French Style Bathroom Renovation
I've got a very exciting project reveal for you today! This bathroom renovation has been a long time coming. Almost 10 weeks to be exact. We started it as part of the One Room Challenge (ORC) at the beginning of April and while we didn't finish it within the six week ORC deadline, we soldiered on and it is finally done! Come have a look and see how we took this tired and dated bathroom and transformed it into a French style bathroom.
When you think of French style, more typically you envision a French country style. The hallmark of this look is an elegant feel, with stone floors, natural materials like marble and wood, and traditional architectural details on the furniture and moulding. I wanted our bathroom to be more French bistro inspired than French country and I think we achieved that look!
A DIY Bathroom Remodel
Can you believe this light blue bathroom was remodelled using products almost entirely from The Home Depot Canada? We were excited to work with our long time partners The Home Depot Canada and Delta Faucet Canada and use their off-the-shelf products to achieve the traditional with a twist look that we desired.
I was very skeptical when we decided to tackle this room. We've never renovated an entire bathroom on our own but I'm thrilled to say that, aside from the electrical work and plumbing for the new tub, we achieved this Home Depot Canada bathroom remodel project almost entirely as a Do It Yourself.
The Beginning
Before we jump into all the details, let's revisit how this bathroom used to look. At the start of this journey, we had a bathroom that was adequate yet dated. We've been in this house just over two years and it was time to give this bathroom some attention. We planned a down-to-the-studs renovation that involved:
- removing the whirlpool tub and replacing it with an alcove tub
- replacing all of the floor, wall, and shower tile
- installing a new vanity and mirror
- replacing the single wall light with three lights
- adding a laundry chute hole to the vanity
- changing the shower fixtures
- adding wall panelling to the walls
- painting the walls, door and ceiling
- changing the door handle
- adding a new window blind and shower curtain
- installing shelving, accessories, hooks, and hardware
It's problems like that that make the end product that much sweeter though. Though extremely aggravating at the time, we're happy to have spent the extra time to do the project right. Now let me show you around the new French style bathroom!
Floors and Walls
Let me take you through this renovation from the bottom up. Right from the beginning, I knew I wanted the bathroom to have Parisian flair. But what is French style bathroom decor? Inspired by our favourite French bistro, Cluny, the room would be defined by two main elements: tile and panelling. And there was no need to go the high end route to get a high end look. Shopping online and in store, The Home Depot Canada had everything we needed to achieve bathroom remodel on a budget.
I debated many different floor tiles but the only one that had that special 'je ne sais quoi' was the Sassi Midnight Vertex Polished Marble Mosaic. This tile is an absolute steal and provides a high-end look at a more budget friendly price. I do admit it's a bolder look than I typically go for, but why renovate if you're just going to do the same thing over again? I do think you should have at least one room in your house that is unexpected, fashion forward, and stands out in a good way.
To keep the tile from overpowering this modest sized bathroom, I've placed this rug on top to both give your eye a rest and provide softness underfoot. I admit I didn't realize the rug featured a printed pattern (as opposed to a real woven pattern) but the rug is squishy, comfortable, and stain resistant and works better in a bathroom than I expected. The floral pattern is also a nice counterpoint to the graphic, geometric tile.
Speaking of tile, here's a look at the tile on the shower walls. Basic white subway tile and a marble threshold in the niche keeps this bathroom feeling clean and classic and keeps costs well within budget. The grout has a soft grey tone to give a subtle accent to the tile. As this is the only bathroom in the house with a tub, we wanted to keep a tub for resale purposes and replaced the old jetted one with this simple skirted tub.
You'll see that we also carried the subway tile onto the opposite wall, behind the French style vanity. I love the look of a full wall of subway tile. Not only is it durable, it provides a clean back drop and allows the elements you layer on top to stand out. But we've given this wall something extra and true to my inspiration image, we added wall panelling and trim around the tile.
If you've been reading here a while, you know we are obsessed with trim and moulding. I believe there is nothing better than moulding to add character to your walls. The plain subway tiles are very classic and traditional (and safe?) so to liven them up, we've added trim around the perimeter of the tiles and paired them with full panelling on the other walls.
We've gone with one of my favourite trim looks, a recessed panel. It's the same trim style we used in our old bedroom, almost 10 years ago. The flat rails and stiles are 3" wide planks cut out of a sheet of MDF. To add that extra bit of detail, we've added a cove moulding to the inside of the panels, and added a piece of shoe moulding where the trim meets the floor. Painting all of the moulding and the door the soft blue colour helps tie it all together and keeps the look seamless.
Using the same paint colour is one of my tricks for disguising or neutralizing different trim (like on the back of the door). I've used Haze Blue by Pratt and Lambert colour matched in a Behr paint. We get lots of bright natural sunlight in this room so the paint looks lighter than it did on the paint chip. I really love this light blue bathroom hue. It feels fresh and current.
