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Ava Russo and her fiancé, Danny, transformed their all-white bathroom with deep auburn paint, peel-and-stick wallpaper and brass details. They kept several existing fixtures and finishes, including the clawfoot tub and hexagonal floor tile, while Russo said the result feels like a stay at a luxury hotel.
DIYers Ava Russo and Danny have turned their all-white bathroom into a dark, patterned space anchored by deep auburn paint, according to a before-and-after report published by Apartment Therapy. The couple kept the room’s clawfoot tub, hexagonal floor tile and marble-top vanity, aiming to add character and a hotel-like feel without replacing every existing feature.
Russo told Apartment Therapy that she has long preferred warm colors and moody rooms. The bathroom gave the couple an opportunity to bring that style into their first major home project. It had little personality and no natural light, but its existing tub, vanity and floor tiles offered features they wanted to retain.
The renovation added peel-and-stick wallpaper, wainscoting and painted beadboard panels, chair rail and window trim. Russo and Danny used Sherwin-Williams’ Dark Auburn on the woodwork. They also replaced the window film with a leaded-glass-style design and changed the silver fixtures to gold and brass. The vanity base was painted Sherwin-Williams’ “Cocoon.”
The couple resurfaced the clawfoot tub and replaced its plumbing, while leaving the hexagonal floor tile in place despite its imperfect condition. Apartment Therapy’s report does not provide a total project cost. It describes the work as a three-week project and says retaining existing features helped the couple limit expenses while changing the room’s appearance.
A Dramatic Look Using Existing Features
The makeover shows how paint, pattern and hardware can change the character of a bathroom while larger fixtures and flooring stay in place. For readers planning a renovation, the couple’s choices offer a concrete example of directing effort toward visible surfaces and selected updates rather than replacing everything at once. The report does not establish how much money they saved, but it says keeping the tub, tile and vanity helped them stay within budget.
The dark palette also runs against familiar advice to use lighter colors in small rooms. Russo told Apartment Therapy she feels the opposite approach can work for her: “make a small, dark room a lighter color to make it feel larger” is advice she disagrees with. That is her design preference, not a measured claim that dark colors make every small bathroom feel larger. Her stated goal was to create a more atmospheric room with a sense of personality and luxury.
The account also documents practical trade-offs in a first major DIY project. Russo said applying the peel-and-stick wallpaper proved harder than she expected, and the couple had to learn as they went. The report presents the finished room and Russo’s reaction, but it does not include independent design or construction assessments.
From White Bathroom to Dark Academia
Before the renovation, the bathroom was basic and all white, with limited natural light. The clawfoot tub, marble-top vanity and hexagonal floor tiles were already there. Russo and Danny wanted to keep those elements while adding details inspired by dark academia and Victorian interiors, according to Apartment Therapy.
The couple planned several changes around that goal: a dramatic wall treatment, updated overhead lighting and gold or brass fixtures. The report describes the wallpaper, wainscoting, paint, window film and fixture changes, along with work on the tub and vanity. It does not give a detailed schedule of when each task happened or specify the new overhead light.
Russo described the project as the couple’s first big home renovation. She said the work took three weeks, and later wished they had painted the ceiling to carry the darker look across the room. Her comments suggest the deadline affected some finishing decisions, though the report does not identify what set the schedule.
““The goal was to have a dark, moody bathroom with a lot of character and personality to make it more of an experience than just a bathroom.””
— Ava Russo, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Project Costs and Finish Details
Apartment Therapy’s account does not state the total cost, identify individual product prices or provide receipts, so readers cannot compare the project’s expense with a full bathroom remodel. It also does not specify the exact wallpaper pattern, the new overhead light, or the details of the tub’s replacement plumbing.
The report shares Russo’s personal response to the room, but does not include measurements, before-and-after lighting tests or feedback from other household members. It is therefore not possible to assess from the account how the dark colors affect the room’s perceived size or how the finishes perform over time. Russo said she wished they had painted the ceiling, but the report does not say whether the couple plans to revisit that decision.
No Further Renovation Plans Reported
Apartment Therapy’s report describes the bathroom as finished after about three weeks of work. It does not announce another phase, a planned ceiling repaint or additional projects by the couple. Russo’s advice was to take time with project decisions, saying that ideas came to her when she did not rush. For now, the published account focuses on the completed room and the decisions behind it.
Key Questions
What color did the couple use?
They painted the beadboard panels, chair rail and window trim Sherwin-Williams Dark Auburn. They painted the vanity base Sherwin-Williams “Cocoon.”
What did they keep in the bathroom?
The couple retained the clawfoot tub, hexagonal floor tile and marble-top vanity. They resurfaced the tub, changed its plumbing and painted the vanity base.
How long did the project take?
Russo told Apartment Therapy the renovation took three weeks. The report does not give a day-by-day schedule.
How much did the renovation cost?
The report does not give a total project cost. It says that keeping existing bathroom features helped the couple stay within budget.
Why did Russo choose a dark color?
Russo said she likes warm colors and dark, moody rooms and wanted the bathroom to feel more personal and luxurious. She described the finished space as feeling like a guest room at a five-star hotel.
Source: rss
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