We’ve made some exciting progress over the past few weeks and the bathroom is finally feeling functional. There are still a handful of tasks left, but the room now has a clear sense of completion: a double sink (a first for us), my favorite toilet, and a true closet system instead of a few old hanging bars. It’s a huge upgrade and we’re honestly thrilled.
It’s felt like a longer renovation than we expected—aren’t they all?—and since we hadn’t posted a full update in a while (we shared peeks on Instagram Stories but our last blog update was months ago), we wanted to give a full progress report with photos we took this morning.
Shortly after Thanksgiving we were on track: the shower tile was finished and we had started the floor tile, planning to grout both at the same time. Then our plumber told us he needed knee surgery in four days and would be out for five weeks. If we wanted any plumbing installed before February, we suddenly had less than a week to prepare the room.
We panicked a little, regrouped, and prioritized getting the floor completely tiled and grouted so the toilet, vanity, and tub could be set on top of it. That meant the shower wouldn’t be finished immediately, but getting a working sink and toilet back was the priority—we could keep using the hall shower for a while. Since we planned to install wall molding, it made sense to do that before the fixtures went in, so we crammed a lot into a very short window. After some long late nights of tiling, nailing, caulking, grouting, and painting—about 40 hours total—we finished what we needed just in time.
We thought our plumber might squeeze us in before surgery, but he was overwhelmed with other jobs. The good news: his team was able to send others the very next day to complete the install. They couldn’t install the tub that day because they didn’t have the kit, and the shower still needs grout and sealant before they can finish that install, but at least we avoided a five-week delay.
So yes—the bathroom looks pretty but the shower and tub aren’t fully functional yet (the tub we bought is currently in our bedroom waiting to be installed). That said, having running faucets and a flushing toilet feels like a major victory.
Some readers asked why we didn’t just install the toilet and vanity ourselves. While we’re capable of doing that, we preferred to let the licensed plumber who did the in-wall piping finish the job. If anything leaks later, it’s much cleaner for him to stand behind his work from start to finish and address it under warranty. It also helps with code and permit considerations on a full gut renovation.
Once the toilet and sink were functional, we pivoted again—this time to the closet. With holiday guests arriving and years’ worth of displaced clothing scattered through the dining room, garage, and kids’ bedrooms, we needed a functioning closet fast. We installed an Ikea Pax system over the week of Christmas, trimmed it so it looks built-in, and finally moved everything back in. It felt amazing to clear the dining table and reclaim our bedroom storage just in time for the holidays. We’ll post a full closet install and organization tour soon.
You might notice the same rug appears in photos of both the vanity and the closet. It’s a secondhand Turkish rug I bought on Etsy. It arrived quickly, feels beautifully worn, and adds warmth to both spaces. I love it in front of the vanity, but it might be even better in the closet.
We also checked off several finishing touches: new mirrors over the sinks, the arched mirror in the closet, a capiz chandelier in the closet, and a few plants and woven baskets to soften the space. Bringing in pretty elements is an easy morale boost while a room is still in progress.
Remaining tasks feel manageable. The current short list includes:
- Wire the vanity fixtures: We hung two fixture options and are deciding which finish we prefer before wiring.
- Paint the vanity: We may opt for a softer muted green instead of the current gray to warm the space.
- Hang towel hooks and art: We plan a combination of hooks over the tub and art above the toilet, after the tub is installed.
- Decide on a shower curtain: We’re leaning toward a curtain to add softness and texture (and to avoid another glass surface to squeegee), though a glass door could be added later if we change our minds.
- Hang and frost the bathroom door: Our 15-light glass door should arrive soon; we’ll hang it and add frosting film for privacy.
We’ll share a full budget breakdown and a complete reveal when the project is finished. So far the renovation has been straightforward—no major surprises behind the walls—and we’re excited to wrap it up.
If you’d like to see other makeovers we’ve done, here are a few favorites: a full bathroom renovation we did in our first house for under $2,000; a large kitchen renovation; a $51 guest bathroom makeover; a finished bonus room renovation; and the project where we painted our brick house white.
P.S. Read the first post about this bathroom renovation for the before tour and early demo photos, and the planning post for the floor plan and tile choices. Note: this post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.