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!
Want to save this post?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
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
Stacy Connolly says
So excited to see the final product! Looks beautiful! Love the stencil. I have the same frames hanging over the toilet as well (what a pain to line up) with chevron gold burlap fabric. . Beautiful transformation Kris!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
So funny you say that Stacy because I figured that hanging those frames would be a five minute job but it took forever getting them just right!
Ruth L says
Kris,
Love, love, L-O-V-E your decision to complete the stencil – it really is the star in the room! Your choices for each item are very classic which will make this a stylish room for many, many years. Your hard work really paid off – great job!
Ruth L
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Ruth – I’m so glad that I finished off the stenciling – it made such a difference!
Shannon says
Kris, this is STUNNING! I love the wallpaper and the mirror and the agate slices, and…everything! It looks so great. Cheers to a successful ORC!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks so much Shannon!
Jennifer @ Decorated Chaos says
Your bathroom looks great! You really did a good job working around the existing white tile. I love everything about it!
Jennifer @ Decorated Chaos
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Jennifer – I’d love to take down that tile some day but for now it works!
Emily @ 11gables.blogspot.com says
Kris!! I love this! I am totally copying your framed agate! Great idea!! I want that medicine cabinet for my boys’ bathrooms!! Genius! I say “crapola” too. Like, “Get your crapola off the floor!!” at least 10 times a day. Cracks me up to hear my 5 year old say, “Crapola.” 😉 but I digress, Seriously in love with your makeover! fantastic!! xox
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Good medicine cabinets are near impossible to find but this one is a keeper! My house is one big pit of crapola right now!!
Brenna@DomesticCharm says
That is a stunning change! Congratulations on such an amazing after!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Brenna!
Erin@Suburban Bitches says
Well done! Great job working with what you had. The space looks so much more current and refreshed. Congrats!!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thank you Erin!
Jana Bek says
Wow what a fabulous transformation! Love your choice of wallpaper & the pop of chartreuse in the fringe – looks like a completely different room! Great job Kris! xx jana
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Jana!
cindy hattersley says
You are positively amazing!! I love the juxtaposition of the natural wood against the “faux paper”. What a genius idea! I adore the addition of the agate art and that stencil is to DIE for!! I cannot wait to hear how that went!! I am so impressed at how perfect it looks. I have yet to do my little powder room. Absolutely fabulous job!!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
You are so sweet and supportive Cindy – thanks so much for the nice words. I’m really happy with how the stenciling turned out – it’s far from perfect but luckily the mistakes seem to get hidden unless you’re really looking for them.
Pam @ Simple Details says
Oh my goodness, Kris! What a vision for this ordinary little bathroom – it’s fabulous!! The stencil you chose makes such a huge impact! No pressure but I told my client you were painting your tile, and we’d wait to see how it works before doing hers! 🙂 Beautiful photos, too!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
I will be your guinea pig! I’m probably going to jump into doing it pretty soon while my husband is still moved out of the bathroom. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Taylor Greenwalt says
Chris..it looks beautiful! You did a fantastic job!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Taylor!
Denise says
Kris, it is stunning! I can’t believe you finished the stencil all around the room!! That must have taken forever ;). It was totally worth it though!! Great job!!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Denise – it did take me a while but I ended up cutting my stencil and it was much, much easier that way.
Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says
Oh i love, love, love how this turned out. That stenciled wall is fantastic. Makes the whole room.
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks Marty – I’m so glad I decided to use the stencil because I agree that the room wouldn’t be the same without it!
Elle Woeller says
What a pretty space…yet masculine enough for your husband 🙂 The walls look great- at first I thought it was wallpaper. Another fabulous room completed! Elle
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks so much Elle – my husband wasn’t so sure about the stencil when I first showed him (birds are not his thing) but he ended up really liking it in the end and feeling that it wasn’t too girly!
Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles says
This is truly an amazing transformation, Kris! Your stenciled walls are fantastic (so glad you decided to finish the edges!), and I love that you chose the tassel shower curtain! What a fun pop of color! Bravo, my friend!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thanks so much Jennifer! Aren’t you proud of me for going with the colored tassel curtain over the linen one 🙂
René says
Yay! It looks amazing! Love every detail!
Kris @ Driven by Decor says
Thank you Rene!