There is a massive design myth floating around the internet: if a client has a small space, you must paint it bright white and keep it completely minimalist to make it feel bigger.

But what happens when you throw a sharp, awkward attic angle into the mix? You usually end up with a room that feels less like an airy sanctuary and more like a sterile, cramped cave.

When we signed on to tackle this guest bath for our client, we decided to throw the old rulebook out the window. Instead of fighting the architecture, we leaned into it. By pairing moody, high-contrast elements with clever space-saving fixtures, we turned an awkward layout into the most talked-about room in their house.

Whether you are staring down a sloped ceiling of your own or trying to maximize a tiny attic footprint, here is exactly how we mastered this makeover—complete with our exact design board and product links so you can recreate the look!

Here is the concept we pulled together for this bathroom.

The “Before”: Beige, Boring, and Cramped

Let’s be honest: builder-grade bathrooms love a sea of beige. Our client’s original bathroom was drowning in muted tones, dated faux-wood flooring, and zero personality.

Beyond the outdated aesthetics, the layout had some serious functional flaws that were driving our client crazy:

• The Over-Sized Vanity: The original laminate countertop was far too wide for the sloped wall, making the sink area feel crowded and cutting off the room’s physical flow
• The Shadow Effect: The traditional multi-bulb light fixture over the mirror cast harsh, awkward shadows thanks to the angled ceiling.
• The Claustrophobic Shower: The old shower featured a dated chrome frame and textured frosted glass that blocked light and shrunk the room instantly

The Strategy: Embrace the Angle

Our goal wasn’t to hide the sloped ceiling for our client; it was to make it the star of the show. We designed a dramatic, high-contrast palette: deep charcoal walls to add depth, offset by crisp white vertical wainscoting to keep the room grounded.

Here is how it all came together:

1. The Small-Scale Vanity & Bold Feature Wall

To open up the walkway, we swapped out the bulky original vanity for a narrower, rustic wood vanity with a dark stone top and industrial black hardware.

Next we turned the sharp slope into a feature wall by installing a whimsical, framed-dog portrait wallpaper (our client absolutely loved this touch of personality!). Instead of a traditional vanity light that fights the ceiling angle, we utilized a sleek, circular LED backlit mirror. It provides flawless lighting without taking up a single inch of wall space.

Adding greenery (even faux) offers touches of nature to your bathroom. This will help create a peacefulness and keep your design grounded.

2. The Custom Frameless Shower

A huge game-changer was the shower overhaul. We completely removed the dated metal tracking and installed a clean, black-framed clear glass enclosure.

Inside, we used classic bright white subway tile on the walls to bounce light around, but gave it a modern edge with a matte black showerhead and a graphic, dark-patterned floor tile.

Keeping your fixtures cohesive creates an elevated and modern feel to any space.

3. Graphic Flooring to Tie it Together

To make a small bathroom feel high-end, using strong focal points offers a designer touch and thoughtful approach, making your space feel intentional. To accomplish this, we not only added the bold wallpaper but we decided to pait it with a high contrast floor tile. This bold pattern helps pull together the black and white shower install and you need a strong focal point underfoot. We carried a bold, geometric starburst tile across the main floor. Because the vertical wainscoting breaks up the dark paint and the patterned tile, the busy floor feels intentional and high-end rather than overwhelming.

4. The Secret Weapon: A Custom Door & Shiplap walls

When you’re dealing with tight angles and a small footprint, every single inch matters—including the doorway. A standard door swing would have eaten up half of our client’s usable floor space or constantly banged into the fixtures. To solve the layout puzzle, we added a custom door that fits the space perfectly without sacrificing style or privacy.

Three Rules for Your Sloped-Ceiling Remodel

If you are currently planning your own small bathroom remodel with sloped ceiling, keep these three designer takeaways in mind:

1. Rethink Your Doors and Vanities: Shaving just a few inches off your vanity depth or swapping a standard door for a custom space-saving solution can completely transform the traffic flow of a tight bathroom.
2. Make the Angled Wall an Accent: Don’t paint it out and hope it disappears. Use wallpaper or a statement paint color to make the architecture look entirely intentional.
3. Invest in Clear Glass: If you have a small bathroom, frosted glass is your enemy. Clear glass instantly doubles the perceived size of the room by letting your eyes see all the way to the back wall.

Love this bathroom and want to find similar products? Shop the whole collection below.

