I am thrilled to be joining in on all of the fun of the One Room Challenge as a guest participant this fall. The ORC is something I have followed forever but the timing was never right for me to sign up to participate. You may have seen my post a few days ago about our tired guest bathroom and I’m excited to transform this outdated space over the next 6 weeks for the One Room Challenge. Of course, it will all be done on a budget. ;)
See my Week 1 post here.
PROGRESS
One week down, five to go! We haven't made much of a dent in our list of projects for the One Room Challenge, but the worst is behind us. We've demoed the vanity top and faucet, as well as the light fixture and bath accessories. I've made a slight change from my original design - we're no longer going to install a vessel sink. As much as I love the look of it (carrara - drool), I don't think that marble top is super practical for a kids' bathroom. Plus I'm concerned that the more high-end look of the real stone will look odd next to vinyl floors and a plastic tub surround. I found a cultured marble top that I think is a much more appropriate choice but still has more contemporary lines than our original 90s version. This swap saved us about $100 on the budget too, which is great.
Brian had the fun task of removing the popcorn ceiling, then mudding and sanding the drywall smooth. If you've wanted to tackle popcorn ceiling removal in your own home, it's definitely a do-able - albeit messy - job. I’ve highlighted the process below if you’re interested. (Check out my Instagram stories for a full tutorial.) Everyone's method is different, but this is what has worked well for us. We've now removed the popcorn texture from all but one room in our house! Phew!
REMOVING POPCORN CEILINGS
I bought a new toilet - the one in there is 20+ years old and doesn't have much life left. Might as well install one now while we're re-doing the floors. The new faucet and hardware are on order and I'm super excited for those to come in. For this coming week, our homework is to paint the ceiling, prime the vanity, paint the walls, and install shiplap if we have time. While painting isn't my favorite thing in the world, I'm ancy to replace the aqua blue wall color with something a little more soothing and neutral.
TO DO LIST
Scraping the popcorn ceilings - DONE
Painting the ceiling
Painting the walls
Painting the vanity
Adding hardware
Replacing the counter with a marble top and vessel sink
Adding a new faucet
Adding shiplap behind the mirror
Replacing the mirror
Replacing the floor
Adding a new light fixture
Replacing the toilet
Adding new bathroom hardware
Hanging a shower curtain
THE BUDGET
I think with the countertop change, we'll come in well under my $650 budget. My new goal is $500. Here's what we've spent so far:
$43 - Flooring
$117 - Countertop
$117 - Toilet
$96 - Lighting
$3.50 - Hardware
$32 - Faucet
$14 - Drain
Be sure to follow along the ORC and see with the Featured Designers and Guest Participants are working on!
P.S. If you’re new here, hi! My husband and I have been DIY renovating since 2011 and recently started dabbling in flipping houses. We’re currently working on sprucing up our new-to-us 90s builder grade house in my hometown of Raleigh, NC. My hope is that this blog encourages you to make wherever you live feel like home - no matter how small the budget. Whether you rent, just bought a fixer upper, or are looking to spruce up your existing place, I hope our DIY projects and budget-friendly ideas help inspire you to create a home you love.