Small Farmhouse Bathroom Remodel — How we did it RIGHT!
We dreamed up our small farmhouse bathroom remodel for years, and finally made it happen. Whether you’re looking for a timeless and practical, plug-and-play design, or just some ideas and inspiration, I’ll share all the details of the options we went with.
Our family of 7 shares one bathroom in our 1,700 square foot ranch. We tried to make it work logistically to remodel our bathroom ourselves for years, but we couldn’t. So we packed up the whole family and headed out to Utah for a 10 day trip exploring the Mighty 5 National Parks.
Meanwhile, a contractor came in and knocked out our bathroom remodel while we were away. This was definitely the route to go!
Oddly enough, when it comes to things like designing bathrooms, I’m in charge. But Joelle handles things like trips and travel plans. For months prior, I’d come to her with a new bathroom find, often to receive the lackluster response of, “Yeah, sounds good!” And Joelle would come to me with travel plans and AirBnB’s mapped out in her head, and I’d say, “Sure!”
We make a good team! And the one room of our house we never got to remodeling before moving into our foreclosed homestead property was our bathroom. We were ready to say goodbye to the wallpaper border, seashell sink, and old tile shower walls that were literally starting to cave in.
I’ve been dreaming of this deep green, vertical shiplap accent wall for a while now. Along with gold and black accents throughout. An elegant brass faucet on a new vanity with lots of character. And adding some fun splashes of color with wallpaper accent areas.
We’re by no means extravagant spenders, but our goal also wasn’t to stick within a budget. Our aim was to design a bathroom with timeless farmhouse charm that was also practical and functional. Being our lone bathroom, we wanted to do it right.
At roughly 7’x8’, it’s not a huge space. Many of the selections we made, like a vanity or light fixtures, also have smaller or larger sizes available to match your scale and needs.
That’s the background, so let’s get into our small farmhouse bathroom remodel!
How We Designed Our Small Farmhouse Bathroom
Vanity Area
It would technically have worked to fit a 60” vanity in our bathroom, but we’re so glad we went with a 48” to match the previous vanity. You can see from the before pictures that the vanity was about 8” off the wall prior, but we decided to slide it all the way to wall to create more space near the interior of the bathroom, which was another good move.
Vanity – We went with the Lala 48″ single bathroom vanity from Wayfair. The fluted front design adds a lot of character, and we liked the deeper brown color and how well it complements the green accent wall behind it. So far, we’re loving it, and the build quality is what I’d expect from a higher-end vanity. We got it on sale so it was very affordable. Another plus is the countertop comes with a side backsplash perfect for a corner install. We wanted something with lots of storage, and this fits the bill!
Looking for a single-hole countertop?One of my biggest disappointments with this vanity, and really most any vanity offered by Wayfair, is that they only come with a 3-hole fixture option. I love the practicality of a single-handle faucet. If you’re looking for a similar option with a single-hole countertop, this is another vanity from Willow that we were also considering. Or, Wayfair also offers this solid surface top option in single hole that I looked at.
Faucet – This Kingston Brass Heirloom vanity faucet felt like a bit of a splurge, but it’s really become the focal point of the bathroom, and we’re all loving it. It has a true high-quality feel you don’t get from the standard brand faucets at the hardware store. We went with Brushed Brass and I love the color contrast and elegant touch the white hot and cold labels on the handles provide. Probably my favorite feature is that the entire faucet head swivels, which is super helpful for everyday tasks—like hoisting a kid up their to brush teeth.
Light Fixture – We love the unique and attractive light fixture we found at Peared Creation. I was impressed to learn that each fixture is handmade to order in their shop—it’s truly a quality piece. We went with the raw brass which should develop a nice patina over time.
Mirror – The Sabine metal mirror in brass was exactly what I was looking for! I like the slim profile frame, and the arched top is a nice break from the standard rectangle, and it reveals more of the accent wall behind. The chose the 34”x40” size, which is larger than our previous 30”x36” mirror, but we are liking it. Being a large family with one bathroom, it’s common to have multiple people huddled around the vanity at the same time, so I wanted everyone to have mirror access. It doesn’t feel too large in the space.
Shower/Tub
Tub – Yes, we’re in the tub stage, and will be for a long time. I looked into deeper tubs, but in the end, with a young family, I stuck with a standard 16” height tub. I like that our littles can easily step in and out on their own. I’m also really happy with the overall design of this Sterling Ensemble tub. It has a built-in apron so water doesn’t just sit at the joint where the surround meets the tub.
Shower Surround – I wanted to avoid tile at all costs! Our old shower was lined with tile, and I can’t stand the ongoing maintenance with the grout. I also wasn’t a fan of the flimsy and bulky fiberglass surrounds. Once I saw the newer solid surface panel options, I was sold. We went with this FlexStone surround in Dune and love both the look and practicality of it. Because it’s flush to the wall, it’s easier to mount accessories like grab bars or hooks. Plus, it gives a higher-end look while still being relatively affordable.
Fixture – The Delta Nicoli shower and tub fixture does the trick. It was surprisingly hard to find a good shower/tub combo fixture in a variety of finishes, and this was one of the few options. We went with Matte Black and it looks and functions great. The removable shower head is a must for families, and it offers a nice assortment of spray options.
Curtain Rod – This adjustable and fixed shower curtain rod from Kingston Brass was a nice addition. We chose Matte Black to match the shower fixture, but it’s available in a range of finishes. It has a solid metal construction and we’re glad we went with a wall-mounted option instead of the pressure-fit style.