Ready for Your Own Transformation?

To get started, schedule a design consultation so we can create a plan for your home. Click the link below to book an appointment.

Did you know? Project Management is Just as Important

At FunCycled, we can also project manage your design project. Whether you are renovating your bathroom, updating your kitchen, or adding on to a part of house, there are so many details that need to be considered and properly managed to assure your project goes according to plan and executed well! Communication and detail management are key to accomplishing this, and FunCycled can do this for you.

As project managers, we ensure your project stays on schedule. These are the details we will ensure: smooth communication with your contractor and any vendors required for your project, ensure proper layout and installation, coordinate details for deliveries, take care of ordering products to mitigate incorrect products, and provide oversight to the full scope of the project.

Final Thoughts

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture at the top of this page. 

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations. 

We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do. This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As always, I only recommend products I genuinely love and trust.

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ; )

Because home is where peace begins.

Hi Friends!

How was your weekend? A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by our side walk sale. We had many pieces go to their new forever home that day and the support means so much!

This makeover is one of the sets that sold at the store on Saturday, but I can’t let that stop me from sharing this transformation.

Here’s the furniture before:

We painted it Benjamin Moore’s color Blue Note, painted the hardware black, and sprayed it with a protective clear coat. 

If you want to see how we paint furniture, check out our How to Paint Furniture post. 

Ready for the afters?

This dresser set is sold, but head to our Shop Page to check see if it’s available! 

Thank you all for following along! If you’d like to get this blog in your email once a week, please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture. 

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like FunCycled on  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest if you don’t already. Keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We share fun tutorials, great before and after, and new design inspirations. 

We offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and repurposed furniture. Thank you, again, for working with us and for taking the time to spread the word about what we do. 

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

Hi Friends!

This past weekend, John and I celebrated our 18th anniversary. We decided to go back to our honeymoon spot for the first time in 18 years. The beautiful mountains of the Poconos! We stayed at the same inn and hiked the same mountains. It felt so good to unplug (because most places didn’t have cell service) and have no real plans, but also get to enjoy being spur of the moment.

One of the things that I forgot about when we were looking to book the trip was that the Poconos really aren’t that far away from upstate NY! We were there in less than 3 hours. Which flew by when we were chatting. Plus, I’m a car napper so OF COURSE I needed to get an hour nap in. 😂 John may disagree, but it felt like a really quick trip.

We stayed at The French Manor just outside of the Poconos. What I love about this spot is that it has beautiful views, the rooms are decorated really traditionally, but sophisticated, and the restaurant on the property is high end. Pricey? Yes. That, too! John doesn’t ever really ask for gifts; he just loves a good meal (You remember, he went to college for culinary arts, right?) and I love beautiful designs. So it was better than gifts for both of us! 💕

The weather was perfect and we arrived just before dinner.

The next morning, we went on a horse back ride that was about 35 minutes away. I LOVE horses so this made me really happy! I use to work at a horse farm when I was a little girl and my parents let me do riding lessons as birthday presents a couple of times. It was really fun!

After that we drove to Bushkill Falls to hike the 8 waterfalls on a little over a 2 mile hike. We hiked this spot during our honeymoon, too, and it was one of the highlights.

Look at all of this beauty that God created!

While we were there, we were able to snap a picture in the same spot that we took this picture on our honeymoon.

I was so excited to be in the same spot and snap a picture. Does that make me a hopeless romantic? I’m not sure! lol!

Then we enjoyed the salt pool a the manor and headed into their restaurant for a delicious dinner. This is the view from the outside dining area!

As we drove around the town, we were surprised that a lot of the stores and larger resorts have shut down or changed hands. They didn’t look as nice as we remembered. We still recommend this trip for a quick weekend away and here’s an itinerary we think you’d enjoy.

Stay somewhere with beautiful views like The French Manor on Friday and Saturday night.

Saturday, check out the local antique shops in the morning (many of them close on the early side and aren’t open on Sundays).

Go to Bushkill Falls or a couple other local hikes to unplug and enjoy nature!

Mosey home slowly through Rhinebeck, Hudson, and the Catskills. It’s low key, beautiful and there’s just something about being unplugged and surround yourself with calm for the weekend. Do you all have any favorite go to spots in the Poconos? Share a link to it in the comments if you do!

