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Our Bathroom Before + A New Shower Head

by | Aug 5, 2016 | Bathrooms, Decorating Inspiration, My Downstairs Bathroom, My Seattle House

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Our Bathroom Before + A New Shower Head
Our downstairs bathroom before
This post contains a review in partnership with Waterpik.

We have quite a few projects to work on in (and outside) this house, but so far bathrooms haven’t really been on our high priority list. The lower level bathroom is the newer of the two and it is actually one I am more excited about updating because it will be the easier and less costly project. It’s nice to have easy projects you can do even just one weekend at a time so you can see improvements without a huge investment of time or money.

Today I thought I’d show you the before photos of this bathroom and give you a few thoughts I have for how to update it. Maybe you’ll have some simple ideas, too! I also will share a super easy shower head update we just completed with Waterpik.

Our Bathroom Before + A New Shower Head
Our downstairs bathroom before

As you can see, the bathroom started out as a pretty basic neutral space which has provided us a nice starting point. So what could we do to add our own personality? Since it’s the bathroom my son uses I want to keep it fairly masculine, but also make it feel welcoming for our guests who also use this bathroom.

We may paint the walls down the road, but because they are neutral they are easy enough to work with at least for now. The vanity is currently really dark and shiny wood with a granite top. If we decide to give it a makeover, I think it would probably be fairly easy to paint the cabinet or even just replace it. I have an inspiration photo below!

Our Bathroom Before + A New Shower HeadGo Haus Go via BHG

I’m envisioning a navy blue for the vanity to make the room a bit cheerier, kind of like the inspiration photo above. I think I’ll skip the wallpaper though even though it is cute because, you know, it seems a bit risky with a teen boy.

We plan to keep the flooring and shower tile currently in our bathroom for now because it’s a neutral toned marble tile, but I think a few accessories and a throw rug will warm it all up and give it more pizazz. We definitely plan to update our mirrors and light fixtures to change the style.

Our Bathroom Before + A New Shower Head

As you might recall from many months ago, I already completed one easy cosmetic update in one side this bathroom. Simply by adding the artwork, mirror and a little cart we were able to add personality to the space with very little effort.

I love that this bathroom can be cosmetically updated fairly easily. Since the bathroom already has all the basic plumbing in place, like the double sinks, shower and tub, other changes can be made more affordably. It’s fairly simple to update a faucet, for instance, but not as easy to add plumbing that isn’t there or isn’t located where you want it.

Our Bathroom Before + A New Shower Head

Recently Waterpik sent us a new shower head to try out in our bathroom. Literally within about a minute, we felt like we had a brand new shower! The one that was there previously didn’t have a functioning adjustable sprayer and we were not a fan of the wimpy water pressure so this was definitely an upgrade.

Our Bathroom Before + A New Shower Head

Our new shower head is the Waterpik Torrent PowerSpray + (You can find this one and other finishes and varieties like a handheld model at Target, Home Depot and Walmart for about $35).  As you know by now, I’m no DIY expert but this was a simple change even I could make without any stress or fancy tools. It literally took us 30 seconds to switch it out. That’s an easy project!

We put together a short one-minute video so you can see how really simple it was to install, and some of the features.


After testing out the shower head for the last week, here’s our review:

  • Innovation * * * * * (5 Stars)

    I love that it has 9 spray settings with up to 2X the pressure of its competitors, but it is also a water saving shower head (it can save .5 gallons per minute!) so it’s a budget-friendly choice.

  • Performance  * * * * (4 Stars)

    I love that it offers spray options because various people will be using this shower. A few of the settings didn’t seem to be as powerful as I would choose, but everyone has different preferences!

  • Massaging Power  * * * * (4 Stars)

    One of my favorite spray options was the PowerPulse Massage™ setting. While it isn’t quite as strong as I thought it would be, it’s still a great feature on a water saving shower head. It’s definitely a huge improvement over our old one!

  • Style + Design * * * * (4 Stars)

    I love that it has a larger 4.5″ diameter head and the sleek design with black accents makes it a great upgrade for a shower.

Have you updated a bathroom in your home? What are your most recent weekend makeovers?

