Bathroom Remodel Ideas

Project by: Louise Location: Utica, New York We live in a 1930’s Dutch Colonial house in Central NY. The second-floor bathroom (the only one with a bathtub) was a disaster when we bought the house and stayed that way for several years. The room is extremely narrow. And to make things worse, the previous owner installed a vanity so large that there was no space to move around in there. The renovation had to be affordable, so the toilet, tub and sink had to remain in the same spots.

We never tire of tiny powder rooms that get a dose of bold style from DIY pattern, and this room is no different! What started out actually as a larger room became smaller when more space was needed for another part of the house. But any deficit of space isn’t missed one bit with the exciting makeover these creative folks gave the room! From Joanie and LinMara: We had a dysfunctional bathroom with a shower we did not need. We converted that bathroom into a tiny, narrow powder room.

This spring I won all new Moen fixtures for our bathroom. When it came time to install them, I realized they were too nice for our outdated bathroom, so the makeover began. We didn’t have the budget for a remodel, so all the major parts of the bathroom stayed intact. Sometimes a makeover has just as big of an impact as a remodel — for much less money! Everything in the room was DIY’d from top to bottom!

Makeover by: Paige Location: Naperville, Illinois My husband and I just finished our latest project: updating our main bathroom for under $250. We went back and forth about doing a larger renovation in here, but in the end we decided to work with what we had first. If we could get it to look great with minimal labor for us, then why not try it? We replaced the counter top (which was veined with purple!

After looking at hundreds of different properties over the course of ten months (and losing bids on eight other places), Allison and Jovito finally found their dream home: a 100-year-old brick row house in Brooklyn’s Ocean Parkway neighborhood. They loved the house’s character and classic feel, but going into the purchase, they knew the home was in need of some serious TLC.

We recently moved into a charming 1913 American Foursquare home in Joplin, Missouri. Our first major remodel was the upstairs bathroom. It was replete with plumbing issues (missing a sink), sporting stick on floor tile and press board wall “tile.” Our desire was to make things functional and restore it what it may have originally looked like, while adding our own sense of flair. From start to finish, the project took about a year and cost $2500.

When your tiny power room, closet, bedroom whatever starts to feel too boring and you want a change, you’ll want to come back to this easy before and after project for inspiration on how to do dramatic right. And how to do it all without spending a lot of money with a simple secret.

When you’re renovating, sometimes it’s the little projects that are the most satisfying. When the team at A Beautiful Mess moved into their new home, the first project they tackled was this practically airplane-sized bathroom. Here it is before the renovation, complete with fake plastic tile, an unsecured linoleum floor, and lots and lots of water damage. This little space was ready for a big change. This bitty bathroom now has an entirely new look.

Project by: Sarah & Chad Location: Montreal, Canada We thought we were going to take a break from renovating our 1950s attached house in Montreal after completely gutting the kitchen and updating the whole main level but a leaky toilet derailed our plans.

Sometimes a little unexpected “trouble” can go a long way toward creating a beautiful room. You start out with the plan of simply changing up a few decorative elements and find yourself in the middle of a full-on makeover. It happened to Renato, and he not only lived to tell the tale, he’s got a great looking room to show for it. Take it away, Renato… Tired of living with a bathroom falling apart, one day I woke up with design school ended, no jobs and nothing to do.

Becky sent in before and after shots of her master bath makeover. She writes: Our house was beautifully renovated about 15 years ago, long before it was ours. All the important stuff was done perfectly, but a few aesthetics left something to be desired. Like our master bathroom. BOOOR-ING. Square tile on the walls, pinkish-peach square tiles on the floor, builder grade sink top and vanity. Cheap, boring fixtures. And GIANT wall-encompassing mirror.

Justin sent us before, during and after photos of his recent bathroom makeover: I bought my condo 2.5 years ago and the upstairs half bath was pretty awful. My girlfriend and I did a ton of research on materials since we wanted to go with a more modern renovation. No timeframe, but we needed it done sooner than later considering we’re talking about cohabitation.

