Great job! Now all you need is a porthole! :)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buy-Now-New-Porthole-Glass-Green-With-Protective-Polish-A-Perfect-Beach-Decor-/110931069269?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d401c955#ht_1445wt_1344

That's kind of a neat one for not a bad price. Lots on ebay it looks like. You can search by price to save time and find a good deal.

I kinda like the blue, but the red trash can is a bit too big for the space and I wouldn't have wasted shelf space for the ship in the bottle.

It looks about 8 bazillion times better!!! I don't think I would have included only one of those theme/art/craft objects though because I can't stand clutter. And yet, I don't live there, so WELL DONE.

@Particleman (love the username, btw) that's actually a storage unit. Can't find a good link for it at the moment, unfortunately. There are three doors total, I think.

Whoa! That was an eye opener "after"! Like the rope on a pipe. Not nauticle here, but it's impressive.

Question about the riser pipe... if it's like the rise pipe in my bathroom, it gets very hot. I'm wondering how the rope is attached to the pipe? Seems like any glue would melt or make a big mess.

That looks amazing, good job!

It looks so much CLEANER in the after shots. The blue paint makes the white pop.

I had the same question as @Luckycharmer. I lived in an Apartment for 3 years that had those pipes in the kitchen and bathroom and from what I remember they got very, very hot. We actually called the one in the bathroom a "heat pole" and kept our bathroom window open for most of the winter because of it.

NICE! I looked at the Before picture and thought, "There's no saving that room." Great job totally blowing that snap judgment away! Great vision and creativity here. Absolutely love it!

I like the crispness of the color scheme, but maybe a bit "overboard" (sorry) on the decorations! ;^)

Love the room overall. I agree with the first suggestion to swap out the empty frame above the toilet for a porthole. Unfortunately, every time I look at the empty frame, my brain thinks it's a toilet seat hung on the wall.

I love the new paint color!

Nautical themes only work if you live on the seashore, and even there, they can be a bit trite. In Manhattan? Doesn't work.

The blue really makes the white elements pop and look much cleaner.

The most dramatic change here, though, is the lighting.

I didn't think I'd like a "nautical" look, but I was proven wrong.

The pipe wrapped in rope looks like a giant cat scratching post. My cats would love it.

super cute, Jo! love the rope pipe - ingenious!

The red 'trashcan' is not a trashcan but a drawer.
I agree to change out the empty frame for a porthole or steering wheel of a boat. I don't get empty frames on walls.
The blue rocks.
Nice job.

@Griffin - I know what you mean, but as Manhattan is an island and there's plenty of water that doesn't have anything to do with the sea (lake, gulf, river, etc.) I think it's fine. The next time we see a nautical theme on a shore, people will scream "kitschy! too much theme!"

The blue was an inspired choice. Love it.

None of the real problems were addressed -- there's a huge towel covering the wall damage (too close to the toilet for my taste :/) and the floor is out of frame entirely. I'd like to see the room uncropped for a better sense of how much better the space actually looks.

Nice job! @TIFFANYSEATTLE, perhaps you can send them a check so they can have the tile on the walls and floor removed and redone. I for one appreciate budget friendly makeovers for "budget-challenged" folks like myself.

Superb!

WOW! Can you guys come over and redo my bathroom? I love the blue and white...excellent job.

And @Griffin - a nautical theme "works" anywhere. What would your theme of choice be in Manhattan? Concrete jungle?

The red "trash can" is a Kartell storage bin. They've received numerous awards for design and you can find them at the MOMA store! I think it's necessary for such a small bathroom with very limited storage.

Same here, @valliegirldc...change that empty frame out for something that doesn't make anyone think it was removed from an old toilet ;-)
Otherwise, great job! No objection to someone hiding a deficit that they don't want to fix at the moment.

I LOVE the rope wrapped around the pole!!!

