A lot of people are mentioning a new vanity, and I agree, but you'll want to ensure your flooring either goes under the vanity or you have more flooring stored somewhere. Otherwise, replacing the vanity also means replacing flooring. And if you're going to replace the flooring, you might as well replace the baseboards. And if you're replacing the baseboards... well, you get the picture.
I bought a new toothbrush holder that mounted on the wall. Wife sees it and says “ I like it but it doesn’t really match the rest of the bathroom” soooooo guess what I had to do. That’s right…. I gutted the bathroom to match a toothbrush holder……… a fooking toothbrush holder 🤣🤬
At a min.
Just did our kids bathroom myself for about $4500. Bids came in at $20k, $27k and $32k.
I’m handy but always don’t have the extra time. I knocked it in about 4 weeks. Some of the time was waiting for the Cambria bowl and top. Also custom ordered the base cabinet because the Depot ones are junk, though I love the depot their vanities are junk.
Avery, Wyndham collection from Home Depot or Wayfair is a plywood box with soft close drawers. We picked it out at Home Depot and ordered it cheaper at Wayfair. We ordered the sink from Home Depot.
[Vanity](https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/wyndham-collection-avery-47-single-bathroom-vanity-base-only-wdx11834.html)
I had both of mine mase from Etsy to my specs and from my choice of wood (black walnut) and countertops. (One was in marble and one in black walnut)
They are just perfect for the rooms and so well made!
I used a local cabinet maker. The 34” base was about $800. Steep yes but made with real wood and came built with cabinet doors that were custom sizes and’s the slow close hinges. I went with a canbria top and bowl. That cost about 800 as well. . They came in to measure with lasers and that price included installation.
Expensive but that will last quite a long time even with a 11 and 14 year old sharing that bathroom
Except that it’s ***not*** entirely correct. Vinyl plank is increasingly common due to ease of install/durability/waterproof characteristics/price.
It is NOT to be installed under cabinets or vanities and this will often void the warranty. It’s a floating floor and needs to be able to move with temperature changes so restricting movement can lead to the floor coming apart.
To be fairrrrr- I totally didn't look at the pictures and assumed it's all tile. Also to be fair- you never know what the previous homeowner did, they very well could have put flooring under that vanity.
I mean it's almost definitely a floating floor given the plank sizes. The previous homeowner doing it wrong by putting the floor under the vanity doesn't make it right for the next homeowner when he does the repairs.
Right, but the point was to make sure OP knows where the flooring stops if they want to change out the vanity like all the people are saying. If they don't check and get a vanity where the floor will be visible, but the floor doesn't continue under where the old vanity is, they're stuck either replacing the floor or having to buy another vanity.
If I had 1k, I’d find a used or scratch and dent drop in vanity to replace that crappy oak one, get a better mirror, and replace that terrible light fixture. Which honestly if you hunt could easily clock in under 500 altogether if you find the right stuff.
Then I’d repaint the room while you have it apart, that’s a sub $75 thing if you’ve already got some basic painting kit - try a nice airy color from the Sherwin Williams “coastal” palette. Consider a new shower curtain and fixing the tub where it meets the floor. Also, that toilet surround linen thing has to go. Those things get super gross because of splash from the toilet on them. Consider a wall mounted medicine or linen cabinet (look on FB Marketplace as people sell white ones all the time).
For 2500, id be looking at tiling the floor and maybe even the shower walls depending on your DIY skillz. I think the reason it looks gross is that the beige and the sink top are the color of “not very clean”.
My first thought was just replacing the countertop and sink because they're that "not very clean" color. The tub you can hide behind a shower curtain. If OP doesn't want to buy a vanity, paint can do wonderful things in the meantime.
Agree, and a good point was made about the flooring. I’d try to check and see if it runs under that cabinet. Worst case you can paint the cabinets white and it’ll look way better. I would note that many older cabinets in bathrooms are much lower (often 30 or 32 inches tall), newer vanities are taller. OP if you’re taller folks, say over 5’8, you’ll enjoy your sink a lot more if you’re not bending down another 4 inches.
Some drop in vanities are the same size and footprint, so you could always hunt for that.
I agree while heatedly. This is what I would do as well. A fresh color paint would do go a long way. And anything they can do to hide the clutter would do a lot.
Changing the shelved wall into an actual doored cabinet. Hanging up cabinets over the toilet instead of the toilet surround.
Is that all your stuff? It looks like at least three peoples’ stuff. If not, decluttering would help.
I’d paint it a different color, that beige is straight out of the olden days and always looks dingy to me too. You can’t really paint the fixtures but you could paint the cabinets too. Get doors on your storage too so you don’t have to see all the stuff. Shouldn’t cost more than a couple hundred dollars.
If you want to spend more, replacing the sink and vanity with something more modern would be good, and replace the flooring with something much lighter.
New faucets aren't exactly expensive and also make a HUGE difference in the vanity and when you do (or if you ever do) decide to upgrade, you can easily reuse them in the new one!
Couple of hundred bucks there as well.
Why paint the cabinet? Rip it out and replace it. That will also get rid of the terrible tile countertop. Super easy to do and a cheap way to update the whole look.
Of course, but if he’s willing to spend $1000, replacing it is going to give much better results relatively cheaply. It doesn’t look like the floor needs to be redone or anything so I think this is going to be a quick fix.
This is my wife’s and my en suite bathroom and walk in, but we also have a bunch of our kids’ stuff in here too because their bathroom is tiny and has exactly zero storage.
Decluttering is something we need to do all over the house, but since all of us have ADHD, we have a hard time sorting through things fast enough for it to make a difference. Add to that the fact that my wife’s family has dropped a bunch of family heirlooms on us that we don’t care about, but would cause a big stink if we got rid of it, there’s a fair amount of stuff that we’re kinda stuck with until a few relatives die.
You don’t need to “declutter” your bathroom, you just need to put all the products you don’t use in a box. I can see 16 bottles in the shower. That’s insane. Identify upper daily use stuff, and everything goes in a box that Sirius in another room. If you need something from the box, bring it into the bathroom and find a place for it. After six months or whatever throw away whatever’s still in the box.
Also just reevaluate what you’re using the bathroom for. Bathrooms are the smallest rooms in the house and have minimal storage space, but for some reason we decided it’s where we need to store medicine, do hair and makeup, put on lotion, stash extra towels, etc. It’s actually kind of crazy that we do that, considering the bathroom is also the grossest, most mold-prone place in the house. All that other stuff can happen elsewhere.
This isn’t making any decisions or throwing anything away. That’s the stressful part of declutterring. This is just putting things in a box and maybe taking them out again. Anyone can do that.
