couple of things about the painted vanity. I used a ratio of about 3 tbs. of unsanded grout to about 1 cup of Behr paint in whisper white. You can find my full chalk paint recipe {here}. I wanted my mixture to be pretty thick to cover up what bad shape the cabinet was in. To prep the space I sanded a little bit, removed the hardware, & cleaned up any debris. I then applied two coats of the DIY paint letting it dry between coats. To seal the piece I applied one coat of Annie Sloan wax & replaced the hardware.
Here is the cabinet after one layer. Things I wish I would have done: Removed the doors, & not used DIY chalk paint. Why you ask? Well, I recently painted the downstairs bathroom cabinet in our Michigan house & that project went so smoothly. I used Maison Blanche chalk paint & it applied like butter. It looked great after one coat & the finish was super clean & smooth. With the DIY chalk paint I felt like there was a lot of bumps & that the texture was gritty. It applied pretty messy & it just didn’t go as well as with the Maison Blanche chalk paint. I think DIY chalk paint should be left to projects that will be distressed for the shabby chic look, or that are not cabinets when you are going for a smooth clean look. One thing is this DIY chalk paint is just as durable as regular chalk paint which is great for cabinets. Just my humble opinion, but of course there are so many variables to DIY chalk paint & I may love it more if I perfected my recipe.
So what are your thoughts on our rental bathroom makeover so far? Are you as amazed with the power of paint as I am? I am a true believer! All in all I really like how the cabinet turned out despite the few changes I would have made. What do you think of our cabinet makeover? Have you ever painted your bathroom cabinets before? Let me know in the comments below, find me on Facebook, & chat with me on Instagram!
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Thanks for the chalk paint tip Liz, it sounds like a bit of wisdom I can’t ignore. blessings
LOVE your little wooden caddy on the right! Where did you buy it?
It looks wonderful painted white, amazing transformation!
Looks great!
Next time try less grout. I use 1 heaping Tablespoon of unsanded grout plus 1-2 Tablespoons of cold water… Mixed thoroughly seperately then add to 1 c paint is the best recipe I’ve found. I think yours was possibly too thick and made it difficult to work with.
It looks fantastic! Did you paint the hinges?
Looks Great! Painting my vanity next week.
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That little guy is from Marshalls! It’s a little tray from the kitchen section.
It was wayyyy to thick which I usually like, but not for this project!! I knew if I played around with it I would find something I liked, but of course I was impatient!
I did Chelsie! That’s why I said in the post that I wish I would have taken the doors off, but the hinges were in really bad shape. If this was my house I would replace them, but since it was a rental I painted right over them.. we will see how that goes! 😉 xx
What a difference! I love it Liz!
I love it! I too am a huge believer in the power of paint to change a room or piece of furniture. And I too live in a rental. A neighbor recently criticized me and accused me of being materialistic for painting my walls. Her reason was that we live in an apartment that we rent and not a house that we own. I don’t feel materialistic. I painted our living room walls to make the room feel warm and cozy for us and for when we have guests over. Any thoughts or advice on this? Have you experienced this attitude from others?
[…] See part two: Painting the Vanity {Here} […]
I love chalk paint and use it now for a lot of painting projects! When I was searching for a DIY chalk paint recipe I found one that I tried and love! It is so smooth and velvety and sands so well! It requires no prep.
I use 2 Tbsp. Calcium Carbonate powder that is mixed in 1 Tbsp. water and then add to 1 cup Latex paint. You can make a quart of the chalk paint by using 8 Tbsp. CC mixed to 4 TBsp. water and then add to 1 quart of Latex paint and mix well. Makes a smooth paint and easy to sand.
You can also use Plaster of Paris and the CC together( 2 TBsp. CC, 2 Tbsp. Plaster of Paris, and 2 Tbsp. water mixed and then add to 2 cups Latex paint. You can use just the Plaster of Paris instead of unsanded grout although I haven’t tried it but heard it is great to use!
For your cabinet though I do agree to use regular primer and paint type paint since you want a smooth look and you aren’t distressing it.
I think the cabinet looks much better in the white!
So much better now, really love this change!
I just purchased a can of Old Town Chalk Paint. I am removing the doors off the cabinet. Will let you know how I like it later. I do like the cabinet you painted in white. The bathroom looks much brighter.
[…] The magnified mirror is from Ikea & that’s about it for the source list. You can see the painted cabinet makeover {here}, & more about the curtains […]
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