Nesting With Grace

by Brooke Christen

Our Colorful Basement Bathroom Remodel

September 24, 2026

The bathroom definitely had a much darker, moodier look before, but the biggest reason we decided to remodel it was actually the tile. The existing tile hadn’t been sealed properly, and it looked dirty no matter how much we cleaned it. At that point, there really wasn’t a good fix. The tile needed to be ripped out. And if we’re ripping out tile… you know how that goes. It quickly turned into the perfect excuse to rethink the whole bathroom.

Design Plan

Sources

Bathroom Before

I was also ready to move away from the dark walls, dark countertop and overall heavier feel of the space. Since this is a basement bathroom without a ton of natural light, I wanted the new version to feel completely different. Lighter, brighter, happier and full of color.

Bathroom After

We ended up mixing buttery yellow tile, a soft blue vanity, a deep green mirror, vintage-inspired chrome fixtures and a few playful pops of color and I love how it all came together!

Starting With Color

Instead of choosing one statement color and keeping everything else neutral, I decided to layer several colors throughout the room. And I think that’s what makes this bathroom so fun! We don’t need a shower curtain with our glass enclosure, but I love the pattern, texture and color it adds. Plus, it gives a little extra privacy when multiple people are getting ready at once!

The soft buttery yellow wall tile was the perfect starting point. It brings so much warmth into the space without feeling overly bright. We added a blue cabinet above the toilet in the same color as the vanity for extra storage and to carry that pretty blue color throughout the room.

Blue cabinet // Stripe Tray // Art // Frame

The Blue Vanity

I knew I wanted to bring color into the vanity instead of doing another natural wood or white cabinet.The soft blue feels fresh against the yellow tile and gives the bathroom so much personality without being overwhelming. I paired it with a white countertop and chrome fixtures, which add just the right amount of shine.
Light Fixture // Sink Faucet // Hand Soap Dispenser // Switch Plate // Canister

The Green Mirror

And then there’s the green mirror! This might be my favorite detail in the entire bathroom. I love the deep green color and the textured, almost scalloped frame. It’s one of those pieces that makes the whole room feel more interesting. It’s a good reminder that a bathroom mirror doesn’t have to be boring!

Vintage-Inspired Fixtures

I wanted the fixtures to feel like they had a little character too, so we went with more traditional, vintage-inspired shapes rather than super modern fixtures.

Light Fixture // Sink Faucet // Hand Soap Dispenser // Switch Plate // Canister

The chrome shower is especially pretty against the yellow tile. I love that it’s functional but also feels like part of the design.

The Checkerboard Floor

I knew I wanted the floor to be fun, but I didn’t want traditional black and white checkerboard.

Using blue, green and white gives us that classic checkerboard look with a softer, more playful twist. It also does such a good job of pulling all of the colors in the bathroom together.

The floor colors look so good against the white and blue honeycomb tile, tying all the colors in the bathroom together.

It’s All in the Little Details

The green and sheep patterned towels and that little pink stool bring even more color into the room.

I especially love the pink because it’s completely unexpected. There isn’t a lot of it, but that one little pop keeps the room from feeling too coordinated.

On the shower ledge, we kept everything looking neat with matching amber bottles for our personal care products, then added a cute little trinket tray with soap for a pretty, collected touch.

These are also the easiest things to change later. The permanent pieces give us a really fun foundation, but I can swap towels, rugs and accessories whenever I want a slightly different look. Towel Hooks // Towels // Shower Curtain

Peacock Toilet Paper Holder // Vanity // Stool

A Basement Bathroom That Doesn’t Feel Like a Basement

My favorite part is how much better it fits the rest of our basement now. The color, pattern and playful details feel so much more like the vibe we have throughout the rest of the space.

I think that’s my favorite part of this remodel. It doesn’t feel like we treated the basement bathroom as an afterthought. If anything, being a smaller tucked-away space gave me permission to take a few more chances than I might have in a main bathroom.

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