Finally! My most highly anticipated blog post yet – and my most favorite to write and create. Bringing you a #gracefulandfreehome classic with our Master Bathroom Transformation Reveal. Back in April, J and I had some major work done on our home. And while for a week we spent the night on a mattress in the middle of the empty living room, while living out of boxes thrown in storage, I would definitely have to say it was ALL WORTH IT! As we now have the master bathroom of our dreams – and I am so excited to share it with you. So finally unveiling, #gracefulandfreehome and our Master Bathroom Transformation.

#gracefulandfreehome

J and I custom-built our home at the ripe-young age of 22 and 23. We had been married for just about a year and no longer could manage living in a 700 sq. foot apartment. We found the perfect area, one where you can hear all the birds in the morning and the frogs and crickets at night. Surrounded by deer with the most beautiful views of sunrise, sunset and an encompassing blanket of stars at night. There were so many things we loved about our house, but while making house-building decisions at 22 and 23, we definitely went with the bare minimums for our master bathroom.

Throughout the last several years, my heart has desired a major change within this space. Between a VERY busy schedule, multiple outfit changes per day (barre – teacher – practice), and very little time actually spent at home (assuming a before Covid schedule that is) our master bathroom felt chaotic and overwhelming. My heart desired a space where I could refresh and unwind in peace. My soul, mind, and body craved a place where I could retreat, a place where a bathroom meets a spa. And that my friends, is what this master bathroom transformation is all about.

The Before

I truly apologize for the raw and unedited photos you are about to see documenting the BEFORE of our Master Bathroom Transformation! Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures until the very last moment and that also happened to be when all of our stuff was in the bathroom – to be loaded into the storage above the garage, since we were getting brand new floors throughout our home during this same time! Secretly, I feel like the level of chaos and clutter in these frames to follow only go to show just how amazing our Master Bathroom transformation truly is! However, please note, viewer discretion advised!

Phew! That is over with. Now, please don’t hold those images against me. But now, for the moment you have all been waiting for, the AFTER pictures of our master bathroom reveal. So, so excited to see what you think of how this space was transformed! Real quickly though, now is probably a really good time to share that the work of the demolition, shower and tub install were the handiwork of the amazing (and local) contractor we hired – Armando and his fantastic crew. We seriously were absolutely blown away by his work and if you are local to the Woodstock, GA area I will gladly provide his information. Also, may I quickly add – this post is not sponsored, however there are links within that if purchased from, I do receive a small commission. As always, I greatly appreciate your support here at gracefulandfree!

After

My heart is SO happy with our master bathroom transformation. And I want this post to be helpful and inspirational for YOU to help ensure that all your spa-worthy master bathroom dreams can come true! So below is a MUST-READ list of 8 Ways to Transform Your Master Bathroom.

Master Bathroom Transformation Tip #1. Fresh Paint

Master Bathroom Transformation tip number 1 = fresh paint! Fresh paint is an absolute must. In order to reach the bathroom of our dreams, not only did we freshly paint the walls, but I also spent the weekend before the demolition began painting the cabinets. Our cabinets were an original dark oak and I updated the color theme with painting the cabinets Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl. This is the same paint color used for our kitchen cabinets as well! Our walls are painted Sherwin Williams Alpaca and the shiplap wall is Sherwin Williams Alabaster.

Master Bathroom Transformation Tip #2 Update the fixtures

A very simple way to transform your master bathroom is to update the fixtures. Yes, I am talking plumbing, as well as lighting and even hardware. Since our original garden tub and shower insert were getting completely demolished – we took this time to update the fixtures for the bath and shower. Furthermore, I thought it would be a sweet touch to match our sink faucets and vanity lights as well. Our builder grade designs were bronze and now, in our newly revamped, spa-like master bathroom our fixtures our matte black. Also – quick secret – all our lights and fixtures came from Amazon. (Crazy I know!) We found the most affordable options via Amazon and have absolutely loved how they have turned out. Plus, they work great!

Another quick little touch that is super easy is to change out the hardware on the cabinets. Since I painted the cabinets a lighter grey, I found super cute cabinet knobs from (YES!) Amazon and have been very happy with my selection.

