How’s that for a Monday morning title?
This is something I’ve mulled over many times in the years I’ve been blogging. Never before in the history of ever have we had so much home decor inspiration at our fingertips, have we? It’s everywhere!
We see it on TV, from HGTV flip shows to renovation stories, to blogs that show one after another beautiful home renovation projects. I’ve done plenty myself and still love a good Before and After. But it can become quite daunting to figure out how much renovating to do and how much money to spend on a house to get it the way we want it.
I think HGTV shows and blogs too have definitely spoiled us on home renovations. We want new and improved all the time, don’t we? I’m just as guilty so I know how it is. We aren’t satisfied with builder’s grade anymore. We see those hour long renovations on HGTV and it looks so easy and simple to get a beautiful space. We all know it’s not that easy either. It takes time and sometimes lots of cash to get a house looking beautiful.
I don’t see anything wrong with improving, but I have to stay within a budget, as I’m sure you all do too. We are mulling over our master bathroom and what to do with it. It’s not going to happen really fast but it’s something we are thinking about. We don’t have unlimited funds for a renovation like this will be. I’ve seen bloggers who spent $50K on a bathroom renovation. That will not be happening at our house, I can assure you!
Mark and I have worked diligently here at our newish house, making over one space at a time. We’ve done plenty of DIY projects ourselves, and have hired out plenty too. We know our limitations and how much to take on. But hiring things out can be expensive too.
Where do we draw the line in home renovations? That’s something I have to ask myself all the time too. Kitchens and bathrooms are the top spaces that people look at for renovating to add value to a home. It definitely works, so that’s one reason why we are willing to put money into this house. It’s for our enjoyment first and then it does add value to our home down the road.
So today, I’ll show you the whole bathroom to see what we are working with. Here it is in all its glory. It’s a sea of beige. There’s nothing wrong with our master bathroom. Many people would love to have this bathroom. It’s big and spacious. But do you think we love it? No, we don’t love it, we’re really glad to have it, but it doesn’t reflect our style. Growing up, we always had small bathrooms. And I’ve only had one other large bathroom myself. The larger the bathroom the harder it is to keep clean, right?
This bathroom serves its purpose and works well for us, but we do want to renovate it and make it nicer and better. But, as with any renovation we’ll have to figure out up front what our budget will be and how to stick with it. Our house is 14 years old now and this bathroom was done in 2005. It could definitely use sprucing up!
I’m fortunate to do what I do as a blogger and get to work with brands along the way. I’m sure I’ll be reaching out and working with some brands and sponsors on this bathroom, but we will still be paying a contractor to do most of the work. We don’t want to tackle tile work like this again, so we’ll hire it out, at least most of it. First, we have to come up with a design plan, order all the parts and materials, and then get a contractor’s estimate and decide how much we can spend.
Do we tear out everything and start over? That’s to be determined still, but I’d say we will probably keep some of this, like the vanity maybe.
Our tile in the bathroom is in perfect condition. It’s a little boring, but not horrible. But if we start tearing out tubs and vanities, then it will probably be necessary to tear out the floor tile too. I really want the bathroom to be prettier as well as functional and suit our needs. I don’t want to have to worry about matching the current tile with what we decide to do in here. I do think about resale too, down the road. We want to do a classic bathroom that will stand the test of time.
We currently have a huge jetted tub that we hardly ever use. I’ve just never been a bathtub girl all that much, but they are great for a good soak and bubble bath occasionally. I just don’t use it all that much and neither does Mark. But, I don’t think we want to take out the tub completely. There’s a huge picture window over the tub so we really can’t put the shower there very easily.
If we take out this giant tub, it would allow us to add a little bit of space to the shower and it could move over to the edge of the window above about a foot or so, making the shower bigger. That would be nice for sure, we would love a bigger shower.
You can see the bathtub is wrapped in this faux marble material and this is the same material inside the shower. It’s definitely not high-end fixtures, but very builder’s basic as was the rest of the house. We have good bones in this house, it just needs things kicked up a notch to make it better. So that’s what we are doing with every renovation we do.
The shower is just a basic square and it would be nice to make it slightly bigger and of course get a better glass enclosure for it. The faux marble material inside is definitely less than desirable.