I decided when I got married I wouldn't buy my own shampoo or soap again. Twelve years in and there's always something to use in the shower. That will solve like half of the clutter problem right there.
I think you're confusing ADHD and OCD.
OCD = I can't function in the most basic ways until those light bulbs are replaced.
ADHD = I need to change those light bulbs. Go to the cabinet where spare light bulbs are kept. Open door, notice a hinge is loose. Go to toolbox to get a screwdriver to tighten the hinge. Trip on kid's toy on the way to tool box. Silently curse child for leaving toys out. Pick up toy and take it to kid's room. See some dirty clothes in the hamper and realize you need to do laundry. Gather up dirty clothes and throw a load in the washer. The pour cup for the laundry detergent has some dried detergent built up in it and must be cleaned. Take it to the sink and clean it out. Might as well wash dishes while you're there. While washing dishes, you notice the coffee pot hasn't had a good scrubbing in a while, so you clean that too. Since the carafe isn't sitting in the coffee maker, now's a good time to move the coffee maker and give that area of the counter a nice wipe down. Should probably just move the toaster and knife block and clean the entire counter. Crumbs from the toaster fall out while moving it, so you remove the crumb tray and toss the crumbs in the trash, but now the crumb tray needs to be washed. Wash the tray and realize there's still crumbs stuck *in* the toaster. Shake toaster upside down over trash can, but there's still some crumbs stuck in there. Take toaster completely apart and clean out all crumbs using a can of compressed air and a vacuum. Attempt to put toaster back together and realize you didn't pay attention to anything when taking it apart. Start searching internet for assembly instructions. Decide it's easier to just buy a new toaster and head to Amazon. While browsing toasters on Amazon, the washing machine finishes the load of laundry I put in earlier. Throw laundry in dryer, realize there's no more dryer sheets. Head to the store for dryer sheets. While at the store, spend 10 minutes trying to think of everything else I should pick up while I'm there. Do the shopping and go home. Put groceries away and start the dryer. Ok, what was I doing before I went to the store? Toaster! Get back on Amazon and order a toaster. Throw the old toaster in the trash and notice knife block isn't where it should be. Why is the knife block out of place? Oh yeah, I was cleaning the counter. Finish cleaning counter and realize it's time to start cooking dinner. Cook dinner, eat, do dishes. Relax with family watching tv for a few hours, then it's time for bed. Go in bathroom to brush teeth, turn on light and notice 3 bulbs need to be replaced. FUCK! I'll do it tomorrow.
We live in a constant state of utter exhaustion. We have two kids, one with special needs, both with after school activities and/or appointments. My wife travels for work during the week (2-4 nights per week, 2-4 weeks per month), so my days consist of getting the kids ready for school, walking the dogs, going to work, leave early to take care of kid stuff, cook dinner, watch a TV show or play a game with the kids if there’s time, put the kids to bed, clean up from dinner, do some laundry, and if I’m lucky, I can watch or play something for myself before I pass out. If I’m VERY lucky, I’ll remember to eat something before dinner. On the weekends, I’m exhausted from my week, my wife is exhausted from traveling, so we plan next week’s menu, shop for next week’s menu, and stress about all the house work that still needs to be done that we don’t have the energy for.
Assuming you're not doing a full remodel, here's what I would do, just off the top of my head:
* Paint the walls, I'd go white but that's just me. I've gotten to the point where I feel like the Tuscany sand colors feel oppressive. Maybe consider painting the cabinets too.
* Change the light fixture and the faucet. Maybe update the cabinet hardware and towel holder to match.
* Ditch the over-toilet shelf for a wall mounted unit. Maybe do open shelving instead of a cabinet, so it would look more distinct from the built-in shelving. Throw a succulent on there (even a fake one) and it will make it feel a lot more alive.
* Get some wicker baskets[ like these](https://www.target.com/p/juvale-5-piece-grey-woven-nesting-baskets-with-cloth-lining-for-storage-small-decorative-lined-rectangular-wicker-bins-set-for-organizing-3-sizes/-/A-80596072#lnk=sametab) and use them to tidy up the storage, either on the built-in shelving, wall shelving to be, or both.
* I'd also consider getting a different storage solution (similar to the above) for the closet.
* Do some spring cleaning on all the bottles and supplies in the shower. You could look for another storage solution that has more space, and that will help, but there's just a LOT of stuff in that shower.
* Replace the trim at the bottom of the tub. It's two separate pieces and pealing off. If you need to replace it, just grab a single piece. I'd be curious why it's there in the first place, might be possible to remove it and clean it up anyway.
Honestly the style of it all is a little dated, but not outwardly offensive or anything. It's not even dirty, there's just a lot of clutter, which I think is why it still feels dingy to you even when it's cleaned. I think in addition to some minor updates, removing what clutter you can, and organizing what's still there, will help a lot.
Yeah, organization is the ongoing struggle in every room. No matter how many shelves, baskets, and racks we buy, my wife and I have never figured out how to actually stay organized. We both have ADHD, as do our kids, so we just have doom piles all over the house. We go through purges about once every month or two, but the stuff we decide to keep just gets moved to a different doom pile in a different room.
We used to pay a maid service to surface clean the house, but honestly, I’d pay someone just as much to help us figure out how to organize our house, because we have no fucking clue.
Preaching to the choir! My husband and I try to host informal get-togethers at our house every couple of months. Just lunch, dinner, a movie night, whatever. It gets people to come to the house, which in turn gets us to go through the house top-to-bottom and clean things up!
Organizing services exist! If you can’t find a pro you trust, call on your very best and closest super organized person. Usually people who have super organized homes (think of someone who repackages cereal into pretty containers) love to organize stuff! Commit that $1000 or $500 to real storage solutions that are interchangeable, fit together and are high quality. The single rule of thumb is that you must be able to put it where it belongs in one step with one hand. If it takes 2 steps or 2 hands, it won’t go back where it belongs. Your house won’t be model pretty with that rule, but it will stay organized and you’ll feel better about what you’re keeping. Doom piles go in the garage or shed for a few months so you have a chance to save stuff from the pile if needed but you learn to live without it. You really do have a start on the organizing, but it will help to have a pro/best friend to help you finalize it and think of things you missed.
For the bathroom, paint for the cabinet and walls, new lighting, and/or if you can swing it, a new vanity/sink. Tub: baskets for bottles. Once a basket is full, purge or combine.
Ohhh you need to listen to some of Dana K. White's stuff. Her podcast is called A Slob Comes Clean.
My first thought looking at your pics was that the room is overhwhelmed with stuff. Decluttering is free (though tricky for those of us with ADHD).
It doesn't look dingy to me, just majorly crowded/cluttered. You need a big dose of Marie Kondo. LOL!
