Crisp Modern Bathroom Remodel on a Budget!

Two more days until my son's wedding!!

 We are all super excited!!

But.....

today is the day I finally show you the girls finished bathroom!!!

Do you remember when I started this bathroom remodel?

The two major reasons for this remodel were to improve storage and fix the rotting window sill.

I did that and more, on a low budget, but not low on style.

According to Houzz.com survey data from the past 5 years the average cost for a bathroom remodel is $11,300. 

Wow!

(Who has that kind of budget for one room?) 

Well I guess that makes my $420 a steal!!

That's right, I spent $420 including tile, counter, new bathroom fan, shower lights, new towels, linens, rug and decor!! 

Everything!

So are you ready to see it?

Here is a reminder of my design plan.

Let's just take a peek at what it looked like to begin with!

Nice builder grade everything, but blah!!

And now!!!!!

So bright and crisp!

And sooo functional too!!

OK, here is the before from another view.

Loving those theater lights and flat mirror.

After!!

Gosh, what do you think?

Totally updated?

We started by taking out the mirror, upgrading the the fan, adding shower lights, and moved an electrical outlet.

The base cabinet was updated with paint and new knobs.

This gorgeous blue is a beautiful backdrop to these gold knobs from D Lawless Hardware.

I am drooling over how these blue cabinets turned out.

These blue cabinets pull the whole room together.

Let's just look at these lovelies some more!!

No more boring oak cabinets here.

 By painting them instead of replacing them I save lots, but still got a dramatic new look.

OK, moving on. 

Let's check out the new marble counter top with glass back splash.

Oh wait, that is my old counter top faux painted!!

That's right I said faux painted!

 It is the same sink and faucet, but a newly painted counter top.

$25 to turn it into this lovely marble top.

You can see how I prepped and faux painted the counter top.

Saved $100s on the counter top!!

We have had these counters in use for about 6 months so far and I am still happy with them. They are sensitive to heat, so be careful with curling or flat irons. After finding a slight yellow stain where my girls left the flat iron on all day, they started setting their irons on a small wooden tray.

I added glass tiles on the back splash right over the the laminate back splash for a total of $24 dollars. Creates a glamorous feel.

To show off my new counters I accessorize with two glass jars I picked up at a second hand store for $1 each. I added words and thin strips of blue vinyl and loaded them up with swabs and cotton balls. 

Next check out the new storage work horse, the giant new medicine cabinet.

 It holds all the girls STUFF and more!!

(I will show you all my storage ideas next week.)

Check out everything from cutting a giant hole in the wall, making it look built in, painting it and finishing it up.

 I had a hard time picking knobs for it. It didn't have any originally, but I knew that would just end in lots of makeup finger prints on the white doors. I didn't want them to stick out or take away from the clean lines, but after a few failed attempts I stole some off a small cabinet I had lurking in my stash. They are small and gold, I love them. 

If you remember I added wallpaper to the inside of the medicine cabinet for a fun surprise each time you open it!! Did I mention I got that wall paper for $1 at a second hand door. 

To keep my costs down I repainted a light fixture I purchased at a second hand store for $5 and then added some blue vinyl strips to the glass. 

Moving on to these rustic industrial shelves I made for $4. 

I painted the walls a light grey as a subtle backdrop to the shelves and accessories.

Don't ask me for the color, I saved money by just mixing paints I already had left over from other projects.

Now lets talk about second hand accessories. Most of my decor items are purchased at a second hand store, garage sale, or salvaged from someones get rid of pile. 

Who says you have to buy new?

Example: small frame for 50 cents looks amazing with a coat of blue spray paint and gold lips made out of vinyl.

The gold metal reindeer which use to be a candle holder I bought used for $2. I loved the color of the metal.

I cut a wood circle out of thin scrap wood, stained it and added a gold vinyl wreath and a "B" to it. Turned it up right and mounted it on the wall!! 

Oh I can't forget my porcelain head. I bought it because it reminded me of Princess Leah. 

(What can I say, I live with a bunch of Star Wars geeks.) 

She is actually a bank, but I love adding something quirky and unexpected to every room.

Let's just look at what all the accessories on my shelves cost!!

I found all these items at DI unless other wise indicated. DI stands for Dessert Industries. 

This is a local thrift store run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

Glass jars for $1- $2 each.

I bought a bag of moss rocks at Ross for $7.

 (I still have some left over for another room.)

Gold Lattice box for $2, folded white hand towels I had in it.

Gold reindeer plaque $2.

Frame 50 cents.

Artificial plant $5 from Ikea

Gold striped bowl given to me by my friend.

Total $21.50 for all these accessories!

You just don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to accessorize your home.

If you are still reading this novel, good for you, and thank you!!

