A few years ago, we bought an old colonial style farmhouse with the intention to remodel it into a modern farmhouse with an incredible master bathroom.

We finally completed the master bathroom project!

The house has good bones, big windows with lots of natural light, and a ton of character character such as the original hardwood floors and crown molding.

As much as we appreciate the character of the house, there are many aesthetic changes we have been making to modernize the space and make it match our style more.

So over the past two years, we’ve slowly been making it our own.

We made simple updates at first. For example, we painted the purple master bedroom walls a light grey color and changed the yellow great room walls to a bright white. In the last 6 months or so, we’ve started tackling some bigger projects.

If you’ve followed me on social media for a little while, you’ve probably read about the really difficult season of loss and grief we’ve been walking through after losing two babies just over six months apart. So I’ve really wanted to invest all the energy from pain to create beauty in other spaces of life this year — and now we are either renovating our old farmhouse into a dream forever house or getting it ready to sell. 

It is a beautiful home on an incredible property so we are torn on what to do with it. From a practical standpoint, we could turn this into our dream home. However, from a personal standpoint, the home just holds so much pain for us.

After suffering through two miscarriages, every room holds pain. I often lay in bed and think, “I slept so many nights in this bed as my sweet babies grew inside of me… and now those little babies are gone.”

When I walk into the living room, I don’t see cozy memories or the beautiful finishings. I see the couch I laid on in pain on as my body tried to heal itself. I see the floors I pictured our first, or second, baby crawling around at Christmas time. They just look empty

As beautiful as the rooms and old wood floors may be, they are also a reminder of pain. I feel like I’ve lived the same nightmare twice in this space so I think it’s only natural to want a fresh start.

We’re currently torn on what to do but we’re exploring our options one day at a time.

Anyway, this bathroom project has really given me something to celebrate for the first time in awhile and it’s so exciting to see this vision come to life. 

How We Made a Small Space Feel Big

The master bath area in this house is oddly small and there was a partition wall between the toilet and shower, which made the shower feel even smaller than it is (see second photo below).

Plus, we often joked Matt (6’5″) had to shower like Buddy the Elf because of how low the shower head was.

We explored the idea of doubling the size of our bathroom by knocking out our closets, located just outside the master bathroom. Instead, we chose to find some more cost and time effective ways to open up the space.

First, we took off the door and instead close off the entire area with a sliding barn door. Then, we cut the partition wall in half and replaced it with glass. This simple change lets more light in and makes the space feel bigger.

I’ve included some before, in progress, and after photos below.

Before and Afters

Budget For The Modern Farmhouse Bathroom Remodel Project

When I shared on Instagram, I received questions asking about how long this project took to complete. Many also asked if we did all the work ourselves and what it costs to do something like this.

As much as I’d love to take credit for all of it, we did not do all the work ourselves. We were able to hire an independent contractor, which was the most cost effective option.

This actually speaks to the budget, too. The budget varies based on the size of the space you’re remodeling, the finishes you choose, and who you hire. We knew that we didn’t have the time to do the whole project ourselves. So we began to search for options and we got price quotes from several different contractors.

We found that the most cost effective option was to hire a contractor who does all the work themselves. This is different from a contractor who hires sub-contractors to do the work. In fact, the quote from a contractor who hires subs was 3x more than the quote we received from a contractor who does all the work themselves. Labor is the most expensive part of this kind of thing! So we ended up choosing to go with the independent contractor and had a great experience.

Timeline to Complete The Modern Farmhouse Bathroom Remodel Project

The original timeline for this project was about 6-7 weeks. Once we got into the project, we learned the vanity would have to be custom made for two reasons.

1. I had a very specific vision of what we wanted and it was tough to find at big box stores.

2. The size of the area was unique. Therefore, most standard two-sink vanities we found would either be too big for the space, or awkwardly small (leaving just a couple inches of space on each side between the edges of the countertop/cabinet and the wall, which isn’t enough to put anything in).

Since we had a custom cabinet made, the project ended up taking a few weeks longer than we anticipated. Although our project took longer, a project of this scale would normally take 6-7 weeks.

you’re thinking about remodeling your master bath, measure your vanity space before you set the expected timeline for the project. Otherwise, you may end up with surprises and unable to use your bathroom for more weeks than you anticipated.

Finishings We Chose 

I also received several questions about the tile and finishings we chose, where we got them, etc. Honestly, I felt we chose the most basic options possible because I really wanted a clean and simple look in the space.

Anyway, we found all the tile at a local flooring store. Trust me, it’s nothing special and any flooring store should have these options. I included a breakdown on what to ask for if you want to create a similar look:

• Floor: Large white hex tile, matte finish Shower floor: Small charcoal hex tile 
• Shower wall: 8 inch white subway tile matte finish
• Walls behind sinks: White shiplap behind mirrors and white paint everywhere else
• Shower Head: Delta Brand Black Matte Shower Head 
• Sink: Faucets: Black matte faucets from Lowe’s
• Counter Top: White Quartz (Matte not shiny)
• Mirrors: 20 X 30-Inch Large Rectangular Wall Mirror

There you have it! The project timeline, materials, and all the inspiration you need to do your own modern farmhouse bathroom remodel. What do you think of the project? Are you thinking about remodeling a space in your home? Tell me in the comments below!