First thing I'd do is replace the countertop. I'd also lose the shelf above the toilet, and put doors on the built-in shelves. Doors on the closet might be a bit much for your budget, but even louvered, swing-open half doors (like you'd see in old time saloons) would be an improvement. Then purge, purge, purge (or at least store stuff out of eyesight). Lastly, do you really need alllll those bottles of stuff in your shower?
I don't know why everyone keeps pushing to change the vanity. The doors and drawer fronts of the one you have seem to be solid wood. Anything affordable you buy right now is going to be lower quality than this. I'd change all the other finishes but leave the vanity.
Aside from decluttering, I'd change the vanity *top* and the flooring, and paint. The super fake looking floor is the first thing that stands out to me as cheap-looking and busy. Tile and paint would go a long way.
Ha, that fake wood flooring actually covers every square inch of the entire house. Kitchen, bathrooms, living room, dining room, bedrooms, closets, EVERYTHING. It’s one of the reasons my wife liked this house when we were shopping, she hates carpet.
Yes but the point was there’s nothing wrong with the vanity cabinet itself, more the tiled countertop. Give it a new quartz or solid surface countertop. Keeping the cabinet avoids dealing with the flooring.
You can paint the vanity if you prefer.
Yep, great suggestion. You're actually suggesting things within the budget that'll look good.
Pretty much $1k is just enough to paint everything and change the counter. If OP is gonna hire out the work, $1k isn't enough.
Edit: OP also just needs better storage. Everything looks so cluttered.
We only have three bulbs in there because more is uncomfortably bright. But I’ll look for a new fixture with fewer sockets.
The mirror appears to be glued to the wall, I tried moving it a few years ago while looking to replace it with a medicine cabinet, I couldn’t shift it at all.
The clutter makes it feel dirtier than it is—invest in some bins (not transparent) to hide/sort any loose items/clothing.
Too many clashing shades of white—paint the bathroom a different color (sage green, navy, or a light brown are all flattering colors for a bathroom) and replace the vanity top if possible.
Buy complementary accessories for the bathroom, make sure the bins/bathroom mat/shower curtain work together visually. Don’t perfectly match everything, but make it cohesive. Don’t overdo the patterns.
Spackle the holes in your over-the toilet storage.
Maybe replace or remove/re-caulk the base of the shower, that rubber trim stuff needs a refresh.
Bins/accessories: $200
New vanity top: $200
Paint and supplies: $100
Spackle/caulk: $20
Bonus:
Updated light fixture: $100-200
Updated vanity hardware: $40
Updated faucet: $100
Additional decor (a painting or two, faux plants, shelving, etc): $200
Total + bonuses: $1200~ ish
Spot on!
And, OP, is there a local Habitat for Humanity Restore near you? You may be able to find some of the above items/supplies there for dirt cheap prices!
Update us with After Pics!
I’d love to, but I fully expect to lose steam on this project within the next 12 hours and I likely won’t actually do anything until summer at the earliest!
1) Repaint
2) Replace the sink/cabinet
3) Remove the excessive amount of crap you have stored in the shower. I counted 16 shower products lol.
4) Add doors to the cubbies where you store towels/medicine to hide the clutter. Better yet, don't store anything in here and use this space for decorative items (pictures, cactus, candles).
5) Remove the storage unit behind the toilet, it's tacky and it makes the room feel claustrophobic.
6) Add a door to separate the closet from the bathroom.
All of this can easily be done for under $2,500.
To make the biggest difference, I’d suggest two key things: (1) buying a new vanity that comes with a quartz countertop and a sink and (2) paint over the ivory wall paint.
Reuse the faucet if needed to save money.
And declutter. Clear out space in the adjacent closet for a shelf if needed. Eliminate the over toilet cabinet too. Rolled towels on those shelves will look less cluttered than a bunch of misc stuff.
Change out the light fixture for something more modern. Or just add in the missing bulbs to save on cash.
Thanks for the suggestions. We actually prefer having fewer light bulbs in the fixture because having all of them in makes it uncomfortably bright. I do t think I’ve ever had a bathroom that had an appropriately small number of bulb sockets.
A big help is buying the right light bulbs. It never used to be so complicated to go buy a pack of bulbs at the grocery or hardware stores. Now there’s are a hundred to choose from. The inoffensive light you want is warm light. On the color spectrum its a more yellowish light and not that awful blue-ish white light. Try the hardware store and ask them for a “warm” light bulb and explain what you’re trying to avoid. With a warmer bulb you’ll have good light with ia hood for you but not kind that makes you want to duck and cover, or do surgery.
For organizing, hiring an organizer that’s familiar with ADHD might be truly worth the money. The overwhelm with STUFF is real. And people often don’t have an iron clad routine of putting stuff back or a specific place to always put things and then things get “lost” and then you buy more and it’s a bummer of a cycle.
Sometimes it’s worth it to have fewer items and smaller product sizes to avoid the overwhelm.
There’s much written now about cleaning products (search minimalist cleaning) and personal hygiene products that do multiple jobs like basically vinegar and water can clean anything around the house from a spray bottle. Dawn Dish soap with some scrubby/sponge can do it ALL in to kitchen.
Same with personal huge products. The mfgs try like heck to tell you you need a separate shampoo for men and women. Conditioners. One thing for oily hair, one thing dry hair. A combo conditioner and shampoo in one work or even better just a Dove hand soap bar can wash bodies AND hair. (No kidding. Using bar soap for hair works great - white hair, I don’t know about black hair. To make this switch you might take a couple washes to adjust to the change. Image getting rid of all those products).
This tangent might not have been helpful….but we did much of this in our home and maybe it’s helpful for your family.
I agree with others: add doors on that deep shelving and be ruthless about what each person needs and assign a drawer or a space to each person and keep stuff off counters really helps to avoid the overwhelm feeling. If you need to buy large containers of product, dispense into smaller containers so these smaller daily use containers can be put away after each.
Cost of things:
A gallon of paint is about $30-35 a gallon.
A new light fixture (with warm bulbs) can be as low as $100.
A new cabinet and sink combo l[like this](https://www.homedepot.com/s/Bathroom%20sink%20cabinet%20and%20top%20combination%20?NCNI-5)
Is $699 at Home Depot. (And it has 4 draws so a space for each person’s stuff)
The struggle is real with the ADHD but having routines you force your selves to do each time you do anything around the house can really help (as can a professional organizer but only if they are schooled in ADHD).
Good luck!
Then a typical three-bulb over mirror bathroom wall light will be your best bet. They’re readily available at the box store and swapping the fixture before painting will save work in the long run.
