Achieving a vintage modern makeover with simple budget-friendly bathroom updates.
Our upstairs hall bathroom was the first room in our home to receive a major makeover when we moved in over 12 years ago. It was extremely dated with bright blue floral wallpaper, baby blue tile, a dated medicine cabinet (with broken fluorescent light) and a damaged fiberglass tub surround. We didn't waste any time completely gutting the bathroom and giving it a major makeover. I picked tile, a vanity and fixtures I loved, but over time my taste has changed and it no longer felt like me. It was a perfectly good bathroom but was no longer a space I loved.
Over the years, I've made a few minor updates including new paint, decor and eventually replacing all the fixtures, but it was about time I turned our main bathroom into something that better fit the style of the rest of our home.
With a tight budget in mind and a makeover plan, I made a few new purchases, shopped my house and updated what I already had to give our bathroom a beautiful vintage modern makeover.
Before I get to all the details of our budget-friendly vintage modern bathroom makeover, I thought it would be fun to show you how the bathroom looked way back when we first walked through our home.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY UPDATES FOR A BATHROOM REFRESH ON A BUDGET!
1. PAINT
Paint is by far my favorite budget-friendly way to quickly update a space. A few years ago, I painted our bathroom Sherwin-Williams Comfort Gray when I was hoping to give the room a makeover. I never got around to making any other changes, but the paint alone made such a difference. The room immediately felt brighter and cleaner and it only took me a few hours and less than $40 in paint.
Instead of buying a new vanity, give your current one an update by simply swapping out the hardware. During a recent Pottery Barn sale, I bought new Boulevard knobs and pulls and they instantly gave our old vanity and medicine cabinet a whole new look.
Most often when you're updating a space you don't want to keep what you have, but often what you have can be tweaked, updated or worked with to create a beautiful new space.
Keeping our current vanity, faucet and most of the fixtures was huge in keeping our bathroom makeover budget-friendly. I was lucky to have a newer vanity and fixtures, but I could have easily painted our current vanity if it were old, dated or not my style.
I kept our current glass canisters and simply covered the brushed nickel lids in Antique Gold Rub 'n Buff. I also spray painted our current towel ring with Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint instead of spending money on a new one. Hardware, fixtures and door handles are also great bathroom items that can be easily updated with spray paint.
***TIP*** Don't underestimate the Dollar Tree for affordable decor and bathroom storage. The little white vase was bought from Dollar Tree and ended up being the perfect accent for the little shelf above our toilet.
4. SHOP YOUR HOME
Shopping my home is one of my favorite things to do! Keeping a large stock of my favorite home decor staples allows me to easily shop, swap and rotate decor around my home. The nude silhouette art (purchased from HomeGoods) was pulled from our master bedroom and the greenery from another room in our home.
5. BUY IMPACTFUL ITEMS
Chances are you won't be replacing tile or buying a new vanity if you're trying to save money and makeover a bathroom on a budget. That doesn't mean you can't make a big impact with a few new key pieces. For me, that was spending money on a new black mirror and bronze light fixture. They were two items I knew would make a big impact in creating the vintage modern bathroom I wanted.
Nothing screams fresh, new and clean more than a set of new bathroom towels. Whether you opt for crisp white towels or something that adds a bit more texture and contrast. Buying towels is an easy and affordable way to give a bathroom a fresh new look.
7. USE A SHOWER CURTAIN TO HIDE DATED TILE OR TUB SURROUND.
I wouldn't say our bathroom tile is dated, it's just not what would I would pick today if I were to do it over again. Buying a new shower curtain allowed me to cover the tile for a super affordable and budget-friendly alternative to retiling. You can also hang a shower curtain over an old or dated tub or shower door for a quick update.
There are aspects of our bathroom I would change if I were giving it a full-blown makeover (like the dark green and black granite vanity top), but I'm also really happy with how a few budget-friendly bathroom updates changed the look and feel of the space. Incorporating a few of my favorite design elements (mixed metals, high contrast, wood tones and texture) helped me achieve the perfect vintage modern bathroom refresh I love.
what did you do to change the look of the flooring, completely retile??
ReplyDeleteYes, I mentioned when we first gutted the bathroom we retiled. You can always paint old tile or cover it with inexpensive sheet vinyl if you're looking for budget-friendly options to update dated flooring.
Deleteit looks so fabulous! i love the new look and the budget friendliness.
ReplyDeleteYour bathrooms looks great! Sometimes we can't always afford a full on remodel so it's nice to see simpler ideas. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a timely post as I am planning all the ways I can update both our guest and master bathroom without an actual renovation. Thanks for sharing...now to get some of that rub n' buff!
ReplyDelete