Let’s Get Cracking.
Literally.
Truth be told, this project began with a DIY fail. Awhile back I noticed that our oversize, commercial-grade bathroom mirror was starting to come away from the wall, so I suggested to my husband, Dylan, that he simply drill through the mirror to secure it.
I Googled it.
He watched several “how-to” videos.
We even bought diamond tipped drill bits that were touted to work on mirrors.
That said, when we tried drilling it in, we ended up sending a huge crack right up the center of the mirror, which meant only one thing: time for a new home reno project! ( I swear I didn’t plan for this to happen...)
Once we started down the rabbit-hole of DIY bathroom designs on Pinterest, we were inspired by the statement tile walls we came across. Confident he could do tile work, Dylan read a few more online tutorials and we began gathering materials.
This time, the result was an epic success!
The Tools
For this project we needed:
backsplash tile that we loved (we ended up finding the perfect tile on clearance at Lowe’s- score!)
two new mirrors (I found a pair I liked at Home Depot, but one was missing the original box, so I got 50% off- double score!)
thin set mortar
trowel
grout
large sponge & bucket
grout sealer
tile cutter
silicone caulking
We also ended up replacing our faucets, drains & electrical wall plates.
The Process
Our old mirror with the crack in it
Setting the new tile
Out with the old
The first thing we needed to do was remove the existing mirror, which was actually the scariest part because it was huge and heavy. Luckily, the crack we created in the mirror made it a bit easier since it came off in two pieces instead of one. With the help of some shims to pry it from the wall and a few little prayers that my arms were strong enough to keep it from crashing on the floor, the two of us were able to successfully remove the old mirror. (It came off so easily I was surprised it hadn’t fallen off already!)
in with the new
Once the old mirror came down, we were able to begin tiling. I won’t go into the details of tiling (there are fantastic video tutorials out there that do a much better job than I would do!), but I will share a few install tips we learned along the way.
As you apply the grout, be sure to wipe away the excess as you go. If you wait too long and it dries, it takes a long time to get it off.
A. very. long. time.
Trust me.
After the subway tile went up and we let the grout cure, we added silicone caulking around the edges and a grout sealer to keep the mold & mildew at bay (which is critical here in Wilmington, NC where the humidity is high).
Then we were ready to hang the mirrors. After measuring and marking the wall placement (always measure twice!), Dylan got to use his diamond drill bits once again, this time without cracking anything— phew!
The completed wall! Painter’s tape marks mirror placement.
Dylan’s tile cutting handiwork
Overall, installing the tile was not very difficult, but it was time consuming. Dylan had never used a tile saw before and he picked it up pretty easily. He practiced on a few tiles first, and by the end was even able to tackle the super challenging space around the wall outlet.
New Fixtures
Our bathroom still had the OFs (original faucets— sorry, I think I’ve been watching too much of The Bachelor lately!) so we decided to give these bad boys an upgrade as well.
We found these gorgeous waterfall faucets on Wayfair, but the weird thing was, they didn’t come with a way to attach a drain to them. Thankfully, we found push button drains at Lowe’s that paired with the faucets, though they turned out to be more complicated to install than they looked. (Resulting in multiple trips to the hardware store, several swears words and eventually, beautiful new brushed nickel drains to match the faucets. I thought it was worth it. Dylan still isn’t convinced…)
The OF
The new faucet & push button drain
Worth It?
Any time you invest time and money into your home, you want the results to be worth it in the end. For us, this bathroom DIY project was definitely worth both. Not only are we loving our new space, these upgrades also add to our resale value if we decide to put our house on the market in the future. Though, after all the changes we have made to make our house our home, I don’t see that happening any time soon.
Feel free to reach out with any specific project questions or if you need some redesign ideas for your current space!
Until next time,
This is me looking very happy with our finished bathroom!