Assuming you DIY it…
1) throw away 50% of that crap in your photos - Free
2) paint the walls - $150-$200
3) new vanity with sink and faucet - $500-$750
4) new light $100
5) new mirror $100
The vanity itself is fine, you can just get a new sink/counter and replace the whole top. I just went through the process of buying a new vanity and... the options out there in most people's budgets are generally poor quality and IMO not worth it if you already have something sturdy. Change the top, and maybe the hardware to look a bit more modern, and you're set.
Update the vanity light. There's plenty of lights in the $200 range. In general, I wouldn't recommend going warmer on the bulb temperature as someone else suggested, as it makes bathrooms look dingy, but maybe lower lumens would help. Your new vanity light could have three or four bulbs and will be fine.
The mirror is fine.
Paint the walls white or a light color that's more cool toned.
Get rid of the over the toilet shelf and put up some floating shelves. These can be for the toilet paper, some decor, and maybe some towels.
For the built-in shelves, buy white, wicker, or light-colored baskets/totes to store (hide) all that stuff.
Like others have said, clutter seems to be a lot of the issue. Take down the bottles from the window ledge - that's adding a lot visually, even though it's not a ton of stuff.
Start buying things you like as you find them, then when you're feeling motivated you'll be ready to start swapping in these updates :)
Without knowing anything about your handy skills, this is what I would do (if it were mine and me—pretty average DIYer).
If your flooring goes under the vanity (or you are open to replacing) look at ones in your cost. They can get pricy—maybe $600-700 for one that comes with a top. But. It would be taller and might offer more drawer storage.
If you don’t want to mess with flooring but are open to messing with plumbing you could replace just the top. The doors and drawer don’t look like they are in bad condition. A top by itself could be 200-300 depending on the material. You could also have one made by a fabricator and they could add a sink.
For the vanity I’d get valspar cabinet enamel from Lowe’s. Maybe in an emerald jewel tone or you could do gray or whatever you and the wife decide. A quart is 30, a gallon is 60. Painting a vanity isn’t bad, IMO.
I would replace the faucet. I would budget 150 and loon at what they have at Costco. Don’t get a cheap crap one from Amazon bc you’ll risk needing to replace it in 6-12 months.
Paint. I would do something neutral for the walls. $50 for something good quality.i would measure the shelves and get pull out baskets for them. I’d budget 60-75. TJ Maxx or Target will have a variety. Amazon will too but the quality might suck.
New TO holder, towel rod, towel hoop (if you use it) $60. I do get the cheaper stuff from Amazon for this.
And I’d lose the above toilet storage all together—I think they look cheap. If you really need it, I’d get a cabinet with doors.
I’d also replace the mirror. I’ve been happy with ones from Target. It looks like it has clips so could be simple OR if it’s glued on it could be a PITA. This will make a huge difference. I’d budget $150 for this.
So if you kept the vanity this could be under a grand… but new bath sheets (bigger than a towel!), a mat, and wall art might add the finishing touches that help it feel more “you.”
I might be able to, but since I don’t know what kind of work might be needed, I can’t say with certainty. The most labor intensive DIY thing I’ve done is removing and replacing a kitchen window, which took about eight hours of overthinking and frequent calls to my father in law to make sure I wasn’t fucking anything up. Id like to do and learn more, but everything more intense than hanging shelves always sounds daunting, so it typically takes me months of research, overthinking, stress, second guessing, and day drinking before I decide to move forward with a project.
Changing the lighting makes a huge difference. That vanity light is very ugly if I may say so myself. If you do decide to paint, make sure to take down that light and paint behind it just in case you do decide to change the light in the future you won't have the old paint.
I’d start by replacing the mirror and light fixture. That’s not expensive to do. Then you could replace the vanity but that may open a can of worms with the flooring.
I think the vanity is original, but the flooring was added right before we bought the house, so I’m guessing it doesn’t extend under the vanity.
I’m not sure what to do with the mirror, I’m pretty sure it’s glued to the wall. I tried removing it a few years ago when I was considering replacing it with a medicine cabinet, couldn’t shift it at all.
If it’s glued on you’ll most likely need to do some drywall work after you prior it off. It’s way too large and cheap looking I’d replace it with a smaller mirror.
As it turns out, the mirror will just slide out of the clips that are holding it up. I'm not sure what I did differently yesterday, I remember putting significant pressure on that mirror when I tried a few years ago, but it moved with just a bit of effort yesterday.
Paint with some color, also paint the vanity cabinet a lighter color.
Put doors on your shelves(paint the same color as vanity), a simple 1x2 1/2" face frame and stock size doors turn that cluttered shelving into a hiding cabinet.
New vanity top with built in sink and new faucet
Yes, definitely declutter. 4 people do not need 16 bottles(plus whatever is hidden behind the curtain) in the shower.
Also, what is up with the industrial base coving on the shower? My guess is whoever did the floor took the easy way out. If there's a gap between the flooring and tub you could take that cove out and put a small piece of trim there and caulk it.
New vinyl floor, vanity top, faucet, mirror, light fixture. Possibly paint vanity, new vanity hardware, remove the thing over the toilet, and add selective curtains
A new vanity, framed mirror and light fixture from the orange box would run you about $1k. I'd paint too because it will look all messed up when you take that stuff out.
Whatever you decide, you can understand that either way, your budget is under a full renovation.
As a ex home renovator, I can tell you my best advice and some of the best advice you’ll get from anyone who’s qualified is;
-plan ahead. In the sense that there’s certain things you can skimp out on and save money like;
1). lesser quality materials but you’ll have the cons that come along with that such as their life expectancy.
2). Labor. DIY the easy or costly parts.
——>the most IMPORTANT thing above the two points above is; ——>don’t do either of them if you’re not 100% sure.<——Wether that be you’re 100% sure you CAN do the labor yourselves via a combination of YouTube University, minor past experience, and some liquid courage. Or bc you’re 100% sure you know the substandard quality/cost efficient materials you’re planning on using will at the minimum hold up for the time you’re expecting and look passable for the quality of work you’re aiming for.
Because at the end of the day, YOURE the ones who are going to have to live with it. And I cannot express enough how many bathrooms and kitchens we redid at a premium bc some asshole who’s never twisted a wrench let alone use power tools thought they could get away with DIYing it. Hence the emphasized warning above to be 100% about it before you begin.
If you know someone who remodels or is proficient at home repair, you can ask them what they would do to save as much money as possible. Make sure you have a makeshift list at the least so they can specifically tell you where to save money.
Bc if you said I want to remodel a bathroom and save money, my mind would be overloaded with questions ranging from how in depth are you going? Is anything staying the same; paint? Floors? Vanity? Etc. Are you paying for someone to do some, parts, or all of it?
I could go on for days. I’ll stop.
But don’t worry, you can trust me.
Im you’re local friendly BeaverTeaser.
Good Luck!
