A Controversial Color Made This Bathroom Feel Like “A 5-Star Hotel”

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DIYer Ava Russo and her fiancé, Danny, turned their basic white bathroom into a dark, Victorian-inspired space with auburn paint, patterned peel-and-stick wallpaper and brass finishes. They kept the clawfoot tub, hexagonal tile and marble vanity, while Russo said the finished room feels like a luxurious hotel.

DIYer Ava Russo and her fiancé, Danny, have transformed their all-white bathroom with dark auburn paint, patterned wallpaper and brass details, according to a before-and-after report by Apartment Therapy. The couple kept several existing features, including a clawfoot tub, hexagonal floor tile and marble-topped vanity, while Russo said the redesigned room gives her the feeling of staying in a luxurious, five-star hotel.

The couple wanted the bathroom to feel more personal and dramatic. Russo told Apartment Therapy that the room had little natural light and lacked character, but had useful features worth keeping. The renovation added a dark, moody look inspired by dark academia and Victorian details, while retaining much of the room’s original layout and fixtures.

They installed peel-and-stick wallpaper and added wainscoting. The beadboard panels, chair rail and window trim were painted Sherwin-Williams Dark Auburn. They also replaced the window film with a leaded-glass-style version and changed silver finishes for gold and brass accents. The vanity base was painted Sherwin-Williams Cocoon, while its marble top remained.

The original clawfoot tub was resurfaced and its plumbing was changed. The hexagonal floor tiles stayed, despite not being in perfect condition. Russo described installing the peel-and-stick wallpaper as harder than expected and said the project took about three weeks. The report does not give a total cost.

How Color Changed the Room

The makeover illustrates one homeowner’s choice to use a deep color in a bathroom with limited natural light. Russo said she disagrees with the common advice to use light colors in small, dark rooms to make them feel larger; she wanted a more enveloping, dramatic effect. That is her design preference and experience, not evidence that dark paint will have the same effect in every bathroom.

Keeping the tub, floor tile and vanity also let the couple change the room’s character through paint, pattern and hardware without replacing every major feature. The report offers no budget comparison or measured effect on the home’s value, so the result is best understood as a personal renovation rather than proof of a particular financial return.

The Features They Kept

Before the work, the bathroom was predominantly white. Russo and Danny’s plan was to preserve the room’s existing useful elements while adding details that suited their preferred style. The clawfoot tub helped anchor the Victorian-inspired look, and the tile and marble vanity remained part of the finished design.

Apartment Therapy identifies this as the couple’s first major home project. Russo said that planning the details took time and that the wallpaper application challenged her perfectionism. She advised taking time during a project, saying that ideas can come while the work is underway. The source describes the sequence and design choices but does not provide a full materials list, contractor involvement or itemized costs.

““I wanted people to feel like they were at a hotel or somewhere luxurious.””

— Ava Russo, as quoted by Apartment Therapy

Costs and Project Details

The source does not report the renovation’s total cost, the quantities of materials used or whether the couple hired help for any work. It also does not provide measurements for the bathroom or objective assessments of lighting, room size or resale value. Russo’s description of the space as hotel-like is her own impression; the report does not establish how other visitors respond.

Russo said she sometimes wishes the couple had painted the ceiling to carry the dark look across the room. The source does not say whether they plan to make that change. The exact publication date is also unavailable in the supplied material.

No Further Work Announced

The Apartment Therapy report presents the bathroom as a completed project and does not identify a scheduled next phase. Russo said the three-week timeline led her to hurry at points and that she might have painted the ceiling if the couple had taken more time. Whether they will revisit the ceiling or undertake another bathroom update remains unknown.

Key Questions

What color did the couple use?

The beadboard, chair rail and window trim were painted Sherwin-Williams Dark Auburn. The vanity base was painted Sherwin-Williams Cocoon.

What bathroom features did they keep?

They kept the clawfoot tub, hexagonal floor tile and marble-topped vanity. The tub was resurfaced and its plumbing was changed, while the vanity base was repainted.

How long did the renovation take?

Russo told Apartment Therapy the couple worked to finish the project in about three weeks. The report does not provide a more detailed schedule.

How much did the bathroom makeover cost?

The source does not state a total project cost or provide an itemized budget.

Source: rss