Years ago, brass hardware in the bathroom would have disgusted me so much I would have immediately ‘fixed’ it by like, decoupaging pictures of N’Sync over it. But you know what? Brass never goes out of style. Wait, wait, I meant Justin Timberlake. Justin Timberlake never goes out of style. Brass definitely went out of style for a while there. But now it’s back in a big way.
How big? Well, Jennifer at Dear Lillie didn’t replace any of the brass trimmings in her bathroom makeover, and I didn’t even notice! Check it out:
Doesn’t it look so intentional and chic against the blue vanity? It’s a color called Kentucky Haze, and it accents the brass so well. She also freshened up everything else with a little paint and accessories, and her grand total, flooring included came out right around $300!
Ahhh, I’m still in love with black doors. Someone please come and help me paint mine. I’m serious. I need a group of 10 or more so I can actually get it done and not lose motivation halfway through. Maybe I’ll trick my friends and invite them over for a party and then be like, “Oh, I forgot to mention it’s a painting party! Wooo! Yay! Fun! Here’s your brush.”
21 Comments
Elaine - visual meringue
April 2, 2015 at 8:32 AMWow! It’s awesome! The brass really does work in there and a great example of ‘work with what you got’. Way to go. She should be really proud of that one! Thanks for referencing the colour too! 🙂 It’s the JT of perfect matches.
Marissa
April 2, 2015 at 9:08 AMAbsolutely LOVE this! Great job!!!!
Janet
April 2, 2015 at 9:35 AMShe did a great job! I may have mentioned this before, but I think that knobs (or handles) should be put on the faux drawer under the sink. Without them, it just draws attention to their faux-ness, or looks incomplete. When people turn dressers into vanities and the top drawer just becomes a drawer front, they don’t take the knobs off. In my kitchen, I have a tip down drawer so that needed knobs anyway. Am I alone in this? What do the rest of you think?
Lindsey @ Better After
April 2, 2015 at 12:18 PMThat’s a good point Janet! It would only add to the look!
Sage @ Plaster&Disaster
April 2, 2015 at 9:48 AMLove it! And I’ve definitely been tempted to have a surprise painting party before. I seriously consider it pretty much every time I invite anyone over, actually…the perils of being a new homeowner with a project list five miles long.
Lindsey @ Better After
April 2, 2015 at 12:20 PMIt’s so true! I have a couple of friends who have this group of friends called “Club Project.” And every month or so they get together and all tackle a project at someone’s house. I’m dying to get in on Club Project, but I live 2 hours away!
Sage @ Plaster&Disaster
April 2, 2015 at 12:30 PMClub Project sounds like such a great idea! I had a craft group with friends for awhile, but really I wanted us to be directing all that energy into fixing up my house… 🙂 Maybe I will have to reconstitute the group, with a new focus! (Another pro tip: trick your 22-year old sister-in-law into living “rent free” in your home for a few months, with a plan to extract significant amounts of manual labor from her.)
Autumn
April 2, 2015 at 1:21 PMI’m with you, Janet! Would love to see the hardware on ALL the drawer fronts, real or faux. I love the look of this bathroom — totally chic, like mixed metals in jewelry. This was done “just right.” I love the new floor, too. Have been thinking about covering up the hideous peel and stick tiles in our guest bathroom — every time I see a transformation like this, I am inspired. Although I am sure that once the floor is done, the walls, vanity, etc. will not be “good enough.” Come to think of it, that’s probably why I haven’t started; I know that it will not be just one job, but a complete overhaul!
The Office Stylist
April 2, 2015 at 1:35 PMWhat a transformation! I love how modern and chic the space looks now. P.S. Totally loving the brass detailing.
Shelly
April 2, 2015 at 1:46 PMI am swooning over this make-over!!!!! Just gorgeous!!
khadija
April 2, 2015 at 2:53 PMI would come help paint your doors but I’m sanding my ceilings. LOL I still don’t like brass myself. I spray painted all of our brass doorknobs with that new rustoleum paint that has an awesome metallic finish. I did it in a dark metallic color, I forget the name… But I love how they turned out until I can get what I really want.
Lindsey @ Better After
April 2, 2015 at 6:37 PMI bet it was Oil Rubbed Bronze. That is gorgeous too!
Jenny B.
April 2, 2015 at 3:13 PMLooks great! Brass is definitely making a comeback. I heard somewhere that if you want something to stand out less in a room, you should add more of it, and then it will either fade into the background or look more intentional. I tried that in our hall bath. I didn’t like the builder oak vanity, but I wasn’t ready to paint it or replace it, so I added more wood accents around the room (a wooden lamp, a glass canister with a wood top, a wood picture frame, a rattan basket that was a similar color). It totally worked! I’d still like to paint the vanity, but it really doesn’t stick out like it did before. 🙂
Lindsey @ Better After
April 2, 2015 at 6:37 PMOoh, i hadn’t considered that before! I love that trick!
LeeAnn
April 2, 2015 at 5:03 PMThat blue cabinet and the black door are just gorgeous!
Marci
April 2, 2015 at 8:30 PMAs a rule, I hate brass. I don’t like warm tones in general, but I recognize that it’s important to put some of them in a room to keep things in balance. Otherwise, a room with all cool tones feels cold. (Even in hot Phoenix, a cold room isn’t a good thing.)
The tones in the before picture were all warm, and now that the walls and vanity are painted cool grey and blue, they contrast with the warm brass and make the whole room more balanced. Anyway, that’s my best guess as to why I suddenly LOVE the brass in this room. Absolutely beautiful makeover! I think this is one of my favorites ever.
Pi
April 3, 2015 at 1:47 AMI love the sky blue tone to tune bathroom furniture . As always , an excellent choice Lindsey.
Happy Easter
Pi
Erica
April 3, 2015 at 6:47 AMWow! I love it!!! Gave me great tips to make my condo look a lot nicer with little budget. My condo’s got lots of brass hardware, which I didn’t like… but look at this! I changed my mind. Brass hardware can look good! Thanks for introducing us beautiful DIY everyday. Love your blog 🙂 The color of “Kentucky Haze” gives Kentucky beautiful image too. I thank person who named it. ( and yes, I live in Kentucky!)
Kelly @ Turned up to Eleven!
April 3, 2015 at 7:23 AMYou are SO right – I was just thinking about this yesterday .. looking at my silver hardward and light fixtures in the bathroom and wishing they were gold… I’ve also started wearing more gold/brass jewelry again. Who am I? My 9th grade self??? #ILoveThe90s
Tammy K
April 3, 2015 at 10:15 AMI painted all my doors black, and I absolutely LOVE them now! It just makes things look so crisp and clean and finished. But you’re right, it took a sweet forever…I painted all 10 of them in one day…took about 8 hours, but totally worth the time investment.
nelly
April 5, 2015 at 5:45 AMI would totally help you paint your doors.