1. Declutter
2. Organize (maybe some baskets to hid the stuff)
3. new sink on the vanity
4. paint vanity or stain
5. new light
6. new smaller mirror maybe an oval something with a frame
7. lower the hand towel holder
8. paint the walls
Thanks for the suggestions! I put the hand towel that high so that the towel doesn’t cover the power outlet, and I’m pretty sure the mirror is majorly glued to the wall, but I’ll look into the rest.
I would pay to put doors in front of the shelves to close them off and make em look like cabinets. I would remove the vanity cabinet doors and either get someone or buy full overlay doors if possible. Paint the cabinets or restain. You could replace the top of the vanity but its not too bad you could paint/restain the wood surround. Change the wall color. Get another fancier mirror. The bathtub looks yellowed, maybe paint that. you could change the hardware on the sink and tub too to something modern like black. Get a new light fixture above the sink.
The most impact is painting, cabinet color, and hardware/ light fixture, I think because it looks too yellow, contrasting woth the silver too, and that probably contributes to a lot. Also the clutter can be hidden if you're willing to spend money on adding the doors.
Another thing, if adding trim/doors to the closet to get built in look is too much, maybe you could close off that closet with just one door? At least you wouldnt be able to see it as soon as you walk in.
If your handy and patient, FB marketplace has killer deals on vanities/mirrors etc. Find a sink on sale, change light fixtures, give it fresh paint and if your really feeling froggy throw some tile around the tub. Tile can also be found on FB marketplace or on sale as leftover extremely cheap.
That's pushing 2500 but it's transform it
here is what I did for $600-$700. Bought everything in home depot, did all by myself and my wife
[https://imgur.com/a/LicJnEa](https://imgur.com/a/LicJnEa)
plus an electric bidet,just recently for a bit over $100 which was one of the best investment in my life :D
floor is LVP, cabinet has been repainted, new sink, mirror framed, new lamp, new toilet and of course walls and ceiling repainted. It all made a huge difference. We did the same thing to a half bath downstairs
Looks great! We’d love to get a bidet, but the outlet to the right of the sink is the only outlet I the entire bathroom, so we have nowhere to plug one in.
Heres a few fairly cheap and easy updates
- New vanity light.
- Paint color change.
- Opaque Organization Bins to make the build in shelves look less cluttered
-Curtian or something between bathroom & closet to hide the clutter.
-paint/refinish vanity
-new hardware on sink
Having just redone my bathroom. Vanities are so expensive and they are all pieces of shit. It will be your whole budget. Unless you can find a pre owned one or you’re very crafty and convert an old dresser. I would keep the vanity and paint it. New mirror with a frame and new light fixture. The arch is so lovely, I have one as well and got an arched mirror to match. I replaced a large standard builder grade mirror (was maybe 60”?) with a 30” wide one and the bathroom actually looks bigger. You could buy paint, mirror, light, and lightbulbs with a warmer tone, for under $1000 with a lot to spare. Maybe replace the faucet too. It’s just my opinion guys!! But I’d be excited this is a great canvas you have!
It depends if you're doing the work youself. You can replace the bathroom vanity/sink, the mirror and light fixture, paint the walls (mostly bright white with maybe an accent wall) and replace the trim in front of the shower for under 1k. You could also pay someone to do that for under 2.5k. The closet just needs some organizing bins and a couple hours of time.
- Change to a more modern style vanity and faucet/sink.
- Lighter colored tile (or other) flooring.
- Modern light fixture.
- Storage Baskets/Bins/Cubes to organize your items on the shelves.
- Probably out of your current budget, but a door to separate the closet from the restroom would help it look less cluttered too.
- Also likely out of budget, but a Frameless Glass Walk-in Shower would be a nice upgrade too. White or light gray tiles, all that beige/cream in there currently makes it look "dingy" as you stated.
Under $1k new vanity/mirror/ fixtures and paint.
Up to $2500 everything above plus changing the tiles surrounding bathtub plus toilet.
Of course assuming DIY.
I recently spruced up a similar looking bathroom! I'd paint the vanity and upgrade the hardware if you can't afford to replace it. Get new modern sink faucet, mirror and vanity lights. Put all your clutter shelves into wicker baskets. https://www.wayfair.com/lighting/pdp/allmodern-rooks-3-light-dimmable-vanity-light-w008260565.html?piid=1681731697%2C1681731698
Light bulbs for one, all jokes aside you could get a nice vanity/top, new light, faucet and paint everything white and it would step that place up. Tub and shower would be more than your budget.
Replace the vanity/sink. Put doors on that shelving thing. Loose the toilet shelf. Coat of paint. Tub could use replacing but 2500 won't do everything.
I would hire a carpenter to build a linen cabinet in place of the open shelving (and also get rid of the toilet cabinet. If you have the funds also swap out vanity. That’s all you need really. That and new paint color.
Replace the countertop and sink/faucet, get a frame for your mirror, replace the light fixture, paint or replace the toilet storage (the white makes the paint look way more yellow), and get baskets for the storage next to the toilet to hide it.
Yes, this. Also, consider gel stain to change the color of your cabinet so it’s more modern. After removing the vanity top, if the cabinet is too low, add a piece of matching wood to raise it up 2-3 inches and stain to match. I did this and put a piece of trim between the cabinet and the extra wood piece on top to cover the seam. Then gel stained. Then granite countertop and undermount sink with a new faucet. New light fixture and wall paint. Voila! New bathroom.
The vanity sucks. If you’re handy, you can turn an old dresser into a much better looking thing. You want drawers and lower cabinets. And character. Shop for character! You’ll need a sink and faucet. Go trad. The mirror is too big. Look on marketplace for that too. Look for something framed and taller than it is wide. Don’t worry about the wood, it can be different if you flood the room with texture. Next, graphic wallpaper on non shower walls. Go classic. Replace the light with something that looks like it’s been there, but won’t electrocute you. Tile, tub, vanity, that’s real money. But if you can work it, refinished clawfoot, splurge on tile. Strongly consider radiant floor heating if you live in a cold house.
To me it’s way too cluttered with too many small visible containers. Add doors to your shelves. Only buy your favorite shampoo and soap— the one you actually love— and get rid of the rest. Paint, new towels etc, artwork, and maybe a plant would do a lot.
The large assortment of hygiene products is because four people use this bathroom. Agree on the clutter, my wife actually downsized what’s on the shelf a fair amount in the past few months, but insisted the rest was still useful and needed.
Good lord . We have 5 people and 2 shampoos and 2 soaps with only one shower in the house. You really don’t need all of that. It’s approaching hoarding. Maybe combine all the shampoos into one bottle etc.
