I appreciate all the kind comments about the simple makeovers we’ve been sharing around the house. Today I’m following up on our bathroom makeover reveal to answer some of the more specific questions you asked.
If you missed the reveal post with all the bathroom makeover details, you can see that here.
Many of you asked about the vanity and the stencil, so I’ll share a few more details and helpful tips.
First, here’s the bathroom before the refresh.
Painted vanity details
We used Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in the color Bergere on the vanity. It’s not chalk paint, but it produces a similar cottage, antique-furniture feel. Our prep was minimal: we thoroughly cleaned the cabinet, taped off the counters, removed the hardware, and applied several coats of milk paint.
Because the original finish was very glossy and the vanity has many ornate details, we skipped sanding to avoid extra work. Sanding would likely improve adhesion and smoothness, but instead we mixed in a Miss Mustard Seed bonding agent to help the paint grab the surface. In other projects, like a wood armoire painted Marzipan, sanding wasn’t necessary and the paint adhered well even without bonding agent. Results can vary depending on the underlying finish.
There are helpful resources from the paint maker about surface preparation, mixing colors, techniques, and finish options. We haven’t applied a topcoat yet, but we plan to add a finishing coat soon to protect the surface and even out the sheen.
Stencil details
The walls are painted Simply White by Benjamin Moore, the same white used throughout much of our upstairs. For the accent wall we used a hand-drawn style stencil painted in Night Sky Grey by Glidden. The stencil has a relaxed, imperfect look that mimics wallpaper without the commitment or need for perfectly smooth walls.
My husband handled the stenciling—he’d never done it before and found the process straightforward. The stencil included clear instructions and we used round stencil brushes for the paint application. Because the pattern is intentionally imperfect, lining up the pieces is forgiving and easy to match into a continuous design. Small areas around outlets and switches were touched up by hand where the stencil didn’t fit precisely.
We stenciled only the one wall for a focal point, but the pattern could easily be applied around the room if you prefer a more dramatic look. One of the great benefits of stenciling is that it gives the effect of wallpaper on a budget and can be painted over later if you want a different style.
The finished wall adds personality without a large expense or permanent change, and it blends well with the painted vanity and simple white walls.
I gathered a selection of stencil and wall decal ideas to help inspire others who want a similar look.
If you missed the full reveal with all the bathroom makeover details, click HERE.