Our budget bathroom remodel is done! Over the past six weeks I’ve been remodeling our hall bathroom as part of the One Room Challenge – it’s been full of unexpected hurdles and setbacks at every turn. Well I finally made it to my finish line and I’m so excited to show you how our budget bathroom remodel turned out! (post includes affiliate links – full disclosure statement available {here})
First, let’s throw it back to the “before”. Do you all remember what it looked like when I started? We had dated wallpaper, weird vanity bulbs, a plain Jane mirror, and carpet (gross!)…
Say hello to newly painted and stenciled walls, wood medicine cabinet, and glamorous sconces!
Sources: Medicine Cabinet – no longer available but {this arched wood mirror} is similar | Pedestal sink | Sconces
Here are some take-away tips from our budget transformation:
Stencil the Bathroom Walls
Stenciling the bathroom walls is what made the biggest difference! I had NEVER stenciled before doing this room and definitely learned a lot through trial and error but am so happy with how it turned out:
While it was time intensive, once I got the hang of it, it was fairly easy. And also budget friendly – while it looks like wallpaper, it cost a fraction of the price. I painted the walls Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray and then used {this furniture stencil} with Benjamin Moore Platinum Gray for the stenciling. For more details on the step by step of stenciling plus lots of tips, see my post on wall stencils.
Work With What You’ve Got
Being able to do a bathroom remodel with a limitless budget would be amazing but… it’s rarely feasible. Sometimes you’ve got to think outside of the box and work with what you’ve got. Two of the awkward things to work around in our bathroom were the built-in soap and cup/toothbrush holders. I originally had some semi-elaborate plans to fix them up but then realized that my grand plan was adding up $$$ so I made the best of it. The cup/toothbrush holder turned into the perfect plant stand:
and the soap dish fits my new HomeGoods soap dispenser like a glove!
We also had a junky plastic towel bar that I would have loved to replace but removing the towel bar ends would have damaged the tile beneath it:
So instead I left the towel bar ends as-is and replaced the bar with a new chrome one. If you’ve got those annoying fixed ceramic ends on your towel bar too, I explain how to replace a towel bar with fixed ends {here}. Then I prettied it up with a gray and white striped Turkish towel:
Add Storage With a Medicine Cabinet Mirror
This bathroom is the one that my husband uses to shower and get ready in so some storage for all of his bathroom junk was priority #1. Originally we were planning to find a narrow furniture piece to put in the corner of the bathroom to add some storage. But since we also needed to switch out the plain builder’s grade mirror…
we decided to kill two birds with one stone and add a mirrored medicine cabinet instead of a plain mirror (one of my favorite bathroom mirror ideas!). The medicine cabinet has plenty of room to store all of his crapola that previously cluttered up the top of the sink (pic is from before we added the shelves to it):
No more heart palpitations when an unexpected guest to our home asks to use the bathroom!
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DIY Your Own Art
The wall space above the toilet got a little makeover too:
I bought two Target frames and then simply added an agate slice to eat one to create my own art:
The top of the toilet tank even got a little bit of love:
Freshen Up The Look of Your Shower With a New Curtain
And remember when I was debating between three different shower curtains? Did you guess that this was the one that I would end up with?
Adding a shower curtain in front of my ugly mirrored shower doors not only made the space so much prettier but it was more budget friendly than removing the mirrored doors too!
Paint Your Tile Floors
And what about our carpeted bathroom floors? Underneath the carpet I found tile but… it was REALLY ugly red tile:
Replacing it would have cost big bucks so a few weeks after my One Room Challenge reveal, I painted it! It made a HUGE difference:
Get all the details of how I painted our bathroom’s ceramic tile floors {here}. And as an update, yes the painted tile held up REALLY well for years after!
Here’s one last look at the complete “before” and “after”:
Have any questions about our new space? I’ve included a full source list for everything in our bathroom below. While this was a very budget friendly bathroom remodel, a few years later we went all out on a complete master bathroom remodel. I share ten of my best master bathroom remodel ideas if you want to check it out!
Wall Colors & Stencil: Annapakshi Indian Damask Wall Stencil – I used the 11.25″ x 15.5″ furniture stencil (c/o Royal Design Studio) | Basecoat paint: Benjamin Moore Aura Bath & Spa (Matte) in Chelsea Gray | Stencil paint: Platinum Gray (Benjamin Moore color but mixed in Behr Premium Plus Ultra in Satin)
Medicine Cabinet: No longer available but if you’re looking for a mirror in a similar design, check out {this arched wood mirror} | Pedestal Sink: Kohler Memoirs sink found {here} | Sconces: Crystal ball sconces
Shower Curtain: Tassel Shower Curtain in Citrine | {this shower curtain} is similar and comes in more color options | Soap dispenser, woven basket on toilet, agate slices: HomeGoods | Gold & glass jar in basket: No longer available | Plant: Ornamental Oregano in Linen Wrapped Pot (Terrain) | Frames: Target Threshold (no longer available) but {these linen mat frames} are a pretty alternative | Tissue Box Cover: Linen Hemstich Tissue Box Cover
Dianne says
What a difference. So glad you decided to finish the walls correctly. It looks fantastic!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Dianne – I went back and forth about finishing the stenciling but am glad that I did in the end!