Happy weekend, friends!



22 Comments

  1. Cathy

    I like the idea of a blue cabinet, too. And what a great video you’ve made!

  2. Taste of France

    There are so many technological advances in plumbing that save water and improve performance.
    I know they are rare in the U.S., but I really love a shower head on a hose that you can hook up on the wall. It’s the best of both worlds (fixed shower and a hose).

  3. Linda

    This shower head looks great! I’m sure we will be changing out some shower heads once we get moved!
    Thank you so much for all the great and fantastic tips! I hope to put them into motion soon!
    Blessings to all!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      You’re welcome, it’s great that such an easy project can make the bathroom feel more updated. Have fun with your new home!

  4. Sallie

    We’re just beginning to dive into a master bathroom makeover – so exciting! Having a good shower head is a HUGE plus for anything bathroom. You can almost forget what the bathroom looks like if you’ve got the right shower head! My favorites are the rain shower heads. Can’t wait to see your finished product!

  5. Missy

    Thank you for encouraging us to make even small changes to our home EVEN in the smallest spaces of our home! We just finished painting the cabinets in our master bath and changed out the hardware…quick, inexpensive and super easy but what a huge difference it makes!!! Keep up the great work you do! Love seeing your house transformed in big AND small ways!

  6. Ardith

    Love where you’re headed with project. While you won’t be using it for this bath, can we take a moment to admire that wall paper? It’s so marvelously kooky, yet not in an overwhelming way. Cheers, Ardith

  7. sharon makio

    Such a timely post, my shower head is a mess and was actually thinking of changing it but just hadn’t. I was wondering if Waterpik ships internationally.

  8. Jann Newton

    I love the idea of painting the cabinet navy! Your video is great, love the upbeat music!

  9. Jenny

    I love when you get a new shower head and it makes a big difference :)

  10. Deanna Rabe

    I recently redid my hall bathroom by painting the existing vanity, painting the walls and changing out the shower curtain. I moved some art work from other rooms in the house and viola! A new bathroom!

  11. Jill

    My husband and I have remodeled both of our upstairs bathrooms within this last year. It was mostly cosmetic changes, with both bathrooms getting new tiled showers. We did the work ourselves, as we are DIYers! One bathroom had the standard fiberglass tub/shower combo, and the master bath had a fiberglass shower stall. We ripped those both out, and tiled both, along with replacing the bath tub. It is a lot of work, and great patience is needed! We kept the toilets and vanities in both. Fresh paint on the walls made both clean & fresh. But my favorite in both are the tiled showers! We watch You Tube videos before any project, and my husband does his research! I am really happy how both turned out, and we did it all ourselves! It can save you a bundle, if you’re adventurous!

  12. Bonnie

    Hi Melissa ~ I think the navy cabinet would look great in your otherwise neutral bathroom. Congratulations on the new shower head, so much better. I live in a rental apt. and my boyfriend just replaced the one that was standard in my apt. with the Waterpik handheld model.

  13. Karen on Bainbridge Island

    In our powder room I was originally going to keep the existing vanity and paint it navy blue and go with antiqued brass fixtures. We ended up ripping out the existing vanity and put in a new one painted white. I did use all brass….faucet, lighting, hardware…and am very happy with the result. I may in the end still paint the vanity someday….love the nautical look of the navy with the brass.

  14. Linda P.

    It is hard to believe we are actually ahead of things on the home improvement front. We installed ours earlier this year and they are such an amazing improvement, both in function and in looks. So, yes, I agree—Waterpik is the best!

  15. Erica

    Your black cabinet is already nice, but I like the idea of a navy blue too! I’ve always been fond of nautical themes in the bathroom… it just makes sense for some reason (I guess because it’s the room you get wet in, haha)

  16. Morgan

    Excellent points you make here. We recently replaced our kitchen sink and countertop with granite, and I’m extremely happy with it! It really makes the entire kitchen look more updated, and it’s so easy to keep them clean. Thanks so much for all the info and tips!

  17. Christina

    Your Go Haus Go inspiration photo is a nice one. It’s great that you have a neutral base to start from and didn’t have to do much to overhaul the design.

 

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