Who’s ready for the big bathroom reveal?
As mentioned in Monday’s post, most room makeovers follow three main stages—planning and prep, larger upgrades, and finishing touches. Some stages take weeks, others can be done in a furious few days. This bathroom blitz leaned into speed without sacrificing charm.
- Prep and planning: brainstorming color palettes, shopping, priming, sanding, spackling.
- Bigger upgrades: painting walls, refinishing or painting cabinets, installing new flooring.
- Finishing touches: curtains, hardware, art, and accessories that add personality.
Day Three focused on those finishing touches. Below is how it all came together, with a few practical notes about materials and methods.
Ta-daaa! We made custom curtains for Granny’s window in about an hour using discounted designer fabric and no-sew hem tape. The result added instant warmth and pattern to the small space.
I measured the window and cut two fabric rectangles to size. I aimed for the panels to fall a few inches below the window trim, so I cut pieces 29″ long (measurement plus 2″ for hemming) and 31″ wide for a full, drapey look. After hemming on all sides the finished panels ended up about 27″ x 29″. A basic curtain rod and ring clips completed the installation.
Once hemmed, the panels framed the window beautifully. The cheerful pattern felt perfectly suited to Granny’s personality.
We also revisited one caulk seam where the vent met the new flooring; a small tidy of caulk makes a big difference. For anyone wanting a clean caulk line, a short how-to video is helpful.
Next came the fun part: accessorizing. We pulled many items from Granny’s own collection—emerald, navy, and violet accents that tied back to the curtains.
Fresh grocery-store flowers in a vase she already owned added life to the sink area. A small wooden tulip Papa made years ago became a sentimental focal point. Small, meaningful objects can have outsized impact.
We swapped out plain hardware for a painted navy toilet-paper holder and other small updates that made the room feel cohesive and fun. Note: lighting and camera settings made the floor look orange in some photos; one image accurately represents the true tone.
Cabinets received navy hardware and a fresh finish. We would have loved to add a faux drawer front in one spot but ran out of time—maybe next visit.
For art, we chose something meaningful: a printed 5 x 7 of Granny and Papa in a purple frame, plus a framed scrap of the extra fabric. Fabric behind glass is an inexpensive way to create framed art that can be swapped out easily.
A silver tray and a green vase that already belonged to Granny found new homes on the counter along with a basket for hand towels and a few small accessories.
In a tiny room we wanted to prioritize cheerfulness, so we stacked bold green and blue hardcover books on the toilet tank to bring color and personality. Granny loved this touch, especially the wooden flower Papa made.
Small updates, like a blue knob on the medicine cabinet, drew her attention and made the space feel thoughtfully finished.
We also addressed rough spots we found when we arrived. A simple update—removing old caulk, re-caulking, and touching up paint—instantly improved the sink area.
It’s amazing what a few days of focused work can do. We crossed items off our to-do list and transformed a tired space into something fresh and personal.
Completed tasks included brainstorming and shopping, spackling and caulking, rebuilding and painting cabinets, painting the room, fixing problem areas, replacing the floor, refreshing hardware, making curtains, adding meaningful art, and finishing with functional accessories. The final step was revealing the space to Granny.
Brainstorm colors & go shopping for accessories (Day 1)Spackle/sand/caulk everything to prep the room for paint (Day 1)Rebuild the cabinets a bit so they look more balanced (Day 1)Prime and paint the cabinets for a more updated and open look (Day 1 & 2)Paint the entire room, including the ceiling (Day 2)Fix a few issues, like a rusted duct and an old dingy corner below the sink (Day 2)Redo the floors, which were that old sheet laminate stuff (Day 2)Revive some hardware/accessories with a fresh finish (Day 2)Make & hang curtains to add some charm (Day 3)Bring in some meaningful art (Day 3)Add some functional/meaningful accessories to finish things off (Day 3)- Reveal the whole shebang for Granny (Day 3)
We captured the reveal on video, and Granny’s reaction was priceless. Below is a concise budget breakdown for the refresh:
- 2 quarts of paint (Benjamin Moore “Hint of Violet” Aura in Satin): $40
- Primer and cabinet paint: $0 (already owned)
- 30 vinyl stick tiles for flooring: $30
- 1 yard of fabric for curtains: $15
- Curtain rod and ring hooks: $18
- Wood for cabinet and outlet covers: $10
- Spray paint for hardware: $4
- Trash can, towel bar, soap pump, frames, basket, hand towels: $45
- Medicine cabinet knob: $1.50
- Flowers: $6
- Books, wooden flower, green vase, tray, and other accessories: $0 (Granny’s belongings)
- Spackle, caulk, paint supplies, hem tape: $0 (already on hand)
- TOTAL: $169.50
We didn’t plan the sweater match—Granny happened to be wearing it—but it made the moment even sweeter. Seeing her delight made the project worth every minute.
We were thrilled to do something special for such a kind person, then we packed up and drove home smiling.
Have you ever helped someone refresh a space? Did they stay out of the way for a surprise reveal or participate in the process? Granny gave us free rein and avoided the hallway so she wouldn’t peek, and we couldn’t be happier with how much she loved the result.
