Getting the Most Bang for your {100} Bucks: Cosmetic Bathroom Reno Tips + Tricks

This morning I posted this before and after picture of our main bathroom. Since posting I've received several inquiries about how I completed the transformation on a limited budget/without any major renovations. So I thought the easiest way to address everyone's questions would be a quick little post. So, here's the scoop on how I completed this cosmetic bathroom reno for under $100, with some easy tips + tricks.

We bought our house 5 years ago next month. That's crazy! The entire house was painted "Yellow Mushroom" by the previous owner who actually purchased the house as a flip property. While he made some major improvements to the home {the major bathroom reno being one of them}, he failed on the paint color, in my opinion. It was a weird yellowy-creamy-beigey color. It wasn't awful, but it definitely wasn't us. We lived with it for close to 2 years before finally biting the bullet and repainting. If you're interested in paint colors around our house, shoot me a message, otherwise I'm going to focus on just the bathroom today.

This was the bathroom with the original paint color + just some make shift accessories that I got super cheap at random places. {We had a lot of cheap stuff when we first moved in before my vision for our home really became clear}. These are the "BEFORE" pictures of me taping off the bathroom while in it's original state, to give you an idea of it's lack of appeal.

 

 We painted the bathroom "Breezy Blue" by Valspar. We actually ended up painting the kitchen and bath the same color as not to waste any paint. Tip 1: Before buying paint, determine if you can use it for more than one project. You want to get the most bang for your buck. Both rooms stayed this color until just last year actually. {The quality of these pictures is HORRID because they were originally taken on a crappy camera phone, so forgive me-just scroll quickly}.

As mentioned, the major bathroom renovations were completed by the previous owner. He retiled the floor, added new fixtures, a new toilet, a new bath/shower combo, and a new vanity. Although the white vanity was in mint condition, I grew tired of it {and honestly, felt like it looked cheap}, so I started looking around. I found this IKEA vanity and instantly fell in love. I really liked the look of the dark cabinet on the bottom with the contrasting white countertop.

Unfortunately for us, it was out of our price range at the time. I was so bummed, but started brainstorming. Tip 2: Paint your vanity if you can't afford a new one. I was a little unsure if painting the vanity would work since it has a laminate or veneer finish {not sure}. I didn't care, I was up for the challenge. I bought a quart of paint in the color "Fired Earth" by Valspar. It's a dark, dark {almost black} paint, and I went to town. It took 3 coats. I don't have a picture of the painted vanity in the blue bathroom, but I do have an updated picture of it as it is in the bathroom today. 

Painting the vanity DRASTICALLY changed this bathroom and for under $20. Now, that is a STEAL! The vanity now matches the oil rubbed bronze mirror/medicine cabinet, making it appear much more stylish + upscale. The other big change was the paint color on the walls. Tip 3: If you want to change the entire feel of a room for cheap, paint the walls. I painted it {again} the same color as the kitchen, Gettysburg Grey by Benjamin Moore {color matched at Lowes using Valspar paint}. It's got a green tint to it, but a classic green, not a putrid green.

Another easy update to this bathroom was the shower curtain. Tip 4: Purchase a 9x12' canvas drop cloth from Lowes for $10 {sold at most home improvement stores + Walmart} + turn it into a curtain. Because canvas drop cloths come pre-hemmed, all I had to do was add the hooks at the top to turn it into a shower curtain. no sewing required. For mine, I folded over the top quarter of the drop cloth to create an overlap at the top. I then added {after this picture was taken} 12 drapery clip rings that just clip to the top portion of the shower curtain {no-sew solution}. It literally took me 10 minutes to complete this shower curtain. It's also great because you can throw it in the wash. I took to Pinterest and actually found how to "bleach" the drop cloth to make it softer and less brown/drop-cloth looking. Basically, it softens the fibers and makes it appear lighter than it was to begin with. {I used this same method for the "drapes" in my living and dining rooms. For those rooms, I took 2 drop cloths + cut them in half, hemmed them using no-sew tap, then hung them with drapery clip rings}. 

Tip 5: To make your bathroom appear larger, hang your shower curtain close to the ceiling. That's another reason I love the size of the drop cloth, I had plenty of "fabric" to create an extra long shower curtain. I used this little trick in both of our bathrooms + with all of the curtains in our home for that matter. It's super easy + really makes a big difference. You should try it! :)

Other minor cosmetic updates to this space include {see pictures below}:

* A $7 Jute rug from Ross Dress for Less

 * $4 hand towels from TJ Maxx
* A $12 bamboo blind from Big Lots {a discount store here}
* A thrifted white wall shelf {above the toilet} that holds a Target $3 wire basket which holds Q-tips {in a thrifted mason jar} + the remaining hand towels.
* A $5 glass jar candle, dried Eucalyptus in a thrifted glass vase, and a free printable "In the morning when I wake, give me Jesus" in a Dollar Store black frame.
* A white $10 sunburst wall clock from Big Lots hangs on the wall across from the vanity
* A thrifted ampersand back-of-the-door towel hook
* A thrifted basket used as a trash can {it matches the bamboo blind perfectly!}
** We also got interior doors in our main hallway, so the bathroom door is different too.**

And again, just to see the entire cosmetic transformation for under $100 start to finish:

If you try any of these simple tips or tricks, be sure to share a picture with me! I love seeing before and afters, especially when they're completed in a budget-friendly manner. XO!