Do you, like me, have a “before” bathroom and dream of an “after?” These projects we’ve rounded up give hope to all of us, whether our makeover intentions are slight or extreme: Pictured above are some fabulous “afters”. Click on through each of their links below to see from what ashes they rose! TOP ROW: 1. Small Bathroom Finally Meets Its DIY Maker 2. A Stylish Bathroom Transformation 3. From Boring Bathroom to Bold! 4.

Bathroom renovations can be tricky since you’re working with plumbing and large fixtures, and money is often of the essence. Some of these bathroom makeovers involved significant renovations, while others show you the power of some paint and basic accessories. Whether you’re sprucing up a rental or gutting your space, you can find some inspiration from these ten go-getters.

Brooklyn homeowners Ben and Therese described the style of their old bathroom as “Hilton bathroom gone wrong.” It felt cramped and outdated, and the molded tub and beige tile just didn’t match their style. They both knew what they wanted — a modern, functional space that would reflect their personal tastes — but they weren’t sure exactly what that would look like. So they started doing research. Lots and lots of research.

Katherine and Conan are slowly remodeling their 1917 home in Wichita, Kansas, one room at a time. Most recently, this powder room got the DIY treatment, with good reason. Even if you looked beyond the cracked walls and crumbling ceiling, the door wouldn’t shut behind you. Which I imagine made — ahem, privacy – an issue with guests. Before you get all confused, you are in fact looking at the same space.

It's amazing how far a space can come.

Some IKEA hacks go so far above and beyond the standard “coat of paint and new handles” that they somehow become whole new pieces of furniture. This one, for example, started out as the ubiquitous Rast dresser and a salad bowl, and was transformed into an elegant, modern bathroom vanity with plumbing and everything. I for one am impressed.

How many of you have moved into a new house that had a bathroom just like this? Although owner Mera tried to put a few bandaids on the style situation as long as she could (with new wall color and a rug), it was a hole in the ceiling and peeling paint that finally prompted a full renovation. See how it turned out… Not every room can carry off red and purple, but Mera managed to add just enough color to create a cheerful and happy bathroom.

Yellow tile on the floors and counters. Brown grout that always looked dirty. Too dark, patchy maroon walls. Amanda’s master bathroom was dated, but it had potential. A remodel has turned it to a peaceful modern retreat. From Amanda: Our 1970s house had an outdated, leaky but large and potential-filled master bathroom. Knowing the tiled shower pan was leaking, we knew it was time for a full tear out and remodel. blog Thank you Amanda!

Do you suffer from a bland bathroom? You might find some inspiration in the ideas that Jolie added to her standard-looking, not-very-interesting bathroom. She made this boring room turn glam with some DIY projects and vision. From Jolie: I wanted to feel like I was stepping into a high end hotel bathroom in the morning so I decided I would decorate it with glam wallpaper and gold accents.

Need inspiration on how to lighten and brighten your old and outdated bathroom? You’ll find it in Mera’s simple update of her cozy room. She didn’t do anything complicated, but her changes made a big impact on the look and feel of this small space. From Mera: The paint peeled and cracked pretty quickly which just added to the overall yucky-ness of the room.

Sometimes older bathrooms are full of charming and quirky details that are totally worth keeping as-is. And other times older bathrooms are just dull and outdated. Can you guess which one Tanya’s was? Waiting on when the budget will allow for a full renovation, she tackled a few DIY, tried-and-true tricks to change the look of this space to be more livable now. My husband and I just moved into our house and are saving up to renovate our main bathroom.

Megan’s bathroom was already kind of sweet and simple — perfectly serviceable. But as the only bathroom in her and her husband’s 1930s Sonoma house, they felt it should be a little more spectacular. So they mixed their styles to create a still-simple and sweet but definitely more bold bathroom. From Megan: Our 1930s Sonoma home has only one bathroom and so it had to be spectacular!

