During my third year of medical school, I bought my first condo – and decided to completely renovate the kitchen and bathroom.
I recognize I’m lucky to be in a position to buy a home during med school – something many students can’t consider. With help from my parents and savings from investing before med school, I’ve had the privilege to focus on medicine and take on side projects like renovation. I’m sharing these experiences in hopes they’re helpful, regardless of where you’re starting from.
The toilet was small and SUPER LOW to the ground, the floor tiles were old and dirty, and there was a huge stain on the vanity countertop. I figured if I was going to live here and actually enjoy it, it’d be worth an investment – not just for comfort and aesthetics, but for resale value too.
This was a huge undertaking, and the most important thing I learned was: find a good contractor. I started by contacting a few names from Google and was quoted between 17k and 30k to renovate the bathroom, which included using their own materials and appliance choices. It was too expensive and honestly, their design catalogs looked nothing like my style.
I wanted someone who would work with me on the vision – not just install something generic. Google didn’t help, so I turned to Reddit, Tiktok and Instagram. That’s where I came across a post from a local contractor sharing his work and asking for feedback. I liked his work and pricing, but most of all, his openness to feedback.
We spoke the next day. His quote was within my range, I would be responsible for sourcing all finish materials excluding construction materials (eg, cement board, waterproofing membrane, etc.). The whole remodel would take about 7-10 days. I was sold.
After getting insurance and permit approval from the building, I started gathering all the materials. I wanted the bathroom to look perfect, because I only wanted to renovate ONCE.
Logically, the first step would have been browsing Lowes, Home Depot, and Floor & Decor. However, I’m a religious Pinterest and Tiktok user, so I did what most of us do: scrolling through countless bathroom renovation videos and photos to figure out what I liked and just as importantly, disliked. Because let’s be real – how many times have you bought something online that looked amazing in photos but ended up clashing with your space in real life?
I ordered a few tile samples from different stores – including some online-only retailers, but ultimately chose two designs I saw on Tiktok. One was for the tiles surrounding the bathtub: a soft white, slightly imperfect tile. Even though there were a million similar tiles out there, this one felt right. I loved the gradient effect when the tiles stacked together.
The second was for the floor. The floor tiles arrived just days before construction started … and I hated them. So, back to Floor & Decor I went. After a lot of back and forth, I chose a medium grey tile that felt versatile and timeless – something that would work with the rest of the design.
Toward the end of the renovation, we ran into an issue: we were short on bathtub surround tiles for the shower niche. I had ordered two extra boxes, but apparently it wasn’t enough (lesson learned: always order more than you think). We didn’t have time to wait for a new shipment, so I made another trip to Floor & Decor and found a white 2.5×10” tile that was a match in size. However, it wasn’t an exact match – the shade of white was different – but since the surrounding tile had a soft gradient and the new ones were placed inside the niche, it blended surprisingly well.
Everything Else
Toilet
This was a no-brainer. Aside from my bed, it’s probably the thing I use the most at home. I wanted something comfortable, the right height, and most importantly, something that would never clog. So I went with Toto Drake. Also added a bidet because that is important!
Bathtub
I kept the original tub. It came with the unit and was in good condition.
Vanity
I decided to splurge on this one. I fell in love with the finishes and it was half off.
Faucets
I chose Kohler for vanity faucets. They were pricey, but the chrome finish was on sale. They also came with a lifetime warranty, so it felt like a good investment.
Bathtub fixures
Since vanity faucets were chrome, I stayed consistent and kept the original tub faucet, which was also chrome. The only upgrade was the showerhead, which I swapped for a rain showerhead from Grohe.
Mirror and lighting
Nothing too special here, but both are in brass finish that matched my other accessories like the towel hooks and vanity hardwares.
Apparently, when mixing metals, the general rule is: keep the metals of the same function the same. So in this case, all the plumbing fixtures are chrome, and all the accessories and hardwares are brass.
Paint
The wall color is White Dove. Again, I scrolled through many Tiktok posts to find the perfect warm white because let’s be honest – who has time to buy and test five different paint samples in every lighting conditions? I ended up using:
- Flat finish for the ceiling
- Eggshell for the walls
- Satin from the trim
The whole construction only took 10 days, but where did I shower during that time you ask? I signed up for Planet Fitness and showered there all week. As for everything else, I used the public restroom in my building.
BEFORE
AFTER
