A DIY Tile Accent Wall Made This Old Bathroom Feel Custom

A bathroom renovation involved major demolition because the existing builder-grade vanity area felt uninspiring. The tile countertop and floor, lighting, large mirror, and faucets were original from when the house was built 20 years earlier. The couple removed the tile counters and floors and removed the wall behind the vanity, salvaging the cabinetry. They replaced the tile countertop with a custom butcher block top, cut to size and fitted with holes for rectangular sinks. The butcher block was stained with Varathane Special Walnut and sealed with five coats of polyurethane for durability. A gray subway tile accent wall with matching dark gray grout added a modern look, installed with an adhesive tile mat, after patching a hole found behind the mirror.

"“The tile counter and floor, lighting, large mirror, and faucets were original to the house when it was built 20 years ago,” Leslea says. “It made me feel uninspired.” She and her husband, Nick, decided to bust up the tile counters, the floors, and the wall behind the vanity (they salvaged the cabinetry!) for a more contemporary look."

"The couple first replaced the chunky square tile countertop with a butcher block that they cut to size themselves, then cut holes for new rectangular sinks. Leslea stained her new counters using Varathane's Special Walnut before sealing them with five coats of polyurethane for an extra-durable, bathroom-friendly top coat. She loves the new counters. “This color is a beautiful neutral color that looks SO good on the sanded butcher block,” Leslea writes on her blog."

"Leslea's favorite part of her daughters' new bathroom is the wall behind the vanity, which she dressed up with gray subway tile and matching dark gray grout. To save time, Leslea applied the tile with the help of an adhesive tile mat. “We were surprised by a hole in the wall behind the large mirror, but were able to patch it before adding the wall tile,” Leslea recalls - a minor setback for a major design comeback"

Read at Apartment Therapy