The water closet is very small and you can see we don’t even have a toilet paper holder on the wall. For some reason, the former owners either took it down or didn’t have one either. There’s a mark on the wall so it looks like one used to be there. We haven’t bothered to put one up since we haven’t touched this space yet. But we’ll get one eventually. I know, that’s pretty funny to not even have a toilet paper holder!
So, here we are thinking about doing a master bath renovation, but it’s not high on the list yet. It might be next year’s big renovation, we will see. We have one other guest bath to redo too, but that bath will be done on more of a budget and we’ll keep most everything that’s there and just paint it, decorate it and make it overall better. We can definitely do that bathroom on a much smaller budget by keeping everything and adding to it.
But when it comes to a master bathroom, that’s a different story. If I have my first choice, it would probably include taking out the old floor tile, ripping out the shower and probably the jetted tub. Mark wants to get a free standing tub of some sort and that is definitely the trend now. Like I said, we want to make sure this space is done in a classic manner and stands the test of time.
I’m not quite sure what that means now though. What is classic and timeless? I see a lot of marble bathrooms right now, there are dozens of gorgeous bathrooms to be inspired by, aren’t there? So many gorgeous bathrooms out there, how do you choose the right fixtures and features when you’re renovating and tearing out the old?
It’s definitely something I’ll be pondering over for a long time before we actually do it. It’s a big project to take on something like this!
There are so many bathrooms out there that I love. One of them is Kim’s from Savvy Southern Style. She renovated her master bathroom a couple of years ago and I love it. I think it’s very timeless and classic and she made great choices in there. She did a post about her sources in the bathroom and mentioned that her husband had hoped to keep the budget at $14K, but they spent a “good bit” more than that. It helps to know what other people spent, so that’s why I freely share here how much we spend on most of our projects. I like knowing that when I see a big project like this.
I know this won’t be a cheap project at all, so we have to choose wisely and figure it all out up front. I’ll be finding a good contractor to handle it all and hope for the best. I’m not even sure how much our budget will be until we get there, but $14K sounds like a lot to me and more than we might be able to spend.
(photo: Sarah Dorio)
This gorgeous marble bathroom from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles is stunning and such a classic statement bath.
I love this look, even though I doubt we’ll go with real marble in our bathroom. I don’t want the maintenance that I think marble would bring, especially in the shower. I want lower maintenance materials in there so a faux marble might be a possibility. We will be looking at all our options and making some good choices for us.
Via Domino
This is a beautiful black and white bathroom and I love this mix, but I’m definitely not going with trendy black and white statement tile like this. I think that’s a sure way to grow tired of something when it makes such a bold statement like these tiles do. They’ve been around for at least 5 years and still going strong, but this won’t be a look we go for. They used subway tile but in a more modern pattern. Black and white is always fresh and classic and I would be tempted to do black and white again, but just not sure in this bathroom.
via Craftsmanship Revival Instagram
Another example of the trendy black and white tile. It’s beautiful, but not the look we are going for.
These are 3 distinctly different bathrooms, all beautiful and all classic for the most part. So how do we choose what to go with since there is so much out there?
Definitely sticking with more classic, which may be the safe route, but it’s what will fit us best. So what do you think? Are we all renovating too much because of the influences of HGTV and blogs? We didn’t do home improvement projects growing up all the time, did we? We just lived in our houses the way they were.
We are inundated with so much inspiration these days, it’s so easy to want newer and better. Like I said, I’m guilty too! We all fall for the new and shiny. But we all have to live within our budgets and that’s what we’ll be doing in this bathroom too.
We have not even figured out any of the materials yet, so that will be months in the making, I’m sure. Of course, when we get to this one, I’ll be sharing it all. How do you feel about renovating your houses? Do you feel inundated by all the inspiration we all see constantly? It’s hard not to feel envious at times when we see the beautiful After pictures on Pinterest and Instagram. But we all live in the real world too and have budgets to deal with.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject!
Check out these renovations to for more bathroom inspirations!
My sister and brother-in-law did a DIY master bathroom renovation a few years ago and it’s still beautiful!
Here’s the guest bath renovation Mark and I did last year that we love as well. The master bathroom will be much bigger & more costly so we want to do it right!
