Jack and Jill Budget Bath Renovation - Before and After

We face-lifted most of the rooms when we moved into the house.  This bath had a lot of potential but just looked faded and unloved.  We were able to update the bath on a budget by simply applying some paint, a couple new mirrors, lights and countertop.  Everything else we were able to re-use or re-purpose.

Before:

We started by removing the wallpaper.  This was task #1 for most rooms in the house.  Once that was done we painted the walls and the cabinets.
 One benefit of the cabinets being in such poor cosmetic condition is that it didn't take a lot of sanding or prep work prior to being able to paint the first layer of primer.  We used both spray primer and spray paint to paint the cabinets so that we could get an almost flawless "airbrushed" finish.  Someday, I would love a paint sprayer (hint hint Jonathan ;-) By reusing the cabinetry already in the bathroom we saved several hundreds of dollars  (maybe even a couple thousand dollars)- custom cabinetry is very expensive and because this is an older house we would of had to order a custom cabinet to fit this space.

After:

After:

Before:

We removed these lights and the mirror and replaced them with new updated versions. Two smaller mirrors were placed above each sink bowl with the lights centered above the mirrors.  Because this room doesn't have a window (it is between two bedrooms - hence "jack and jill bath") it was pretty dark without any natural light.  So when replacing the lights we purposefully looked for fixtures that would give off more light than what we previously took down.

After:

Before:

We replaced the sink bowls and and countertops, but we were able to re-use the faucets.  We chose a granite that coordinated with the toilet and tub.  They are a creamy color and this granite has a creamy undertone.  I was nervous the day they were delivering the granite because I was afraid it may clash.  I thought it might look like we were trying to match it and failed...but fortunately it looks better than I had dreamed the best case scenario could be.

After:

Being able to re-use the faucets saved us a couple hundred dollars!  With a little deep cleaning they became bright shiny and almost new again!

After:

We also updated some of the hardware on the cabinets.  I found these blue knobs at Anthropologie on clearance.  I was happy with the way they semi-coordinated with the hinges that were already on the cabinet doors.  This way we were able to re-use the hinges and just buy new knobs.

We didn't do anything with the tub or toilet - we kept them as they were other than adding some artwork above the toilet and a new shower curtain for the tub.  The artwork was a gift from my sister Nicola - I think she found it at a small boutique in Chicago.  I love the playfulness they bring to this children's bathroom.  The shower curtain was from Target.

New tubs are very expensive.  A lot of the expense can be in the labor, but the material is also pricey.  We don't mind the color of the tub/toilet and with the new granite we think they almost look like we chose them to be this color when we redid the bathroom.

There is one overhead light in the bathroom as well as a vent.  We decided to keep them and re-purpose/update them by spray painting the base of the light and the cover of the vent.  We ended up buying a new glass shell for the light (for just a couple dollars).  The previous shell had been white.  This one is clear and allows more light to shine through it giving us even more light in this no window bathroom.

Light fixtures are easy to paint!  You can update almost any fixture for about the price of one can of spray paint.  To see more on spray painting light fixtures check out this post: Painted Light Fixtures/Chandeliers.

Kitchen - Before and After

When we purchased our house we purposefully bought a "fixer upper" because we wanted to make it our own.  Since then we have removed wallpaper, taken down walls, built built-ins, and tiled floors to name just a few of the projects.

Our Budget Friendly Kitchen Update:

AFTER:

The kitchen felt closed off from the rest of the house, especially while cooking due to the cabinets above the peninsula

So we took them down...

After:

Additionally, the walls between the kitchen, mudroom and back family room separated it from the living space...so we took them down too

MORE AFTER & DETAILS:

Views from the kitchen into the family room:

There were two walls separating this space before - one behind the built-in bench and the other in front of the wet bar...now it is open!

Views from the family room into the kitchen:

Now you can see into the kitchen from the family room - the kitchen is not as closed off and separated anymore

A Few More Before and After:

 We removed the old desk below and replaced it with a pantry cabinet

We removed bifold doors (far right above) and created a more decorative storage nook

Pantry and Decorative Storage Nook:

The kitchen table and lamp in the foreground of this photo below

Were replaced with built-in storage bench seating and a new chandelier

 We have changed the table that has occupied this space several times...below is the current table.
To see the diy post on this table click here: DIY Square Pedestal Table

The top of the benches lift for storage of items not used very often

We cleaned...before the kitchen was a mess!  We found a few dead mice behind appliances...yuck!

All the light fixtures were replaced:

To see how to update a chandelier by painting it see: Painted Chandeliers and Light Fixtures - DIY

We reused all the hinges and as many cabinets as we could - I like the character of the old hinges, but we changed all the knobs

 We also updated all of the appliances, sink, faucet, backsplash and countertops.  We left the original tiled floor.

So there it is!  Our budget friendly kitchen update!  We saved the most money by reusing our cabinets and floor and by updating our appliances but not moving them.