Master Bathroom Transformation Tip #3 Ditch the Mirror

As soon as J and I committed to the shower remodel (it started out as just upgrading our shower, but I can be very convincing and ended up with my dream master bathroom), I knew I had big plans for this space. I had a very clear vision of exactly how I wanted this spa space to look and feel. To make that happen, a super easy master bathroom transformation includes ditching the obnoxious full-wall length mirror and replacing it with two matte black pharmacy mirrors that are absolutely perfect. I spent significant time shopping around for these mirrors and settled on these mirrors from Joss + Main and I could not be happier! Plus, they were very easy to install!

Master Bathroom Transformation Tip #4 Add Subway Tile

It’s funny. You know how you can be at a nice hotel or resort and you fall in love with the shower and think to yourself “If only this could be my shower back at home” well friends, that is now our shower. In fact, on our first trip together after the master bathroom remodel, we both were instantly underwhelmed at the bathroom of our Airbnb. So what do you need for a shower to completely blow you away, well subway tile works wonders. Not only did we select the 3 x 6 subway tile from Home Depot (which is super cheap by the way) we also decided to create a statement floor using the abstract tile shown below. The shower fixtures are from Amazon and the shower door is a custom-build from a local shower door designer! We are completely in love with how this turned out. For the grout we decided to go with 3/8th thickness and used midnight black grout color. Bonus points to the rainfall shower head we ordered from Amazon that definitely sealed the deal on this spa-like bathroom experience.

Shop the Shower

Master Bathroom Transformation #5 Fresh Linens

One of the things I was looking forward to the most with our new master bathroom was ditching our old, have been used for 7 years, bathroom towels for brand new Pottery Barn Classic towels. I had actually done a google search on what were the best bathroom linens and an article had ranked Pottery Barn pretty high. So I thought, what defines your late-twenties more than finally upgrading to Pottery Barn linens – and my goodness gracious they are absolutely amazing. So so soft and cozy! And so fresh, and so clean!

Master Bathroom Transformation Tip #6 Shiplap Wall

You might have caught earlier how this entire master bathroom transformation started out as a simple shower upgrade. Well, you can read on below for how I master-minded this stand-alone tub! Another cornerstone of my vision for this master bath space included an accent wall by the tub! J and I installed our own shiplap downstairs in our dining room several years ago and love the texture and charm it brings. Sure enough, adding shiplap to this soaking tub space is quite charming. For materials, we went to Home Depot and used the outdoor siding material, politely asked for the employee to cut the siding in half, and then Armando installed it for us himself – and did a remarkable job! As mentioned earlier, the shiplap is painted Sherwin William’s Alabaster. Now, let’s get to my most favorite part of the entire room. The tub!

Master Bathroom Transformation Tip #7 Soaking Tub

So as I have alluded to throughout this entire post, the master bathroom transformation began just as a shower remodel. Well, knowing secretly that my dream bathroom had to include a stand-alone tub, I proposed to J that it only made since for the garden tub to be demoed at the same time our shower was demoed. And when I brought my vision to Armando, he absolutely supported my decision, reminding J that a happy wife means a happy life! And of course, knowing that we were completely replacing the floors, that also made the decision more simple for us. And soon after, I very quickly found a tub from Wayfair (that really wasn’t crazy expensive) and ordered it the same day. Quick note about Wayfair – they were wonderful and their customer service was superb. The tub actually arrived a few days later than it was scheduled for, and Wayfair automatically issued a credit for the inconvenience. Now, the most expensive part was definitely the plumbing as we had to hire a plumber to set everything up for us, but in the end it has absolutely been worth it as this is my favorite corner of our home!

Shop the Tub

Master Bathroom Transformation Tip #8 Statement Florals

Finally, the eighth way to transform your master bathroom into a spa-like retreat, incorporate statement florals. Florals for the wall and florals for the shelves. My favorite floral wall art can be found through this adorable Etsy shop. And the stunning floating frames a great deal from Target. Additionally, the hanging button plant on the floating shelves (From Afloral!) is a sweet find inspired by Pretty in the Pines, whose home is absolute inspiration. The sweet fern on the counter top was another Target find that I feel just adds the best touches to the space. When in doubt – add florals.

Shop Florals

Well friends, that is a wrap! Thank you so much for taking the time to read through and look at the Master Bathroom Reveal and our Master Bathroom Transformation. If you haven’t already seen it – head over to Instagram to check out the IGTV revealing the space! And if you have any questions or comments about anything – please don’t hesitate to reach out! If you loved what you read and want to check out more – I am sure you would love this read on the Essentials for Your Home Office!

Much love, Haley.

xo. Haley