To me, budget renovation is smaller changes and I would call $2000 budget. Besides, those bathrooms must have been quite stylish to start with.

My own budget tips would be to look at what you got and work with that, even if it isn't your style. Might sound simple, but I have often tried to change a bathroom into my style (white, modern, simple) but it just hasn't work. My current bathroom is a blue color and even though it's really not my style, I realize that it look a lot better with colorful items (towels etc) than white ones.

How about one done for $500 or less? That would be budget-minded.

I'm actually interested in just replacing the hardware in my shower and the pedestal sink in my bathroom. The bathroom was recently redone, so we want to keep the tile intact. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to make these changes without causing any issues with the tile in the shower and floor?

Yikes! When I clicked on the headline including "Budget", I didn't think $2000...

The bathroom looks great. I especially love the sink. How much did it cost to relocate the bathtub and plumbing and finish the space where the bathtub used to be? I don't see the quote for that in your list of costs. It's my understanding that relocating plumbing for a bath is pretty costly.

I am wondering... are we looking at 2 different makeovers? You show a brown theme with what appears to be a jetted soaking tub, then I see photos of what seem to be "before" views, then I see a green and brown palette. Please clarify what I'm looking at. Also, are the expenses contractor's costs or the cost to the public when we buy things ourselves?

Sorry for the obtuse post. You've explained the photos well.

I love the look of grasscloth in the bathroom. But won't steamy showers peel that stuff right off the walls?

What brand and color is that beautiful green paint? I love it!

pbzoe--

When the average bath renovation is running $10K and up, these *are* budget minded. For what you want to spend, buy some new towels and repaint.

Whomever put grasscloth in a bathroom was hitting the sauce.

Did you not say in your original post "Under $500?"

Budgets are relative. For MANY people, $10K is still a drop in the bucket. And the low end of the national average.

People take the word "budget" out of context all the time. You can stick to "a budget" and still spend 50 grand.

And for a "reno" (as opposed to a cosmetic makeover), you have to be reasonable about what expenses will run.

My only point is that these prices cited here are AMAZING for the work completed. And that your "Under $500" was not totally reasonable for these kinds of transformations.

And not every is heading into a bath reno as a DIY, but if you are, more power to you! IT will save you a lot of money!

LBhirise--

Not sure this is, but there are plenty of vinyl "grasscloths" that can easily go into a bathroom.

This is plenty budget for a FULL renovation. We're not talking about a little paint and some window treatments--these people replaced their vanities, retiled their tub surrounds, changed floor surfaces, painted, got new mirrors, accessories, changed light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc. All for under 2K. That's pretty good. There are plenty of very low budget bathroom makeovers posted on AT. This is really good inspiration for those of us planning on completely gutting our bathrooms and praying we don't exceed 3K.

I recently updated my apartment bathroom for just about $200! I got shelving on ebay from Pottery Barn, added a new tp holder and towel bar and added art and new fixtures (and repainted, of course).

I love the outcome...but it was a loooooong process. You can see it here:

http://www.abbeycatchat.com/search/label/Our%20Bathroom

susieqeyeq and Patrick - actually you can use grasscloth wallcoverings in bathrooms because its breathable, it all about the wall prep you need to use wallcovering primer not paint primer.

Well Patrick, how do I respond to that? Thanks so much for setting me straight.

pbzoe--

I really wasn't trying to be critical of you per se, just responding to your comment about budgets, so please don't take it personally.

There are ALL kinds of things people can do to freshen up a bath, for all kinds of money. And words like "rehab, makeover, refresh, rehab, reno, gut reno, update, and upgrade" represent all sorts of price points on the VERY wide scale of work.

But $500 is NOT going to get you a "renovation." And falls in the "cosmetic update" category.

I'd like to see what people can do with a 500 bucks budget, personally.

This question might be a little off topic, but I was wondering if anyone of you could give me options for a console similar to the Pottery Barn's Apothecary Double sink console?
I love the style of the console, but at $2597 its out of my budget of $3K for a bath reno. Because I plan on retiling the bath and painting and updating the hardware and...

Thanks a ton!!

Like AmieB., I recently gave my 70s bathroom (in my cheap apartment) a big upgrade for a total of $200. For my brothers and sisters who live on this kind of budget, here's what I did:

I replaced the sink and vanity with a lightly-used Ikea sink and vanity from the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store (around $70), found a 1960s chrome medicine cabinet there too ($10), scored a major deal on a nickel antique t.p. holder for $10, covered the textured linoleum with Armstrong industrial tiles (that cool flecked kind, about $40), repainted the bathroom in oil paint ($35), removed the vinyl baseboard and installed and painted wood baseboard ($5), and removed the shower door and replaced it with a rod ($20) and a clear $3 dollar curtain.

I did all the work myself over a few weekends and it was SO worth it. The plumbing was a first for me, but was suprisingly easy.

Keep the faith, visionary penny pinchers!

Wow! This is great! I do believe in the power of some paint and new fixtures.

I think the best place to splurge is on the vanity, it can make or break the bathroom. Will also note, white can be tricky...want to make sure it will hide stains!

http://articles.ivillage.com/2006-12-01/Home/21648425_1_bathroom-basic-bath-tile