The Himpler Project: Billy + Ren’s Master Bathroom Remodel

Some of the most affirming and blessed experiences we have are when the opportunity to use our recently discovered gifts on friends and family comes along. Recently, Sean and I took on a master bathroom renovation project for very good college friends of ours, Billy and Renata. They opened up their home to Sean and asked if we’d take on the task of flipping their outdated master bath. Their goal: boring and dated to modern and trendy.

Before

After

The Fixtures: Bold, yet Classic

One thing Ren really had her heart on from the very beginning was gold fixtures. I had finished designing our first flip house, Project Gilpin, we chose gold fixtures as well. Sean and I absolutely loved how the gold metal brought personality and warmth to the flip house and we just knew gold would be a classic and bold statement.

In order to really capture the gold statement, I wanted the metal to be included in the shower kit, lights, mirrors, faucets, and vanity knobs. The vanity is the first thing you see when you walk into the bathroom so to incorporate lots of gold in many locations right when you walk in would be an eye catcher. I especially thought the overload of gold would be a wise decision because of the dramatic navy color Ren especially wanted in her vanity once painted. The contrast would be stunning and it certainly lived up to its expectations.

The Vanity: A Close Call

Renata and I had originally talked about heading to Lowes together to pick a paint color for her vanity. This plan was quickly spoiled by my inconsolable teething 2 year old who decided it was solely her goal to keep her mother chained to the house at which we were staying. Therefore, Ren had to color hunt alone. She had settled on a strong, navy color but like most people that end up face to face with the color wall at Lowes, all of a sudden she was faced with 7,000 different “navy” variations.

Before

We settled over picture text with a color called Narragansett Navy by Sherwin Williams; my mistake number 1. Instead of finding time to run over to Lowes to see the color for myself, I decided to commit to a paint color seen only through a distorted telephone screen. A few nights before the Himpler Project would be complete, I began spraying the prepped vanity draws after priming them with Kilz spray primer; mistake number two. I should have found a piece of scrap wood and tested the paint color, again only seen through the phone, on a test subject before committing to spraying an actual drawer.

After

After seeing how the Narragansett Navy looked in real life, I immediately hated it for this vanity. I remember almost crying to Sean before going to bed that night and feeling personally duped by this horrible color. The picture made the paint appear a lot more subtle and not so green in person! Yes, green! Sean enlightened me that he felt the color’s true identity was Electric Aqua. Luckily, a few sanding sessions and more primer gave me a clean start to try for a new color the next day.

I turned to the almighty internet to help me pick a navy this time. Within seconds, I was led right to Sherwin Williams 2020 color of the year: Naval. It was still a very bold blue yet undoubtedly navy. I was relieved to see a color void of any “electric” or “green” qualities yet would still create a modern and bold feeling in the bathroom. After a few spraying sessions and painting the vanity base, the draws were ready to be installed. 

The Shower: Unforseen Hiccup

Looking at this shower, you’d never know the hours Sean (and my Dad!) put into it. The two walls on either side of the shower were not even which left the couple with a decision: they lose six inches in their shower and get a straight across, clean cut door, or Sean builds the wall up on the left side to be equal with the right. The Himpler’s went with the latter because who would choose the smaller shower option, anyway?

Sean had to frame out, dryway, tape, and mud the new wall. Luckily we planned on repainting the whole bathroom anyway, so the new wall would be finished when the room was painted at the end of the project. Renata chose Decorators White by Benjamin Moore but had it colored matched in Sherwin Williams. The white made the new bathroom feel clean and bright which was a refreshing change from the previous eggshell, cream color. 

When Renata and I talked about what kind of shower tile she wanted, we needed to make sure it would fit in the budget and went well with the 4 by 4 square tiles on the floor and the bathtub. I knew a classic 3 by 6 subway tile would easily match and fit the budget, but the question was how to make it look modern and trendy. Immediately I thought of the unique basketweave pattern of laying two tiles vertically and two tiles horizontally next to each other.

This would create a nice texture to break up the subway pattern in the rest of the bathroom but still maintain its affordability. Sean did a fantastic job of laying the tiles in this new pattern especially since it was an FFT (“effing first time:” phrase coined by Brene Brown). Sean and I love using Brene’s catchy acronym for situations that scare us or give us great difficulty because it’s the very first time attempting a new skill or situation. Aside from his FFT, Sean absolutely slayed his first time laying a basketweave and penny tile custom shower amid natural anxieties. 

The Final Product & Reveal: Exhausted, Yet Satisfied.

The day before Sean and I would finish Billy and Ren’s master bathroom renovation, Sean received a phone call saying that he needed to be in Southern Virginia for the closing of our “Librarian’s Condo”  to sign the documents.

Sean was on day number nine of almost ten hours straight work days. He planned to drive the three hours to Norfolk, Virginia, sign the documents, sleep at our home in Virginia Beach, drive back to Northern Virginia to finish the bathroom remodel, and then drive the three and a half hours back home the next day with me, the kids, and Cooper (our dog child).

After a smooth closing and document signing meeting, Sean made it back the next morning exhausted but ready for the final push of the bathroom remodel.

Because my parents were so generous with their time and watched the kids, Sean and I were able to work together on the project for the last day of renovations. Amid tired eyes, third cups of coffee, and mundane playlists, we managed to create a beautifully modern master bathroom and happy memories with dear friends.

Ann | DESIGN