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DIYer Ava Russo and her fiancé Danny transformed a plain all-white bathroom in three weeks using Sherwin-Williams’ Dark Auburn paint and peel-and-stick wallpaper, keeping the existing tub and vanity. Russo says the dark, moody result feels like ‘a luxurious, 5-star hotel,’ challenging the common advice to paint small, dark rooms in light colors.
A DIY bathroom renovation by influencer Ava Russo and her fiancé Danny, featured this week by Apartment Therapy, turned a featureless all-white bathroom into a dark, moody space using the deep red paint color Sherwin-Williams “Dark Auburn” — a deliberate rejection of the common decorating rule that small, dim rooms should be painted light. Russo says the finished room now makes her feel like “a guest at a luxurious, 5-star hotel.”
The bathroom, which the couple described as lacking personality and natural light, retained its original clawfoot tub, hexagonal tile flooring, and marble-top vanity. According to the Apartment Therapy report by Associate Editor LJ Smelker, the tub was resurfaced and its plumbing swapped, the hex tile was left “even though it’s not in perfect condition,” and the vanity base was painted in Sherwin-Williams’ “Cocoon.”
The couple installed peel-and-stick wallpaper, added wainscoting, and painted the beadboard panels, chair rail, and window trim in Dark Auburn to complement the paper. Russo also replaced the window film with a leaded-glass-style film and switched the silver fixtures to gold and brass. The project was completed in about three weeks.
Russo, who prefers warmer colors and dark interiors, said 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.” The renovation was the couple’s first major home project, and Apartment Therapy notes it is categorized as rental-friendly.
Why a Dark Red Bathroom Is Getting Attention
The project has drawn interest because it pushes back on one of the most repeated pieces of interior design advice: that small, windowless rooms should be painted white or pale colors to feel larger. “They always say ‘make a small, dark room a lighter color to make it feel larger’ and I feel the opposite is true,” Russo said in the report.
The makeover also illustrates a budget-conscious renovation approach: rather than gutting the room, the couple kept the existing tub, tile, and vanity and used paint, wallpaper, and fixture swaps to achieve the transformation. Apartment Therapy reports that keeping those features “added character and depth to the new bathroom without exceeding the budget.” For readers weighing low-cost, rental-compatible updates, the project offers a documented example of how much surface-level changes alone can alter a space.
How the Renovation Unfolded
The feature appeared in Apartment Therapy’s Before & Afters section, which regularly documents reader and influencer home projects with costs, skill levels, and rental-friendliness noted. This project involved two first-time renovators working around existing fixtures.
According to the report, planning took longer than Russo expected. She identified four priorities early: keeping the clawfoot tub to “match the vibes,” replacing the overhead lighting, adding a dramatic wall feature, and converting silver fixtures to gold and brass. The wallpaper installation proved harder than expected — Russo said she found peel-and-stick harder than traditional wallpaper and, as a self-described perfectionist, initially re-did sections that were not perfect, before concluding that “the imperfections are what make the project unique.”
Looking back, Russo said she wishes the couple had also painted the ceiling to extend the moody effect, rather than rushing the three-week timeline. Her advice: “take your time because that’s when the best ideas come to you.”
“They always say ‘make a small, dark room a lighter color to make it feel larger’ and I feel the opposite is true.”
— Ava Russo, DIYer and influencer
What the Story Doesn’t Tell You
Several practical details are not disclosed in the report. The total cost of the renovation is not stated, so the claim that the couple stayed within budget cannot be independently assessed. The bathroom’s location and size are also not specified, which limits how far the approach can be generalized to other small or light-starved rooms.
The “5-star hotel” comparison is the homeowner’s own subjective impression rather than an expert evaluation, and the report does not include input from a designer or contractor on whether dark colors reliably make small rooms feel larger. The report is also a sponsored-content-adjacent format: Apartment Therapy notes it earns commissions on product links, and prices were described as accurate only at the time of publishing. Long-term durability of the peel-and-stick wallpaper and the resurfaced tub is not addressed.
Replicating the Look Elsewhere
Apartment Therapy’s feature includes a “Shop This Before & After” section listing the products used, allowing readers to find the specific wallpaper, paint colors, and window film. Readers considering similar work involving plumbing swaps — as this couple did on the tub — should note that fixture and faucet replacement can require shutting off water supply lines, and licensed plumbs are advisable where supply or drain connections are modified.
Russo says her one planned revision is the ceiling, which she wishes she had painted to complete the moody effect; whether the couple returns to finish that step is not yet known. The broader question the project raises — whether dark saturated colors will continue gaining traction for small bathrooms — will be tested by future Before & Afters features and reader projects.
Key Questions
What paint color was used in the bathroom makeover?
The beadboard panels, chair rail, and window trim were painted in Sherwin-Williams “Dark Auburn,” a deep red-brown, while the vanity base was painted in Sherwin-Williams “Cocoon.”
Did the couple replace the bathtub and tile?
No. The original clawfoot tub was resurfaced with new plumbing, the hexagonal tile floor was kept despite imperfect condition, and the marble-top vanity base was painted rather than replaced.
How long did the project take?
According to Apartment Therapy, the renovation was completed in about three weeks, though the planning phase took longer than the homeowner expected.
Is this a renter-friendly renovation?
Apartment Therapy categorizes the project as rental-friendly, largely because it relies on peel-and-stick wallpaper, paint, and fixture changes rather than structural work.
Does dark paint really make a small bathroom feel bigger?
That is disputed. The homeowner says the opposite of the light-color rule “is true” in her experience, but the report includes no independent design expertise, and the effect may vary with room size, lighting, and finish. Treat the claim as one DIYer’s experience rather than established guidance.
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