Design & Planning

Half Bathroom Plans

Our basement half bathroom plans involve black, white, purple and antique brass- and should be a great project for the 2016 Spring One Room Challenge (ORC)!

Our basement half bathroom plans involve black, white, purple and antique brass- and should be a great project for the 2016 Spring One Room Challenge (ORC)!

Hello everyone!  The One Room Challenge (also known as ORC) by Linda of Calling it Home is kicking off this week, and today I’m going to share with you the design and our basement half bathroom plans.  I talked a bit more about this space last week when I cleaned it out, so make sure to check out that post if you want some true “before” pictures and details.

Check out all the linking participants from the One Room Challenge Week 1 here!

Now, I came up with (what I thought) was the most awesome half bathroom ever… but then the Husband chimed in and said he hated everything about the space I had envisioned.  Ummm… not cool… so just know that I am sharing with you my original idea today, and you’ll just have to follow along each week to see how I have deviated from this original / awesome plan.

First up, the layout of the space.  This is pretty much how it will be, because we are working with limited space, and a weird ceiling angle (we’re partially under the staircase).

Our basement half bathroom plans involve black, white, purple and antique brass- and should be a great project for the 2016 Spring One Room Challenge (ORC)!

In fact, I had designed this layout MONTHS/YEARS ago using Lowes 3D Virtual Room Designer; so other than changes to the design elements, this is and will be how our bathroom will look!  Real simple, 24″ vanity on the left with a toilet on the right.  I’ve since vetoed the medicine cabinet (we were going to re-use the one we took out from our main upstairs bathroom) because clearly the ceiling height doesn’t allow for it (where would the faucet go?).

Okay, just in case you were too lazy to read the post last week where I cleaned out the space, here is a picture of what we are starting with:

Our basement half bathroom plans involve black, white, purple and antique brass- and should be a great project for the 2016 Spring One Room Challenge (ORC)!

Photo Originally Appeared in: Cleaning the Basement and Prepping for ORC

We don’t have any rough-ins for plumbing, half of the electrical we need is there (although controlled by another switch) and we need to build out 3 walls to enclose the room from the unfinished laundry room.  Because I had known that I was participating in the ORC since last fall, I knew there were a few things I would need to plan in advance before the challenge started (namely, finalizing the design and getting building permits!).

Ideal ORC Timeline:

Week 1: Sharing Design Plans (that’s today!)

Week 2: Doing all the plumbing, electrical + framing

Week 3: Installing drywall, patching, priming and painting

Week 4: Tiling (floors and walls)

Week 5: Grouting / installing trim + furniture (ie: vanity + toilet)

Week 6: Bringing in accessories for the final reveal!

Now, “behind the blog” I will be trying to accomplish these things a week early so that I have everything ready for pictures and posting purposes.  (As of now we have started the plumbing and framing).  But I should be completing this space in the allotted 6 weeks.  (Note that when I say “I”, I really mean the Husband AND me, plus any random friends/family we can force convince to help haha!).

Bathroom Budget:

I kept all my Christmas money (and some of the Husbands, shhh don’t tell) and saved a total of 1500$ specifically for this bathroom.  I then divided it up as follows:

  • 500$ for construction materials + building permits
  • 500$ for tiles, lighting + hardware
  • 500$ for toilet, vanity and small accessories

Now, I’ve ordered/purchased maybe 90% of the things we should need and have everything waiting in a big heap in the basement living room.

Unfortunately… we are already over budget :(

I told the Husband how I was upset that I spent more than I had budgeted and this was the conversation that ensued:

Husband: Wait, we have a budget for our bathroom?
Me: Of course we have a budget, what do you think it is?
Husband: I don’t know… 4730$
Me: OH MY GOODNESS I should have went with your budget!  What a random number you chose… we’re at like half of that amount!

Moral of the story, even though I am over what I had saved for the bathroom, I will be way under the amount the Husband thinks we are spending on this room :) 

(Now, assuming we don’t get in over our heads and have to bring in a professional contractor… I imagine that will take a big chunk of our money!).

Bathroom Design Plans

Enough chit-chat and show me the bathroom plans you say!  Okay, okay, here we are:

Our basement half bathroom plans involve black, white, purple and antique brass- and should be a great project for the 2016 Spring One Room Challenge (ORC)!

If you’re a regular reader here at Madness and Method, you may remember that I had hinted at using purple in our bathroom design way back in December.  Don’t remember that?  I still love you anyways :)

The colours for our bathroom will be black, white, purple and antique brass!  I always liked a black/white and copper bathroom, but I decided to use antique brass because it’s the metal element in the French door that I painted/frosted (that we will be using for this bathroom).

Now, you might be accurately wondering: this is the most awesome bathroom design I’ve ever seen, what could the Husband possibly dislike from this?

Well, apparently penny tiles (the shape + size) shouldn’t exist and/or belong in our house AND white subway tiles are the ugliest/cheapest thing ever.  Now, I had a box of leftover white subway tiles I was planning on using (and WILL be using) for our bathroom, but I’ve had to completely re-envision the flooring choices to something less “wild and crazy”.