And here’s the tiny master bathroom renovation I did in my previous house. Well worth it to update this space and it will definitely help sell the house when the time comes!
Finally, here’s the master bath renovation we did the following year that was featured in this post. Stop by and see the finale! We love it!
Betty says
I am sure you will come up with a plan that is not only beautiful but is also budget friendly. I often wonder how people afford one costly renovation after the other. It sometimes can become an addiction of sorts because once we finish one room we have to move on to another to get a high. It almost becomes an obsession. The older I get the more I realize how important it is to put back money for a rainy day. When I worked they always told us you pay yourself first , meaning you put back for your retirement and then if you have money left over then you can have that beautiful room or a new piece of furniture. I think we are sacrificing our future to live for today. This was a great post Rhoda for reminding all of us how important a budget is in this whole process.
Rhoda says
Thank you, Betty, I’m glad you enjoyed! We are a culture obsessed with renovations that is for sure. And I love them myself. We love making improvements, but only pay cash (along with some sponsored things) and make sure we can afford to do something before we jump in. And yes to funding retirements too, I make sure that happens as well.
Lezlie Renee' Pipes says
I like the Savvy Southern Style one. The one with the chair next to the tub.
Have already sourced a shower/tub enclosure company? That is next on my To Dos for an update at our house.
Kathleen says
I love the master bath Jenna Sue just put in her new house http://blog.jennasuedesign.com/2019/05/master-bath-reveal-heights-house/
I love all the trim work she added to the walls. I’m sure Mark could do something similar and give the room a high end look. He does such amazing trim work and it adds so much to your home. Jenna Sue doesn’t have a tub in her bath but I’m sure one like Kim’s would look beautiful in yours. I would love to remodel my master bath but it’s not in the budget so I look forward to seeing yours!
Rhoda says
Hi, Kathleen, thanks for sharing Jenna Sue’s bathroom. I had missed her reveal on that one, she always does a gorgeous job on her renovations! I’ll definitely be pulling ideas from all over for ours and we will definitely be adding more molding details in there I’m sure.
Margaret says
We added a dining room and screened porch and enlarged the deck. The money came from my mother”s estate and she wanted us to add the dining room so we did. We have enjoyed it a lot. Most of our DIY things have been with fabrics and not the big things. the cost of even a bath mat has to be figured in. My main suggestion for when you do get it done, is to make sure plastic covers the openings. Getting that dust out of everything else in the house takes months!!! I am looking forward to seeing what you do since you always do a good and pretty job.
Rhoda says
Hi, Margaret, thanks for chiming in! Your improvements sound very nice. I think our homes are meant to be enjoyed and making them beautiful and useful is part of that. WE will definitely keep that bathroom closed off from the rest of the house. It will be a big job!
Lynn says
Thanks for your headline. I have felt exactly that. That all these shows and inspiration are flipping the scale to expectations. I find it extremely difficult to keep up, what kind of budget do these people have, and what do these people do to have that kind of budget and the time. I find it extremely difficult to stay upbeat about our house. What’s wrong with pop corn ceilings. Yes, we have them their not so bad, I don’t have the time or the money to fix them, those trends bother me. We need to replace carpet in our home, and that is something we need to budget and haven’t gotten there yet.
Rhoda says
Hi, Lynn, I hear you loud and clear! Even as a blogger, I feel the pressure too. Mark and I want to renovate and update our house for us first and foremost. It’s nice I can share and blog about it too, but really it’s for us to enjoy and for resale down the road. We try to keep all that in mind as we do improvements around here. We don’t have unlimited budgets either!
Regina says
I think you really hit on something about the influence of DIY and flip tv shows. Also blog land, which I love! We are just finishing up a master bath remodel ( no diy except styling). I took a full year while waiting to have the extra cash to design and plan. It seemed forever because we have lived in it for 8 years and it was last remodeled 33 years ago. I’m so happy with all the materials I chose. I feel I did go a classic style and hopefully it will stand the test of time. It’s very stressful but well worth the wait. Keep us posted on your decisions and the plans. I really enjoy your blog.
Rhoda says
HI, Regina, I know we are all influenced by TV and what we see on blogs. There are so many great remodels out there, it’s really hard to come up with a WOW factor that will suit us and still be classic and timeless.
