Boys Bathroom: Builder Basic!

This hall bathroom was the perfect example of ‘builder-basic’… okay, let’s just call it BORING! White cultured marble countertops, white walls, white laminate flooring, an unframed mirror the size of Texas, and (gasp!) the dreaded oak vanity. Though the homeowner had upgraded the faucets to oil rubbed bronze, raised the countertops to a more modern height and added double sinks, this space was seriously lacking character and charm.

And the other challenge: how to add this when three school aged BOYS were going to be using it day in and day out? Since we knew their family summered often at the ocean, we opted for a distressed nautical theme that would be both kid-friendly and timeless… However, these active boys offered us other suggestions, ala  ’The BMX Bathroom’, ‘The Sports Page’, etc., but we stuck to our guns, rolled up our sleeves, and got started!  

 The first step: redeeming the oak vanity since it was the largest eyesore… Because the oak cabinets were flat and recessed, our cabinet maker worked magic by adding beadboard and thick molding to the doors and the drawers. Then our decorative painter (we call him DaVinci) used a five-step painting process that gave the cabinets the feel of an old ship docked in Nantucket: EXACTLY what the homeowner wanted. As an aside, distressed finishes are incredibly durable and useful in kid-spaces because they already have the nicks and imperfections that young children will bestow on them anyway!

Boys Vanity: Oak-a-Rama

We used some extra base molding from another project to frame the mirror and had it finished in the same look as the cabinets. Voila! Now we were onto lighting… Those Hollywood light bars only belong in a backstage green room, or it would have made for a nautical nightmare! We chose outdoor sconces from the clearance rack, but they were the wrong finish. No matter! With the touch of a paintbrush (okay a few touches and a couple of layers), our pewter lanterns soon became tarnished bronze shiplights.

We kept the accessories and artwork to a minimum for obvious reasons… boys and breakables just don’t mix! A simple metal basket with fun striped towels, painted red metal stars, and a pair of lighthouse prints finished things off. After the neutral porcelain flooring was finally installed, we all agreed that in this space, the ship had finally set sail from nowhere to Nantucket… 

Ahoy to our three mateys: enjoy your space!

Ready to Set Sail: Boys Bathroom After!

Distressed 'nautical' cabinets. Ships ahoy!