Sink Before
Toilet Before
We added a half bath on the first floor of our house a few years ago (carved out from under our staircase). Originally the space was a really awkward closet off of the old dining room (now kitchen). It didn’t function very well and we wanted to remove the old door and add valuable wall space in the new kitchen. We did a little testing (i.e. can a guy stand at the toilet and not hit his head) and determined that with a VERY small sink you could fit a half bath in the space. We put off finishing this because it wasn’t a necessity (like the kitchen) and we were busy in babyland. Well we managed to finish it back in 2007 with Sam in a bouncy seat (it feels like forever ago) but we never spent much time putting the finishing touches on the space. I will have to do a separate post on actually making the room and paneling.
Anyway, back to my story. The room is now very well used thanks to a potty trained child and lots of visits from grandparents. It was looking a little bare and ugly. Also we have some storage issues (i.e. lack of storage) So I gave myself a $50, 1 hour challenge. What could I do to improve the space in little time with only a little bit of cash.
Pretty New Products
Sink After
Toilet After
Sink with "new" Picture
Here is what I did today:
-Changed out the towel ring for a chrome version (for some reason I originally bought an oil rubbed bronze finish even though the faucet is chrome) Corbin Towel Ring from Target $9.99
-Changed out the toilet paper holder (originally I bought a “vintage” looking one really cheap, but the finish didn’t match anything and it was a pain to replace the toilet paper). I specifically chose one that would be easy for little hands to change the toilet paper. Corbin Toilet Paper Holder $12.99
-Changed out the garbage can for one with a lid and matching chrome top. Target $24.99
-Added already owned artwork (C.J. Groth photo from Havana)
-Added baskets to back shelf (I already owned 1 but bought 2 more) Target Paper Rope CD Basket 2 @ $6.99
Total Spent: $61.95 (a little over but not too bad)
Still to Do:
-Find a prettier soap dispenser that make “foam” (kids preference).
-Find a couple of pretty towels. hmmm….I have some Orla Kiely kitchen towels that I might have to look at using.
-Patch the walls from the old towel rack and toilet paper holder
-Patch some flooring that didn’t get finished when we did the room the first time
-Once the kids get a little older add a fabric skirt to the bottom of the sink.
So, not perfect and glamorous, but a little bit prettier! What do you think?
Love the changes!!! Will see it all in just over a month!!
I love the bathroom but what I love the most is the sink!
Hey, I really want to do this in my house in a coat closet, but I’ve heard code for the toilet back wall is 30″ minimum (15″ from the centerline on each side). How wide was your bathroom? I measured my closet and it is 24 or 25″ wide only. Not sure if putting one in would be a really bad idea…
Hi Erin,
Yes, code typically requires 30″. We fortunately had between 31 and 32″. With our set up we have plenty of space on either side. I would say that 24″-25″ is pretty tight. I would say you should put a chair or box of the right size to get a feel for the space. You also have to see if the plumber would have any problem getting the waste stack and water line in. We had to adjust our backwall to work with the existing studs white still giving us enough head room and foot clearance.
Agreed, the more I read the less likely I think it would be for me to fit a half bath in my coat closet! Unfortunately there is no other space on my main floor for a half bath, and I only have a full bath on the second floor and a toilet in the laundry room in the basement! It makes it hard for elderly guests. I don’t think I can adjust the width of the room due to its placement at the bottom of the stairwell. I think the waste stack/waterline are accessible from where the closet is, as they are directly below that floor in the unfinished part of the basement. It might be a ‘pipe dream’ though.. haha. Thank you!