This post is part of a paid collaboration with Lowe’s Home Improvement. All opinions are my own.
Oh happy day, one more room at the Riverside Retreat is officially in the bag!
This project has been over two months in the making—starting with a few setbacks and stalled progress, and ending with a mad dash to the finish line over the past few weeks. Make sure to go back and check out the Design Plan/demo kickoff post along with my DIY Board and Batten tutorial to see the progression if you haven’t yet.
Meet the “50 Shades of White” Before…
Seriously. Every inch was some shade of mismatched white.
The room was a decent size but we had to reconfigure it and take away space to add a second bathroom, as this house only had one (not gonna cut it with 10 guests in a vacation rental!)
We added two walls to create a master bathroom, as you can see in the new floor plan below (labeled Main Bathroom):
Demo promptly began, and (no surprise) there were quite a bit of plumbing and foundation issues to fix.
We ended up bringing in a second contractor a few weeks ago to get things moving quicker. Finally, some progress!
And we’ve put in long hours over the last couple weeks installing DIY board and batten, painting, and adding the finishing touches. Finally, our earthy + classic budget bathroom is ready for its debut!
The real MVP here is the gorgeous green, Valspar’s Wilderness.
I love going bold in smaller spaces—making a statement is what design is all about!
My second favorite player is this charming vintage style floor tile. It’s just the right amount of pattern to balance the bold walls and fits in well with our 1940’s home (our installer used a generic white for both the floor and shower tile grout).
There was a big debate on Instagram around what color to paint the new Jeld-Wen door. I couldn’t decide between green or white, and at the last minute I opted to make it same color as all the other doors in the house (SW Loggia). I think it was the right move because it breaks up the green/white and ties in with the other neutral warm accents in the room.
We’re also swapping out all the original door handles with these gorgeous Schlage glass knobs:
But this view? This has to be my favorite.
I scored this schoolhouse vanity light on sale for $76 (it’s still a killer deal even at full price) and the mirror was a $30 secondhand Facebook Marketplace find (it actually came from a Disneyworld hotel).
The Delta Venetian Bronze faucet was another budget-friendly find with great ratings and a simple, classic style.
Recognize this vanity? It’s the same one I used in our Heights House Guest Bathroom but in the 36″ size.
I love this vanity because there’s lots of drawer storage, and you can choose from several colors/sizes/stone tops (I went with the Carrara engineered marble top). FYI—it’s now $100 less than when I purchased it! If you’ve been considering this vanity (or any new vanity), now’s the time to jump on it.
The only modification I made was painting the chrome handles gold (I used black spray paint and gold Rub ‘N Buff to give it an aged patina).
For the shower, I used one of Delta’s most affordable faucets in a matching Venetian Bronze finish (only $130 but it’s low in stock!) and replaced the one-piece tub with a budget-friendly model.
And how lovely is the shower tile? It has a slight color variation and is porous/textured to look like brick. Difficult to capture in photos, but it looks amazing in person and I think it fits in nicely with the earthy/classic style of the room.
One neat addition are these vintage photos of our city.
I Googled local archives of old photos and found our county library website with a huge collection of free downloadable images.
Then a little photoshop manipulation to make them sepia toned, add my own text, and print them out (these are 12×16″ prints in 16×20″ Ikea frames). I think these will be a fun touch for out-of-towners to see a little history of the area.
And the $5 gold hooks that have become a staple in almost every room these days! Can’t beat the price and style.
The only thing we kept from the original bathroom was the toilet (nothing wrong with it) and window, which I painted black. I hung a ready-made bamboo shade and simple 96″ waffle weave shower curtain (new favorite long shower curtain, by the way!)
On the day of the shoot I realized I forgot to order a toilet paper & hand towel holder—oops! Those will be added next 🙂
And that wraps up the Earthy + Classic Budget Bathroom Tour! I’m happy to say that this one turned out pretty much exactly as I had imagined/hoped.
I hope our guests love it just as much as we do!
Sources + Budget Breakdown
Paint: Valspar Wilderness (satin), SW Pure White (eggshell), SW Loggia (semi-gloss)
Floor tile / $288
Shower tile / $730
Tub / $150
Shower faucet / $130
Vanity / $500
Vanity faucet / $160
Vanity light / $76
Mirror / $30
30″ Jeld-Wen door / $130
Door handle / $65
Towel hooks / $23
Picture frames / $85
Window shade / $45
Shower curtain / $27
Curtain rod / $23
Molding & trim / $250
Paint / $40
Total: $2729
Of course this doesn’t take into account any labor costs or labor materials (those numbers unfortunately got convoluted between two different contractors). But if you aren’t doing a complete gut remodel down to the foundation or hiring out the labor, you can easily recreate this bathroom for under $3k with some DIYing and a trip to Lowe’s.
The best part is, you don’t have to compromise on quality—and I’d say the end result is comparable to any $10k+ bathroom I’ve seen!
What do you think about the deep green? It’s probably the boldest wall color I’ve ever used, but this is a vacation rental so I’m not trying to play it safe! Every room will have its own unique vibe—just wait until you see what we have planned for some of the other spaces 😉
Next up: a vlog update, kitchen rug fashion show and the nursery reveal… hopefully all before baby arrives!
Jan says
Love it, especially the evergreen walls!
Jackie says
This is so beautiful! ?
Did you have any problems with how porous the tile was in the tub?
Jenna Sue says
Thanks Jackie! You just have to use a white/light grout with this tile since the texture will pick it up.
Tanja says
Simply gorgeous with a touch of luxury !!!
