Before and After: My (New) Master Bathroom

I’ve been trying to get our new apartment decorated since we moved in a few weeks ago, but with being out of town for a week and some other stuff that’s been happening behind the scenes, it hasn’t been the quickest process. So, I decided to give myself a break and kick off the decorating in a place I wouldn’t normally start: the bathroom! Why? It’s small, which means I could get it done in a day or two and wouldn’t need to run out and buy a ton of stuff. Plus, my last bathroom makeover (at the old place) strangely ended up being one of my favorites, so I’m rolling with it.

I’ve teamed up with the folks at Boll & Branch, who make Fair Trade certified, 100% organic cotton luxury bedding, bath towels, and more, to share my new mini bathroom makeover. And since it’s spring, I’m throwing in my tips for refreshing your bathroom for the season too…think plants, flowers, and fluffy towels – oh my! Click through for the before and after.

Here’s a side by side before and after…

And here are the tips I followed to go from before to after. My master bathroom refresh for spring…

1. Remove what you can. One of the things I liked least about our bathroom, aside from the dark cabinets (which I can’t really do anything about in a rental), was the random placement of fixtures. So, Jeff and I removed all of the towel holders that were in awkward spots on the wall (we left a couple that were more convenient) and put them under the sink in a big bag, so we can put them back up when we move. They’ll never even know they were gone.

I patched over the holes that would be exposed and covered over a couple of the others with artwork. Super easy! Eventually, I want to replace the scones above the mirror too, but for now, they’ll work.

2. Refresh the staples. There are a few things in our bathroom that we’ve had forever (i.e. probably too long) that needed to be replaced. Specifically our mismatched towels, washcloths, etc. So, I switched all the old ones out for a big ol’ set (bath towels, bath sheets, hand towels, and washcloths) of Boll & Branch towels that all match! All their towels are 100% GOTS-certified organic with eco-friendly, non-toxic dyes and are made up of proprietary low-twist threads for maximum absorbency and durability.

My faves hands down are the oversized bath sheets – it’s like wrapping yourself in a giant blanket after a shower. But honestly, the entire collection is great – it’s all ethically sourced and really well-made (comfy and soft). Read more about the Boll & Branch mission right here.

3. Find a place for everything and put everything in it’s place. With all my makeup and skincare, it was easy for the counters to look and feel cluttered even when things were organized. So, I came up with a new little system for everything. The stuff I use multiple times a day could stay out, as long as it fit on the new shelf I installed or in my DIY makeup organizer. And Jeff could keep out a couple of his most-used items too. Everything else had to go in the drawers, or in the cabinets underneath each sink.

I strangely got really into the whole everything has a place thing – and even found a cool drawstring bag to store my curling iron and straight iron in. So, I was pretty pumped. Whatever it takes to get me excited for staying organizing is fine with me.

4. Add depth with artwork. With the changing season, it’s a great time to add artwork to a room or replace existing pieces with new ones for a refresh. I love having artwork in a bathroom because it can bring so much personality to an otherwise pretty bland space. Eventually, I want the artwork in our bathroom to cover the walls entirely, but this was a good start, with a staggered gallery wall.

5. Add foliage. Bringing plants into a room always makes it feel more homey, lived in, and comfy. So why not bring a few indoor plants into that bathroom too. I used a couple of my DIY planters to bring in some greenery and bought a large plant from a home improvement store to soften the back wall by the closet door. Fresh flowers are a great way to bring nature in too, especially for spring.

That’s it for my master bathroom refresh. This little project is getting me all kinds of energized for getting the rest of our apartment done. Which room should I do next, the entryway, living room, or master bedroom?

Oh, and speaking of bedrooms actually, Boll & Branch also has a really nice bedding collection, again thoughtfully designed and made with 100% organic cotton (and fair trade as well), if you’re looking to branch (haha) out from bathroom goodies. I have the hemmed sheet set in white. And they offer a 30-day trial period and complimentary shipping to ensure every customer is happy with their  purchase.

ANYWAY, enough of my rambling. Here are a few more pics of the refresh…

Have your own bathroom or spring refresh tips to share? Let me know what I missed in the comments! I’d love to hear any tips or tricks you have.

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This post is in partnership with Boll & Branch. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Paper & Stitch running.