Julie remodeled her dark, out-dated half bath right after moving in, but it took awhile to finish the room completely. She moved on to other projects until she found the perfect chandelier to cap off the space. That motivated her to finally put the last finishing touches in place. And we’re so glad she did! Julie’s renovation shows what you can do to brighten even the most cramped of small spaces.

June’s mom needed a bathroom makeover. As you can see, it was a little dated and — like most showers over time — needed refreshing. On a recent visit, June and her dad got to work and totally renovated the small bathroom over the course of a week. See what it looks like now…. June and her father did the work themselves, including tiling the walls and floors, for the 90 square foot space. They even built a custom tiled shower pan.

Alexa may one day completely renovate this bathroom and add a great tile floor, but she wasn’t quite ready to make that leap. But this old gray sad vinyl floor covering sure wasn’t doing this room any favors. So she grabbed a cheery color of paint, a stencil and completely redid the look of this small bathroom without spending a lot of time or money! From Alexa: For this project I wanted to update the old gray rolled vinyl flooring in my bathroom.

Last week, you got to see the updates and tiling work we did in our kitchen. However, we also had a very fun time doing some updates to our bathroom. This before photo (taken quite a bit before we started the project) doesn’t show the vertical angle, but allows you to see the most important elements: the old, dingy, salmon-colored tile, and original toilet and vanity. Fast forward three days (we were on a tight schedule) to our brand new bathroom!

Dana and her husband had a pretty standard bathroom with some pretty dated wallpaper. Together, they tackled a series of DIY projects that transformed an old and tired bathroom into a new bright space with a seriously darling DIY cottage feel. From Dana: We chose a cool white and aqua palette for our cottage style bathroom. My husband updated the floor with white ceramic hex tile. To complement, he installed beadboard around the room.

Armelle lives in Shanghai and runs Tsai Yun Studio with her friend Catherine. They collect and up-cycle old Chinese furniture that comes from many of the old houses that get torn down to build high-rise buildings. In the process of renovating her apartment, when Armelle spotted this old cabinet that was destined for the trash, she knew it could be the perfect addition to her sons’ bathroom.

You don’t often hear about DIY renovation projects that are quick, low-effort, and involve little drama. Emily over at Go Haus Go just posted the final photos of her bathroom redo, which was — believe it or not — all of those things. This is a great example of how layering decor — instead of replacing tile floor and other major jobs —goes a long way towards refreshing a space. Emily put in new wallpaper (with ostriches!

Looking for the inspiration + resources to transform a boring bathroom into something that wows? Darlene Chimaliro and Caty Tillman of Studio MOD(ish) were tasked with adding some personality to a boring condo for a young fun couple. The two bathrooms were transformed, each to match the style of either spouse. The guest bathroom — dramatic and over-the-top — was designed to reflect the wife’s bold tastes, and Darlene and Caty shared the resources they used to create this look.

Bari has been working with a local design firm to decorate her home in Philadelphia, and the most recent space to be completed was her guest bathroom. She loved the original clawfoot tub, but she wanted to make the walls more fun since it’s the bathroom everyone uses when they come over. From Bari: The wallpaper is dark and bold, but the hot pink ceiling really is a great contrast, and plays well off of the black/white striped floor.

Little powder rooms can pack a punch. Case in point: Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere recently redid a tiny bathroom in her house, and decided not to play it safe. The results are impressive: I think it’s safe to say that this oversized floral wallpaper from Ellie Cashman is a show stopper and, when paired with the marble vanity and gold accents, makes for a glamorous and timeless room.

With a new baby on the way and no budget to completely gut and remodel this bathroom, Laurie decided to roll up her sleeves and get creative, only using paint, fabric and accessories to make the space look more finished and fabulous. From Laurie: I decided to make do with what I already had and come up with a solution. First that had to go was the blue cabinets that look better in the photo because in real life they were so bad.

With a guest bathroom outfitted in seashell wallpaper, brass fixtures, laminate countertops, vinyl flooring, and “swine beige” finishes, Rita and Cane of This Sorta Old Life could have treated this bathroom as a gut job. But having gutted their master bath not too long ago, they knew what a formidable undertaking that would be, and instead, they figured out a way to make the current space work.