If you need any upstate NY design help, remember… I’m your girl! If you’d like me to help with the design in your home (can be done virtually to help anyone in the US), let me know.

Thanks for being the best funcycler’s around! 

Sarah Trop

Hi Friends!

How are you? I hope you’re doing well! We had a beautiful weekend! Took whole Saturday off and enjoyed kayaking and having dinner out! It was such a fun time!

I wanted to share a buffet makeover that we just finished and added to our shop online and in our store.

Here’s the buffet before:

We sanded and primed, then painted it with Benjamin Moore’s Advanced paint. Color: Kendal Charcoal. Then we lightly distressed it and sprayed it with a protective clear coat. The hardware is all new. I could not love this one more! If you want to see how we paint furniture, check out our How to Paint Furniture post.

This is available to purchase on our website, but you can check out new pieces on our For Sale page:

• 

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• 

  French Provincial Teal Buffet

Please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture. 

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

If you like what you see, please like FunCycled’s Facebook page to keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We also offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and furniture. We can deliver for customers in upstate NY and also help you ship throughout the US. Send us a note with what you would like using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our online shop.

Hi Friends!

Hope all of you had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend! We had a sweet day that started with this delicious breakfast. All my favorites… French toast and chocolate covered strawberries.

The flowers were from our flowering tree…. I think the kids did a great job setting up the table and John did an amazing job with the food! 💕

For this week’s makeover, I wanted to share the before and after of a china cabinet that we recently redid for our online store!

Here it is before:

We painted the cabinet with Benjamin Moore’s Simply White. Then we lightly distressed it, sprayed it with a protective clear coat, and added new hardware.  

If you want to see how we paint furniture, check out our How to Paint Furniture post.

This cabinet is available to purchase on our website or in our store now, but you can also check out even more new pieces on our For Sale page:

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  Long Blue Mid Century Dresser

Please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture. 

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

If you like what you see, please like FunCycled’s Facebook page to keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We also offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and furniture. We can deliver for customers in upstate NY and also help you ship throughout the US. Send us a note with what you would like using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our online shop.

Hi Friends!

How was your holidays? We had a wonderful Christmas… probably our favorite in a long time. We loved being in our Repurposed Ideas House with rooms big enough to host the whole family comfortably. I know I showed you some of our Christmas decorations last week, but I also wanted to quickly show you how we decorated the dining room/ family room for Christmas dinner.

For this week’s furniture makeover, this is a hutch that we redid as a custom order just in time for Christmas. Vanessa wanted us to give the hutch that was her mother’s a new look and new life. Here it was before:

When I sent her the after pictures… this was her reply, “Oh. My. Goodness. I LOVE it!! Brought tears to my eyes. The piece was my mother’s and you have brought it back to life and she would’ve adored it :)” That made my day!!

We painted it Benjamin Moore’s Mozart Blue, lightly glazed it, sprayed the hardware oil rubbed bronze, and sprayed it with a protective clear coat.

If you want to see how we paint furniture, check out our How to Paint Furniture post. 
Ready for the transformation???

This piece was a custom order, but you can check out even more new pieces on our For Sale page.

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  Red Hutch

Please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture. 

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

If you like what you see, please like FunCycled’s Facebook page to keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We also offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and furniture. We can deliver for customers in upstate NY and also help you ship throughout the US. Send us a note with what you would like using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our online shop.

Our idea of Christmas, whether vintage traditions or mid-century modern designs, is very simple; loving others because Christ loves us. A tiny, sinless baby born in a humble manger would live a perfect life and die a horrible death in our place. Radical love was his anthem.

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”  1 John 4:9 

So, as you enter into the holiday season – whether happy, joyful, lonely, or anxious – please remember God loves you; live through Him. Take time to receive the love He’s gifted your heart, share it with those who seem unlovable, and make time for those who are easy to forget because you know they’ll always be there.

We are so very thankful for each and every one of you! For the impact you’ve had on our lives, and the love we’ve shared already. -The Trop’s

Also, as a little bit of a Christmas surprise, I wanted to share some of the Christmas decorations in our house this year!

Sadie decided the living room is the best spot for a nap, too!

I didn’t get a chance to get good pictures of the living room, but I did want to share some pictures of our Holiday open house where we opened up the dining room for vendors and DIY make and takes.

