Today I’m thrilled to hand the blog over to my sister Anita, whose sense of humour and eye for design always make for a great story.
If you’ve ever felt stuck with a space you can’t stand, Anita’s journey will feel all too familiar.
She’s sharing the real-life ups and downs of living with a bathroom she hated—and how, after years of dreaming and procrastinating, we finally tackled the renovation together (with a little help from our talented friend Jan Romanuk). Grab your coffee and settle in for a tale of timeless kitchens, stubborn bathrooms, and the joy of finally making your home work for you.
Below is a glimpse of her timeless white kitchen with blue subway tile that we renovated 15 years ago. Still hard to know exactly when it was installed. That is exactly what timeless means. Grab a hot (or cold) beverage, you’re about to be entertained.
My Bestie Jan Romanuk (who managed my renos too) | Maria Killam | Anita Junttila
The bathroom would have to wait
My outdated, falling apart, bathroom, was starting to affect both my mood and my days … and NOT in a good way. I would often declare to my family, my friends and anyone that would listen: “I hate this house and I want to move!”
I would pick apart everything that I hated about my home and the bathroom was at the top of the list. The ceiling was moldy, the paint cracking and peeling, the linoleum was curling up by the bathtub and the high pitched squeal coming from the cheap shower head, while I showered, made my head ache.
Aaron, my husband, and I started talking about renovating our bathroom soon after we moved into our home 20 years ago. When we moved in, the bathroom was painted a dusty pink, with cheap pink and white linoleum on the floor and a white vanity topped with a dusty pink, laminate counter.
It wasn’t that bad so I decided I could live with it as long as we could get the kitchen renovated first, because: more dusty pink with the same linoleum.
First: renovate the kitchen of my dreams
Five years after we moved into our mid century rancher, we renovated our kitchen. We knocked out walls, put up beautiful white cabinets and my favourite: blue glass subway tile for a backsplash. 💙 I was so happy! I loved my kitchen.
As the years went by, we’ve repainted our living room, changed drapery (three times) and added art. Huge pieces that cover my walls. Maria says my eyes are bigger than my walls.
I love my living room. From my vantage point on the couch, I can see my favourite piece of art, my kitchen and its gorgeous blue tile. On summer afternoons, when the sun shines into the room, it’s my favourite place to sit with a Diet Coke and a book.
Dreaming big about a new bathroom
Aaron and I talked about the bathroom often in the early years. We brought in contractors and got estimates of what it would cost if we renovated, and kept the same footprint. Ten years ago it was about 9000$.
One evening, over wine, we started talking big: do we knock out a wall? Make it one big gorgeous room with a stand alone tub? Why keep the bathroom the same footprint if we wanted to go big? So we waited: our big plans included our son’s bedroom and one of them had to move out before we knocked out walls and put a bathtub in his room.
The three older kids eventually moved out. We painted rooms, freshened up furniture, and repainted our kitchen cabinets. The bathroom? Nothing. We talked about it but it was easier to paint a wall, add art and buy new draperies for the living room. We would get to the bathroom eventually.
Ignoring the bathroom reno, temporarily
The bathroom project turned into the elephant in the room house. I kept the door shut and did my best to ignore it. I felt stuck. #IYKYK
Rusty water would bubble up from the sides of the sink so it was never white and clean. Bleaching the mold off the ceiling was a chore and in reality, it didn’t make a difference.
After 20 years, I was tired of talking about the never happening, never ending bathroom renovation. I was the person that talked big but no action. I felt foolish.
When people came over, I was secretly embarrassed about the bathroom. I stopped talking about it. I looked at real estate listings a lot. Moving was the new option. I decided I hated my entire house and we had to move.
Starting my bathroom renovation (finally)
I called Maria one day ranting about my house: “and I hate my bathroom!!!” I yelled. “I’m moving in with you!”
”You don’t hate your house, you hate your bathroom” Maria reminded me gently, talking me off the ledge. Maybe that day she felt sorry for me or she had finished a lot of her own renovations and needed a new project, I didn’t dare ask. But she said the magic words:
”I’m calling Jan. Let’s get this renovation done”
Two weeks later, we’ve made a plan, a mood board, and started picking out tile, a new vanity, and Jan has even gotten estimates from trades.
I feel like a load has been lifted off my shoulders. I’m excited, happy and Maria is right, I don’t hate my house. A bathroom I love is on its way. The Elephant is moving out.
Want to see my ugly bathroom?
Anyone else ever feel embarrassed by a room or a home project that’s been on the waiting list? 🙋♀️ Believe me, I feel you…
And that’s why I want to invite you over to my house! I’m giving you a up close (and personal) look inside my ugly bathroom. And Maria and Jan are there to talk about what steps to take FIRST, when starting a bathroom renovation project. It’s a must see (especially if you, too, have been waiting to get started)!
Bathroom Renovation: Start Here
Want to get a head start on your bathroom project? Click here to download my 5 must-do steps befor starting your bathroom renovation project.
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I just completed remodeling my two bathrooms with the help of my genius contractor. They were a disaster before I started (my washer had overflowed several years ago throwing me into overwhelm at the havoc it caused). I love interior design but have no experience in renovations. I think we did a pretty good job. Insights I learned from Maria were invaluable. Off white walls with robins egg blue ceilings. Gray and white Marble tile in a Moroccan design in the powder room and found an inexpensive (but well made) 30” slate colored vanity at Granite Expo. I bought the black apothocaire cabinet from Ballard Designs and loved it so much I purchased a white one for the master. I was able to pick up my 78” white vanity for the master online on sale for about $1200 is beautifully made(Ferguson Designs and also at Wayfair). I used a two-inch white hex tile I splurged on gold faucets in the master bath but was able to reuse the chrome ones in the smaller bathroom. I found inexpensive mirrors at Home Goods that work in both bathrooms…they have a pale gold beaded frame and work beautifully with both chrome and brushed gold faucets. I had thought about this remodel for years and had a pretty good idea what I wanted but, when we began, everything just seemed to come together. There was a lot of research on my part but I think paying attention to the details made the difference (countertop was purchased from Azteca Stone Works and finished with an ogee edge which really imparts a rich look, brushed gold faucets were expensive but worth it and the knobs from Etsy are a nice touch (the knobs that came with the vanity we’re too shiny). Another thing we added were built in ceramic soap caddies to hold the shampoo and radiant flooring in the master. I could hear Maria’s voice telling me to keep it simple, avoid trends and I found myself editing as I went along. The powder room took 7 days to complete, the master took 3 weeks. Thank you, Maria for all your articles and good advice!
Loved this video! I appreciate seeing the original bathroom. It’s important to see the before and realize we’re not alone! We had a similar situation _ a terrible bathroom that was falling apart. Then it flooded! I kept in mind Maria’s suggestions, hired a designer, went classic, and we have a bathroom that is beautiful and charming. Just need to add some art and paint.
I am curious why glass and not a shower curtain or shower door . I find open showers a bit chilly. But open looks fantastic!
Oh wow—this popped up just as I’m eagerly awaiting my own color consult results for a bathroom with blue accents! But wait… only the “before” photo? No “after” yet? You’re teasing us! The suspense is real! 😄