Before and After: A $125 Bathroom Redo Features the Boldest Paint Color We’ve Seen This Year

One great thing about buying a recently renovated home? You can (usually!) count on not needing to make any practical fixes. But that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily love all the updates that were chosen before you moved in.

That’s what DIY enthusiast Anne Desrosiers found when it came to her home, which she bought in 2018. She’s spent the four years since transforming many of the spaces, including her living room, bedroom, and her son’s room. “The bathroom was the only space that remained in its original state after four years of living here,” Anne says.

That’s largely because there was nothing inherently wrong with the bathroom — it just didn’t quite fit Anne’s style, or the cheerful vibe of the rest of her house. “While it wasn’t bad, it was just bland and boring,” says Anne. “It felt like a primarily utilitarian space that you use and get out of.”

Inspiration struck when Anne found wallpaper on sale at Bed Bath & Beyond. Because she hadn’t actually planned on renovating this bathroom, the budget for a makeover was tight. That meant that redoing big things like tile was totally out of the question. So instead, Anne worked with what she already had, choosing a paper with a cheeky zebra pattern that vibes with the subtle stripes of the tile.

Anne pulled off her redo in about three days with a budget of about $125. She started by painting the ceiling black, then used a super vibrant, almost neon green for both the vanity and the mirror above it — a seriously bold paint choice that immediately sets a playful tone.

For the vanity wall, Anne chose a crisp white paint color that brightens up the look of the wall tile, which had taken on a dulled look next to the old blue walls.

Finally, Anne applied her new wallpaper to the remaining walls. The resulting space is a far cry from the “bland and boring” bathroom Anne started with, and it didn’t take a ton of money to get there. Now, the bathroom is a reflection of her personality, with elements that feel completely unique to her home. And, most importantly, it’s no longer a get-in-get-out kind of space. “The bathroom feels so different now, and I love using it,” Anne says.

Inspired? Submit your own project here.