Small Bathroom Remodel – Ideas on a Budget
A small bathroom remodel on a budget. These cheap bathroom remodel ideas for small bathrooms are quick and easy. If you are wondering – how do I decorate a small bathroom, don’t miss these modern bathroom ideas on a budget.
Ready for my small bathroom remodel reveal?
Not yet… I have to give you the “before” tour first!
This was the only room in the new house which we had not touched since we moved – no new paint – nothing.
It wasn’t too bad… except for the moisture damage on the cabinets…
And these cabinets installed on one of the walls… yes… they never trimmed out that bottom cabinet.
Did I mention this is a teeny-tiny bathroom? It was very easy to bump your head on that cabinet corner while getting off the toilet… I have nursed a few bumps on little kid heads… possibly some on grown-up heads too…
Very interestingly, this bathroom has the best shower in the house!
I love everything about the shower… it’s large and even has an amazing shower head installed… probably not the color I might have picked but I love what they did with that tile…
Its like they blew their budget on that shower and left the rest of the bathroom as is… I am not complaining because we don’t have to worry about re-tiling a shower which would make this post not quite about “quick and easy updates to refresh a bathroom”
RELATED: $100 Rental Bathroom Makeover
Quick small bathroom makeover
This is what the bathroom looks like now! I love the clean and fresh new look. There were 6-7 different projects and each took about an hour or so totally. Not bad at all! It can be easily done in one weekend. 
And here is the wall on the left.
Ready for all the details and more pictures?
Here you go!
Small Bathroom Makeover Ideas
- Paint the bathroom. The power of paint is amazing! The old paint was a yellowish white which made the bathroom feel drab and boring. I perked it up with a fresh coat of paint in 1 hour!! More details on the paint color and tips and tricks to painting quickly here.
- Replace old baseboards. Or just repaint them. My bathroom had dark brown baseboards which were actually door trim. I took them out and added new baseboards to match the rest of the house.
- Give a facelift to the cabinets by restaining or repainting. I decided to go dark because I wanted to match the dark tile in the shower and tie it all together. It was super quick and easy to update the cabinets with gel stain. See how I did it with a step by step tutorial and video!
- Trim out old windows if applicable. The windows in this bathroom had rounded edges. I trimmed it out to match the door trim. Now they look so much more defined and “not-naked”.
- Replace the light fixture for a more cohesive look. We had can lights which I updated with a glass pendant over the vanity. Here is the full tutorial on how to convert recessed to pendant lights.
- Add new modern shelving or storage. After taking down those cabinets, the bathroom instantly felt larger. I added much-needed storage with this easy floating ladder shelf. Check out all the details and plans for the shelf here!
- Deep clean and remove all the crud.No remodel or refresh is complete without a full cleaning. Especially in a bathroom – the tile, grout, and shower will need a complete and thorough cleaning. See how I did this with chemical-free and with barely any elbow grease!
Cheap bathroom decorating ideas
- Add scrap wood wall decor. I debated about the artwork on the wall. But I couldn’t find anything I liked. So, I decided to make my own and created these fun test tube vases. The flowers bring in much-needed color and easy to change out too! See how to make these.
- Window treatment ideas in the bathroom – I am not a big fan of fabric in the bathroom. Plus I didn’t want to block the only source of light in this tiny room. The window already had a privacy film. After trimming out the windows, I decided to hang a wreath from a clear hook in the window to bring in more green. I love how it looks. Plus it can be changed out easily too!
The bathroom feels so fresh and luxurious now! Plus the only money I really spent was on the paint, gel stain, baseboards, trim, test tubes and the pendant. The shelf was built with mostly scrap wood. Overall, the cost just a little over $125!
Here is the final before and after comparison because I know how we all love those!
And the before and after of the other side of the bathroom.
What do you think? What is your favorite project in the space?
Anika's goal is to inspire and empower beginners with woodworking, DIY, home improvement, and home decor ideas.
She wants everyone to unlock their creative potential and experience the feeling that comes with making something. Nothing feels better better than seeing something and saying "I can make that!"
Awesome tips. This is a simple way to change the whole look of the bathroom on a budget. It looks wonderful, pretty, updated, and hygienic. It is really creative and amazing. This is really helpful. Thank you for sharing such a nice post.
I love the glass accents and window in the bathroom. You did one fine job here. Kudos!