For the next 6 weeks I will be sharing our bathroom renovation progress with you, along with the different design elements and accessories that I contemplated bringing into the room.  I’d love for you to follow along with me (it’s easy to do by subscribing to RSS, liking on Facebook or following on Instagram)!

To all my blogging friends participating in the One Room Challenge, good luck :)

Oh, and I should mention that as of last Friday I am officially 30 weeks pregnant… so we really need to get this bathroom finished in 6 weeks so I can actually start organizing and prepping the nursery!

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48 Comments

  • Reply
    Louise aka Mommy
    April 5, 2016 at 9:14 pm

    put the medicine chest over the toilet

    P.S. I’m with Kenn on the penny tiles for the floor … can you say having to clean with a toothbrush?

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 6, 2016 at 11:17 am

      We’ll be putting a shelf above the toilet instead – it should look less cluttered that way! Also, I’m hoping our floors wouldn’t get that dirty… although I have cleaned floors with a toothbrush before, and that’s the sacrifice you make for style :p

  • Reply
    Lindi
    April 7, 2016 at 10:31 am

    Wow! You are building an entire room – framing and all!! Glad you’re up for the challenge! Your plans look great. Love the purple tile floor! Can’t wait to follow along :)

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 7, 2016 at 12:28 pm

      I love the purple tile floor too – but who knew it would be such a tough sell to the Husband :( Love to see how your space comes along too :)

  • Reply
    Roxanne
    April 7, 2016 at 5:38 pm

    Wow, your plan is an ambitious one! Good luck with the husband, that will be the biggest challenge of all, lol! Luckily, my husband has the same design taste as I do. Now if I could only get him to love DIY as much as I do we’d be all set!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 8, 2016 at 9:29 am

      The Husband loves the demolition part of DIY, so he’s up for anything that involves smashing things! I always thought we had the same style, but this is the first time he’s ever questioned something I’ve done. Good luck with your kitchen :)

  • Reply
    Katy {ashadeofteal}
    April 7, 2016 at 9:48 pm

    Wow! You have a big todo list! I love your inspiration and can’t wait to see the final reveal.

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 8, 2016 at 9:27 am

      Ya, sometimes the big list scares me – I have it all broken down (in easy to follow steps) on a piece of paper, so hopefully getting the smaller tasks done will make it seem easier :) I’m hoping the final reveal turns out great too!

  • Reply
    Kim
    April 7, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    LOVE the purple tile! I’ve learned – and learned it again in the past few days – to just put the space together and not discuss it with the hubs. He always loves the outcome but for some reason has to balk at every decision I make along the way! So, finally, I’ve thrown my hands up and said – ” we will discuss this NO more until the six weeks is up.” Best of luck to you! Can’t wait to see how it all comes out!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 8, 2016 at 9:26 am

      I feel you – it seems like a lot of my decisions get questioned, and I know if there wasn’t this deadline it would turn into the forever-week challenge because we wouldn’t get anywhere haha!

  • Reply
    Carrie at Kenarry: Ideas for the Home
    April 7, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    Nicole, you’re off to a great start. Love the purple and looking forward to seeing how your half bathroom shapes up in the next six week.

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 8, 2016 at 9:23 am

      Well, even though I can’t use purple in the floors, I’ll be bringing some in for sure! Thanks for visiting :)

  • Reply
    Sharon
    April 7, 2016 at 11:55 pm

    I would’ve loved to see the purple tile. Are you sure he can’t be swayed? Now I’ll wait to see what your new choices are. Antique brass is my favorite finish and one that doesn’t get used in bathrooms very often, so I’m happy to see that.

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 8, 2016 at 9:23 am

      It would of course be easier if all antique brass finishes were the same – not only is it tricky to find, but each retailer has a bit of a different finish to their AB. Thanks for supporting the purple too :)

  • Reply
    Sarah
    April 8, 2016 at 3:03 pm

    Is this ever an ambitious plan! I really hope it turns out well – I think your inspiration is great!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 9, 2016 at 9:44 am

      Thanks Sarah, I’m hoping everything comes together and looks as good in person as it does in my head haha :)

  • Reply
    Heather | The Deans List
    April 8, 2016 at 3:39 pm

    Your plans look so dreamy! This kind of bathroom is right up my alley. I’m not participating in the ORC this time around, but I’m looking forward to following your adventure! Cheers!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 9, 2016 at 9:45 am

      The ORC is definitely a good kick in the butt to get a room done quickly, not sure if I’ll do it again – but I’ll see how this one goes first :)

  • Reply
    jessica
    April 9, 2016 at 12:12 am

    very much ambitious. I love the purple floors, that is a BOLD move.

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 9, 2016 at 9:47 am

      I wish I could have actually went with the purple floors – but since this isn’t our forever house, I guess I have to keep other people’s tastes in mind too…

  • Reply
    maria
    April 9, 2016 at 3:33 pm

    I love the mood boards, I think it makes a big difference when designing a room! I love all the colors you have chosen, purple is one of my favorite colors. I am doing my first one room challenge and it sure is very exciting.