Furnishings and Fixtures
One major new element in this bathroom is the French style vanity. The Home Depot Canada offers a wide variety of options online and we were able to get this one with marble top and French curves delivered right to our door.We replaced the old 48" vanity & tower with a single sink 60" vanity. We considered getting two sinks but we're not really the types to be getting ready in the bathroom at the same time. A single sink with more storage and counter space suited our lifestyle. Plus, we needed a vanity style to fit our one very special requirement:
I'm happy to say we were able to preserve and provide access to the existing laundry chute. It has quickly become one of our favourite features in this house (who wants to lug laundry down two flights of stairs to the basement?!). Sean cut a hole into the bottom of one side of the vanity and made a box and frame out of scrap wood. The chute is made of sheet metal and this wood frame slips on top, providing soft sides so that our clothes don't get caught. He did such a great job and it looks like it was meant to be there all along.
I really love the marble top that came with this vanity. It ties in with the marble floor tiles and lends a sophistication and elegance to the bathroom. If you want a French style bathroom, you really need to incorporate marble somewhere!
The entire piece reads like a refined piece of furniture: it rests on elevated legs, it has soft-close drawers, and it has moulding on the door fronts. We debated whether or not to attach the backsplash and I'm glad we did as it completes the finished look.
Gold metals in the bathroom
One modification I did make is using Rub N Buff Grecian Gold on the handles. The vanity actually came with two full sets of handles, one in polished chrome and one in oil rubbed bronze. I wanted the handles to match the faucet so I refinished them and I think they turned out pretty close.
The gorgeous shower and faucet fixtures are from Delta Faucet Canada's Trinsic® collection. Right from the start, I knew that I wanted to use gold toned fixtures. This Champagne Bronze finish is warm yet crisp and shines against the white tiles.
In the shower, we've used the sculptural H2Okinetic In2ition 4-Setting Two-in-One Shower Head paired with the Trinsic® Monitor 17 Series H2Okinetic Tub & Shower Trim. I like using a hand shower for cleaning the tub and having one integrated with the shower head keeps things looking neat and simple. There's no need for a separate slide bar or holder.
We've also used the robe hook, towel ring, and tissue holder from the Trinsic® collection. Keeping all the bathroom accessories from the same line brings harmony to the room. Similarly, the Trinsic® Two-Handle Widespread Bathroom Faucet speaks the same language.
The curved lines of the faucet and accessories lend a bit of softness to the space. You'll see that I've repeated this gold tone and rounded shape with the rounded shower curtain rod (we painted the existing chrome one with gold spraypaint) and with the sconces with globe shades. This bathroom really is a play in contrasts: bold and basic, hard edges and soft lines.
The Accessories
The frosted glass shelves with railing are a pretty spot to display decorative items. They remind me of glass shelves in a French kitchen and the railing is an unusual detail that I find quite appealing. I've decorated the shelves very simply with a plant, some washcloths, and favourite items. The photo is one I took on our Paris vacation and I've put it in a thrift store frame. I don't even have a mat in the frame; I just taped the photo onto a white piece of card stock.
Most of the other decorative items are from H&M's Classic Collection. From the soap dispenser to the embroidered guest towel, these pieces look like they were made for this room, don't you think?
The roman blind and shower curtain in a classic ticking stripe were custom made by my favourite Tonic Living. Again, the black and white palette is a quintessential French look. I feel a tad posh having a full length fabric shower curtain but this room demanded something slightly elevated from the norm. This window faces the neighbour's house so we've used frosted privacy film on the window as well.
And finally, there's the bar stool. The classic woven seat and rattan frame is instantly reminiscent of the finest of French bistros and I knew it would be the perfect perch for bath time reads and fluffy towels.
It took a while to get here, but I know this bathroom was worth it. It has the function and style we wanted and I'm sure we'll enjoy it for years to come. I hope you've enjoyed the details!
Disclosure: A special thanks to The Home Depot Canada and Delta Faucet Canada who have sponsored this project. Thank you for supporting the brands who make this blog possible. All words, photos, and opinions are my own.
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Resources:
Vanity - Wyndham Collection Berkeley 60-inch W 5-Drawer 2-Door Freestanding Vanity in White With Marble Top in White With Mirror
Floor tile - Midnight Vertex Polished Marble Mosaics
Wall tile - Enigma 3-inch x 6-inch Metro White Gloss Wall Tile
Tub - Valley 60-inch x 32-inch Pro Acrylic Skirted Bathtub
Faucet - Delta Trinsic Widespread Lavatory Faucet with Metal Pop-Up, Champagne Bronze
Tub and Shower Trim - Monitor 17 Series H2Okinetic Tub & Shower Trim
Shower Head - H2Okinetic In2ition 4-Setting Two-in-One Shower Head
Trinsic Tissue Holder, Robe hook, Towel ring
Sconce - Acclaim Portsmith 1-Light Sconce in Raw Brass with globe shade
Bar stool - Campbellton 24" Bar Stool
Roman blind, shower curtain - custom by Tonic Living
Bath towels - Fringe Turkish Cotton Hammam Spa towel
Glass shelves - Fang Frosted Glass Shelves
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