Before & After: From Too-Big Vanity to Airy Powder Room for $300

Written by

Tara BellucciNews and Culture Director
Tara BellucciNews and Culture Director
Tara is Apartment Therapy's News & Culture Director. When not scrolling through Instagram double-tapping pet pics and astrology memes, you'll find her thrift shopping around Boston, kayaking on the Charles, and trying not to buy more plants.
published Aug 16, 2015
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(Image credit: Erica)

There used to be a dance you’d have to do to use Erica’s tiny powder room: Squeeze in past the oversized vanity, do a little spin, and shut the door. With just $300, she transformed the space into something more stylish and more functional:

(Image credit: Erica)

From Erica:

The tiny, 25 square foot powder room was severely lacking in any kind of design and/or functionality. To get in, guests would have to squeeze between the door and the oversized vanity, then do a little twist to shut the door. Not fun entertaining a large amount of people. It had to be improved and on a very tight budget. For less than $300, we completely changed the entire room into a bright and lofty powder room.


To start, bright white board and batten was added to the lower four feet of wall, above the faux chunky baseboard, and a light gray paint above. The old linoleum was replaced with lovely white hexagon tile and a light gray grout. This alone made the room feel huge compared to its previous state.


Not being able to find a thrifted piece of furniture to fit the space and also not wanting a cookie cutter vanity, a plan was hatched to build a custom piece. The catch was that it was going to be done from a single board that was pulled from a local church renovation site. It had to be open to allow to room to stay airy and light, plus since it’s the powder room, a huge amount of storage space isn’t necessary. The gorgeous vessel sink was a lucky Craigslist find for $15!


For small storage, a cabinet was designed and built to fit an old window that had been taking up space in the garage. Now it’s a custom cabinet that really fits the space and matches the vanity.


The vanity light was given a simple upgrade and a thrifted mirror a new paint job. All and all, this project cost under $300 and completely changed the feel and space of the entire room.

For more details and photos, check out On Bliss Street.

Thank you Erica!