This Dreamy Bathroom Makeover Embraces a Surprising Vintage Trend

Sarah Everett
·3-min read
White hexagonal tile in bathroom before renovation.
“The bathroom was fine before I moved in but had some logistical challenges,” this renter says. Credit: Courtesy of Madeline Warshaw Credit: Courtesy of Madeline Warshaw
<span>She liked the size and the lighting, but she “needed a better flow for the space, more storage, and personality!” she says. Credit: Courtesy of Madeline Warshaw</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Courtesy of Madeline Warshaw</span>
She liked the size and the lighting, but she “needed a better flow for the space, more storage, and personality!” she says. Credit: Courtesy of Madeline Warshaw Credit: Courtesy of Madeline Warshaw
Floral patterned curtain in bathroom with mixed patterned fabrics.
Matisse poster displayed in bathroom.
Trinkets in window of room with floral patterned curtain.

ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER

HOME TYPE: Apartment

PROJECT TYPE: Bathroom

STYLE: Cottage, Farmhouse, Vintage

Skirts in homes, although they’re quite a retro idea, are trending this year. After all, a sink or cabinet skirt can add cottagecore charm to a kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room in an instant. The latest in adorable sink skirts is in Madeline Warshaw’s bathroom, which wasn’t quite as adorable when she got the keys to her Philly apartment.

“The bathroom was fine when I moved in but had some logistical challenges,” she says. “There was a pedestal sink, an old door in the middle of the room that’s sealed (a vestige of the building before it was), and only a medicine cabinet mirror’s worth of storage.”

Madeline adds: “I needed a better flow for the space, more storage, and personality!”

<span> Credit: Courtesy of Madeline Warshaw</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Courtesy of Madeline Warshaw</span>
Credit: Courtesy of Madeline Warshaw Credit: Courtesy of Madeline Warshaw
Floral patterned curtain in bathroom with mixed patterned fabrics.

An IKEA cabinet adds an extra countertop.

One of the biggest game-changers in the bathroom makeover was the IKEA cabinet placed over “the weird old mystery door that leads nowhere,” Madeline says. “The big IKEA dresser has actually provided the most bathroom counter space and storage I’ve ever had,” she adds.

Madeline went with the eight-drawer IKEA HAUGA dresser.

Matisse poster displayed in bathroom.
Trinkets in window of room with floral patterned curtain.

The sink skirt was a DIY project.

Madeline worked on the sink skirt (under which she can hide even more storage) with her grandma. They turned outdoor, water-resistant fabric into a cottagecore skirt with a few pleats. Madeline says the project “helped transform a Home Depot pedestal sink into a charming focal piece that really set the tone for the space.”

The other standout fabric in the room is in the curtains. Madeline got them from Mini Rodini, and the adjoining bedroom actually has a bedspread to match! Her rug is from Hay, her spatterware jars are vintage, and her Matisse poster is from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It all came together to create a space Madeline loves.

“While I wish I had a clawfoot tub, everything else about this bathroom is pretty dreamy,” she says. “It gets amazing light!”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.

Further Reading

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I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered

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