When we first met our clients, Heather and Brian, we knew it would be such a wonderful experience working with them! They were truly excited about having a fresh take on their bathroom and really willing to trust the process of design.

In reviewing their bathroom with them, we noted some key elements that needed change: 1) it was outdated; 2) the shower was way too small; 3) there was a lack of storage; and 4) the bathroom had absolutely no personality. After discussing some of the hopes and needs, we went to work on planning a stunning at-home spa experience for these well-deserving clients!

Given the details our clients shared with us, we leaned into a modern farmhouse aesthetic for the bathroom. Here’s the design board we created to envision a new retreat for our clients. The design feels grounded, clean, and just a little bit indulgent.

YOU CAN SHOP THIS DESIGN BOARD HERE

The Bold Move: Swapping the Tub for a Luxury Walk-In

The centerpiece of this renovation is the massive walk-in shower. We said goodbye to the barely used tub area and cramped shower and hello to a custom tiled sanctuary.

Here is the before of a cramped shower and not so very big tub. Both really not accommodating for this family.

And here is the transformation. Oversized shower with simple but thoughtfully designed storage cabinet.

• The Setup: We installed two overhead showerheads (because why fight for the warm water?) and a built-in bench seat for that true spa experience.

• The Vibe: The entire space is encased in a black paned shower enclosure. It provides that “industrial edge” that keeps the farmhouse look from feeling too “country.”

• The Execution: To really embody the luxury feel for this bathroom, we paired deep gray tiles with dark grout with the black shower fixtures – all within the stunning paned shower enclosure. Together, these really create an elevated and luxury feel.

Storage That Doesn’t Look Like… Storage

One of the biggest pain points in any bathroom is clutter. We solved this with two strategic moves:

1. The Arched Cabinet: Tucked right next to the shower, this adds architectural interest while housing fresh towels and a few “just for looks” decor pieces.

2. The Hidden Gems: We swapped standard mirrors for round medicine cabinet mirrors. You get the sleek, circular look that breaks up the sharp lines of the tile, plus a secret spot for your toothpaste and skincare.

Warmth Meets Industrial: The Vanity & Tile

To keep the black accents and deep grays from feeling too cold, we brought in a rustic wood double vanity. The soft brown tones provide that “organic” feel that is essential to a modern farmhouse.

We also took the tile work up a notch, literally. We tiled the floor in a grounding gray with clean lines and then ran white subway tile halfway up the walls on three sides of the bathroom. It’s a classic design trick that protects your walls and makes the room feel significantly more expensive than it actually was.

When working with a palette of black, warm white, and deep gray, texture is your best friend. The wood grain in the vanity is what makes this room feel like a home rather than a hotel.

pro tip from the funcycled design team

Shop the Look

Love the pieces we used? You can source the exact items (or our favorite alternatives) for your own home below:

Ready for Your Own Transformation?

Whether you are staring at a 1990s honey-oak vanity or a tub you haven’t used since 2012, we’re here to help. Our team doesn’t just dream up the design, we work with you to help bring the vision to life!

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. That is exactly what FunCycled did for this project, and can do for your project as well.

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!

If you missed it, last week we announced that we purchased a building where we’ll be moving our FunCycled storefront at the end of the summer or early fall. We’re also planning to make the two bedroom apartment above the commercial storefront an airbnb so you and your friends can enjoy our sweet city in a comfy, urban, designer space. We asked our FunCycled fans to help us pick a hashtag to follow along as we redo it, and for people to tag us when they stay in the airbnb. Our favorite was #funcycledstays so be sure to follow that hashtag to keep updated on everything. Thanks for all your input!

This weekend we started painting the trim and living room area. Harmony and Josh have decided that their favorite way to help is with painting… it must be in their blood. 😉 So they were my painting buddies for the day and did a wonderful job.

Just before we closed on the new building, we pushed really hard to finish up one of the bathrooms in our Repurposed Idea House. We’ve been working on this bathroom since January and it’s been tedious; what feels like a forever job! We were thankful to have time to work on this project as a family during COVID though. If we didn’t have that time, it may have taken us all year. lol

Here are the photos before… we moved some things around so be sure to check out where this sink and toilet (peaking out just past the tub) are; those two things stayed in the same exact spot. The door and the bathtub moved.

This is while we were gutting everything:

We may get quite a few questions about the sink so I wanted to give you the details on that. We bought it at the Habitat for Humanity Restore and got it for a great price. Here’s where you could buy one new: Kohler Double Bathroom Sink. The only thing we didn’t know when we bought it was that the faucets for this are really expensive and the install is tricky. I could only find two different style faucets and both were in a silver finish. I wanted black or gold and we even went to a local company who can order all different plumbing parts and they couldn’t find a different style. So I went with these Kohler Faucets and then painted them. We’ve painted faucets in the past and they’ve held up really well so we decided to risk it. I was nervous about that because they were so expensive, but my whole theme for the space had no chrome in it at all. We used a metal primer and then a metal spray paint in a matte black. It seems to be holding up well so far. With the cost of the faucets and the time it took to install, I’d probably pass on this sink if I had a choice again, BUT the finished product is really swoon worthy and it works out well because just below that sink is a radiator that we didn’t want to cover up.

I wanted white and black contrast in this space, but I also wanted to bring in bright pops of colors. I did that with an old china cabinet that I painted a grassy green.

We went with large subway tile in the shower to mix it up from the traditional subway tile size. Then we installed a beautiful rain shower spigot. We bought our Kohler tub from the Habitat From Humanity Restore (trying to reuse as much as we can instead of buying new). Another thing that I learned was that you can buy recessed lighting with a fan in it for bathrooms. I didn’t want one of the lights that have fans because I have another light right near it and so many of them are ugly. You can see the one we bought here: Recessed Fan and Light Combo

One tricky thing about decorating this room was that no stores were open. So I really had to be creative; pulling things from all around my house and the FunCycled store of course. My nephew Caleb came by and did the decorating part with me. We had such a blast! I plan to add some plants as well in this room.

After we pulled up the linoleum, we found huge hardwood flooring underneath. It had some damage, but we repaired it and we don’t mind an imperfect floor. It adds to the charm of this old house built in 1805. Some people have said we may not end up liking that. We filled all the seams between the wood with calk and then painted the floor with black floor paint and sealed with with a protective clear coat. We decided if we don’t like it in time, it’s an easy change out. So far so good though. In the winter, I’ll probably add a larger rug to make it warmer as well. Just haven’t done that yet!

One thing that is unique to this space, we took out the closet that was straight ahead in the before picture and installed an antique cabinet in the wall to act as the linen closet. This is one of my favorite parts.

I also love that we shiplapped part of the ceiling and then painted the other part black. The black ceiling made everything pop!

Wall color: Simply White by Benjamin Moore
Ceiling Color: Black by Benjamin Moore

Here are the afters for you!!

We would love to help you with your next interior design project through a virtual design consult or in person once the restrictions are lifted! Check out our Interior Design page for more information. You can also check out new pieces on our For Sale page:

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  Kitchen Cabinet Painting

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.