Covering the existing glass shower tile with textured plaster is the defining experiment here, turning a surface MaCenna clearly dislikes into something warmer without tearing the bathroom apart. The project fits the makeover’s larger goal of reducing the room’s remaining white surfaces while adding texture and earthy color. More importantly, the process is shown with enough uncertainty to feel genuine: the wet color initially causes concern, the first coat consumes far more material than expected, and unexplained popping sounds from the tile briefly raise questions about what is happening underneath.
The plaster application is particularly useful because it does not look deceptively effortless. MaCenna discovers that the wet sponge matters more than expected for smoothing palette-knife grooves and larger bits of material, and she acknowledges how heavily the grout lines consume the first coat. Four gallons ultimately enter the project after the original two prove insufficient, while drying and sealing requirements stretch the work over several days. That makes this a more realistic demonstration than a quick before-and-after treatment would have been.
There is an important limitation, however, in how confidently the finished shower surface is discussed. MaCenna says that three coats of the specified sealer make the plaster water resistant and anticipates periodically resealing it, but the makeover ends before viewers can see how the material performs through sustained shower use. The mysterious tile noises also remain unresolved. Given that this is a wet-area application directly over existing tile, those unanswered durability questions matter more than they would for a purely decorative wall treatment.
Lighting provides a more conventional but well-explained design lesson. Three fixtures are selected with attention to the bathroom’s small scale, including a double sconce at the vanity, a ten-inch schoolhouse-style pendant and a matching flush mount over the toilet. MaCenna explains her rule of adding the approximate room dimensions to estimate an appropriate fixture diameter, while polished nickel gives the different pieces a consistent finish. The Rejuvenation partnership is unmistakably promotional, but the discussion still contains practical reasoning about scale, placement and the purpose of different light sources.
The evolving color palette is another strength because viewers can follow the reasoning rather than simply being presented with a finished room. Faded Flaxflower initially pushes the space toward a nautical appearance MaCenna does not want, prompting decisions to color-drench the door, warm the shower with the buff plaster and introduce a rust-brown curtain. The planned Calms and Harbor Brown cabinetry continues that direction. Even unfinished, the room demonstrates how changing a few large visual surfaces can alter its character without replacing the vanity, cabinets or shower itself.
Some choices remain deliberately unresolved because this is the middle installment of the makeover. The full-length curtain still needs hemming and possibly sewing together, the brushed-nickel shower rod may be replaced to match the polished fixtures, and the window trim color is left for viewer feedback. MaCenna also still has the vanity, over-toilet cabinetry, mirror, hardware and decorating ahead of her. That makes the installment useful as a process diary, but less satisfying as a standalone makeover because neither the aesthetic result nor the practical performance of its biggest experiment can yet be judged completely.
Pros
- Shows the plaster-over-tile process in useful detail, including material consumption, smoothing, drying and multiple sealing coats.
- Transparently includes uncertainty, unexpected delays and the initial concern over the plaster color rather than presenting the project as effortless.
- Explains lighting scale, placement and finish choices in practical terms suited to a small bathroom.
- Develops a coherent warmer palette through the shower treatment, curtain, painted door and planned cabinetry rather than relying on major demolition.
- Demonstrates how substantial visual changes can be attempted while retaining most of the existing bathroom.
Cons
- The plastered shower is presented positively before any long-term exposure to regular shower use can demonstrate its durability.
- The unexplained popping sounds from the existing tile are noticed but never investigated or resolved.
- The sponsored lighting section is lengthy relative to the central shower project.
- As an intermediate installment, several significant design decisions and the completed bathroom remain unseen.
The makeover succeeds as an engaging look at transforming an existing bathroom through surface treatments, color and carefully chosen fixtures rather than demolition. The plastered shower is both the most interesting idea and the biggest unresolved question, making the project visually promising while leaving its long-term practicality to be demonstrated beyond this installment.
