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The First Home Flip | Main Bathroom Renovation

Updated: Jul 30



Our First Flip’s Spa-Like Glow-Up (on a stay-at-home- mom Budget) for our Main Bathroom Renovation


Let’s take it back to 2018. I had a toddler on my hip, one in the toilet (don’t ask), and two more kids zooming around with Nerf guns while I tried to make design choices between diaper changes and snack negotiations. It was chaos, and somehow—amid the breastmilk and baby wipes—we decided it was the perfect time to renovate our main bathroom. You know, for fun. Because sleep is overrated.


But first, let's see where things started!


This bathroom was dark, dingy, dated, and every other word with a d that you could use to describe this dungeon... Ok.. I'm done.

So What's The Plan?


When we first stepped into this bathroom, we were greeted by a door that swung open directly into the knees of anyone using the toilet—a design flaw that really sets the tone for a relaxing experience, right? Just ask Kody how it felt when he sat down to unload and then was blown over by a swinging door going 75 mph. We knew right away that things had to change. The plan was ambitious: knock out the existing doorway, tear out the hallway closet to extend the bathroom by another six feet (because in a house full of kids, storage is overrated—space to breathe is priceless), and convert the third bathroom closet into a 2nd shower. We also wanted to create a second doorway into the master bedroom so the space could pull double duty as both the main bathroom and a semi-private ensuite. When you’re living in a small home with what feels like 100 family members, you learn quickly that every square inch matters—and we were determined to make every one of them work smarter, not harder.



🛠️ Tools We Used for This Bathroom Renovation

Whether you're extending a bathroom, knocking down a wall, or just trying not to tile over your own foot—having the right tools is half the battle. I know tools can be overwhelming but always remember that you can borrow (thanks Alan), rent, or find tools for less at garage sales, marketplace, etc. If there is a cheap will, I will find the way. Here is everything we used to pull off this renovation:


🔨 Demolition & Construction

  • Hammer + pry bar

  • Utility knife

  • Dust mask + safety glasses


📐 Measuring & Layout

  • Tape measure

  • Laser level (or standard bubble level)

  • Chalk line

  • Stud finder

  • Carpenter’s pencil


🧰 Framing & Build-Out

  • Drill + impact driver

  • Assorted screws & wall anchors

  • Miter saw

  • Construction adhesive


🛁 Plumbing & Fixtures

  • Pipe wrench

  • Adjustable wrench

  • Plumber’s tape

  • PVC cutter or hacksaw

  • Bucket (for draining lines)

  • Silicone sealant + caulking gun


🔧 Tiling & Finishing

  • Tile cutter or wet saw

  • Notched trowel

  • Tile spacers

  • Rubber grout float

  • Sponge + bucket (for grout cleanup)

  • Leveling clips (optional, but SO worth it)

  • Sanding block or electric sander

  • Paintbrushes, rollers, and trays


🪛 Finishing Touches

  • Nail gun (brad or finish nailer)

  • Wood filler

  • Paintable caulk

  • Trim puller

  • Shop vac (because messes happen)

The Vision: Clean, Calm… and Covered in Tile


Back then, gray was the “it girl” of home design. Gray walls. Gray tile. Gray rugs. If it wasn’t gray, chrome, or pretending to be concrete, you were living in ancient times.

We wanted a bathroom that felt like a breath of fresh air. So we tiled the heck out of it.

We picked a porcelain tile from Home Depot for the floor and walls—because go big or go home, right? And to add some texture and not just slip around in style, we went with a hexagon mosaic tile for the shower base and backsplash. It’s subtle, modern, and just enough pattern to say, “I have my life together,” even if I was tiling it in mismatched pajamas with a baby monitor tucked in my nursing bra.





Let There Be (Ceiling) Charm

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I convinced Kody that the ceiling needed a little something, so we added beadboard paneling. It gave the room that farmhouse-meets-spa vibe I was going for. He doubted the vision at first, but I told him to trust the woman with the Pinterest boards and 63 screenshots on her phone.


Budget Breakdown


The entire bathroom came in just under $4,000 CAD, all in. That includes:

  • Tile (and a lot of it)

  • Drywall & Supplies

  • Lincoln Park Doors (Home Depot)

  • Beadboard paneling & Baseboards

  • Lighting (pot lights & chandelier)

  • IKEA vanity + open shelving

  • Shelf decor (also IKEA, because no one leaves without spending an extra $312 on impulse buys)

  • Homesense mirror, towels, bathmat, and plants (Hi, I’m Aimee, and I have a Homesense problem)


The Real MVPs: Tools, Grit, and a Bit of Comedy


Between trying to tile during nap time and balancing beadboard on our heads during the ceiling situation without swearing in front of the kids- this bathroom tested every ounce of my DIY patience. I slipped on that fresh tile more than once—and honestly, I’ll sacrifice a cracked skull if it means having a bathroom

this spiffy.



BEFORE


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AFTER


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Here for the Goods?


Click on the link below and visit The Deley toolbox:



Or Click on this link for all of the bathroom decor items:



Final Thoughts


This bathroom was our first big reno project in our very first flip, and looking back, it taught us a lot—about tiling, about budgeting, and mostly about how strong coffee and stronger teamwork can get you through just about anything (even when one kid is finger painting with toothpaste and another is flushing LEGO and I'm not kidding about this, pics or it never happened).



Thanks for being here and following along! More projects, chaos, and before-and-afters are coming soon!

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g with four kids underfoot, you can tackle your dream bathroom too.

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