Deep Red Paint Transforms Bland White Bathroom Into Luxury Retreat

A DIYer and influencer rejected conventional wisdom about making small spaces feel larger by painting her all-white bathroom a dramatic deep red. She and her fiancé incorporated dark academia and Victorian details while preserving existing features like the clawfoot tub and vintage vanity. The couple completed the project as their first major home renovation, adding wainscoting and replacing fixtures with brass and gold finishes.

Ava Russo and her fiancé Danny completed this bathroom renovation as their inaugural major home project, investing $1,500 to transform the space. The couple strategically preserved existing architectural elements—including the clawfoot tub, marble vanity, and hexagonal floor tiles—while updating them with modern finishes and fresh paint. This approach allowed them to achieve dramatic aesthetic change without requiring complete replacement of functional features.

The transformation centered on applying deep red paint alongside complementary dark academia and Victorian design elements. Key updates included installing wainscoting with chair rail trim in Sherwin-Williams' "Dark Auburn," applying peel-and-stick wallpaper, replacing silver fixtures with brass and gold alternatives, and upgrading the window treatment with leaded-glass-style film. The project required approximately three weeks to complete.