DIY Bathroom Remodel With The Latina Next Door

Yami and Nelson Platero of The Latina Next Door had a renovation two years in the making. Ever since they moved into their new home, they have been tackling their home room-by-room and renovating each space, sharing the journey on her social media platforms, until they reached the bathroom.

“When I first moved in, this bathroom needed a complete gut job,” Yami said. The space was very outdated, with linoleum floors, yellowed tub and shower liners, and tan covering every surface. The toilet tank was black inside with an insidious substance and an off-putting smell.

And so, in typical Yami and Nelson fashion, they set out on an adventure to make the eyesore of the house into a stunning and elegant space.

Yami started with a mood board, a collection of colors, mirrors, tiles, and décor she found inspiring, and got to work.

Demolition was first. Everything had to go in the space, including the current floors and vanity, which were carefully taken out with a mask, heavy duty garbage bag, and plenty of hard work. The textured ceilings were another matter. Unlike the popcorn textured ceilings they had previously uninstalled, these did not easily scrape off, nor did they sand off. Instead, Nelson had to fill in the textured spaces with a joint compound.

For the floors, Yami and Nelson opted for a clean natural look with small hexagons. These were installed over a cement board on the floor to keep everything neat and even. Since the tiles came in sheets made up of small units, they were easy to install.

“This is our multi-use bathroom. This is going to be where our guests come in. If our kids are outside playing this is where they’re going to come in.” Yami

Nelson agreed. “This is going to be our showcase bathroom, the one that everybody sees...any guests come in, we want to show them what we can do. We’re DIYers.”

They installed wood paneling with the help of a laser level to keep everything straight, and then patched up with walls and started painting. It was the first time they had tackled something so intricate, and they used leftover wood from other projects to create molding.

After caulking, wood filling, painting, and staining, they moved on to the sink. With a stunning wooden tabletop leftover from pieces they had previously made into a kitchen island, Nelson cut out holes for the sink and faucet. For a faucet, Yami had selected the Opulence® Two Handle Widespread Lavatory Faucet in Satin Black.

Not only did it match the faucet Yami had used in her previous kitchen renovation, but it features a clear, non-splash laminar flow, so that when her kids use the sink, water will stay where it’s supposed to.

For the toilet, they selected the Hinsdale® 1.28 gpf 12" Rough-In Two-Piece Elongated ErgoHeight™ Toilet. It was a breeze to install, and the ADA-compliant, WaterSense®-certified toilet looked stunning in the space.

“With a whole heck of a lot of man hours,” the tiling in the shower was finally completed, Yami said with a laugh. They contrasted white subway tiles with shelves created from the hexagonal floor tiles to tie the space together, and finished it off with a stunning new bathtub.

Finally, the details were all that remained. The door was painted, the mirror was installed, hooks were drilled, and then the bathroom was cleaned and accessorized!

It took many hours over the space of several months to complete the project, but it was completely worth it. The little details truly made it a beautiful, high-functioning room in the home, such as the painted water pipe, the crystal and gold drawer pulls, and dimmer switches. “We’re really proud of this space,” Yami said.

To get more details on Yami’s extreme bathroom makeover, please click here to watch her video transformation.