Our half bath lacked… well, character. I would consider myself to be rather moody in my design style. Dark colors mixed with prints and rich colors are my jam. When we moved into our house we had to gut it before we could move in. I mean GUT IT… down to the light switches and outlets. It was so bad that when I toured the house I was told not to get too close to the master bath shower because it would fall through the floor. Since there were so many design details to tackle, I kept it simple in most rooms and just figured I’d update as I became tired of gray and taupe walls. I designed this bathroom update with mostly items from Amazon because kids, work, and all of the momming doesn’t leave much time to shop around. I have to say I’m pleased with the outcome-especially since I didn’t need to run around like crazy trying to find things to work in this space. I’m linking items I used in this bathroom update at the end of this post so you can shop effortlessly, too!
This half bath project stemmed from finding a mirror I loved to replace the one I just tolerated. Problem? There was a giant hole in the wall behind the mirror where the old light fixture was prior to renovating the house. Fast forward a few years AFTER the wall had been patched and we got around to painting the bathroom after patching. If I was painting, why not paint a new color and paint the whole bathroom? If we’re painting, why not wallpaper, too? It’s like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie… it will never end! How did I make sure I didn’t overspend after deciding to revamp? I tried to keep it simple and make bold changes with low cost fixes.
Design Your Space First
First, design your space like there is no budget. That’s right, have all the champaign dreams. This is just to get an idea of what feel your space should have. Check out Pinterest boards, blogs, anything that gives you inspiration. Keep in mind the colors you like and the overall style you’re going for.
Determine What You Cannot Change
If you’re really on a budget, make a list of what cannot be changed. Examples of this could be a vanity, bathtub, shower, flooring or tile, or other high cost item. Our vanity was still in good shape and was still great aesthetically, so I designed the update to work with the current vanity. Get a sense of what your dream designs or ideas would look like with your existing pieces. If the ideas you gathered just don’t match the “can’t change items” in any way, search for other examples that will work well with existing pieces in your space.
Low Cost Updates
While looking at ideas on Pinterest or blogs make note of low cost items that could be used in an update that can change the entire look of the space. Here are some low-cost updates for bathrooms:
- paint
- wallpaper
- light fixtures
- faucets
- towel racks
- shelving
- mirrors
- plants
- toiletry bottles such as soap or lotion
- small decor items (candles, framed artwork, etc.)
While considering all of these lower cost items, build your space around these cost effective updates. Consider items that already exist in your home or from thrift stores or clearance sales to fill in empty spaces. When I find items I love I also comparison shop online to see if cheaper alternatives exist. If you can achieve the same look with a lower cost item, doesn’t that make the look all that much better?!
Visually Plan Your Space
Create a visual plan of your space using the items you found to create your desired look. If you’re using paint colors, wallpapers, or other similar items in your design include those. I don’t like to spend a lot of time on my visual planning, but getting an idea of what items will look like together definitely helps. I like to use the PicCollage app on my phone so I can add items together quickly to make sure everything meshes well. I do a quick price check and add the cost of all of the design items to make sure I stay within my budget.
Get to Work!
Once you’re sure everything meshes together well and the budget checks out, get shopping! Purchase all items, prep your space, and enjoy your newly updated room!
Shop My Bathroom Decor Finds!
Sherwin Williams Rosemary Paint
Wallpaper
Wallpaper Application Tools
Shelves
Light Fixture
Towel Rack
Nightlight
Soap Dispenser
Eucalyptus Reed Diffuser
The Engineered Mama 