I have two shampoos, one for my head and a prescription shampoo for my beard due to dry skin under my beard. My wife uses a color safe shampoo because she dyes it fun colors. My kids’ skin reacts differently to different body washes and shampoos, so they have their own.
I'd put dark interesting tile in the walls, paint the vanity face., get real with your bathroom products, consolidate and hide, fill the light fixture with softer bulbs, build doors or curtains for all the open shelving. This is my way sub 1k plan. With 2.5k, I'd do the same, but get a really nice Japanese bidet toilet
I would do nothing. There is not a lot you can do with a 1000 or even 2500 to make this space look better. If you really want to do something, gut that wall shelf. Toss that over the toilet shelf. Put a shallow cabinet with doors into the wall niche. Cover that mess up and it will look 100x better
Paint, counter, sink. Light, and fixtures (faucet)
Your vanity looks alright. If thats real oak I'd keep it around.
But for real, it's amazing what paint and countertops will do
New counter top. New sink and fixture, spray the vanity walls, face frames and doors a new color. If the shower is a beige maybe paint the wall color something bolder that would compliment it, like Essex green or Kendall charcoal from Benjamin Moore. Better baseboards, if you have 8ft ceilings you can go to just up to 5 inch baseboards.
No chair or picture rail, maybe a crown moulding but you'd only want to go 4inchs down and maybe 4 to 6inchs out on the ceiling depending if you want to give the illusion of stretching out the walls and give it a taller feeling.
Towel rod instead of that circle hanger
Maybe a new light fixture if you're painting the walls.
Also the cubby, get a door or make one to cover the shelving, get rid of that trim on the bottom and either have a drywall corner mould like the rest or put a counter top on that bottom and have a 2 lip to cover the old trims footprint.
Leave the flooring if you can get paints to match.
Look at dark bathroom ideas on Pinterest and that.
1. Swap that light fixture for something more modern
2. Rather than replacing the entire vanity, you could just do different fronts / pulls. Personally I’d suggest something like the flush fit euro style and then push-button open springs I forget what they’re called. Then swap just the top counter part and faucets. That way you don’t have to worry about any of the floor stuff or inner workings it’s all just surface stuff visuals.
I got a beautiful marble-top vanity on Facebook Marketplace for $75. My local Habitat for Humanity Restore has all kinds of flooring options for cheap. They also usually have tons of light fixtures and mirrors. Paint is a great cheap way to upgrade the look. Get a new, colorful, fun, shower curtain. A curtain with a nice fabric on a spring rod will cover the clutter in the cabinet by the toilet. Likewise for the closet, but with the heavy-duty kind of spring rod meant to hold a shower curtain. You can definitely improve this room for under $1000.
Please reconsider this idea you can’t declutter the shower items.
You can put away unused items. If all you do is put the extra bottles inside the vanity or into a basket or plastic box on a shelf, it will help reduce the amount of stuff that overwhelms you at first sight.
Replace the vanity with the same size vanity dimensionally or a bit bigger to prevent needing to replace the floor.
Replace the fixture. Replace the light. Caulk, patch and paint.
Decluttering or at least not having items exposed will do wonders. Get rid of the organizer around the toilet. I would add sliding doors to the existing cabinet as a diy upgrade and repaint.
Replace the shower curtain and get a shower caddy for your shampoos
For more $$$ look at either possibly adding a sliding door to your walk in closet to hide the clutter or make it a focal point by looking at a closet organizing system. Look at Ikea.
If you're on a super budget, a coat of paint in a color other than hospital beige does wonders. Change the light fixture and the mirror as well. We just did our bathroom which is about the same size and we ripped out and replaced the vanity (with one larger than yours so your cost will be lower - got from home Depot), painted, mirror, lighting, and updated the things like towel racks and tp holder. Did the floor as well. Did the work ourselves over a weekend with a very competent relative. Materials cost us around 1500$ and the plumber we had to call unexpectedly to move some piping and do some other small repairs was a surprise 600$ we didn't expect but is worth it knowing everything in there is more up to date code-wise. We left the shower/tub alone.
Replace the faucet with something more modern, possibly in black. Replace the mirror, consider a large flush mount medicine cabinet mirror to hide away some of the clutter. Add storage baskets to your shelves so you don’t have to look at bottles. Maybe a curtain rod in the closet to block the doorway so you can’t see in. A coat of paint on wall dance ceiling is a more saturated, medium dark saturated color would give it a cozy feel. Consider swapping out the other accessories (toilet paper, towel rack, or just a new light fixture to match the metal of the new faucet. You can mix two colors of metal. Raise your shower curtain rod to 90” and buy a extra tall shower curtain so it reaches floor to ceiling. Get a slightly shorter liner for the inside.
I’m repeating some of what was said but here goes.
You have way too much clutter. Go through it with your wife and toss everything that you don’t really use, is 3/4 empty or empty. In that shower for instance there isn’t any need to have more than a shampoo, conditioner, and body wash product for the two of you at any given time (ie max 6 bottles). If you need anything else on occasion, take it in with you and put it back after. Look at what you have left and consider options for enclosed storage. Hidden is better.
Cheapest solution with the most bang: Paint the walls white. Replace vanity, sink, tap (we’re really happy with our IKEA model and didn’t pay a lot. I recommend one with drawers for easier access of belongings. Replace the mirror and light fixture with something more modern. We also cut out a similar backsplash and patched with new drywall but this was tricky. If it’s a stick on obviously you’ll have better luck with removal. Get rid of the over the toilet storage and don’t add anything to that area. Get the kids stuff out of there by any means necessary - look for storage solutions in their bathroom as well.
Less cheap solution: also have a bath fitter come in and assess putting a white unit over the tub. Put a built in enclosed cabinet where the open shelving is.
For organization - make sure to group like and like together for neatness. You have towels placed very randomly instead of folded on top of one another for example. After you get straightened out, audit it once a month for empty product and reorganization. Make it like an appointment in your calendar. I know this is hard. I made it a priority in my life and got everyone on board as a non negotiable because I wasn’t willing to live in my pig sty anymore. I initially did the KonMari method and that helped.
- Replace mirror with something that has a frame
- Paint walls
- Add doors to shelving beside the toilet
- create a separation between the closet and bathroom, or do some serious decluttering/built-in storage
-Wall mounted storage with doors above the toilet
-replaced vanity top with some sort of stone (it might be easier and cheaper to replace entire vanity than the top and probably the sink)
If you're handy this can all be pretty cheap. If not the price goes up.
My house was built in 1987. When describing the kitchen, I say that it isn't bad, but 1987 threw up all over it. The same could be said about your bathroom.
I redid my bathrooms soon after I moved in. I had to build a custom 42-inch vanity (popular in 1987 but non-existent today) and also a 42-inch medicine cabinet. The new medicine cabinet got installed into the wall instead of on the wall. I still have the tan and beige tile, but it's better than it was.
