There’s a big difference between doing something yourself and having it look like you did it yourself.
I love a good DIY project, but I don’t want my home to look like a collection of unfinished amateur projects. I want to be able to say, “Yep, I did that,” while still having it look polished and intentional.
And honestly? I’ve learned that a lot of that comes down to the finishing details and using good products.
As part of our bathroom renovation, I partnered with DAP to tackle a few of those details that can make or break the finished look. Before I dive into the details, let’s start from the beginning.
Bathroom “before” renovation
We’ve lived in our home for almost 9 years and have slowly been renovating it since the day we moved in. The last two rooms to renovate are our (small) master bathroom and kitchen. Yes, it’s true, we left the two most expensive rooms for the end. We had people suggest to just paint the cabinets, but I felt strongly about gutting the whole bathroom. In our last home we renovated parts of it and my biggest regret was just that – renovating parts only. I really wanted to have a home completely renovated from start to finish and look cohesive. In other words, not look like the renovations were done over 9 or 10 years! That’s also a big reason why I’ve kept neutral colours. One because I love the bright white and neutral tones, but also because it’s just so much easier to make everything cohesive.
I also wanted to gut the whole thing because what you can’t see is how broken the sink drain is, how the vanity cupboard doors don’t close properly, the lack of storage in the vanity, the tub needed replacing and the flooring had water damage.
This blog post isn’t about going through all the details about our bathroom renovation, but it is about sharing some key things to make your next bathroom renovation or other DIY project look professional even if you’re not a pro.
So without further ado, here is the before photo of our bathroom before we embarked on our 7 month renovation!
Filling the holes we left behind
In our bathroom, we had many holes to fill including those from drywall anchor holes holding up a tacky metal towel rack. Drywall anchors make such a big hole and can be hard to repair. If you don’t take your time to fill them properly, these imperfections in the wall can become surprisingly obvious and scream “DIY.”
I’ve figured out that the trick to making the holes disappear comes down to 2 thing. First, the product. I used DAP Alex Plus Professional Strength Spackling to fill the holes and smooth everything out before finishing the walls. The second is how you apply it. I recommend doing one coat to get the holes full. Once that is dry, do another coat, but the trick is, on the second coat, apply the spacking around the patched area to make it bigger. If you were to do a 3rd coat, you would go even bigger – further away from the hole. Each time you apply spackling, feather it out, you know, like the pro dry wallers do!
It’s one of those steps that’s easy to rush past because, well… nobody gets excited about filling drywall holes. But taking the extra time here makes such a difference in the final result. It can also be hard to notice the little imperfections, that’s when a flashlight or good quality work light comes in handy. Use that to check the wall for smoothness and imperfections.
- Photos: before, during and after repair of the drywall anchors using Alex Plus Spackling.
Process for filling drywall anchor holes: DIY
Follow the steps below for a smooth professional finish.
The magic is in the silicone
I think I’ve done quite a bit of caulking for a DIYer that I’m comfortable doing it, but when it comes to silicone, it feels more intimidating. Maybe because it seems less forgiving than caulking. I definately put off doing it in my bathroom renovation, but in the end I did finally just pull the plug and I applied silicone around the tub, the baseboards and along the vanity edges. It’s important to use silicone when it comes to bathrooms because it is 100% waterproof. It is not paintable but it does come in a few different colour options including clear. I used MONO Silicone MAX which is the Home Depot exclusive brand by DAP. It’s super great quality and I love that it comes with a cap.
Applying silicone is one of those DIY skills where a little patience goes a long way. A clean, smooth line can make the difference between something looking unfinished and looking professionally applied. A steady hand is also super important, which is why I drink decaf coffee 🙂 If you know, you know! I try to get it right the first time, but if it’s not perfect then I tidy it up with a wet paper towel. Just make sure to put your used paper towels directly into the garbage – don’t leave them out to get accidently touched because silicone can be messy!
Silicone isn’t just about making things look good, it creates a water-proof seal where you need it most. As for around the baseboards, the silicone finished edge helps everything feel more seamless and also protects against water damage. You can click HERE for more prodcut details.
You don’t need to be a professional to get pro results
I think sometimes we assume that if we’re DIY’ing something, there’s a limit to how good it can look. The more I work with contractors and for the few jobs I’ve hired out in my home, I don’t think that’s true. Sometimes when you DIY it yourself and really take your time, I think it can look as good as the pros, or sometimes even better. Not to say I wouln’t hire a pro, because I definately do for some jobs!
You don’t need to be a professional contractor to create a beautiful space. You need the right tools, the right products, a little patience (okay maybe a lot of patience) and a willingness to slow down for the finishing touches.
Because the difference between “I DIYed this” and “Wait… YOU did this?” is often found in the smallest details.
For me, that’s what I love about DIY. I don’t have to have a professional crew or an unlimited renovation budget to create a home I love. I can learn as I go, make mistakes, fix them, and keep improving. When you pair that with quality products that help you get a better finish, the end result can look anything but DIY.
My DIY bathroom renovation “after”
Let me know what you think in the comment! Does it look DIY or does it look like a pro did it? Full disclosure – we did hire a plumber to install the bathtub unit and we hired a dry waller to do the drywall work around the tub, but I finished the drywall work and did all the drywall patching in the rest of the room.
Making my DIY dreams a reality
Shout out to DAP Canada for sponsoring this blog post. Although this particular project was sponsored, you’ll notice DAP products (caulking, silicone, adhesives, fillers, etc.) in all my renovations because they are my go to! I’ve used DAP products for years, long before I became a content creator so it’s truly been an organic partnership for me. I am so grateful for brands like DAP who can help me make my dream renovations a reality and in turn, show and inspire you what is possible! Learn more about DAP Canada HERE.
Any questions! Let me know in the comments!
This post sponsored DAP Canada; however all opinions and photos belong to So Bright Home.
