One-Year Anniversary: Lilly and Markus’s Charming Powder Room Makeover

Last year, Lilly and her husband Markus spent their Independence Day weekend transforming a small powder room that connects to their bedroom. Now, one year later, we’re celebrating the finished space and sharing Lilly’s warm and funny account of the project. What began as a compact, dated bathroom became a thoughtful, midcentury-inspired retreat thanks to their hard work and a few clever design choices.

After living in their 1952 house for three years, Lilly was finally ready to renovate the tiny bathroom. The couple handled almost everything themselves: demolition, painting, tiling, plumbing, beadboard installation, and trim work. They turned what could have been a stressful remodel into a memorable Fourth of July weekend, tackling each task together and enjoying the process despite the inevitable challenges.

One evening Lilly spent time removing stubborn wallpaper. The paper had been glued on well and was difficult to strip, but with the help of a borrowed steamer it began to release cleanly. That step set the tone for the rest of the renovation: patient, hands-on, and determined. Removing the old finishes allowed the room’s bones to shine and opened up possibilities for a fresh, cohesive design.

Tiling the floor was a major milestone. The couple devoted a full day to mixing mortar and laying tile. They invested in a wet saw to trim tiles to fit edges and corners, cutting pieces precisely to achieve a neat layout. Not everything went perfectly—on one occasion they mixed a batch of mortar too thin and had to redo some work—but they persisted. After a few setbacks and a lot of elbow grease, the tiled floor was complete and sturdy, giving the small room a classic, durable surface.

Grouting was one of Lilly’s favorite parts of the entire process. It’s the moment when everything begins to cohere visually: the grout lines define the pattern and bring out the tile’s shape. She chose a medium gray grout to accentuate the white tile while remaining neutral enough to appeal to future homeowners. The gray created subtle contrast and kept the overall palette calm and timeless, a wise choice for a room that sees daily use.

The design direction was midcentury prep with nautical touches—an aesthetic Lilly liked without tipping into cliché. She balanced brass and polished chrome hardware with navy paint and simple rope accents to suggest a coastal vibe without making the room feel themed. A rope-framed mirror and chrome fixtures provided texture and shine, while the navy wall added depth and personality. The approach felt curated rather than literal, giving the room a stylish but restrained character.

Personal touches made the space especially meaningful. One wall features a piece that had belonged to Lilly’s grandfather; he displayed it with pride in his favorite chair for years. Preserving that item in the new bathroom created a connection to family history and anchored the remodel in personal memory. Lilly also rescued a built-in magazine rack from the home’s original architecture, repainting and reinstalling it to match the beadboard and trim. That little feature now holds some of her favorite magazines and serves as a reminder of the house’s original charm.

Lilly’s account of the remodel combines practical tips and an affectionate view of home improvement: invest in the right tools, expect hiccups, and keep personal meaning at the center of design choices. The project strengthened their skills and their partnership, and the finished powder room demonstrates how thoughtful materials and sentimental details can transform an ordinary space into something special.

We thank Lilly for sharing the story of her makeover and admire the way she honored family pieces while updating the room for modern life. Their one-year bathroom anniversary is a great reminder that small projects can have big emotional and aesthetic impact—especially when they’re done with care and a sense of humor.