Budget Bathroom Makeover with a Wow factor

I hope all of your are staying safe at home and finding productive and positive ways to spend your days during this very difficult and scary time.  For my family, that means spending some of our time getting those projects done that we haven’t had time for between the usual day to day chaos.

I’m really excited about this particular project, because I think it’s something that alot of people can do from a skills perspective, doesn’t require many tools and  it’s quite affordable.  Our master bathroom was dated and boring, built 16+ years ago, it was badly in need of some modern charm and character.

You can see here the original garden tub, which works fine but is pretty plain and dated.  I considered replacing it, then building and tiling the enclosure but when we added up the expense, even to do it ourselves was around $1,500.  So we decided to keep the old tub and try to improve the overall look.  I had come across vinyl tiles at Lowe’s and had purchased a couple to experiment with and then started doing some research on application.  Turns out, you can grout between these tiles for a realistic tile-like look.  I could have used regular tiles but the wall plate above the tub would have gotten pretty thick and actual(porcelain or ceramic) tiles would have been too thick on the side of the tub and stuck out from the very top.

Step 1

Take a few minutes to plan out your design and where you will want to start.  There’s a removable plate on the left side that I had to remove and tile separatley but wanted to match up when re-atthached.  Which is why I started on the opposite end (right side).  I also wanted the most visible corner to have the fewest cuts.  These tiles are cut using a straight edge and razor blade.

These tiles come with adhesive on the back side, but that adhesive is only good if you are doing a floor and have the help of gravity.  I chose to caulk the back of each but you could use any waterproof adhesive.  Remember to leave enough space between each tile for the grout.

Step 2

I shopped around for a curved tile (porcelain) edge that would hide the ugly white wall plate edge.  Installing with regular tile adhesive and then used the same grout as the vinyl tile.

Step 3

I purchased the premixed grout that was recommended for the tiles.  It was the same method as grouting regular tiles, cover all the spaces and then wipe off the excess with a large wet sponge.

Then I grouted the edging tiles.  Remember to add some painters tape to protect the wall where you will be grouting to avoid having to touch up paint.  If you need specific grouting instruction, see my slate patio tutorial, it’s the same basic process…use spacers, apply grout, then wipe off excess grout with a wet spounge.

Wait 24 hours for the grout to dry and then caulk the edges.  I like to take a little extra time and tape both edges for the caulking.

In addition to the tile work along the tub, I painted the end walls and cabinets a deep navy to really highlight my garden wall that goes with my garden tub.

All done – This is my new happy place!  Keep an eye out for my next two blogs, which will be the bathroom vanity wall and then shower update.