Remodeling a small bathroom can be a challenge due to the size of the bathroom and a limited budget. In this small bathroom remodel before and after, I will share with you my budget friendly tips, remodeling ideas and what project costs are worth splurging on.
I am so excited to show you guys how you can achieve this bathroom design on a budget! As an owner of a 1,200 square foot home, I know the struggle of designing small spaces. I am here to show you the secrets and knowledge from our small bathroom remodel journey.
This post is about our small bathroom remodel before and after.
How to Remodel a Small Bathroom on a Budget
Sticking to a budget when remodeling a small bathroom is probably the most challenging part of a small bathroom remodel. Here are 7 easy and budget friendly ideas that you can use to remodel your small bathroom.
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1. Use the existing bathroom layout
One of the best tips for keeping a small bathroom remodel affordable is sticking to the existing bathroom layout. Every time you change the layout of your bathroom you increase your budget. By keeping the same bathroom layout, you won’t have to change any plumbing, electrical, sheetrock, etc. Simply try swapping out the existing vanity and toilet instead of creating an entire new floor plan.
GET THE AFTER LOOK FROM AMAZON:
This is a super affordable modern white vanity that will elevate your small bathroom remodel! We love this white bathroom vanity because it is truly customizable to fit even the smallest of bathrooms. You can easily swap out your old vanity for this fresh and clean one!
Have fun with your bathroom remodel with a unique patterned tile that will match your homes aesthetic. Consider this fun and modern black and white bathroom tile in your remodel. You can not go wrong with black and white decor because of how easy it is to match to literally anything. This tile is a modern classic print with a little twist that will make your bathroom feel unique.
2. Revamp the bathroom walls
This bathroom remodel before and after shows that you can make a huge impact just by adding wallpaper to the walls. Painting the walls or adding wallpaper can be a project that you can DIY to save major dollars on!
CREATE THIS LOOK FROM AMAZON:
This white and grey wallpaper from Amazon is probably the easiest and most cost effective way to transform your small bathroom! I am honestly shocked to see how easy it is to apply this peel and stick wallpaper to the bathroom walls. Check out this super helpful video on how to apply peel and stick wallpaper yourself!
GET THE GOLD MIRROR FOR LESS:
We can not say enough good things about this round gold mirror! This bathroom mirror will make your bathroom feel like it was styled by a professional! We love how affordable it is (only $36) while still being good quality!
3. Keep the Bath Tile
One of the most expensive parts of a small bathroom remodel is the tile. If you deep clean and re grout the old bath tub tile, you can save a ton of money! Choose a cute shower curtain to liven the old bathtub and hide the existing tile!
GET THE MODERN BATHROOM LOOK:
Create the illusion of a totally re done bathroom by hiding your old bathroom with this cute black and white shower curtain! This shower curtain is only $22, but looks like it is from a high end brand! Highly recommend!
4. Replace the cabinet hardware
Don’t throw out the old cabinets or vanity!! Keep the vanity and instead just replace the hardware for fresh for modern looking pulls. Throw a fresh coat of paint on the vanity to make your bathroom feel brand new!
TIP: Have fun with your hardware, don’t be afraid to mix metals! We suggest a mixture black and brass finishes.
GET THE LOOK:
These cute brushed nickel cabinet pulls will make your bathroom vanity appear brand new! This is a sleek and modern style to try in your 2024 bathroom remodel!
BEST BATHROOM CABINET PAINT COLORS 2024:
- PURE WHITE SHERWIN WILLIAMS
- SIMPLY WHITE SHERWIN WILLIAMS
- ALABASTER SHERWIN WILLIAMS (OFF WHITE)
- SEA SALT SHERWIN WILLIAMS (LIGHT GREEN GREY)
- REPOSE GREY SHERWIN WILLIAMS
- NEEDLEPOINT NAVY SHERWIN WILLIAMS (NAVY BLUE)
- IRON ORE SHERWIN WILLIAMS (BLACKISH)
5. Replace the faucet
Do you have outdated door knobs, shower heads, or faucets in your small bathroom? Toss those away and replace them with new, modern hardware. We suggest the trendy gold or black hardware to bring your outdated bathroom back to life.
CUTE BLACK BATHROOM FAUCET:
We are obsessed with this simple clean looking black faucet! This faucet screams modern bathroom remodel! With over 500 positive ratings, this matte faucet is a no brainer!
6. Upgrade the bathroom mirror
Don’t forget to upgrade the bathroom mirror in your small bathroom remodel. The bathroom mirror makes a huge impact in a small bathroom and came make the bathroom appear larger by reflecting more light into the space.
TIP: In a very small bathroom, choose a medicine cabinet with a mirror for extra storage!