@Faffer, I've had one of those componibili storage units in my bath for half a dozen years or so. They are endlessly useful. The only issue I have is a change in color over time. Mine is white and it has gone a little yellowish with age. I think the red unit in this bath gives some relief to the eyes (so much blue).

As a few people mentioned, the rope around a hot pipe concerns me. I think, too, that the heat would cause the sisal rope smell to fill the bathroom. Otherwise...very cute bath redo. Everyone needs a ship in a bottle.

Terrific! Only concern would be for safety - could that rope around the heating pipe catch fire? If not, it looks great, enjoy it. If maybe, revise that part of the decor.

the jute/rope heat pipe wrap debate has been held many times on at. apparently, it will not catch fire or anything. you just wrap it around the pole very tightly. no adhesives, etc.

I think it's lovely. My biggest question though, as someone who lives with ugly, dirty tile-- how does it look so much better in the after photos? Where you able to clean it or does it just look cleaner next to the blue wall?

Any tile whitening tips are much appreciated. ;-)

@Rexforever79

The whitening is a result of the different lighting used in the second photo

The before looks like it was taken with overhead light at night, the after with natural light from the window, then adjusted the levels in a photo editor.

That said, if you want to brighten up you tile, usually the grout is the problem as wall tiles don't usually stain or become discoloured unless there's a problem behind the wall. Grout whitener can make your tiles look clean and fresh. It's just a special paint with an applicator pad and costs about $5-10. I did it in my current apartment after scrubbing with every known cleanser with no improvement in the look. It took about 2 hours in total and looks so much better than before.

I've never had to deal with the tile issue but I have used naval jelly to clean and brighten stained white sinks. I wonder if it would do anything for tile.
I really like seeing this kind of "real world" affordable transformation since I haven't a lot of money to spend on such at the moment.

@Griffin, does that mean that people in Iowa should decorate with corn themes? A theme, nautical or otherwise, works because it works, regardless of where one lives. Besides, maybe the person is a sailor, or just loves the ocean.

This is a great example of how well one can update a space without breaking the bank. Nice job!

Very clever! Love that blue on the walls!

I LOVE that red trash can! Where the heck is it from? And I love that black and white tile. We had it in a childhood home and I still think it's classic.

Wow, what a difference!! Great job.

Oh man. I was very surprised that I didn't like this. But it seems like I'm in the minority for sure.

I think it definitely looks better - no doubt about it. But it's a little to themed for me. It's a bathroom. Not a halloween costume.

I think the before looked fine (it was certainly prettier than my awful rental bathroom), it just needed some tidying (put away the TP and fabric softener).

@ASHLEY.R, I think costumed is a great way to describe rooms that are so styled. Having all of those knick-knacks strikes me as kind of fussy.

Fabulous! Love the colour, and the rope on the pipe is awesome.
I'm not a fan of empty frames, but I do think the shape works nicely. It would be interesting to hang a conch shell in the center of the frame... or maybe find a portrait of an old ship's captain to put into it.

I have to agree with Ashley R. and Akay - I wanted to like this but...it's just TOO much of a theme for my tastes. I like the blue walls but framing a piece of paper bag with an anchor drawn on it? eh. I think this room would have had a much bigger impact with a more minimal design.

It's definitely cuter, but I think the shade of navy could be a lot better. I am also puzzled by an empty frame over the toilet. Is that supposed to be a porthole? But everyone's a critic, right?

I especially like the second photo, with the rope covering what looks like a pipe. IMHO the blue is too intense, though. A softer shade of blue would get the idea across without being so harsh.

effective use of rope on riser; lol on cat scratching post comment (it no longer is nautical). red unit is Anna Castelli's three-stack RoundUp storage unit, originally by Kartell for Directional, Inc., USA (1960's), featured on A/T in 2007 as Componibili. Unfortunately, badly placed here & too big for space.

I may be the slimmest majority, but I much prefer the before. It has a quieter, homier feel to it. The after is too garish for my taste. Let's keep the house relaxed.