Shirley @Housepitality Designs says
In designing our bathrooms at the Hickory Cottage, definitely going with the maintenance free faux marble tile…shopping now for a reasonably priced free standing tub. Rather than a linen closet in the bathroom…I have a piece of furniture that would fit the bill…Looking forward to your remodel..you and Mark always do a fantastic job like Kim and Mr. Savvy do…Love Kim’s bathroom remodel.
Rhoda says
HI, Shirley, I can’t wait to see your new house! I know it will be fantastic, so many things to think about in a new build and renovation. This one won’t happen until maybe next year, but I’m starting to get ideas together and think about what we might do. I need to get an estimate from a contractor on how much it will all cost. We may gut it all too, not sure yet.
Jean Kissane says
I rarely watch HGTV these days. I do not care for house hunting and renovating. I may be the only person who hates open concept homes. I do not want my dinner guests to see the pots and pans in the kitchen.
I miss the times when HGTV had shows on decorating.
Rhoda says
HI, Jean, I miss that too! They need to bring back the decorating shows. Not everyone wants to completely renovate all the time.
Kim says
Thanks for sharing my bathroom, Rhoda. Yes, ours was a complete gut and redisgn so that really drove the price up. I’m glad we did it two years ago as the prices have really gone up now for lumber, sheetrock and more. We subbed it all out except my husband ended tiling the wall over the vanity himself and we did the painting. Can’t wait to see what y’all do.
Rhoda says
Hey, Kim I love your bathroom remodel! You did such a great job on it all. I want something classic, but not like everything else I’m seeing out there and I like how individual yours is. We may end up gutting all, I just don’t know yet. We may take on that tiled wall over the vanity ourselves too. I feel confident we can do that part.
Sandy says
Great post! I have struggled with the bathroom thing quite a while. I just saw Eleven Gables and Dixie Delights did beautiful renovations with stand alone tubs. I think both have a window too. I have struggled with liking mine since we moved into our current home in 2002. I had other things more pressing and other than one room with carpet that I want up, the bathrooms are really the only thing left to update. I just haven’t been able to justify pulling perfectly good stuff out because they were out of style. They are definitely not my style and a bit gaudy, but I have had more trouble pulling the trigger because bathrooms are expensive. I was on the verge of doing something when I just painted one of them and then along came Eric Ross’s decorating book with actual bathrooms in them. They didn’t look like they had been redone, but he had featured them still. It helped me tremendously with accepting mine for a while longer. He had freshened them…now, they weren’t like the new stuff you see out there, but they didn’t look bad either. Good luck with your decisions. Making sure you pick something timeless in the bathroom seems to me to be the most daunting task of the renovations.
Rhoda says
HI, Sandy, you’re so right! Picking the right materials is the hard part. What is so in right now might now stand the test of time. Hence why I will not be using trendy black and white tile anywhere in our house. I’ll have to check out Eric’s book, I follow him on Instagram. And I will go and look at Amanda’s bathroom, I think I missed hers! I did see Emily’s so pretty! Too much to keep up with in blogland.
Teresa Calvert says
Good thoughts and good questions! I think it’s very hard to define “timeless” when it comes to style. Only a few years ago granite countertops were a “must” in kitchens and now they are being taken out in favor of marble or quartz. I have the same type of beige ceramic tile that you have, and would like to replace it, but with what? What won’t look dated in 10 years? … Appreciate your blog and Instagram, Rhoda! Thanks for keeping it real! <3
Rhoda says
Hi, Teresa, thanks for stopping by and for reading along. We definitely want to make sure we keep things classic around here and you’re right, it’s hard to know what’s going to stand the test of time. I know we’ll do neutral and will probably end up going with a marble look alike. We will see once we get started looking at what’s out there. I do like that Kim did neutral but it wasn’t what everyone else is doing.
Nancy says
I love the free standing tub but while on vacation this year we stayed at a condo with a large bath tub (not free standing) and I realized that as I get older it would be too difficult for me to get in and out of safely. I am a shorty hence the problem. I am not making my living as a blogger so I don’t have the same pressure to renovate.