Rita from designmegillah says
Beautiful!!!
I see your old floor peaking…is it terracotta ceramic tile? I have the same floor. How will you be covering it?
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
The tile is just standard ceramic tile – it’s not terra-cotta but is just a similar color to it. I’m going to try painting it – I’ll post about it once I’m done and let everyone know how it goes!
Becky // This Is Happiness says
Wow Kris! This looks amazing! Love, love, love the stenciled wall, the gorgeous scones and that fabulous lime green tassel shower curtain is perfect!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Becky – it makes me happy that you love how it turned out!
Kim says
Oh, my I love this makeover and that stencil is gorgeous. Think I may just need that for my powder room.
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Kim – I think the stencil made the biggest impact out of everything in the room! It’s a lot of work but perfect for a smaller space like a powder room.
Denise Baliotti says
Wow, congratulations on a stunning makeover!! You need to give yourself a really good pat on the back for the beautiful work that you did. Seeing the stencil completed (I never doubted you wouldn’t finish it!) is the finishing touch. I love all of your beautiful and carefully chosen accessories, and the shower curtain brings that added surprise of color. Gorgeous!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
My type A personality just wouldn’t allow me to leave the stenciling unfinished 🙂 Thanks for the nice words about the makeover – now I just gotta get that nasty floor done…
Shelley @ Calypso in the Country says
Kris, it looks amazing!!! It literally brought a smile to my face when I scrolled through your pictures. Every detail is just beautiful – so classic and elegant. LOVE it!
Shelley
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
You are so sweet – thank you Shelley!!
Brandi says
Oh Kris, it looks amazing. Such a stunner! The bold stencil was the perfect choice. I love your subway tile too. Beautiful job. I love every detail.
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Brandi – I’m really happy with the stencil choice – my husband wasn’t sure he was digging it when he saw the stencil but he loves it now too!
Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed says
Oh my, that old wallpaper was intense! I love the space now, it really looks great!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Yep, the old wallpaper was kinda blinding. The walls are definitely a bit easier on the eyes now 🙂
Cathy says
Love the stenciled walls and the crisp transformation Kris! That medicine cabinet is a total find, the wood frame really warms the space up. Congrats on a fab job!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Cathy – I lucked out with that medicine cabinet. The room just wouldn’t have been the same without it!
Nancy {at} Powell Brower at home says
Fantastic makeover Kris -you have fabulous and classic taste! Love that wall and your medicine cabinet!!! Great lines? I adore that citrine trim on the shower curtain – beautifully understated. Im so impressed! Xo Nancy
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Nancy – I went back and forth on that shower curtain but decided it added a fun touch so went with it in the end!
Karbo says
Looks too pretty for your husband to use!! Of course the tassel curtain!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Yep, I’m kinda wondering how it happened that he now has this pretty bathroom and I have an old, ugly one 🙂
Jenny@EvolutionofStyle says
It turned out GREAT! I love it! And yes, you picked my favorite shower curtain too! ;-). I noticed you took the stencil all the way to the ceiling and down to the tile too – it really makes a big difference now that I see it finished! Floor or not, it’s still a huge transformation! Great job!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Jenny! Yes, I finished off the stenciling and am glad I did. I appreciated all of the honest comments encouraging me to finish it off – it was the right thing to do.
Summer says
This is beautiful Kris! I love everything about it! The wall really makes it! Amazing job!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Summer – you and I both know what a big job it is to do so much stenciling but no doubt worth it!!
Lisa @ Shine Your Light says
Kris you finished the stencil!!! It looks amazing!!!! *high five* I love the wall color with the white tile, so updated and pretty especially with the wood tone accents. That medicine cabinet is killer, and the agate art!!! LOVE. So inspiring to see where you took this bathroom from start to finish. Another fantastic makeover at DBD!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Yes, I powered through and finished the stenciling – once I started going around the corner and doing the other walls, it started looking more off to me. I’m not someone who is good at going back to things (I just never get around to it!) so I decided to finish the stenciling off and hold off on the floor. Thanks so much for the sweet words Lisa!
savvy shopper says
Kris, This was totally worth the wait. Beautiful! Can’t pick just one thing as a favorite – it’s all good.
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks so much – I love it that you love it! 🙂
Debbie says
Gorgeous. Beautifully done. Stenciling walls like this is a hard tedious job. Your hard work shows and it is so nice. I love it.
Krystine www.KrysitneEdwards.com/blog says
Kris- AMAZING! What a transformation and what a beautiful space you created! LOVE it!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks so much Krystine – I’m glad that you like it!