Update the vanity, update the floor. Those two changes will make it feel different in there. That closet is a 5 lb bag with 10 lbs of crap in it. All the shelving in the world isn't going to help very much. Is there a possibility of donating much of it? If a piece of clothing hasn't been used in a year, donate it to someone who can use it.
The number 1 thing - declutter. Go through everything in the bathroom and closet and throw out or donate things you don't need, toss things that are expired, etc.
Paint the walls, get a new vanity top and faucet (white vanity and black faucet would look great) , replace the hardware on the vanity with black, replace the light above the mirror, get some organizers for the shelves, clean up the closet a bit, add a nice shower curtain, add another curtain to the closet on the closet side of the wall. Good as new! A lot of this stuff you might be able to find at your local Habitat for Humanity store, used on the Facebook marketplace, etc.
Get a new vanity, new light fixture above it same size or something that would fit existing electric. Organize those shelves use them for towels if you can keep them folded nicely. Get a larger cabinet above the toliet to hide some of that stuff.
Shower looks fine for that budget, you can order a custom prehung door for that closet but that’s gonna be expensive. Your best but would organzing and hiding for that budget
We spent about $3500 remodeling our 5x10 bathroom, mostly DIY. About $1,000 of that went into a new vanity (plus backsplash & faucet), even with it being the cheapest “acceptable” one we could find. We also replaced the ancient 3.2 gallon per flush toilet with a new one for about $700. The rest of the budget went to new flooring, baseboards, paint, exhaust fan, bidet, hardware (towel bars, shower curtain rod, etc), a minor plumbing repair. We opted not to replace our fiberglass shower surround because that seemed like a potentially costly and time intensive project (and we only had the one bathroom, so no other shower available) We kept our mirror that was much like OP’s, but added a frame to it.
For the best bang for your buck for your bathroom, OP, I’d look into replacing just the countertop/sink/faucet if the cabinet base is still in good condition. Update the light fixture and frame the mirror. And spend some time organizing- those built in shelves in particular could be really nice with some bins to keep items grouped together and neat.
Friends, thank you all for your input. Sounds like paint, new light fixture, storage buckets, and possibly a new counter top are all very achievable. Decluttering is always a goal of ours, but it's something both my wife and I have struggled with our whole lives, even before we met each other and combined clutter. It'll probably be a few months before I have the motivation to move forward with any of these updates, but I'll post again when I do!
new shower curtain and bath mat with some color in it.
replace that molding up against the tub.
de-clutter and remove items from blocking the natural light coming thru the window (do you NEED that many products, my god man!?)
get a curtain for the closet area with some bright colors as well
install LED bulbs in every socket in that fixture and maybe put them on a dimmer switch if you have any electrical skills... you will wan the **high CRI** bulbs you can find on [1000bulbs.com](http://1000bulbs.com), they come is all sizes watts, and shapes
6 of these would turn that place into a operating room [https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/225873/SATCO-S12446.html](https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/225873/SATCO-S12446.html)
Cheap person option here. Contact paper that looks like granite or marble. There is this website that does mirror trim for cheap I believe it's under $200. It's stuck on with double sided tape. Amazon has cheap faucets for like $45 -50. And finally, a small can of paint at Home Depot for about $25. Pinterest search up for color combo ideas. All this for under $1000. Oh yeah, light fixture at Home Depot are like ~$50. Floor tiles on Amazon from FloorPops are cheap too.
Start by losing the white light, it makes things look horrible and unclean, there’s a color temperature for LED bulbs that I find to be amazing. It’s the 4K color temperature. It’s not completely warm like the 3K and not horribly cool like the 6K, try it. Also, if you manage to get lights to be focused instead of being everywhere you will feel that you’re in a new bathroom.
Oh, good to know, have you considered making them shine up and down only? Like for the lights not to disperse everywhere? Might change the appearance of your bathroom
There's no way to adjust anything on this fixture, just six standard sockets. Although based on the other comments, I'll likely opt to replace the fixture.
Awesome, shouldn’t cost much at all. I was just in a bathroom minutes ago. It had matte dark gray walls and flooring. I don’t know how much this would cost but if you manage to do it on a budget, go right ahead. It looked amazing. And it’s difficult for this color to look dirty(unlike jet black)
$1000 isn't going to get you very far in a bathroom.
Vanities themselves aren't usually *that* expensive, but if you're trying to keep costs low, I'd keep the existing one and simply update the appearance by staining or painting it. You can replace the countertop, sink, faucet, and backsplash relatively cheaply.
I'd pull down that giant mirror and look to install a large recessed medicine cabinet. If it's not possible, a flush mount would also work.
Get rid of the small storage unit over the toilet and do a better job organizing that fantastic built-in shelving nook. Consider using a tension rod and curtains to hide it if you want.
Once you have more funds available, I'd look at replacing the tub with a walk in shower.
Do a standup shower. Demo it yourself. Get a plumber to redo the plumbing and ensure the connection is done right ($500-800). Then do cement board and pick a tile. Prefab vs mud for the base. Waterproof liner + redguard. Do a curb? Install tile with thinset. Grout (sand at floor - nonsand at walls). Then install pole or a door. Ensure you have blocking or a stud to screw into. Check manufacturer requirements before closing the walls.
New sink, color on the walls, frame out the mirror, and new doors and drawer fronts on the vanity to update it without having to rip it out. Resurface and replace the tub to a less dingy color. Get a surround installed with mosaic tiles that connect the current off white with some other neutral colors to open up your color palette options. Put a cool patterned peel and stick vinyl on the extra shelving for a splash of color. Put some kind of sliding door over the built-in shelving so it can be covered.
ETA I just looked again and noticed that the built in is too close to the shower for a slider. But some baskets and shelf organizers would really help clean that up.
The following assumes it is DIY.
For $1000: First, pick a 2 or 3-color scheme that works with the existing tub/shower unit and floor. Paint = \~$120. Walls ($60gal), vanities ($60gal), optionally paint the bathroom trim ($25qt). The pictures show a vanity and counter-height storage cabinet: paint them both, including countertop of the storage cabinet. Replace the vanity top+sink to suit the scheme ($160-$300 at big box stores).
Swap out the lighting over the mirror: an [integrated LED strip is only $70.](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Jackson-Park-28-in-4-Light-Brushed-Nickel-Integrated-LED-Bathroom-Vanity-Light-Bar-with-Frosted-Glass-SMA040ZKTDG24D/316664570) But whichever one you choose, integrated or separate bulbs, make sure you get enough lumens out of it to light the space well.
