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    Home » Lifestyle » Boys Bathroom Remodel

    Boys Bathroom Remodel

    Published: Dec 16, 2020 by Andrea Howe · This post may contain affiliate links.

    8.0K shares
    Budget and Kid friendly bathroom remodel pinterst image

    The boys bathroom remodel we did on a budget is both modern and bright. Custom cabinetry elevates simple warehouse tile set in a unique pattern. Affordable black matte plumbing fixtures stand up to wear, while accents of gold are brought in with vintage inspired pendant lighting.

    A black bathroom vanity with a white coutertop and black fixtures

    During our remodel a couple of years ago, the boys bathroom was the only room that we didn’t touch; it didn’t even get a fresh coat of paint. We figured with a 3 and 9 year old inhabiting it, there really was no reason to include it in the construction budget, and I’m glad we waited.

    When a leak in the laundry room finally forced our hand a bit earlier than planned though, we enlisted the help of my friend Kendall once again. She did such a great job helping me with my office, I knew I could trust her to help us create a bright but boyish bathroom on a budget.

    Bathroom mirrors with a white vanity counter top and black fixtures

    Boys Bathroom Ideas to Save Money

    We were on a budget, but we of course wanted the room to look as great as possible. Because the bathroom was being shared by 2 young boys, we also felt comfortable scrimping in several areas. Bit of course we wanted the room to look great and be able to stand up to wear and tear. So we did splurge in a couple of areas.

    white and black tiled bathroom wall with a black mirrors and a black vanity with a white counter

    Where we saved and where we splurged:

    • Custom cabinetry – we hired a gentleman that did custom cabinetry as a side job, which saved us quite a bit but produced beautiful work.
    • Used very affordable subway tile for the backsplash and shower, but set it in an interesting pattern to elevate it.
    • We used a remnant countertop piece that the finisher had in his warehouse, saving a ton of money by not having to purchase a slab.
    • We used affordable in-stock flooring tile from Home Depot.
    • Affordable lighting and plumbing fixtures were all found on Amazon.
    • Accessories were primarily sourced from Home Goods.
    • We served as the General Contractors.

    toilet with an aloe plant and wall art

    When people hear custom cabinetry, they always assume big bucks, but if you’re patient and search around, you can usually find someone who does decent quality work for a reasonable price. As I said above, the guy who built the vanity in here is a full time police officer who does this on the side for fun and extra money. His prices were great and the quality was wonderful, we just had to be patient.

    bathroom wall art

    Being flexible on the countertop helped us save some money too. Instead of buying a whole slab that half would go to waste, we used a remnant piece the finisher had in his shop. I just told him I wanted something white and he sent me a couple of pics of what he had and that was it. I didn’t even see it in person before the day he installed it, but as you can see it worked out perfectly. He was happy to make use of it and gave us a very good price to finish and install it.

    white tiled wall, a towel hanging and a cup and toothbrush holder

    Several accessories were brought in from Home Goods for styling purposes. I spent a couple of hours searching Amazon to find all the finishing touches like towel bars and lighting fixtures. I’ve learned a lot about making design choices over the past couple of years, and for the first time choosing all this stuff was actually really fun.

    white bathroom vanity counter top with black fixtures and a white vase with a green plant

    Kendall came up with the backsplash tile design which I love, and after the grout fiasco in Taylor’s bathroom, I knew I wanted to go as dark as possible for a boys bathroom. I love the way it makes the white subway tile pop and how uniform it makes the black floor look.

    black vanity and black mirror showing the window reflection I love the darkness of the cabinet and the flooring against the bright white walls and tile, and overall the room feels bright yet moody, without feeling dark or sterile. The darker floors and cabinets do show dust and water marks quite easily, so I do regular wipe downs in there every other day, but nothing too difficult that I’d choose a different color next time. shower with a glass door and white tile and a black tile floor

    Tips for a smooth remodel process

    • Create a Pinterest board to gather and organize inspiration.
    • Be patient in planning and execution; expect the project to take longer than anticipated.
    • Be flexible with sourcing items. Don’t feel like you need to do a one stop shop to get every item from one place.
    • If you are going to be the general contractor, research the steps of the process ahead of time, as to avoid mistakes. For instance, one mistake we made was to order the custom shower door with the measurements of the old tile. The door should have been ordered after the new tile was installed to ensure a correct fit. Luckily, they were able to salvage it.

    beauty counter shampoo and body soap in a white tiled shower

    Remodel Regrets

    With every home project, there are always a couple of small (or big) regrets that one has. There were really only 2 I had with this project:

    • The light fixtures were really difficult to install. I love the look of them, as well as the price, but I wish I would’ve paid attention to the warnings in the reviews. Next time I would be a bit more patient and search around more.
    • The knobs from Anthropologie are terrible and I would never buy knobs from there again. As you can see in the picture below, they have a heck of a time staying on tight and always look crooked unless we tighten them up every day. We also struggled with installation since they come on a long bolt that needs to be shaved.

    black bathroom vanity with a white counter top and black fixtures, black mirrors and a white tiled wall

    boys bathroom product sources

    Custom Products:

    • Bathroom cabinet: custom built paint color is Midnight Spruce by Dunn Edwards
    • Mirrors: Custom by RadWeld Customs
    • Shower Door: Custom by Long Beach Glass
    • Countertop: Quartz remnant piece our contractor had in his shop

    Building Materials:

    • Subway, Penny & Hexagon Floor Tile: Home Depot
    • Sinks: Kohler Caxton via Home Depot
    • Faucets: Time Arrow via Amazon
    • Lighting: Permo Wall Sconce & Permo Minimalist Single Sconce via Amazon
    • Shower Trim Kit: Delta via Amazon

    white counter top with black fixtures and black mirrors on a white tiled wall

    Accessories:

    • Cabinet Hardware: Bone door pulls Anthropologie, Bronze Drawer Pulls CB2
    • Towel Bars: Robe Hooks, Long Towel Bar & Hand Towel Ring via Amazon
    • Toilet Paper Holder: Amazon
    • Hand Towels: CB2
    • Rug: CB2
    • Soap Dispensers: CB2
    • Plant Container: CB2
    • Trash Can: Amazon
    • LED Edison Lightbulbs: Amazon

    Antique brass light fixture with globe glass and an Edison bulb on a white tiled wallThe boys bathroom is now my favorite room in the house I think, and I love that with a little creativity and patience, we were able to get it done well within our budget.

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    About Andrea Howe

    Andrea Howe is the recipe developer and photographer of Howe We Live. She is also a seasoned home cook of over 20 years, for her family of 5. Andrea has spent over 10 years in the food industry, writing for various publications including Babble and Disney. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Taste of Home, Yahoo, Buzzfeed and ABC News.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. San says

      February 05, 2022 at 9:41 pm

      Do you mind linking the exact hexagon floor tile? Thanks!

      Reply
    2. Stephanie says

      June 23, 2020 at 6:48 pm

      Great remodel! I’m trying a similar color theme for our bathroom now. I might have missed it if you mentioned it, but what paint color is on the walls? I like that it is super light and fresh.

      Reply

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