How to Update your Dated Bathroom on a Budget

Are you living in a dated home? Have you’ve been loving it back to life? Do you still have a to do list a mile long, but the budget has run out? Here’s how we updated our Master Bathroom when the money was tight.

We all have that one room that we desperately want to change, but sometimes more important things take priority over the eye sore. Here’s what happened to us this past summer.

Our bathroom is straight out of 1985, complete with the ceramic towel rack and TP holder and dated, beige shower insert. Let’s not forget the matching commode. First, we tried updating the room with leftover paint from our Master Bedroom makeover, but it didn’t help much and I still had ill feelings toward this eye sore.

Earlier this year, I was all set to rip out the insert and completely renovate this room, but something not so pretty and fun had to show up and ruin my DIY party.

Windows.

Bor-ing! Yes, I know that they are important, and yes I’m aware of all the energy saving benefits, but windows aren’t snazzy like a room redo. Indeed, I knew the cost of ripping out the shower stall and more importantly, the hidden cost of what problems could lie beneath so there was no way we could complete both projects financially.

Budget Dated Bathroom Makeover
The Process

So the windows took the win and I was stuck trying to get on speaking terms with a bathroom I abhorred. Then something magical happened.

We needed a new toilet!

Why, on earth, would I say a toilet was magical? Because after we installed it, I saw the room in a new light!

Suddenly, the white and beige seemed to work.  The existing floor tile had both colors as accents throughout, and I knew I could turn this around with a Budget Dated Bathroom Makeover.

Then, a few months ago, I saw on Instagram that Weaber Lumber was looking for brand reps to test out their new Weathered Wall Boards. Knowing my love for pallet wood, and more importantly, my love for free product, I threw my hat in the ring. I certainly did a happy dance when I found out I was selected as a representative!

5 glorious boxes were delivered to my doorstep and I knew just the room I was going to transform!

We followed the instructions on the box, with the exception of painting the wall a coordinating color, because patience is not one of my virtues.  I wanted to get right to work!

We measured the wall and marked where the studs were and devised a staggered plan to hang the pieces.

We opted for a solid piece on top as a keystone and made sure it was level.

Using a pneumatic nail gun, we started popping the pieces in place. The cool thing about the Weathered Wall Boards is that they have loads of character.  While they are all the same length and width, there are slight variences in depth, and have gorgeous knot holes and saw blade marks. Plus, their colors are swoony!

As we went along, we continued to check the level to make sure we weren’t getting off track.

Applying the wood behind the toilet was tricky. We simply used the cut scraps to piece them in around each side of the toilet.

Didn’t this Budget Dated Bathroom Makeover turn out amazing? I wanted a wood element to tie in the shower, but the weathered boards weren’t long enough to span the opening. We decided to use left over deck wood to create a weathered cornice over the curtain rod.

We removed the dated towel rack and replaced it with a creamy painted board with hooks for our towels.

The mixture of whites, creams and beiges were just making it all fall into place.

I used sheers that I found at Walmart to brighten up the room  and off set the beige tub insert.

Aren’t these star tiebacks the cutest? They were a gift from decades ago that I had forgotten about. I pulled them out of storage and used braided yarn to tie back the sheer curtains.

Since I added a star theme, I hung a DIY picture. First I hot glued a metal barn star hanging on ribbon to a frame and then inserted a dictionary page.

I particularly love how Lauren from Blesser House used a wreath on her wood wall in her master, so I made this wreath for about $10 with supplies from Hobby Lobby.

Finally, adding a gushy white rug in front of the tub just tied it all together.

So, do you wanna know the final cost of our Master Bathroom makeover?

Budget Dated Bathroom Makeover
Source List

(Some affiliate links are provided below. For more information, see my full disclosure)

Wall Color: Crushed Ice by Sherwin Williams in eggshell finish.  We used leftover paint from our Master Bedroom makeover, so this was like a freebie.

Toilet: Aquasource High Efficiency Toilet from Lowe’s $120

Sheers: Mainstays Marjorie Sheer Voile Curtain Panels $14 (like these here)

Shower Curtain: White Washable Fabric Shower Curtain – $15

Wall Boards: from Weaber Lumber received for free as a brand rep, but you can replicate this for free using pallet wood. $0

Cornice Board: Repurposed Deck board that we replaced. Hung with brackets we had on hand $0

Towel Rack: DIY painted wood with scrap paint. Hooks from Target purchased years ago (similar ones here) $10

Bath Mat: Bed Bath and Beyond, Anthology $10

Frame and Star: Thrifted DIY project $5

Star Tiebacks: Gift $0 (similar ones here)

Wreath: DIY, supplies from Hobby Lobby $11

Potted Number Plant and Boxwood Ball: Gift $0 (similar boxwood ball here)

Grand Total: $185

What?! From a magical toilet to a box of free wood made a dated, burn it to the ground bathroom go from drab to fab for less than $200!

The entire project took just a weekend to complete. Not only was it cheap and easy, but it was a quick transformation as well! Here’s hoping you can turn an ugly room you hate into something you love like we did.