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Pink bathroom fans, please sit down before reading any further. I’m going to disappoint you; I know this, because I’ve already disappointed so many, but I have to live my life. And a pink bathroom just didn’t fit into the equation anymore. For years, I leaned into my retro, Pepto-tinted bathroom; I sought ways to make its funkiness work for me. Then, one afternoon, a wall of tiles fell down.
And I still spent the better part of a year with a sheet of vinyl covering them, hoping I could come up with a fix. The tiles were too damaged—the bathroom, built in 1947, needed a total gut job, contractors told me. The plumbing was loud and leaky, the electrical was far from being up to code, there was questionable mold behind those remaining, bulging tiles.
So, after getting a series of terrifying price quotes, figuring out where to save (subway tile and standard-issue-yet-modern-lined Kohler tub and toilet!) and where to splurge (a fun-yet-storage-friendly vanity mirror and tile patterns that infused the room with a much-needed jolt of personality), we took the plunge. We chose a contractor through Home Depot—not only was this one of the most affordable (yet above-board) options, it came with an extensive one-year warranty to fix any issues that arose and had great reviews.
From there, we shopped, ordering everything and having it sent to the contractors’ office or our garage. Here’s what we ordered:
- Wall tile: Seaside Polished Ceramic Tile
- Floor tile: Avani Gray Porcelain Tile
- Bathtub: Kohler Elmbrook in White
- Toilet: Kohler Elmbrook Elongated Toilet in White
- Toilet Paper Holder: Moen Genta Pivoting Toilet Paper Holder in Matte Black
- Faucet: Moen Genta Widespread Bathroom Faucet in Matte Black
- Shower head/Bathtub Faucet: Moen Genta in Matte Black
- Vanity: Sedona 37-Inch Vanity in Fawn Gray with Natural Marble Top
- Medicine cabinet: Jacuzzi Frameless Medicine Cabinet with Round, Double-Sided Mirror
- Sconces: Bellevue Dimmable Armed Sconce
- Towel hooks: Matte Black Towel Ring
- Shower curtain rod: Squared Away NeverRust Matte Black Curved Tension Rod (I chose a curved style because it gives the illusion of a more spacious shower.)
- Shower curtain: The Company Store Wildflower Sateen Curtain
The contractors took care of the rest, filing the permits, tearing things down to the studs, calling in licensed electricians and plumbers to rewire and plumb the place, installing everything, tiling and painting. In just a couple weeks, the project was finished. It was relatively stress-free…aside from the $20,000 price tag. Ouch.
I feel the need to share this number because I definitely believed it’d cost $5,000 to $7,000 max. It doesn’t help that the permits alone in my area cost $2,000+, but still, I was stunned when six quotes came in, ranging from $10,000—for an unlicensed guy in an unmarked van who told me he was late because “he cut a gas line at his previous job, but he lit a match and nothing happened, so it’s all good”—to $40,000 for an Instagram-famous reno company that asked me if I could “leave the house for two months” while they worked, because they prefer the homeowners aren’t present as they renovate. It was a wild journey, but given the fact that all of the plumbing and electrical was bad—and I had about two inches of cement behind those tiles to tear through—I didn’t feel confident attempting this as a DIY project.
I’ll miss the pink bathroom, and given the range of “nooo” reactions I got on social to the big reveal, I know many people will too. But I love the sea glass green bathroom, and until we sell this place, nobody else has to like it. (As a chronic people pleaser, that’s far easier typed than lived out, but I’m working on that.)