Most of our Renovation Diary projects involve transforming an existing space. This one was different because Faith and Mike chose to create a bathroom in their 1920s Columbus home where before there was only a sleeping porch. Originally the space was only 7 feet tall, with a sloping floor that would have to be replaced. It was a unique project, and a unique challenge. (You can see many more photos of the original space in the post that introduced Faith and Mike’s bathroom remodel.

When you buy a house with a pink, mauve, salmon and coral bathroom, it might be time to renovate. Some people like that kind of thing, but Katie isn’t one of them. She and her husband tore out the carpet the day they moved in. Soon after that, they made a plan and got to work on the rest of the renovation. You might be surprised to learn that this beautiful bathroom update only cost $3,500. Katie and her husband did a lot of the work themselves, and made some smart choices.

This is Mattie’s old bathroom, pre Style Cure. Even though she was a little off of the usual Cure schedule, due to some conflicts with work and potty training, it doesn’t make her results any less impressive. The best part? The budget for her entire bathroom redo was a low low $49. After: what a difference a little paint makes! The blue walls, with a pattern of little birds and clouds, lend just the right amount of color and whimsy to this previously drab bathroom.

You can see more angles over at Rebecca’s blog, Mid Century Modern Remodel Thanks for sharing your project with us, Rebecca!

When we first saw this basement bathroom at the open house before we purchased our home, my first thoughts were, “that’s gotta go”. For the next six months after the house was ours, this bathroom renovation sat on the back burner until we finally had the time to tackle it.Once the time came to jump into it we were faced with problem after problem (isn’t that how all renovations go?).

House & HomeMandy used the Ace Hotel in New York as inspiration, and chose vintage-style fixtures and finishes, with warm brass accents and black trim. The result is classic and dramatic and befitting the home’s history.Traditional sconces, and the weathered wood vanity, add to the old-school vibe.See more photos, and the rest of the step-by-step house renovation over at Canadian House & Home.

The Portus House in Istanbul was used to getting high praise from guests, except for the bathrooms. Check out the how they transformed these beige boxes into rain shower retreats:From Portus House: We own a small hotel with a total of ten rooms in Istanbul and often are inspired by projects on this site. Last year, when yet another guest praised every little detail of our venue except the bathrooms, we finally decided to empty our pockets with brand new bathrooms.

I was sitting around the other day, thinking about pairing gold kitchen cabinet hardware with stainless steel appliances, and I suddenly remembered: I never showed you all any photos of the finished World’s Ugliest Condo bathroom!These photos were taken with an iPhone, but you can still see the what’s what. Enjoy.

This bathroom isn’t terribly awful — but it isn’t terribly interesting, either. Come see what some new lighting, a framed-out mirror, and some board and batten walls can do for a rather ho-hum bathroom.Jenny from Project Maddox was determined to tackle her kids’ bathroom and make it just a little less “just moved in” and give it a more custom look.

This bathroom had not been touched since the 70s, so we thought we’d modernize it a bit. We replaced the old vanity with a double sink IKEA vanity with ample storage. The old faux travertine flooring was removed and new tile was installed. We chose the gray because we wanted a nice, serene color so our guests can feel comfortable while they’re here. We chose the long glass kitchen cabinet doors from IKEA to give the small bathroom an airier feel.

From Megan:  Our whole house was a mess when we bought it. Nothing had ever been updated properly. The bathroom was our first major interior project and not being very handy, we hired someone to do it for us. It was completely gutted because there were rotten joists in the floor and there wasn’t anything salvageable in the room. It also had a very cramped feeling, so we changed the layout at the suggestion of our contractor.

This was a transformation from a minimally heated, dark, unlivable attic-like space to a bright, modern master suite. The main features include the headboard wall with wall hung sinks on the back side, gas stove, library, skylight, built in bench seat, walk-in closet, and the spacious bathroom. One of the primary design goals was to keep the space wide open while still offering subtle boundaries and separations between functions.