Carol says
YES – I love these free standing tubs, but they look like a disaster waiting to happen. I’m just a shade over 5 feet tall, so I cannot see me getting one any time soon, especially since I’m getting older…
Jenny Young says
I do think we can put more energy into renovating than is good for us. We seem to be so wasteful, tossing out perfectly good old decor or home fixtures because they’re outdated or we’re bored with them. There is something to be said for those who came before us….they made do with what they had for most of their lives. Only replacing things as they wore out. I can’t say that I’m as diligent with being content with my home decor as my grandmothers were but I do consider the wastefulness when I renovate.
We updated our kitchen a few years ago. We’d been in our house for almost 25 yrs & never updated it. We waited to be mortgage/debt free & to be in the empty nest. We wanted to pay cash for any renovations as well. So, even though we could have afforded spending much more, we chose to appreciate what we had. Instead of a new counter & sink, I kept my old 70’s laminate. It’s in good condition, very easy to keep clean & still has a lifetime of wear left in it. I also kept my builder-grade all wood cabinets. I had my contractor add some trim to the cabinets to make them look a little more built in, then I painted them inside & out & add new hardware. I didn’t toss any old hardware….I painted the hinges & added knobs/pulls where there weren’t any before. The transformation was amazing & I threw away very little rubbish.
When I decorate or remodel, it’s just a small piece of my life. If I spend more money, time & energy on my home I have less money, time & energy to spend on people.
One thing I do so love about all the decor inspiration we have these days is how easy it is to find ideas! Then I have the fun of copying them as frugally or as low waste as I can. I used your old screened porch that you & your dad did a few years ago as inspiration for my own screened porch. We had an old rotting porch that needed to be torn out & replaced. I showed my contractor your grill porch & he built mine almost exactly the same with a few exceptions to fit our home better.
Rhoda says
HI, Jenny, that’s so nice to hear about my old screened porch! We definitely took that house and made it the best it could be on a budget. And I hear you too, our generation is not as content to keep the old as our parents were. My parents never updated and renovated, we lived with things until they wore out.
Patti says
Such true words Rhoda. I’ve found that sometimes when you are forced to be frugal and can take your time with changes in the home the results are so much more rewarding. Today we almost have too many choices even if or when money is not a huge factor or maybe it’s just me. I know whatever you decide it will be beautiful and just what you and your hubby like and need.
Rhoda says
Thanks, Patti, there are so many choices out there, that’s the overwhelming part. Making sure we will love it for years to come.
Teresa says
Rhoda,
Great post! Yes, I think HGTV and home renovation shows definitely influence us and how we renovate. Can you say “Shiplap”.. LOL! Sometimes we have to just take a step back and look at our home through our own eyes not the camera. Some trends are great but I want something that is going to stand the test of time and still look modern and fresh for years to come. Also, its easy to get caught up in the “compare” game when it comes to bloggers homes. Many bloggers seem to have unlimited funds and partner with so many companies. This is not the “norm” for most of us.
I am glad you featured Kim’s bathroom renovation as I think its one of prettiest reno’s I have seen and it wasn’t done through sponsors! Amanda from Dixie Delights also recently renovated her master bath and it is also equally as beautiful. She always decorates with a timeless, classic style. I know free standing tubs are all the rage and while they are beautiful I am not sure how practical they will be for us aging baby boomers. I cant see a lot of us climbing in and out of those deep tubs as we age but for re-sell I think they are a good investment.
Rhoda says
Hi, Teresa, I know shiplap is so overdone now. I don’t think Mark and I will do shiplap in part because of that fact. We have more molding projects to do around here but it will be other molding. I know that bloggers can sometime paint an unrealistic picture. I do work with sponsors but we also pay to have things done too that we can’t do ourselves. I checked out Amanda’s bathroom today and it is gorgeous! I’ll have so much planning to do when we finally get to ours.
Karie says
Great post. I think it has all gone over the top. Unrealistic re-models and style. I hardly ever watch HGTV. It is unrealistic. How many people can afford the DIY and renovations? Most of us can barely afford a small update. What happened to the time, when we just painted the walls, and changed the color accents in the bathroom. For heaven sakes, it is a bathroom! As long as you have a shower/tub. vanity and of course the main thing a toilet. . . and then decorate it to your style. I like what Marty at A Stroll Thru Life has done with her guest bathroom. It has all gotten to be too unrealistic and too out of reach for the ordinary everyday, normal, person. The same thing has happened to blogs. Whatever happened to the enjoyment of decorating? Not all of us want to be changing and remodeling our rooms with every new color or style that “someone” is telling us is the latest must have. I personally like the blogs that give me reasonable ways I can make my home more beautiful. I can’t afford costly renovations, but I can afford reasonable updates, with a can of paint a paint brush and my hard work. I wish we could all get back to the basic. Living and loving a home that is not “staged”, nor unrealistic. A place where ordinary, everyday people live and try to do their best with what they have, and what they can afford. Please get real. Just my opinion.
