diy : shower refresh
When we moved into this house, we loved that the primary bathroom had a huge walk-in shower that had been renovated by the previous owner. Cool, right? Well, wait until I show you the before pictures.
Y'all. This project was INTENSE. Definitely the most intimidating one I've ever done. Would I screw it up? Maybe. Would I ruin my shower? Possibly. The long term goal is to renovate the bathroom but I knew I couldn't live with the existing tile for long, so I had to dive in head first and take a risk, and let me tell you, it was so worth it!
Before: can you say "beige"😳?
The floors blended in with the shower walls and it was just too much beige for me! This space had great natural light and I knew that I wanted to brighten things up.
After endless research, I used #rustoleum Tub + Tile Refinishing Kit, which is made for surfaces that come in contact with water. The finish is a durable, high-performance epoxy acrylic paint that is fast-drying and can be applied to ceramic, porcelain, or fiberglass. Even though it dries fast, it does take 3 whole days for the epoxy to fully cure before it can come into contact with water. So make sure you have somewhere else to shower for 3 days.
The prep work is SO incredibly important. If not done right, and thoroughly, the paint may not adhere correctly. Give yourself double the time you think need to allow for extra prep, proper dry times, and extra coats. It's like moving... when you think you're halfway done, you've barely scratched the surface. The paint kit comes with very thorough directions on how to prep your space, but I'll link what I used at the end.
As far as the actual painting goes, you 1000% must wear a good respirator! The smell of this stuff will probably melt your face off if you don't🤣. Make sure you have good ventilation too. Our bathroom window doesn't open so I had multiple fans going and bedroom windows open. Even then, the smell definitely lingers around for a while.
The kit comes with two cans that you mix together. After mixing, stir frequently and let it sit for about 10 minutes to thicken up because at first it is super runny and will drip down your walls. I used an angle brush and 4" foam rollers to apply, but be warned THEY WILL DISINTEGRATE! Make sure you have a multi-pack of them so you can swap them out as you go. My shower is large so I had to do 4 coats of this stuff. Wait 30-60 minutes and no longer between coats, and make sure you cover the remaining paint while waiting or it gets way too thick and tacky. Each kit was good for one coat in my shower, but for a standard size tub/shower, each kit should get you 2 coats. Total coats needed will depend on size and how dark your existing tile is.
After some serious sweat, lots of cussing, and potential loss of brain cells, my #diy shower refresh was done!!
After: so fresh and so clean
I hope you guys enjoy this transformation as much as I do! Isn't it incredible what paint can do to transform a space? I plan on doing this to the guest bathroom shower too - I'll take yall along when I do.
~Katie
Links to everything I used below:
*affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases*
Paint Kit + Supplies:
Rust-Oleum Tub + Tile Refinishing Kit (this is constantly going out of stock! sometimes you can find it on Lowe's too)
Foam Rollers
Roller Frame
Paint Tape
Stir Sticks
Brushes
Respirator
Cleaning Supplies:
Scouring Pads
Disposable, Chemical-Resistant Gloves
Comet
CLR
Tack Cloths
Sanding Block
