Bathroom Refresh on a SMALL Budget ($250)

Sometimes there is a room in the house that really needs a makeover, but time and budget are major concerns. We have a bathroom at the top of our stairs that desperately needed a refresh, but because it is barely used, we didn't want to spend a lot of money on it. So, with our small budget of $250, we pushed ahead... and today, I am sharing the results of our efforts. 

(Note: I had some trouble taking photos in my small bathroom and I was getting glares on the pictures of my boys. As a result of the "angles" I was taking the pictures at, it appears that some of my photos are crooked... but I assure you, they are straight in real life. lol)

One of the major problems with our bathroom was the fact that the light fixture was off center, and it could't be fixed without electrical work (which was out of the scope of the project). It literally drove me crazy every time I looked at it.

BEFORE

In order to solve the problem, I bought an inexpensive vertical mirror and placed some vertical objects to the right of the mirror... to trick the eye into thinking things were more balanced. It worked really well. I also painted the room and cleared the clutter.

AFTER

I also needed to update the decor that had been in this bathroom since my boys were babies and toddlers.

BEFORE

I got rid of the basket that once held diapers and baby bath stuff. In its place, I put a vase of flowers and a couple of inexpensive succulents. I also replaced the childish "frog" shower curtain with a lovely striped one, and I placed coordinating towels on the back of the toilet. I think the result is much more age appropriate for my boys now.

AFTER

Here's the view of the small bathroom from the hallway.

BEFORE

AFTER

Finally, I updated the boring towel rack with some hooks that are much more functional for my boys. Each boy now has his own towel hanging under his baby picture. Cute, right? (The grey frames were only $10 each, and I love how they look).

BEFORE

AFTER

I love that the bathroom looks totally renovated for less than $250! Here's how my budget broke down:

paint (Benjamin Moore... raindance) - $50
three grey frames (Superstore) - $10 each - $30
shower curtain (Superstore) - $26
three hooks (Kent) - $5 each - $15
six towels (3 for on the hooks and 3 folded on the back of the toilet) (Superstore) - $8 each - $48
new bath mat  (Superstore) - $16
soap dispenser (Dollar Store) - $4
succulents (Superstore) - $11
vase  (Dollar Store) - $4
tall flowers in vase - $4
mirror - $55
minus the two items I was able to sell - $10 for the mirror and $15 for the old frames

There are other things I would like to do to my bathroom at a later date (like replacing the sink, vanity, and light fixture), but for my $250 budget, I'm super pleased with how it looks. What do you think about my refresh?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more design ideas (on a budget) here.