After researching relatively simple and inexpensive ways to update my bathroom’s hideous ‘butterscotch’ tiles, my partner and I thought we’d give adhesive linoleum tiles a go because they’re cheap, impactful (in classic black and white squares), relatively simple to install yourself, and super quick (versus not being able to use the facilities for a few days!).

This relatively plain bathroom got a major face lift with something that looks as good as wallpaper, but is actually impeccably painted, DIYed stencil handiwork. While that has a huge impact on the space, there are a few other east improvements that A Pumpkin and a Princess implemented that helped transform the room — can you spot them?Crystal from A Pumpkin and a Priness set out to makeover her guest bathroom, all on her own.

Charlotte Turtle and her husband didn’t have a master bath in their home and wanted to find a way to remedy the situation. They did, however, have a large laundry room attached to their bedroom that they thought just might do the trick. Follow me after the jump to see what they came up with…They began this renovation with planking the walls, leaving one wall with exposed brick. For Charlotte, the design element key to making this rustic bathroom a success was the sink basins.

You may have seen the kitchen in this West Village apartment, which got a modern update courtesy of designer Carly Yates. One of the apartment’s bathrooms also got a much-needed facelift. Check out the transformation after the jump.This bathroom renovation is all about the details. Lots of clever choices keep the room spacious, modern, and very functional. From Carly: The large and light feeling of the bathroom was achieved by wall mounted fixtures that allow the tile to flow underneath.

Many of us complain about our sub-par, bad taste bathrooms and wish for something updated and modern. But let’s be honest, how many of us have started out with this degree of bad? Follow me after the jump to see how April left the 1800’s behind…Photographer April Cochran-Smith chose to go with a clean, bright, and cheery look for her bathroom, using a white palette and bold, unexpected primaries.

I had no idea that my little kitchen overhaul would yield such a response, ranging from “awful” to “amazeballs.” Thanks for all the great comments, both good and bad. By the way, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Dr. Kevorkian, and stem cell research combined have nothing on the “brass knobs with stainless appliances” debate. I’m not sure which issue will take longer to resolve. And that brings us to the bathroom.

When Josh, Lauren and their twins moved into their new townhouse in Washington DC’s historic Mount Pleasant neighborhood, they knew right away they had to change the bathroom. The retro pink, peach and black tiled bathroom, while quaint and vintage, was not their style. And in a smallish townhouse the room felt too busy and crowded. (Perhaps they also knew that once their daughters got old enough to talk they would fall in love with the bathroom’s perky pink: time was of the essence!

A key element of renovating a room is knowing when to say when. If you have a limited budget or limited time then the most helpful thing you can do is to be realistic about what you can achieve. This is especially true when you purchase a house that is a ‘fixer-upper,’ because then you are in danger of succumbing to project fatigue, when there is so much to do in every direction that it is difficult to focus on just one thing.

Sean has been transforming his white box of an apartment into a stylish and personalized home. In one of his recent blog posts Sean shows off this DIY bathroom lighting makeover that works around an existing awkward location in a creative way.This lighting over the double basin sink in Sean’s bathroom was unattractive – both as a light fixture and in the shadows it cast on the folks under it.

This bathroom had lots of color in all the wrong places prior to its renovation. Old cabinetry and cheap teal tile made this bathroom makeover a must. Check out the fresh and modern facelift that this bathroom desperately needed after the jump… When selecting materials for a bathroom, the most important material to start with is the stone or tile, along with the cabinetry.

We’ve been following along as Dana and her husband sold their old house, moved into an apartment, and rebuilt a small house — all while also welcoming their third child. I’m sure this master bathroom update is a great indication of how the rest of the house has come together. Dana and her handy hubby, Steve, worked with what they’ve got in this small bathroom.

Designer Gina De Pasquale renovated this Las Vegas residence that needed a little updating throughout. Her work is most impressive in the bathroom where she did a great a job of mixing high and low pieces, all while staying true to the mid-century aesthetic.

