The year-old grout around the tub is cracked and yellow, I thought to myself, staring into the mirror like it was gonna tell me the secret to getting my bathroom renovated. It was seven in the morning and my coffee had gone cold as I faced the fact that I’d been staring at this same exact bathroom for way too long. So why had I waited so long to do something about it?
But that’s just it – there’s a reason you’ve been staring at it for so long. Bathroom renovations are not cheap, my friends. You think you’re going to slap on some fresh paint and new fixtures and call it a day – BAM! – Pinterest is suddenly filled with ideas for “Instagrammable bathrooms on a budget” (they do not exist).
Not to mention you’ve got one too many friends who got sucked down the hole of starting with good intentions and then completely remodelling their whole kitchen because they fell in love with imported Italian tile. Hold up.
There is a way to have a beautifully updated bathroom without selling a kidney on the black market to pay for it.
Here’s what I did to renovate my bathroom for way less than I had expected: First, make three lists. I know, nothing sounds as fun as sitting down with a blank piece of paper and sorting your bathroom renovations into three neat little lists. But hear me out!
List one: the things that would make you miserable if they stayed the same For me, this was non-negotiable. If there was something in my bathroom that made my daily routine absolutely unbearable, it had to go. Your shower head that sprays more water on your forehead than it does down your back?
Gone. The lighting above your sink that makes you look like a werewolf in the mornings? Gone.
That medicine cabinet that refuses to stay closed and has hit you in the forehead twice this week while you were brushing your teeth? Yeah, bye-bye. Living with your old bathroom for a week or two really allows you to hone in on what bothers you the most.
For me, it wasn’t the tile layout I’d spent weeks agonizing over – it was that I literally had no place to hang my towel that didn’t result in it falling on the floor. List two: things you think you want, but really you just like looking at them online This is where that heated towel rack gets put. And that rain shower head you dream of waking up to every day.
And that super classy floating vanity you saw in a magazine. Trust me, we all have that bathroom Pinterest board that seems never-ending and BOOM – it all goes on this list. Alright, now for the fun part.
I know you’re tired of making lists, but you’re going to make one more that’s going to help you knock some items off list two! I started researching like crazy. Some things on this list ended up being totally doable – I found that same heated towel rack I had my eye on, but at half the price because I was willing to wait for it to go on sale.
And other things I found pretty decent alternatives for that were way more in my price range. Be creative and try not to get discouraged if you can’t have it all! Finally, list three: wants that need to stay wants I’m not gonna lie to you – this was the hardest list to make.
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It included things like that gorgeous white marble countertop I’ll just pretend I didn’t think about buying (I spill on every surface I own), the giant farmhouse tub that would have taken over my entire bathroom, and the smart mirror that was more expensive than most cars. For someone who likes to dream big (me), this was the hardest list to accept. But the more I really looked at some of these wants, the more I realised that I didn’t NEED them to love my bathroom.
Sure, I’d been looking at that freestanding tub for months and imagining bubble baths galore. But when I really thought about it, I take showers 90% of the time – having the space to move around freely in my bathroom will make me happier every single day than a fancy tub I’ll use twice a month. Shopping with lists in tow was a game-changer for me.
Rather than wandering around the tile store feeling overwhelmed by hundreds of gorgeous options I couldn’t afford, I cut right to the bargain-bin section and found tile that fit my budget AND my must-haves. Less stress and way more productive than my old method of walking out with 47 new pins on my bathroom inspiration board. My biggest victory?
My vanity. Instead of ripping out the whole thing like I initially planned (roughly $800 with installation), I really examined it and realised that the cabinet itself was actually a nice piece of solid wood and in pretty good shape. The problem was the outdated brass handles and sad round mirror hanging above it.
So I popped of new brushed nickel hardware for $45 and a simple large mirror for $120 and it instantly transformed the whole room. Small changes, big impact. The shower was non-negotiable for me.
I opted for a high-quality thermostatic shower valve and an okay head with different settings. All-in it cost me around $340 but let me tell you – if I factor in that I shower EVERY DAY, it really wasn’t that bad! Also?
No more unexpectedly cold showers when someone flushes the toilet downstairs. (If you’ve dealt with that, you know it’s worth every penny.) Learn what “budget-friendly” really means. Instead of splurging on the patterned subway tile I loved, I bought plain white tile that was half the price. But then I splurged on amazing bright white grout that really made the room feel expensive.
It all about balancing your spends!
It took me six weeks to completely remodel my bathroom and I honestly came in under budget – $2,400 instead of $2,500! My biggest tip?
Don’t get overwhelmed when you’re out shopping. Stick to those lists and avoid browsing for new inspiration once you’ve already started. Three months later, I actually enjoy my morning shower.
My lighting actually makes me look human in the mornings, my towels aren’t falling on the ground anymore, and my shower head has enough pressure that I don’t have to wiggle around like a cat to rinse the shampoo out of my hair. Little things, sure. But add that up over hundreds of mornings and you’ve got yourself one happy shower-goer.
Psst…at no point did anyone mention my radiant floor heating or my eco-friendly low-flow toilet. The things people complimented? That mirror I mentioned at the beginning and my grout colour.
Always invest in the smallest details – they tend to have the biggest impact.
