The "ISH-List" Detour: Restoring a Tiny 3’x5’ Historic Bathroom Solo

Written By Johanna | Bryter Pond

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Ripping Up the "ISH-List" for a Shiny New Project

Remember a few weeks ago when I showed you my "ISH-list"? Those 47 small, lingering projects that need to be completed before my finished-ish rooms are actually, you know... finished?

I got a few accomplished! Woo-hoo, go me! I wallpapered the dining room radiator pipes, and I finally installed the new shower head in the upstairs bathroom that I bought almost 2 years ago.

But then I got distracted by a shiny new project… my tiny 3’x5’ powder room.

To be fair, if I didn’t deal with this powder room, my friends and family were going to stop coming over. The wallpaper that was installed in the early '60s was discolored and peeling. Plus, this 3’x5’ room has 9’ ceilings: small room…tall ceilings…it was giving serious elevator shaft vibes. Something needed to be done.

My home was built in 1874; it’s a brick Pennsylvania farmhouse in the country. Living here solo at 60 means I'm the designer, the carpenter, the painter, the cleanup crew, and everything in between. The previous owners lived here for over 60 years, and the house was much loved, but after all these years, it needs updating. And I’m tackling the updates with my own two hands.

Here’s how I brought this tiny space back to life... tight-space yoga and all.

• See how I solo-restored a tiny 3'x5' powder room in my 1874 Pennsylvania brick farmhouse. Get the full source list, paint codes, and small space DIY hacks.

The 1960s 'elevator shaft' before I started vs. the finished cottage look.

Dealing with the "Problem Wall" in my 1874 Farmhouse

Nothing is ever straightforward in a 150-year-old house... nothing.

I decided to add board and batten to the walls for architectural interest, but also to break up those tall, skinny, 9’ elevator shaft walls.

This powder room had been carved out of a corner of the kitchen, which means I had to figure out how to work with three completely different wall materials in a room the size of a closet.

The wall on the right? Modern drywall. No problem there. The back wall? Original historic lathe and plaster that needed some skim-coating. One of my least favorite things to do, but doable.

And then... there was the left wall. The Problem Wall™️.

This wall was actually an exterior wall at one point in the home's history. It is solid... brick, rock…something completely unforgiving. The first time I tried to attach the board-and-batten trim, it jammed my brad nailer. Just rejected it entirely. So… that sucked.

I stepped away and did what I generally like to do when things aren’t going well… I took a nap.

An hour later, feeling refreshed and with a plan in mind… I pulled out the big guns… masonry screws. I predrilled holes in the trim, then drove in the first screw, it worked and the board was on the wall! Then I realized the head was sticking out above the trim. Damn.

I removed the screw and searched the basement for the countersink drill bit set, which I know I’ve seen at some point. After 20 minutes I gave up and asked Google for a workaround: use a larger drill bit, the same size as the screw head, and only drill out a little bit of the hole… it worked!

Pro tip: If you're tackling your own old walls, save your sanity and grab a good cordless drill (or two) and some reliable masonry screws…and maybe a countersink bit.

Wallpaper, Paint, and Working with What You’ve Got

OK, with the structural drama sorted, it was time for the fun part!

To make this tiny, 3'x5’ windowless room feel lighter, brighter, and pretty. ☺️ I painted the new board-and-batten trim in Behr Marquee 'Cottage White' from Home Depot. This is the go-to trim color that I'm using throughout the entire house. It has a soft, creamy, slightly aged feel that isn’t drab but also isn’t a bright, modern white.

For the top of the walls, I fell completely in love with a botanical print called Delicate Stems by Lucie Annabel. Hanging wallpaper in a room this small involves some serious contortionist moves, especially because the ladder couldn’t open all the way… which was fun. Once again I was using Roman Wallpaper Paste on the walls. This paste gives me plenty of time to get my paper up and slide it around to make sure the seams line up, so the wallpaper installation went really smoothly.

The sink was a bit of a dilemma. I didn’t want to replace it for three reasons. First, I try to live as sustainably as I can and replacing something that’s perfectly fine and functional seemed like a waste of materials and money. Second, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And third, that sink is the perfect size and shape for that spot and replacing it felt like potentially opening a can of worms.

Ok, so, I wasn’t replacing the sink, but the bottom proudly featured a chaotic view of every single water pipe underneath.

My solution? I repurposed a linen curtain panel that I was no longer using from the living room and created a simple, tailored sink skirt which I attached with Velcro to hide the plumbing. It instantly softened the room and added a little English cottage vibe for zero dollars.

Why We Bought the Cow Portrait at Full Price

This room is a little too small to have much on the walls, so I knew I wanted one perfect piece of art on the back wall. I was doing some local antiquing, keeping my eye out for the right piece, but nothing I saw was quite right. Then I realized I had the perfect piece and it was hanging in the kitchen just outside the powder room. The cow!

There's a story behind this painting. My late husband Paul and I used to run a vintage and antique resale business together so, we were always out shopping... always on the hunt.

We spotted this painting at our absolute favorite consignment shop—Home Furnishing Consignment in Berwyn, PA. This shop marked everything down every 30 days... 25%, then at 60 days... 50%. We usually had all the patience in the world to wait out a deal.

But the minute Paul and I walked in and saw this cow... we just knew we had to have it. This shop does a brisk business and things sell fast. We couldn't risk sitting on it. We bought her right then and there at full price… with absolutely no regrets.

I moved her from the kitchen to this room and she’s perfect.

Seeing her here featured like the Mona Lisa under the warm glow of this wireless motion-sensor GlowRight Light brings me immense joy.

And speaking of the light… I haven’t mentioned it yet, but this room has an exhaust fan that sounds like a jet engine when you flip the light switch on. I use this room all the time and the fan is jarring, especially early in the morning while I’m waiting for my coffee to brew…nobody needs to hear that at 5am. I found this this wireless, rechargeable light from GlowRight. It’s on a motion sensor, so it comes on and goes off automatically when you enter and leave the room. You can adjust the brightness as well as the warmth of the light, and it can be an uplight, downlight, or both. I’ve been so happy with it that I know I’ll be adding more around the house.

The full-price cow painting under the warm glow of the motion-sensor light.

Shop the Bryter Pond Powder Room Look

To keep the historic character intact, I sourced hardware from independent businesses rather than big box stores as much as possible. The beautiful brass toilet paper holder is from Vintage Bath, and the unique wall-mounted brass soap dispenser and bracket came from a lovely shop on Etsy.

If you want to recreate this botanical cottage look, I've gathered links to the essential tools, hardware, and accents below:

The Quality Control Department

My Manx cat George frequently stopped into the powder room between naps to inspect my work. The whole operation would’ve gone to hell in a handbasket without him.

The head of Quality Control.

Now that the powder room is checked off the list... it's time to face reality. The downstairs hallway, foyer, and stairs are waiting for me... and that 47-item "ISH-list" isn't going to fix itself.

What about you? Are you plugging away at a never-ending home to-do list... or have you taken a major project detour lately? Let me know in the comments below!

Johanna | Bryter Pond
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