A huge thank you to all of you who support us all year long! We couldn’t do this without you telling your friends about our products, without you choosing quality over quick and custom over convenience sometimes. We love working with you and love repurposing and reusing to help make our world a greener place.

Merry Christmas to all! From our little family of four to yours!

Please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture. 

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

If you like what you see, please like FunCycled’s Facebook page to keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We also offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and furniture. We can deliver for customers in upstate NY and also help you ship throughout the US. Send us a note with what you would like using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our online shop.

Hi Friends!

How was your week? It’s hot here in upstate NY so we switched from some outside projects around the house to focus on some inside projects. John worked tirelessly when he wasn’t working at FunCycled, to refinish our kitchen floor. The rest of the house went pretty easily, but the kitchen floor kept clogging up the sanders and not wanting to work it us. So, it ended up becoming a lot longer job than we anticipated.

Since we’ve had some friends stop by to see our living room makeover, some of them have asked if we built the barn door that goes into our bathroom. I was so surprised by that because I wrongly assumed that by now most people know that we build custom barn doors. Looking back, I haven’t talked about it on the blog or on our website much so I thought I’d share some of the doors that we’ve built. I don’t have pictures of them all, but this will give you an idea of some of the styles.

Black X barn door with brass slider and door pull.

White bottom X with black oversized barn door slider | Dark Walnut stained pine barn door with 1/2 X door style

Aged Barnboard barn door with straight boards and flat black slider.

Barnboard double door | One stationary and one sliding (can also be done as a double slider)

Industrial barn door with frosted glass on top and corrugated tin on the bottom.

For any of these styles, please email us the size that you would like to sarah@funcycled.com and we can send you over an estimate for the job. If you’d like a different style, just send a picture of the style that you would like instead.

Plus, FunCycled also offers Custom Built Tables for your home. Choose the size and style that is right for you! Check out some of our projects and find the link for more information below.

Please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture. 

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

If you like what you see, please like FunCycled’s Facebook page to keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We also offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and furniture. We can deliver for customers in upstate NY and also help you ship throughout the US. Send us a note with what you would like using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our online shop.

Hi Friends!

How was your long weekend? Here in upstate New York, it was sunny and stunning! We spent almost all of Saturday trying to finish up the living room and start working on the kitchen in our repurposed idea house. Sadly, we didn’t get to finish the living room, but hopefully one more day will do the trick! Little details can take longer than you’d expect! :) We did get to have a group of friends over on Sunday for a bonfire which was really fun!

For this week’s makeover, I wanted to show you a beautiful buffet that we added a pop of color to! Here it is before:

We painted the outside with the line of paint that we cary in our store – Recolor Chroma Color Paint in mustard, glazed it, and sprayed it with a protective clear coat. If you want to see how we paint furniture, check out our How to Paint Furniture post. 
Ready for the after???

This buffet is available to purchase! You can check out even more new pieces on our For Sale page.

Please sign up for our weekly newsletter by adding your email in the little box below my picture. 

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

If you like what you see, please like FunCycled’s Facebook page to keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. We also offer interior design, kitchen cabinet painting, and custom built tables, barn doors, and furniture. We can deliver for customers in upstate NY and also help you ship throughout the US. Send us a note with what you would like using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our online shop.

Hi Friends!

How’s your week going? I hope you’re enjoying all the holiday festivities!

This weekend, my girl had her first ever figure skating performance and did such a great job. She loved every minute and I loved every minute, too. The smile that never left her face was priceless. Oh my heart, my heart! 💕

Today I wanted to show you a quick bathroom makeover we did for one of our interior design clients. 

Here’s the bathroom before: 

Our client’s didn’t want to have to remove the vanity but we wanted to give the space a fresh, new look. We painted the vanity Brewster Gray by Benjamin Moore. Then John built a custom mirror for above the vanity and they installed a new light. 

There will be more before and afters to share from this beautiful home soon! For now, if you have a home you’d like transformed, please let us know! 

You can use our Contact Us form to reach out to us or check out other projects on our Interior Design page or Furniture For Sale page. 

Also, check out our store for new furniture available this week:

There is a box at the top right of this page to enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Please sign up today!

Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)

If you like what you see, please like FunCycled’s Facebook page to keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity. Last but not least, let us customize a furniture piece for you. We create custom furniture and will deliver for customers in upstate NY and also ship throughout the US. Send us a note with what you would like using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our furniture for sale page.