This before & after renovation stars a once messy, chaotic laundry area in the home of four small children and their busy, creative parents. What’s truly wonderful is that they took an area that’s usually an afterthought, the laundry room, and turned it into a well-organized, cheerfully stylish space.According to Katie from Potluck Love, her old laundry room wasn’t a proper room, but a “hot mess of laundry” crammed into a hallway in the back of their home.

Although most of us have big plans for our bathrooms (someday!) sometimes big long expansive vanities with oversize mirrors can seem like a hindrance and leave you with less of a personal feeling. Want to see a neat trick to not only add storage but a bit of a custom built-in look as well?Over at Home Talk, there’s a great example of what a little trim can do for your bathroom. It’s a simple way to get a customized look on the cheap.

Bathrooms are something of a catch-22 when it comes to remodeling. On one hand, unless it is one solely intended for guests, not many people see it besides you and your family. But on the other hand, since it tends to be the room where contemplation occurs most naturally, thoughts often drift to how much better it could look with a bit of work.

We got a sneak peek into Greg and Ashley’s bathroom remodel back in April, when the couple was still in the thick of the project. After checking in on their progress, we discovered that the bathroom is now ready for a full unveiling!Greg and Ashley have been tracking the progress of their house renovation on their blog 7th House on the Left. When we peeked in at their bathroom last April they had just finished ripping out all the old stuff and installing the new tile and vanity.

We’ve had a great year of bathroom before and afters. From the controversial orange bathroom redux to the double renovation of a studio apartment bathroom, we’ve seen a lot and found inspiration even if we didn’t agree with every single choice someone made. I don’t think I would have had so much courage to tackle my own projects this year without Re-Nest and Apartment Therapy, so hopefully these will embolden someone else to do the same.

I met architect Branka Knezevic at the AIA home tours a while back. When she was contracted to remodel an outdated bathroom in a ranch home, she promised me a big reveal with before and after photos. For the last few weeks she has strung me along with “the bathroom is almost finished.” Now, it is finally finished and the result was definitely worth the wait! The owner of the home wanted a bathroom that had a sleek and modern design.

BEFOREJenny had long wanted a chair to sit in as she gives her girls their baths, and with $4.50, paint, and elbow grease she transformed a sad seat and vanity into something that stylishly fit the bill. AFTERJenny of Little Green Notebook picked up the vanity for free from an auction house that wasn’t able to sell it in its beat-up condition. Jenny realized midway through that it wasn’t worth refinishing the wood, and she refreshed the vanity with her Dremel and a coat of paint.

When I moved into my home, the bathroom in the studio over the garage was sad and depressing. When I embarked on my very first home improvement project to update it, I was really proud of the work I did, but it only held up to daily use for two years. The subfloor wasn’t level, so the composite floor was cracking, and the cheap composite counter top on the vanity had a corner chipped off.

Budget is the name of the game, but you’d never know after taking a peek at Andi and Dean’s newly renovated bathroom. Following the purchase of their San Francisco Victorian last year, the couple has taken on the remodel room by room. Check out the amazing transformation of their master bath!After falling in love with an Anne Sacks tile that was slightly over budget, the couple did some research and found a similar Italian porcelain for less.

The red and white tile, the white laminate vanity, the past-its-prime bathtub and tile… this bathroom needs an update. Enter designer Jason Wong to save the day!That after photo is totally inspiring, right? As if replacing the vanity and sink weren’t improvement enough, adding the window to that area really opens up the space (and adds some very appreciated sunlight where it’s needed most – at the mirror).

This poor mirror. Naked as the day it rolled off the assembly line, with its exposed edges, cracked with age, right out there in plain daylight for all the world to see! Something must be done about this!Faced with naked, builder-grade mirrors in her bathroom, Amanda over at The Ivy Cottage Blog, did what any adventurous DIYer would do — she made frames for them!

I know there are those among you for whom the classic pink-tiled bathroom is a national treasure worth saving at any cost. And while I admire your commitment to preservation and in theory agree with you, in practice I know better — six years ago I bought a pre-War apartment with two pink tiled bathrooms and that turned out to be two too many for me.