I’ve never thought about painting a wall panel in green but now I know how beautiful and still bright it looks! I copy your board & batten idea for my kitchen reno but I’ll paint them in classy white…
Please tell me which green tone did you use?
Jenna Sue says
Valspar Wilderness!
Kirstyn Hewitt says
Gosh it’s so good!! Bathroom of my dreams! I love how the color is bold but still allows the bathroom to look timeless and classic! Great job!
Jenna Sue says
So glad you like it Kristyn!
Sally says
Where did you get vanity and window shade?
Ann says
In the post she lists all the items. Just click on “vanity” and you will see the information. 🙂
Jenna Sue says
That is correct, thanks for replying Ann!
Torrie @ To Love and To Learn says
It really turned out beautiful! I think I would love to be able to design a vacation rental (though I’m no designer like you are!) for just the reasons you said—you can just be more playful and bold when you’re not living with it every day, ha ha. Can’t wait to see more!
Erin says
Looks fantastic. Love the colors and all the tile. Beautiful job
Paige.Rose says
My thought is: BEST BATHROOM BUDGET RENO EVERRRRR! WHOA♡♡♡♡♡♡! Happy Wednesday gf!
Paige.Rose
From
http://Www.thequaintsanctuary.com
Kristin says
I love the green! Green is my favorite color. We did the wainscoting in our rec room in Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog. I’m so glad you painted the door Loggia. When you gave us the choice I opted for green because white seemed too stark. I’m so excited to see that you decided on this color, it’s the perfect compliment to the space.
Anne says
Absolutely beautiful. You are very talented!
Rue Ann Eyler says
Vintage, with such personalty! You make rooms so lovely!
Michelle | Birds of Berwick says
Stunning!! I love how the floor tile stands out when it was really lost with lighter walls. It’s so pretty, you’d think it was original! Asking the blandest question ever, what color white is the upper part of the wall?
Jenna Sue says
SW Pure White 🙂
Shannon says
You never cease to amaze me. I’ve been following you forever and love watching your style evolve. You and Lucas make an amazing design team !
Jenna Sue says
Thanks as always Shannon! I’m definitely much better with Lucas around 😉
Alexandra Z says
Looooove it!
Linda says
Gorgeous bathroom! Very simple and classy. I love the green.
AND you finished it before the baby arrived!!! Happy, exciting times. <3
Jenna Sue says
Woohooo! Now we just need to finish that nursery…
Arli says
It is just perfect, from the big stuff down to every little detail. You really nailed it.
Jenna Sue says
Appreciate the kind words, Danielle!
Jacqueline says
Love your budget-friendly mindset. I have to go looking for vintage photos.
One question, do you need a floor stop to keep the door from banging into one of the hooks on the wall , or does the door clear them?
Thank you for taking us on a journey with you!
Jenna Sue says
Right now the door actually hits the molding so we’ll need to add a door stop at the baseboard 🙂
Teri says
Love this really upscale look for such a budget friendly price! You are an inspiration.
Jenna Sue says
Thank you and so glad you like the result, Teri!
Peggy says
Yes! I do like the dark green! I think it makes all the difference that you used semigloss.
Monica says
Its just so pretty! Great job. Hope you can get some rest before the baby arrives.
Anita Taylor says
Hi Jenna!
It’s sooo amazing that I’m going out today to buy SW Wilderness for the currently white wainscoting in my powder room =)
Two questions: What color is the ceiling and are the threads of the blind you have as yellow as they appear when I click through to what’s shown on Amazon?
Thank you for ALL the inspiration,
Anita
Jenna Sue says
Yay for green, I hope you love it! All of the white paint is SW Pure White, and I didn’t notice the threads being too bright at all. They are small and blend in just fine so I wouldn’t worry about it.
Shauna says
Wilderness forever!
Don’t overdo things Jenna, as much as I am crazy about seeing what you do, I can’t help but worry that you’ll be exhausted before your little one even arrives.
I must say, the overall look of this rental is so classy!
brenda says
I’ve read your blog beginning to present and have really enjoyed it! I love all your designs. You and Lucas should be on HGTV! 🙂 Best wishes!
Jenna Sue says
Appreciate the love, Brenda! <3
Vanessa says
The Wilderness is wonderful and you have done it again. Brava and Bravo!
Kathleen Bell says
Amazing!
Denise says
Beautiful! This is inspiring as we just made an offer on a vacation condo in Arizona. Interested in your recommendation on bedroom wall colors. Currently this condo has sea foam green on bedroom walls with a tan colored carpet. I think walls need fresh coat and neutral maybe like SW Pure White or BM Simply White. What is your method in selecting the right wall color? I like the gold hooks from Lowe’s any suggestions on how to install on Sheetrock when the studs are not easily found?
Jenna Sue says
Get samples of all the whites and test it out in different rooms. You won’t know until you see them on the wall! And use drywall anchors–we love the self drilling kind: https://amzn.to/2HcFSay
Katie says
I want to follow up on the question. We have plaster walls and I’m trying to avoid a demo but I want walls like that. Do those drywall anchors like the work in plaster? I haven’t had good luck in plaster with any of the anchors I’ve tried for hanging things. Plaster walls everywhere!!
Sandy says
I love everything about it! Really admire your talent and drive. Amazing! Wish you the best with all your project and with the new baby!
Jenna Sue says
Thank you so much Sandy!
Montee Wellman says
Gorgeous!
Antje says
Such a beautiful room! I wish we could do some board and batten, but as we are in Germany bathrooms used to be tiled all around up to the ceiling and since we are living in a rental we are not allowed to drill wholes in the walls. Always such a pleasure to see your design plans come true.