Welcome back to Make It Nice, Defector’s best interior design advice column. Today we have a bathroom color dilemma, a backyard makeover, and someone wondering if they’re DIYing too close to the sun.
GB asks:
I own an older townhouse type of condo in the southeast. So, heat and humidity are a foundational concern for the topic I'm going to get into. I've lived here about 3 years, and the room that has always driven me craziest is the bathroom. There is one full bathroom, and it looks like it was renovated relatively recently and not particularly well. I hate the shower and the sink and wish I had the budget, the time, the guts, or some combination to rip the entire thing out and do a full reno, but I do not believe I do.
Without the right mix to feel like I could completely renovate it, I decided a sort of DIY redesign and repairs could be good enough to keep me from hating it so much. I've already started on some wall repairs, but can't quite commit to it while the main ideas are still unsettled.
I tend to like more neutral colors as a base and then use art and accessories to throw more bold color in. I like color, but I am not bold enough to usually make it the big thing via the walls. But here I feel differently because of the huge amount of white, and my aversion to the gray that's already on the walls here. I already have a good amount of blue and green around the house. So, I wanted this to be something different, maybe brighter, that will go with green and blue and white without feeling overwhelming. I first started thinking of a light pinkish orange, some sort of shade that might be generally considered peach.
In short, I have no idea what color to go with! I hate red, and will ignore that, but other than that, I'm completely open to ideas. This room has no windows and no natural light, which obviously affects the look and feel. Then, I kind of want some ideas to finish it after the paint. I have a new shower curtain rod to hang, but other than that, nothing much else has been completely decided. I plan to leave the floating shelves where they are, but could change the location or what's resting on them without much issue. I want to replace the mirror, but also can't really decide on that; the current one is 24 inches high by 30 inches wide. The vanity itself is 30.5 inches wide and I'm not against painting it, although that hasn't been in my initial plans. The lighting fixture I would kind of like to replace, but again, can't really find one I like, and it might be more of a future idea. And finally, the wall opposite the sink is kind of boring, open space. I would like to put some art on it to give it more life and personality, but have never really researched what varieties of art or materials can stand up to the heat, humidity, and moisture of a southern shower in a small space.
Great news: Your bathroom is an excellent blank canvas. You can build anything around a plain white tile. I understand the crushing pressure of picking a paint color! It is the most important decision you’ll make for this bathroom because every other choice depends on it. I find that it’s easier to wade out of indecision when I can see a handful of options in front of me. It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure, but none of the choices are full commitments.
Below I’ve mocked up three different paint colors with important bathroom accessories. This gives us a sense of what the overall vibe can be in each scenario. The three color options I chose are: blue, teal, and the peach color you sent me. All three scenarios feature the same three-globe light fixture, a 24-inch round mirror, and a see-through shower curtain.
Collage links:
Paint colors: Stromboli Chess Club, Skywalker, Sun-kissed peach
Shower curtains from Quiet Town in Rose, teal grid, and chocolate grid
Mirror: Joss & Main blue mirror
Light: Shepherd Light (terra red) and matte white
I like all three of these, but I suspect the blue will look the best in this bathroom. With no natural light, the peach may read a bit dingy. The only way to find out is to order big stick-on paint samples and see how each color looks in the room. Start with 3-5 samples so you don’t get overwhelmed and stick to a one-in-one-out sample policy after that.
Now let's talk about the mirror and light. I took a risk with the light fixture since it’s technically red (though I’d argue it's more burgundy) and you mentioned you don’t like red. I just love how this color pops against the blue and the peach but still feels relatively neutral. If this were my bathroom, I’d install a mirrored medicine cabinet for some additional storage and move the light fixture up a few inches. If you don’t need the storage, go with a round mirror. I just think it looks better, especially with a colored frame.
I’ve professed my love for see-through shower curtains in this column before. I think they make small bathrooms feel so much bigger. All three of the options in the collage are from Quiet Town Home. Add a clear, heavy-duty shower liner for easy cleaning and to make it a little less see-through if you don’t want guests seeing all your shower stuff.
For the walls, you should consider replacing the floating shelves with something a little nicer, like these metal ones. I would wait until the very end to pick the wall art, but when you’re ready look for some ceramic pieces on Etsy.
I’ll leave you with this: The best thing you can do during a renovation or DIY project is make a collage of the things you like. It is so easy to do this in Canva or Miro. Both tools have decent free offerings (though I pay for Canva) and you can quickly get a sense of what things will look like together. This will make it way easier to decide what direction to go in. I’ll email you the link for the collage I made so you can tinker with it. Good luck!
Carla asks:
Since I bought my house two years ago I’ve been watching a lot of DIY content online, particularly on TikTok. I love watching folks work through their home projects and have worked up the courage to do a few of my own. I wallpapered my powder room a few months ago, changed out the hardware on my kitchen cabinets, and recently painted my bathroom vanity. These projects were so satisfying to finish, and I feel good that I’m learning new skills and making my home feel nicer. Lately I’ve been tempted to do something bigger. I really want to wood panel my home office like this. My dad thinks this is a crazy idea but is handy and offered to help me. I know it’s always more difficult than it looks in videos, but am I biting off more than I can chew? And more importantly, do you think wood paneling looks good?
This is definitely not an entry-level DIY project, but I fully support this idea. I too have seen and saved many wood paneling videos, including the one embedded in the link you shared. It’s not for everyone but I think it looks really cool! My partner and I also want to do it in our home office, but just to chair rail height.
I think it’ll be a pain in the ass, but you and your dad can totally do it. Doing a whole room is tricky because you’ll have to work around windows, doors, and outlets so just be super careful about measuring. Draw it out, measure multiple times, and go for it! Plan on using trim pieces or edge-banding in any areas where you’d see exposed plywood edges.
Paul asks:
My wife and I got a big tax return back this year and want to spend it on some backyard improvements. We spend a lot of time out there in the summer and early fall and often have guests over for afternoon hangs. We already replaced the screens on our porch and, with my brother’s help, built a nice fire pit area outside. We’re looking to replace the dining set and have two requirements: we want chairs (no bench seating) and no black/grey aged metal look. Any ideas?
Separately, I want to explore putting a TV on the porch but my wife says it’s tacky. What do you think?
I knew what my answer would be before I even finished reading this question. If I had $$$ to spend on outdoor furniture I would get this HAY dining set in “iron red” or “olive.” If I had a bit more to spend, I’d consider this yellow set from Neighbor. You’ve got great color choices with both of these brands, it just comes down to what style you like most and how much you want to spend. You really can’t go wrong here!
As for the TV… I don’t love it but I support it if you do!
Want my help? Email makeitnice@defector.com or leave a comment below.