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 9, 2016 at 8:39 pm

      Good luck in the one room challenge as well! I think the purple should make a big impact :)

  • Reply
    Amanda @ Old House to New Home
    April 9, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    I love that you are adding purple!! it is my favorite color but am having a hard time working it into our decor without my husband noticing!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 9, 2016 at 8:40 pm

      Haha, well sometimes I feel like the Husband hardly notices some of the colours in this house until I point them out (he thought our bedroom was purple… it was gray and red!).

  • Reply
    Sarah @ Little Red Brick House
    April 9, 2016 at 11:10 pm

    What!? Who could hate penny tiles? Haha. I love your design board and am excited to see the progress you’re making each week.

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 10, 2016 at 10:21 am

      I think penny tiles are so interesting too! Maybe one day I’ll be able to use them…

  • Reply
    Iris Nacole
    April 10, 2016 at 9:20 am

    LOL! I love the budget conversation between you and your husband! I wish mine were that easy to deal with! We are about to tackle our powder room soon, so I’m going to be watching you as inspiration. :)

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 10, 2016 at 10:22 am

      Ha thanks, I don’t know why he thought we would be spending that much… but at the same time we are over my original estimation, so maybe don’t follow that too closely :p

  • Reply
    Kelly
    April 10, 2016 at 2:05 pm

    Love the ambition (we’re taking on building a bathroom from scratch – I should take notes since you have such a well thought-out plan), and I think the penny tile is awesome! Best of luck, I look forward to following along!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 11, 2016 at 9:33 am

      We always knew we would be putting in a bathroom, and I figured the One Room Challenge was a great opportunity to get it accomplished – thanks for visiting :)

  • Reply
    April R - Uncookie Cutter
    April 10, 2016 at 6:31 pm

    This is too funny. My husband’s idea of decor is black leather couches, glass tables and doberman gold wall paper. Okay, maybe not the wallpaper but his style is reminiscent of an 80s bachelor pad for sure. Cant’ wait to see where you go with this, I’ll be following along!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 11, 2016 at 9:35 am

      I guess in bathroom design specifically, the Husband likes things more traditional (think cream coloured marble floors) and I am more modern. I don’t know what he thinks of black leather couches though – that’s too funny!

  • Reply
    BonBon @ farmhouse 40
    April 10, 2016 at 9:34 pm

    I love your idea for our bath….I will be looking forward to seeing how it comes along.

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 11, 2016 at 9:35 am

      Thanks, I’m hoping everything comes together – but at least I’ll like it because of all the work that’s going into it haha!

  • Reply
    Emily
    April 10, 2016 at 10:41 pm

    First off, I LOVE the purple floor tile, but my hubs would totally say the same thing… we have differing opinions on what is totally awesome when it comes to home decor ;) Good luck with your makeover – starting from the studs would totally intimidate me!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 11, 2016 at 9:36 am

      I’m not even sure if he didn’t like the purple as much as he didn’t like the shape + size of the penny tiles. There will be purple coming in the room for sure!

  • Reply
    Merryjo Agnel
    April 11, 2016 at 12:29 am

    Your plans look great! Love your inspiration and can’t wait to see the final reveal.

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 11, 2016 at 9:37 am

      Thanks for visiting – I know the reveal will be different than what I’ve shown here, but it should be pretty similar

  • Reply
    Kathy
    April 11, 2016 at 3:31 am

    I love the design boards. I think the penny tiles are awesome and would totally make the room!! Can’t wait to see how you progress each week, building a room from a scratch. Wow!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 11, 2016 at 9:38 am

      It’s almost a bit easier to build the room from scratch since we can plan things how we want, if only the penny tiles made it in :(

  • Reply
    Amy @ My Life From Home
    April 11, 2016 at 9:21 am

    You’re going to be busy! I love the plan. Can’t wait to see it all come together. :)

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 12, 2016 at 11:02 am

      Thanks, sometimes I think we’ve bitten off more than we can chew (with the deadline, not the work) but I figured it would actually get done this way haha :)

  • Reply
    Samantha
    April 11, 2016 at 10:09 am

    So excited to follow along! I love that you are starting from scratch! You design board is awesome, love the tile!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 12, 2016 at 11:03 am

      Thanks Samantha – building a room from scratch has a lot of advantages! Hopefully we can finish in time :)

  • Reply
    Tara @ Lehman lane
    April 11, 2016 at 11:48 am

    Can’t wait to follow along Nicole! You guys definitely have your work cut out for you but I am sure it will be amazing!!!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 12, 2016 at 11:04 am

      As long as we stick to my very detailed schedule… it should be fine :) (Here’s hoping we can!)

  • Reply
    Erin @ Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry
    April 12, 2016 at 12:54 pm

    Your husband’s budget sounds awesome! It made me laugh. Looks like you have some wonderful ideas (even if it can’t be EVERYTHING you envisioned due to your husband’s input :) ) Good luck!!!

    • Reply
      Nicole
      April 13, 2016 at 9:22 am

      Well, I figured that if he has some input, he might like the bathroom better (at one point, he said he wanted no involvement at all). As long as everything comes together in the end, we should be good :)

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