GET THE LOOK FOR LESS:
Copy this cute small bathroom remodel before and after by adding in a gold bathroom vanity light fixture! Gold is great way to mix metals in a bathroom without being too trendy. We highly recommend this bathroom light fixture because (you guessed it) it is affordable and dimmable! Don’t forget to use Edison bulbs for that vintage touch!
7. Change the bathroom lighting
To keep your bathroom remodel before and after within your budget, try upgrading the lighting. Swap out old bathroom vents for new, add brighter bulbs, or replace light fixtures for more modern lighting.
BATHROOM REMODEL: BEFORE
Now for our favorite part! Here is our small bathroom remodel before and after! This bathroom was a total remodel! The original bathroom was not too bad, but definitely a little outdated.
We did not intend to remodel this bathroom and actually started to paint it to try to just give it a quick facelift. We realized during our other home renovation projects that this bathroom actually had a leak in the shower due to it being built incorrectly. So the demo process began!
The Remodeling Process
The Demolition
We started the demo by taking down the sheetrock and removing everything that was water damaged. We tried to save some of the walls, but we knew that if we wanted it to look perfect, we needed to get rid of everything completely. Doing the demolition yourself can save you a lot of money and is pretty simple to do with the right safety precautions.
Now that we had a blank slate to work with, it was time to design the bathroom. For this small bathroom, we were left with no choice but to keep the same layout because there was simply no extra room!
The Drywall
Now that the bathroom was down to the studs, we had a contractor come out and install the sheetrock and spackle the walls. Make sure that any holes for lighting or plumbing are discussed with the contractor prior to the job being started.
In my opinion, the role of drywall in shaping the final outcome of the bathroom is very important. Achieving a seamlessly polished look is a goal best entrusted to a professional rather than attempting a DIY approach.
The Bathroom Plumbing
Once the sheetrock was in, we had a plumber install the lining and make sure the shower was properly in place to avoid any future water damage. We did a lot of the work on our own, but hiring a plumber was worth every dollar.
The Bathroom Tile
We love the hexagon shape of the bathroom tile! It is an unexpected pattern and adds variety to this tiny narrow bathroom! We highly recommend this Satori Nouveau Crema Hexagon Tile!
After the plumbing was completed, we went to Lowes to pick out our tile. I knew for this bathroom that I wanted it to be bright since it is very small and narrow.
Because this is the master bathroom, we wanted to make it different from the other bathrooms. We decided to go with a hexagon pattern for the floors and a brownish marble look in the shower.
Now the tile installation can be very pricey. We had some experience in laying tile so we did the tile ourselves with the help of a friend. The tile is not extremely hard to DIY, but as a beginner I would not choose patterns like the ones we did.
Hexagons, octagons and different shaped tiles can be difficult to cut for a beginner and also require using small grout lines which can also be a challenge. If you want to DIY the bathroom tile, choose large square tiles with big grout lines (these are the easiest). I found a helpful video that shows the basics on how to lay your own tile.
If you can do it and have the time, this could potentially be a great money saver for your bathroom remodel. The tile itself is pretty cheap so this eliminates the bulk of the budget in labor costs.
Bathroom Paint & Bathroom Vanity
For the wall color we wanted to keep it neutral and bright to make the bathroom appear larger. This is crucial in a small bathroom remodel! Keeping the colors light and fresh on the bathroom walls helps reflect light into it. Painting yourself is a great way to save money on a bathroom remodel.
TIP: Make sure the your flooring is covered to keep it protected during paint and other projects.
We added a narrow white vanity and an oval mirrored medicine cabinet above it for extra storage. Use a stock vanity from Home Depot or Lowes to keep your remodel within budget.
I would recommend to measure your old bathroom vanity before throwing it out to get an idea of the size that would fit best in your remodel. We had such a tiny vanity before, I didn’t know if it was possible to find one in store but we did!
And for the last touch, I needed a place to hang hand towels and was very limited on wall space so we found a glass towel bar from Home Depot.
BATHROOM REMODEL AFTER
One of my favorite parts the remodel of our small bathroom is the tile on the shower floor. It incorporates the hexagon on the main bathroom floor and also matches the faux marble subway tile on the shower walls.
To make the bathroom feel modern, we added a rain style shower head with a matching drain. We highly recommend any Moen products for the bathroom, they have lasted very well and do not tarnish.
We styled the towel rack with a cute sign, small jars for cotton ball storage, small hand towels and faux plants. This is a cute idea on how to decorate around an almond bathtub for almond bathroom ideas.
How long does it take to remodel a small bathroom?
Our small bathroom remodel took in total about 6 weeks to complete. This is with other projects going on at the same time and no weekends.
I am so happy with how our small bathroom remodel came out! We were able to keep it within our budget and still get the clean bright look we were looking for.
This post was all about our small bathroom remodel before and after.
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