Last updated: June 22, 2026 · 7-minute read
This project started with a photograph the homeowner sent us in October 2025: a powder room in a Greenwich, Connecticut Colonial that had been builder-grade for 18 years. White ceramic vessel sink on a 24-inch oak vanity, brass-look (plated, not solid) faucet, frameless mirror, builder-grade tile floor. The homeowner's note: "We bought this house three years ago. I have been meaning to do something about this room since the closing. Help me start."
Eight months later, the room is finished. This is the story of how we got there — from sample selection to install — with budget figures, timing notes, and the lessons learned along the way that may help you if you're planning a similar small bathroom refresh.
The brief
The homeowner is a head-and-neck surgeon in Greenwich, married, two children in their teens. She did not want a full renovation. She specifically asked for: "the smallest project that gives me the biggest visual change." Budget: under $8,000 all-in, including labor.
Three constraints we agreed on early:
- Keep the existing vanity cabinet. (It is solid oak and structurally fine; replacing it would have doubled the budget.)
- Keep the existing toilet. (It is a low-flow model installed when the house was renovated in 2007 and works perfectly.)
- Keep the existing floor tile. (Not aesthetically ideal, but replacing it would have required tile demolition and a contractor; she wanted homeowner-installable changes.)
So the project became: vanity top, sink, faucet, mirror, hardware, and styling.
Stone selection
We shipped her our five-sample sample kit ($25): Beige Muğla Marble, Carrara, Calacatta Gold, Honed Travertine, Roman Travertine. She kept the samples in the bathroom for a week, looked at them in morning, afternoon, and evening light.
Her note back: "The Carrara is what I thought I wanted in the showroom. In my actual bathroom it looks slightly cold and slightly clinical. The Beige Muğla is what I want. It looks warmer next to the existing oak."
This is one of the most consistent things I see across our US samples program. The marble most clients say they want before sampling is Carrara. The marble many actually choose after sampling — especially in homes with warm-tone existing wood — is Muğla or another warm-toned variety. Photos undersell warmth.
What we shipped, and what it cost
- Beige Muğla Marble Compact Vessel Sink (16 inches wide, honed finish): $580 with DDP shipping
- Custom Beige Muğla Marble Vanity Top (24×22 inches, honed, with predrilled faucet and drain holes): $720 with DDP shipping
- Stone match between sink and top: We selected both pieces from blocks within the same quarry batch, photographed both before shipping, and got her approval. This step adds 4 working days to lead time but makes a noticeable difference in finished room.
BASINCRAFT total: $1,300, shipped DDP in 9 business days.
Everything else she sourced separately
- Brushed antique brass vessel faucet (House of Rohl Lombardia): $620 with shipping
- Brushed antique brass drain assembly matching faucet: $145
- Round arched brushed brass mirror (24 inches diameter): $280
- Cabinet hardware swap (two pulls, matching brass): $48
- Wall sconces (two, brushed brass, single-bulb): $340 for the pair
- Linen waffle hand towels, oat color, set of two: $96
- Brushed brass single-roll toilet paper holder: $78
- Brushed brass towel ring: $58
- Small olive plant in stoneware pot: $112
- Limewash paint (Bauwerk, Maremma) for two coats on all four walls: $290
- Plumber labor for sink/top swap, faucet install, drain assembly: $480 (3.5 hours at $135/hour, Greenwich rate)
- Electrician labor for sconce install: $340
- Painter labor for limewash application: $720
Final project total: $4,807. Under the original budget by $3,193.
How the install actually went
The full project took 7 working days but only required tradespeople on site for 2.5 of those days. The rest was sample review, ordering lead time, paint dry time, and waiting for the olive tree to arrive.
Day 1: Painter limewashes all four walls (one coat). Existing fixtures stay in place; she lives normally.
Day 2: Painter does second limewash coat. Limewash cures and reveals true color over the next 48 hours — it darkens and warms as it dries.
Day 3: Wait day. No work. Limewash continues curing.
Day 4: Plumber arrives. Removes old vanity top, old sink, old faucet. Installs new marble vanity top, new vessel sink, new faucet, new drain. Checks plumbing rough-in is correct height for vessel sink (it was, fortunately; this is the most common surprise in vessel sink installs).
Day 5: Electrician removes old vanity light, installs two new wall sconces (one on each side of where the new mirror will hang). She hangs the mirror herself that evening.
Day 6: She swaps the cabinet hardware, hangs the towel ring and toilet paper holder, styles the room with hand towels, olive tree, and a small stoneware soap dispenser.
Day 7: She lives with the room for a day, makes one adjustment (raised the mirror by 1.5 inches — the original placement was slightly too low), and considers the project finished.
What we learned, what we'd repeat
Sample step was the single most important decision. Without samples, this project would have used Carrara and looked subtly colder than the homeowner wanted. The $25 sample kit was the most valuable expense.
Matching the vanity top and sink stone from the same quarry batch made the room. If the top and sink had been from different batches, the slight color variation would have been visible in afternoon light. We now do this batch-matching as standard for any client ordering both pieces.
Limewash transformed the room more than expected. The cream limewash absorbed the natural light from the small powder room window and warmed the entire space. Standard flat paint would have looked correct but not as alive. Limewash adds about $400–$600 to a small room project, and it is consistently worth it.
Skipping the floor was the right call. The original tile floor is not what we would have chosen, but in the context of the finished room it does not detract. Spending $2,500–$3,500 to replace it would have brought the room from "beautifully finished" to "perfectly finished" — a marginal improvement at significant cost. The homeowner agreed.
Six months later: the room still feels new. I followed up in May 2026. Her note: "Visitors actually ask if we moved into a new house. I tell them no, we just changed seven things in one room."
If you're planning a similar project
The lessons that translate to other small bathroom projects:
- Sample stones in your actual room, not a showroom
- Match stone batches if you're ordering more than one piece
- Brushed brass + warm-tone marble is the highest-impact combination right now
- Limewash walls reward the investment, especially in small rooms with limited natural light
- Don't try to fix everything; focus on the changes that earn the most visual return
To start a similar project, order our $25 sample kit first — it is the single highest-value decision in any small bathroom refresh.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from order to installed?
For projects using standard inventory pieces (like this one), 9 business days for stone delivery, plus 2–3 days of installer scheduling, plus 4–7 days of project work. Roughly 3 weeks from order to finished room.
Did you have to move plumbing for the vessel sink?
No. The existing drain location for the previous undermount sink was at standard height. The new vessel sink drains directly into the same trap. This is the case in roughly 80 percent of vessel sink retrofit projects we ship to.
Where did the limewash paint come from?
Bauwerk, in the color "Maremma." Other brands we recommend: Romabio Limewash, Portola Paints Roman Clay. All three are available through Studio Surface in the US, or directly from each brand.
Did the homeowner do anything herself?
She handled hardware swaps, mirror hanging, and styling. The plumbing, electrical, and painting were all professional. Total professional labor: roughly 12 hours over 4 days.
Where can I see the finished room?
Photos are featured in our Projects gallery. The homeowner consented to photo use in exchange for a sample credit toward her next project. We are working on more articles like this for our Project Stories blog through 2026.
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