The shower problem was address by installing a better bathroom fan, like I said previously, but also by changing the surface around the window. I tiled above the shower unit because tile is more water resistant. I love the clean crisp look of it. By using simple subway tile I kept the cost down to $61 for tile and grout. Much better than the rotting corner bead!

I wanted the shower curtain to stretch from the floor to the ceiling. Just like with curtains, I love this dramatic look mounting the rods higher. 

But you can't easily buy extra tall shower curtains. I purchased the navy and white striped shower curtain from Target and then added a gold ban of material I already had to the bottom. I love how it ties into all the other gold in the room and adds a touch of glam. 

On a side note, when you raise the shower curtain rod you must get a longer shower liner or add a second rod for the liner. I wanted a clean look, not cluttered up with two rods at two levels. I found a 72"x84" clear shower curtain liner at Walmart.com. 

I may have done a happy dance when it was only $7.50!!

I replaced all the silver towel hooks with oil rubbed bronze hooks to tie in with the light fixture and shower curtain rod. I prefer hooks over towel rods in all our bathrooms because I feel the kids get the towel on the hook more often than a towel rod. I also purchased new blue towels for the girls.

I kinda thought I wanted white textured towels, but this is a kid bathroom. Crisp white towels would be dirty and ugly after the first day. So I opted for blue.

 I also have a hook for the hand towel next to the sink. I fold a wash cloth diagonally and sew about a inch long line. This creates a way to hang the wash cloth  over the hook. Works great.

Let me share a few other details. Like the  flip out drawer fronts to store bobby pin. I will cover how I did this more next week with my post on bathroom storage. 

Finding a bathroom rug is always a balancing act for me. Balancing beauty, function, and cost of coarse. I can find lots of beautiful  rugs in the right colors, but often light colors. I have been down that road too often. I don't know about your house, but lots of traffic with or without shoes tramples over our bathroom rugs multiple times every day. Light color rugs look dirty and yucky very quickly. I look for predominately dark colors in my rugs. To add to the mix I wanted one long rug instead of two small ones. It took awhile, but I found this navy blue 20"x60" runner at Walmart for $24.

 It fit my size parameters, functional needs, and design. 

One of my favorite details was spray painting the toilet paper holder gold!!

 It was silver.

Nice touch don't you think?

Now for the art work in the room!

I wanted something simple.

Enter this plastic wooden looking plaque. Yeah, I said plastic. I bought them at DI thrift store for $1.

I have actually tried to use this in a couple of other rooms and it never really looked right.

I painted the whole thing white and distressed the raised design. Then I taped off the middle and painted the frame navy blue.

Simple mix of rustic and clean modern.

Oh I have to share one of my favorite finds in this room; this wooden puzzle stand. I love the raw natural wood against the modern glam back ground. I love fresh flowers in my house, they just make me happy.

OK, you are thinking who has fresh flowers in their bathroom every day? 

I happen to have rose bushes and tried to keep a few around the house while they are in bloom. During the other times of the year the girls use the small dish for rings. 

So what do you think?

My kids love this bathroom.

I hope this inspires you to realize you can create beautiful rooms for not much money.

I would love to hear what you think about this room or if you have any questions.

Here is a list of items I purchased new with colors and styles, followed by a link list of all the posts about this bathroom remodel.

Thanks for stopping by.

Base cabinet knobs - Brushed Brass Whistle Knobs 1.25" from D Lawless

Grout for shower and back splash - Keracolor Warm Gray #93  from Lowe's

Back splash Tile - Delano Blanco Mosaics from Home Depot

Towel hooks - Oil Rubbed Bronze Double Hook from D Lawless

 Interdesign Vinyl 4.8 Shower Curtain Liner 72"x84" from Walmart.com

Better Homes & Gardens Mums runner from Walmart

Room Essentials Shower Curtain - Blue Rugby Stripe from Target

Krylon Spray paint

Next Project! Girls Bathroom Remodel

It begins, Taking down the Mirror

Cutting the Wall for the Recessed Medicine Cabinet

Adding a New Bathroom Fan and Consolidating Switches with an Outlet

How to Make a Used Medicine Cabinet Look Built-in
Using a Finish Max Paint Sprayer to paint my Medicine Cabinet
Fixing the Medicine Cabinet Doors
Creating a New Light with Spray Paint and Vinyl
Shower Tile
Installing the Tiles with Bondera
The Easy Way to Use Silicone Caulk
How to Mend a Hole in a Fiberglass Tub
Prep and Painting Faux Counters
Faux Marble Counters
Back Splash
Spray Painting Cabinet Doors with Kryon and new D.Lawless Knobs
How to Make a Cutlery Box and a Good Trade
Rustic Industrial Shelves for $4
Scale Remake