Our basement bathroom needed a change. After living in our house for nine years, the walls were still white, and I really wanted to update it with some of my newly acquired French décor. First, I decided on a dark plum color for the walls that would coordinate well with the current beige and cream tile work, as well as continuing the color scheme from our upper level. I chose to accent with white, in keeping with the French theme.

Once we chose our color scheme, my husband and I began to look at vanity mirrors and light fixtures that might work in our unique space, but were sorely disappointed in our options. Because of the pedestal sink, I absolutely have to have a shelf under the mirrored vanity upon which to set my curling iron and other toiletry items. It wouldn’t be safe to rest my curling iron in the sink!

After looking online and at several local retailers, we decided that the few options we found were just too expensive to justify. So I decided to investigate spray paint! I’m certainly no expert, but maybe you can learn something from my adventure. For about $16 worth of white and black decent-quality spray paint, I radically changed the look of my current fixtures.

Here are some “before” photos of the main areas.

These are the items I chose to transform: The brass and faux-wood light fixture, the mirrored vanity with a built-in shelf, an orange Eiffel Tower statue, and a brown metal bird cage.

I worked in my garage, which was a well-ventilated space. I covered the mirrors with cardstock and the electrical parts with painter’s tape or saran wrap to protect them. And I made sure to have plenty of space for the “cloud” of paint from the spray. Using several coats of paint for each item, I made slow, steady progress. I allowed the paint to dry for hours before applying the next coat.

Here are some “after” photos:

A friend found the large rectangle mirror at Goodwill for $10, and a large oval mirror at a garage sale for $6. The mirrors are on opposite walls, and help to distribute the lighting in the room so it doesn’t feel too dark for the space. For the rectangular mirror, I used some white ribbon and small clothespins to attach small greeting cards and a vintage handkerchief to it, and used a dry erase marker to write a French phrase on the mirror. I found a miniature dress form covered in French script at Marshall’s for about $9. By reusing items from other areas of my home and gift items from France, I was able to finish off my décor.

Since my decorating adventure, I have discovered a link on Pinterest that has some other great ideas for spray painting. You might find it helpful, too: http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/07/10-spray-paint-tips-what-you-never-knew.html

I’ve come to realize that you don’t have to break the bank to update your décor. With a little bit of imagination, an adventurous spirit, and maybe some spray paint, you might just transform a boring space into a wonderful retreat!