One of the best transformations I have ever seen. The before picture made me want to cringe and cry. It's so overwhelming, doesn't flow well at all. But the after pic has solid substance, and flows so beautifully. I think the second one is so much more relaxed. I can breathe now, compared to before. Great job!

OMG! The Before foto looks like a bathroom I once had!!! Without a tank on the back of the toilet there always comes a challenge, because there's that awkward bare space with the exposed plumbing. Like a lot of people said, the nautical theme is too strong for me. But, I always design my bathrooms to look like a beach side or ocean scene (but NOT the cutesy rainbow unicorn dolphins jumping over sand castles! Yikes! LOL! Shudder! Serious beach/ocean theme!). Everyone has their own idea & your post shows where someone couold take those ideas- whether it's a horse ranch theme, or a desert theme (like the shower & other water fixtures are an oasis!), forest theme... Bathrooms are great places to just practice coming up with a room design on a very small scale! Less financial & physical commitment. Anyway, I think you did a terrific job of a transformation! Yes, I agree with some of the posters that a port hole would look better than the toilet seat looking frame! Maybe you could tuck some small items into the inner edge of the frame. A little toy sail boat for instance. Or a little anchor. A cute sailor boy rag doll hanging on for dear life. A couple of little things just "peeking" out from the inner edge of the frame would seem like they were part of a painting scene of sailing life, but got hit by a big wave! Like a painting come to life! The shower curtain is definitely an improvement! I'm not sure if anyone else mentioned it. The bold horizontal stripes work so well with the tile on the wall. I disagree with some of the posters that the nautical things on the glass (good choice!) shelves are "fussy". Frankly, as with my bathrooms, I'd rather see some pleasant theme related items displayed lovingly on a shelf than see the shelf covered with beauty care products (or, as in your "before" foto, rolls of toilet paper! LOL!) Nautical theme aside, this shows what a bit of day dreaming & imagination can do to transform a seriously drab place! What a fun way to start your day after hoping out of the shower! Now, if you could just get a deck chair in there & a Steward to bring your coffee & daily paper on a tray.... aahhh.... I can practically feel the fresh salt air!!!

Too much theme?? Some colour a handful of artwork with a nautical theme is too "costumey"?? It's a bathroom! A little kitsch can work in the loo, and I don't think this is kitsch, no more than decorating all mid-century thrift anyway. That said, well done. The bathroom looks a lot nicer. And guys, there are more pictures on the link to her blog, for those wanting to see the floor for whatever reasons.

In 20 minutes, the Before bathroom could have been spiffed up 50% or more. I don't even think things need to be enumerated. Duh. However, I think the owner/s had one hell of a lot of fun nauticalizing it to the hilt! 'Nuf said!

PS

Perhaps I've gone blind, but I cannot find a picture of an anchor scrawled on a piece of paper bag, as mentioned in someone's post above. I see a framed picture of people bobbing in the water; a black plaque with some white cord nautical knots mounted on it; what looks like an old tin cutout of a schooner at full sail, and a framed picture of I can't tell what. Can someone lead me to the scrawled anchor?

cat scratching post.

hell yeah!

I am loving the blue! That round frame needs a picture of a lighthouse/coastline/seabirds.

I love the bright colors of this room - it makes it pop!

Much improved! I am a bit concerned about having the towel so very close to the toilet. Maybe another spot might be healthier. Great change otherwise.

I'm assuming you got those knots from here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfLu7GRMR7g

Placing a picture of the ocean in the empty frame would look pretty awesome, especially a high quality image professionally printed.

Either way, that was an AMAZING transformation, and I have now been introduced to a new wonderful bathroom storage idea (I also thought it was a trash can until I was corrected)!

Fantastic redo.

Really appreciate your efforts of renovating your bathroom on a modest budget. But I am sure if you would have posted your job on GottaShopIt, you wouldn’t have invested a lot. And moreover, you project would have been done by an expert bathroom remodeler from your neighborhood at the lowest price!