Rhoda says
Hi, Karie, I totally get what you’re saying. As a blogger, I struggle with all of this too. I can’t and won’t change everything just to stay current and up with trends. What Mark and I do around our house is for us first and foremost and not to show it off. I enjoy blogging about our house but we won’t be cranking out new updates every month or few months. And yes, most of us grew up in small homes with basic decorated spaces. I certainly did! My mom wasn’t a decorator, but we lived in a home that had all we needed. The culture today is for more and bigger and better, so we all have to see it on a daily basis and social media shows us inside so many homes now that we used to not see.
Roxanne says
I think we are all guilty of that these days, especially in the DIY blogging community. I can’t wait to see what you do with this bathroom!
Julie Terry says
We bought a house in 2016 built in 1998. Think pink floral wallpaper in the master bath. Also the placement of the shower head was awkward and made the shower feel small. Of course wallpaper was removed and bath painted. Shower head relocated and seamless glass doors installed, new tile in shower, new countertops and beadboard added to front of bathtub panel. Also had mirrors framed and shutters on the window above the tub. New hardware but no floor tile removed. We know we will sell in about 2 more years but it was just painful the way it looked when we bought the house. Everything was cosmetic and we have neither the time or inclination to DIY. All that to say labor cost 1/2 of the final total. Not cheap at all but we are very pleased with the finished product. To some degree you do have to stay competitive in the housing market for resale. I think it’s great how you and Mark do so much beautiful work yourselves. For the life of me I don’t know how these husbands work all day and renovate at night and weekends especially the ones with young children. I do agree all this social media and HGTV has created a culture that’s making a lot of women discontent with what they have and that is sad.
Rhoda says
HI, Julie, I love hearing what you did! Those are all doable and cost effective things to do. We know we want a new tiled shower but the rest is still up in the air. Keep the tub, keep the vanity, those are all things we’ll be looking at. And you’re right, we are a discontent society and I know that all the visual stimulation out there now has a lot to do with that.
Toni says
Hi Rhoda, I always enjoy following your projects….been following you for a long time. I can’t believe it but your bathroom is almost exactly like mine in layout and it has been on our project list a long time as well. SO you can be sure I’ll be interested in your choices. Like you we are on a close budget due to being retired. One of my thoughts was I want to not have GROUT to deal with as I get older. Been looking at sheet marble for the shower like Jenna Sue did in hers….but it may be way out of range $$, and it requires installers who really know what they are doing. So now I’m on the hunt for some kind of solid, grout free material…..I’ve fought tile grout my whole life and I’m done with that especially as I grow more and more senior! We hope to do a new granite countertop and sinks and flooring. I originally wanted to tear our out tub, add and in bathroom vanity area but that will be too costly. I want a frameless shower area but with patterned glass rather than clear. Just a few of my ideas…..but like you I have a year to plan!
Rhoda says
HI, Toni, that’s so nice to hear what you are planning as well. I do love those big faux marble sheets that Jenna Sue used, I will have to price those out. That might be an option, we’ll see. And I hear you on the grout. I would definitely do darker grout in a shower for that reason. I have no idea where we will land yet, but it will be fun to plan it.
MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says
Rhoda! I just love your posts! You are always so good at telling things like they really are. We appreciate you, so much! You are so very helpful! Looking forward to seeing what you and Mark decide to do in your Master Bath. I know it will be lovely as you always do such a great job of everything you do to your lovely home in order to add your personal touches.
Have a great week!
Rhoda says
THank you, Mary-Ann, as long as I’ve been doing this I just have to keep things realistic. We like to update and make things special for us, but we have to be down to earth about it too. I don’t know anyone with an unlimited budget and we surely don’t have one.