Bathroom renovations are expensive, but using paint and a little creativity, you can make budget friendly bathroom updates that have big impact.

Our guest bathroom has gotten very little attention in the 23 years that we have lived here. While my daughter, Meghan, was home recently, she decided that it was time for some budget-friendly guest bath diy updates.

Since we were in the middle of a larger project (a cased opening between the kitchen and family room), we didn’t want to tackle a major renovation. We also wanted to keep it budget-friendly. This bathroom doesn’t get a lot of use, but I wanted to make it prettier and a bit more functional for guests. We didn’t want to put a lot of money into it, but I figured we could put our diy skills to work and make it much better.

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Decide what can stay

Since we were doing this quickly and on a budget, we decided to work with what we had. Deciding what could remain was the first step.

Chrome fixtures

The painted vanity

We also decided to keep the vanity. I painted it when we updated the faucets, and it still looked good. I used the same method that worked well when I painted my kitchen cabinets. Painting cabinets is a great way to update a space. You can read about my painting method and how my kitchen cabinets have held up here.

The bathtub and surrounding tile

While I would love a new tile surrounding the bathtub and a new bathtub, those items would have blown the budget. Both are in good shape, so, like the chrome, we thought changing other features would help the tub and tile to look better.

The floor

Finally, the floor. It was the same ceramic tile that we just removed from out kitchen and foyer in order to install hardwood floors. Even though the bathroom is a small space, I just was not ready to tackle tile removal again so soon. If you’ve ever done this, you know what I’m talking about. So we decided to keep the floor, but it might still get an update. More on that later.

What we chose to update

We looked at areas we could update while being budget conscious. Any new purchases would be budget friendly options. We did splurge a bit on one item, but it was a good place to spend a little more.

Light fixtures

The first step was to identify the biggest problems with the bathroom. The awful bulkhead fluorescent light was the clear winner as the item that needed to go first! Our house has two and a half bathrooms, and all of them sported this 80s atrocity. We updated our powder room several years ago and replaced the bulkhead light with a pretty two-light fixture.

Removing that bulkhead was the first task to tackle. We couldn’t paint until it was out, and we knew removal would make a mess and require drywall repair.

If you have one of these bulkheads, remove it gingerly. Ours was just wood framing covered in drywall. The fluorescent light fixture was attached to the back wall, which also housed the electricity. But, our neighbors took one out and found electrical actually running through the bulkhead, so turn off the power and proceed carefully. Just removing the bulkhead made a big difference! We had to repair the drywall before we could paint, and Dave came up with some temporary lights to use while we were working.

The construction grade bathroom mirror

Two unframed large mirrors made to look like one filled in the entire wall space above the vanity. While this expanse of mirror was nice when this was a kids’ bathroom, it was not necessary for our guest bath space. Clips held it in place and were visible around the edges—and they were not pretty. 

A mirror over each sink was the plan to update this area.

The vanity top

Paint

This is stating the obvious, but a fresh coat of paint might be the best tool in any diyer’s toolbox. The paint color in here was terrible! Okay, the color itself wasn’t bad, but it didn’t go with anything in the bathroom and didn’t complement the existing features. It was a cool grey that came off as purple against the yellowy tone of the vanity top and the almond tiles surrounding the bathtub. 

The shower curtain

I wanted an English cottage feel in here, and couldn’t find anything in an existing curtain to fit the bill, so I decided to make one. Also, I wanted it to be longer than standard shower curtains in order give a little coverage to the existing bathtub tile. Meghan and I searched fabric sites for something that would complement the color of the painted vanity and tie it together with a new wall paint for a blue and green color scheme. We found a fabric we both loved on Spoonflower. I made the shower curtain and will share the details in an upcoming post.

The medicine cabinet

A mirrored medicine cabinet was housed in the wall on one side of the vanity. It was useful for storage when my kids lived at home, but really not necessary for a guest bathroom. We decided that a towel ring on this side of the vanity would be a much better use of the space, so the cabinet had to come out.

The toilet

The toilet was original to the house as was evidenced by the late-80s almond color. It still worked well but was showing its age. I couldn’t imagine a way to update a toilet, so we decided a new one would be our splurge item in this update. When deciding where to splurge, choose items that are timeless, can’t be replaced easily and need to function well. A white toilet probably won’t go out of style soon. We could have chosen a less expensive option, but I wanted it to be pretty (as pretty as a toilet can be) and function well over time.

The process

Demo

Meghan thought we could take the bulkhead down while my husband, Dave, was at work, and I was on board! It was a pretty straightforward demo with one hitch. The front board of the bulkhead was recessed into the walls on either side. We cut through the board, which left a short piece that was much easier to work with in the walls. Some of the drywall had to be cut out to get the extra piece of board out. 

We also removed the fluorescent light fixture that had been hidden on the back wall, which left another big hole in the drywall. 

Finally, we removed the medicine cabinet, leaving a large hole to be drywalled.

Repair and replace

After all of that demo, the next step was to repair and replace drywall. Once the drywall was complete, Dave removed the old vanity and installed the new one. This required the removal and reinstall of the faucets, so some plumbing know-how came into play.

We were finally ready for paint. Dave removed the old toilet at this point, making it easy to paint the wall behind the toilet. Meghan and I chose a green shade that was in the shower curtain—Sherwin Williams Studio Blue Green. I was worried about using a dark color in this small space, but I think it adds charm. Since we don’t have beautiful, new tile or stone vanity top to showcase, the bold paint color can be the star.

Once the paint was dry, Dave hung the new light fixtures and mirrors. There were many expensive options, but I found similar looks on Amazon at great prices. A tip if you’re buying new pieces on a budget: take a screen shot (or a photo if you find it in a store) of the expensive option and insert the photo into Google lens. It will find similar items and usually at a variety of price points. You can get the same look for less!

I made and hung the shower curtain. Since I wanted it to hang higher than standard, I bought an extra long shower curtain liner. A new shower curtain rod and hooks in black to match the mirrors look good against the green walls.

Bathroom decor

Finally, it was time to add some pretty bathroom accessories. There was limited space for accessorizing, but I made good use of the vanity top and the back of the toilet. Thrift store glass apothecary jars are perfect on the vanity. I was going to fill one with cotton balls, but decided on shower bombs and bath salts instead. They’re just prettier. The back of the toilet is a great place for pretty decorative items. 

I had planned to replace the white cabinet that was over the toilet with a vintage wooden pharmacy cabinet. I love the cabinet, but once the old cabinet was removed, I loved the openness of this space and opted for pretty art instead. The vintage pharmacy cabinet will find a home some day!

A small wooden stool that I found at a thrift store is a functional piece and the perfect addition. Topped with a basket, it holds extra washcloths and toiletries and is a nice dropping point for guests to put personal items, like eyeglasses, while showering.

While it might not be a new bathroom space, this refresh made a huge difference. I’m no longer ashamed of the bathroom and can’t wait to welcome overnight guests!

Click on the images, below, to shop the exact products used in this bathroom.