Grab Bar with Soap Holder – Also from Kingston Brass, we were drawn to the unique design of this grab bar and soap holder combo. It’s perfect for storing our shampoo and body bars we use in the shower. Our old shower had several grab bars and we got accustomed to having them. The kids use them a lot too with getting up and down in the tub. This is the only item in the shower we kept in Brushed Brass—I thought it would hide soap marks much better than a black finish.
Finishes
Flooring – Again, no tile! We weren’t opposed to it for the flooring, but also needed an option that fit easily within our tight timeframe. Luxury vinyl planks were the answer, and we went with ADURA Max Vienna flooring in Gray Marble. The 12”x24” planks give a pretty convincing, authentic tile look, and we love the light look it gives while still hiding dirt and dust well. LVP is completely waterproof and super easy for DIYers to install.
Shiplap – We had already installed horizontal shiplap accent walls in our kitchen and love them, but this time we wanted to go vertical! These 1×8 Primed Pine Shiplap boards went on perfectly over the existing wall.
Paint – We used Clare paint throughout the rest of our whole house and have loved it! Maybe my favorite part—they really don’t offer that many color options. Does anyone else find it overwhelming scanning through hundreds of colors in the store, all slightly different shades? Clare has already done the work of curating colors that work for you. The accent wall behind the vanity was Daily Greens, and the rest of the walls are in Whipped.
Wallpaper – We searched long and hard for the right wallpaper and fell in love with Hawthorne from Rifle Paper Co. It adds such a fun pop of color in the space, yet still feels super classy. We added it to a little recessed niche where a door used to be, and now we use to hang towels, along with an open shelf in our cabinet storage areas.
Funny story—when you click “Traditional” while looking for wallpaper, don’t assume you’re selecting the category of traditional designs. We did, and were shocked when we unrolled it the day we were going to install and discovered it wasn’t Peel & Stick. It still went on easily enough with wallpaper glue, but lesson learned!
Trim (Dark Half Tung Oil) – The wood trim on the niche and shelving area was finished with Dark Half Tung Oil from RMP Finishes. This is the same product we used on our butcher block countertops in our kitchen, along with most of the trim throughout the rest of the house. You can get the standard clear version, but the Dark Half version leaves a beautiful dark wood tone, it’s remarkably easy to apply, and it’s pretty well waterproof which is perfect for a bathroom.
Wall Accessories
Towel Bars – I liked the simple design of these Moen Arlys Towel Bars in Matte Black. I picked up an 18” bar for the back of our shower, and an 8” bar for a hand towel near our vanity. With the vanity moved all the way to the wall, the towel bar was now competing with the light switch, so 8” was as big as we could go. I’m not a fan of ring holders for hand towels, so the small bar was our best alternative.
Toilet Paper Holder – I had never been a fan of the recessed toilet paper holders, but this one both looks nice and saves space. The traditional type that sticks out is just so easy to bump and tear out of the wall!
Towel Hooks – I’m about as particular as can be when it comes to towel hooks—so many designs out there just aren’t functional. I wanted a wide, double hook that looked good and no towel would ever slip off of. I searched… and searched… until I found this towel hook and I’m very happy with it. We chose the Matte Black finish.
Bathroom Essentials
Toilet – This American Standard Vormax toilet was the clear winner when I was walking down the toilet aisle. I wanted a toilet with a traditional look—but not too traditional. This one offers the right balance of style and function.
Bath Fan/Light Combo – If you’re adding a fan/light combo, the Delta Breez was the right fit for us. Many bath fans look outdated right from the start, but this one is sleek, blends nicely into the ceiling, and the light is plenty bright.
Bathroom Accessories
Shower Curtain – We are loving the Thistle Shower Curtain from West Elm in Dijon! I had never really shopped at West Elm before (and honestly, we probably couldn’t afford to always shop there), but I was drawn to so many of their designs and loved that much of it is sourced fair trade. The Thistle Shower Curtain adds another fun burst of color and I love the mix of vintage stripes with the patterned bottom.
Trash Bin and Toothbrush Holder – The speckled Stoneware Bath Accessories from West Elm really caught my eye. We went with the Toothbrush Holder and Trash Bin. They were a bit pricey, but I love stoneware and how durable it is long term. These bring some nice touches of texture and style.
Bath Mat – Sometimes something just catches your eye, and this Woven Persian Bath Mat from West Elm was it. We went with Black. It provides a nice contrast against the light-colored flooring as has a super soft feel underfoot.
Towels – We picked up four of the Modern Threads Drucilla 6-Piece Towel Set in different colors. We love that they’re 100% cotton and the cobblestone weaving brings a fun pattern into the space.
Built-In Cabinets & Open Shelves
The bathroom had some very practical storage cabinets already in place that weren’t the most attractive. We thought about removing the cabinets entirely and just having open shelving. But there can be so many items in bathrooms that are nice to keep out of sight.
What we landed on was the perfect design compromise. The doors came off the top cabinet to make them open shelves with the back and side walls lined with our wallpaper. And then the bottom two cabinets stayed.
BUT, to fancy them up a bit, we made some simple vertical grooves down the face of the cabinet doors so that they matched the pattern of the vertical shiplap. The doors and some trim around the cabinets were painted our green accent. Then we added matte black hinges, and these brass cabinet pulls from Home Depot, and they turned out fantastic!
Hopefully this post has given you helpful ideas and inspiration in your own bathroom remodel. We’d love to hear about your project below!
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More Farmhouse Style and Project Ideas
- How to Create Your Dream Kitchen Remodel on a Budget
- We Chose Tung Oil For Butcher Block And Love It!
- Wood Soap Finish Floors (Authentic Danish Soap Finish)
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