Bathroom Makeover Madness: From Fluorescents to Fabulous

Let’s talk bathrooms—because in our new house, all three of them needed some serious love. We’ve got a half bath downstairs, a full bath upstairs with a dual vanity, and of course, the master bath. Each of these bathrooms had the same design disaster: drop ceilings with harsh fluorescent lights. And to make things even more interesting, the kitchen had the same setup! Needless to say, we knew this had to go immediately.

So, we brought in the pros to handle the demo and electrical work. They took out the old fluorescent lights, repositioned the wiring, and prepped the ceilings for the modern, stylish lights we had picked out from West Elm. Honestly, just saying goodbye to those drop ceilings was a huge relief!

For the vanities, we wanted something sleek but functional, and we found the perfect fit. We loved this gray, textured wood vanity with a crisp white top, so we grabbed the single-sink version for the downstairs half bath and the dual-sink version for our master. The texture on the cabinets adds such a nice touch of character without being over-the-top, and we decided to top it all off with a brushed gold faucet to tie into the modern lighting fixtures. The contrast of the gray and gold is just so dreamy!

One of my favorite details? The milk glass light fixtures. We chose them because they give off this beautifully soft, diffused light—no harsh, glaring lights to blind you when you walk into the bathroom at night. Instead, they provide just the right amount of glow, making each bathroom feel like a mini retreat.

For the kids’ bathroom, we went for a simple, durable vanity that could stand up to the chaos of little hands splashing water everywhere. We also wanted to keep the design clean and modern, so we found some sleek black-framed mirrors on Amazon. They added the perfect pop of contrast to balance the lighter colors in the room.

Funny story, though—we accidentally got shipped double the number of mirrors we needed! We only needed five, but somehow ended up with ten. After a couple of rounds of returns and dealing with two broken mirrors (because, of course), we finally got it sorted. The mirrors we kept fit perfectly over each sink, and they tie everything together so well.

The transformation of these bathrooms has been huge. Going from dated drop ceilings and fluorescent lights to bright, modern, and stylish spaces has made such a difference. Every time I walk into one of these bathrooms, I’m reminded that sometimes, the details—like a perfectly placed light fixture or a sleek faucet—make all the difference in turning a house into a home.

Now we just need to figure out what to do with all those extra mirrors!