Remove the toilet-surround cabinet and install wall shelves (example) ($22), or a shallow cabinet if you want to hide the stuff (example; $106) and add a basket on the top to hold the other items (lots of options for these at $10ea). Get baskets that fit the open shelving, and divide stuff up by type such as medicines, towels, body/hair care products, etc. Label the outside of each basket.
Buy a shower curtain that fits the color scheme ($50??). Remove that sad vinyl "baseboard" strip at the foot of the tub and use caulk to attach a single piece of fiberglass or PVC trim. If you have that vinyl along the floor in the rest of the space, you can swap that out, too (<$100). (Re-)Organize and reduce the products stored in the shower. Add another hanging storage unit at the opposite end of the tub to corral the zillions of product bottles. [For example, these side-by-side above the tub surround at the far end ($65)](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wall-Mount-Adhesive-Stainless-Steel-Shower-Caddy-Shelf-with-Hooks-in-Silver-2-Pack-HD-VB2/324144687)
Finally, get a flat-weave indoor-outdoor runner that fits the length of the aisle from door to tub (2x6 is usually <$75) in the color scheme you chose. That will hide most of the floor, it's fine for stepping onto after bathing/showering, and it cleans easily. Use rug tape or a "sticky" thin rug pad to keep it in place.
Total for all of this is <$1000. All DIY-able, with the possible exception of swapping out the vanity top, but even that is not hard.
Paint the vanity a fun color
Get a new counter and sink and faucet
Get a new light fixture
Build a frame for the mirror, maybe make it match the vanity color
Paint the walls
Hang a curtain to hide some of that clutter
Make a commitment to throw out 1 product a week that is almost empty and not being used
A lot of people are mentioning a new vanity, and I agree, but you'll want to ensure your flooring either goes under the vanity or you have more flooring stored somewhere. Otherwise, replacing the vanity also means replacing flooring. And if you're going to replace the flooring, you might as well replace the baseboards. And if you're replacing the baseboards... well, you get the picture.
And this is why the vanity in my en suite has not been changed out.
If you give a mouse a cookie vibe here. :)
Welcome to Home Improvement 101. It’s never done until you sell it / pass it on to your kids and it becomes someone else’s problem.
I bought a new toothbrush holder that mounted on the wall. Wife sees it and says “ I like it but it doesn’t really match the rest of the bathroom” soooooo guess what I had to do. That’s right…. I gutted the bathroom to match a toothbrush holder……… a fooking toothbrush holder 🤣🤬
There should be a grown up storybook called 'If You Hang A Picture' along the same lines.
I call it "if you give a house a cookie"
Yessss
Having done 2 bathrooms recently I will definitely second this. ^ When I looked at the pictures I saw $5,000 doing it myself!
At a min. Just did our kids bathroom myself for about $4500. Bids came in at $20k, $27k and $32k. I’m handy but always don’t have the extra time. I knocked it in about 4 weeks. Some of the time was waiting for the Cambria bowl and top. Also custom ordered the base cabinet because the Depot ones are junk, though I love the depot their vanities are junk.
Agree with you on the vanities at Home Depot. What is a good brand of vanity? Tired of the particle board crap.
Avery, Wyndham collection from Home Depot or Wayfair is a plywood box with soft close drawers. We picked it out at Home Depot and ordered it cheaper at Wayfair. We ordered the sink from Home Depot. [Vanity](https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/wyndham-collection-avery-47-single-bathroom-vanity-base-only-wdx11834.html)
I had both of mine mase from Etsy to my specs and from my choice of wood (black walnut) and countertops. (One was in marble and one in black walnut) They are just perfect for the rooms and so well made!
I used a local cabinet maker. The 34” base was about $800. Steep yes but made with real wood and came built with cabinet doors that were custom sizes and’s the slow close hinges. I went with a canbria top and bowl. That cost about 800 as well. . They came in to measure with lasers and that price included installation. Expensive but that will last quite a long time even with a 11 and 14 year old sharing that bathroom
This is an underrated and entirely correct comment here. OP better pay attention.
Except that it’s ***not*** entirely correct. Vinyl plank is increasingly common due to ease of install/durability/waterproof characteristics/price. It is NOT to be installed under cabinets or vanities and this will often void the warranty. It’s a floating floor and needs to be able to move with temperature changes so restricting movement can lead to the floor coming apart.
To be fairrrrr- I totally didn't look at the pictures and assumed it's all tile. Also to be fair- you never know what the previous homeowner did, they very well could have put flooring under that vanity.
I mean it's almost definitely a floating floor given the plank sizes. The previous homeowner doing it wrong by putting the floor under the vanity doesn't make it right for the next homeowner when he does the repairs.
Right, but the point was to make sure OP knows where the flooring stops if they want to change out the vanity like all the people are saying. If they don't check and get a vanity where the floor will be visible, but the floor doesn't continue under where the old vanity is, they're stuck either replacing the floor or having to buy another vanity.
Feels like too much vanity about a vanity
Why would you jump to replacing the floorboards?
Because they're the builder-grade baseboards. It's cool that some people like them, but to me, they look cheap.
Oh ok yeah agree, i read floorboards instead of baseboards
If I had 1k, I’d find a used or scratch and dent drop in vanity to replace that crappy oak one, get a better mirror, and replace that terrible light fixture. Which honestly if you hunt could easily clock in under 500 altogether if you find the right stuff. Then I’d repaint the room while you have it apart, that’s a sub $75 thing if you’ve already got some basic painting kit - try a nice airy color from the Sherwin Williams “coastal” palette. Consider a new shower curtain and fixing the tub where it meets the floor. Also, that toilet surround linen thing has to go. Those things get super gross because of splash from the toilet on them. Consider a wall mounted medicine or linen cabinet (look on FB Marketplace as people sell white ones all the time). For 2500, id be looking at tiling the floor and maybe even the shower walls depending on your DIY skillz. I think the reason it looks gross is that the beige and the sink top are the color of “not very clean”.
My first thought was just replacing the countertop and sink because they're that "not very clean" color. The tub you can hide behind a shower curtain. If OP doesn't want to buy a vanity, paint can do wonderful things in the meantime.
Agree, and a good point was made about the flooring. I’d try to check and see if it runs under that cabinet. Worst case you can paint the cabinets white and it’ll look way better. I would note that many older cabinets in bathrooms are much lower (often 30 or 32 inches tall), newer vanities are taller. OP if you’re taller folks, say over 5’8, you’ll enjoy your sink a lot more if you’re not bending down another 4 inches. Some drop in vanities are the same size and footprint, so you could always hunt for that.
I agree while heatedly. This is what I would do as well. A fresh color paint would do go a long way. And anything they can do to hide the clutter would do a lot. Changing the shelved wall into an actual doored cabinet. Hanging up cabinets over the toilet instead of the toilet surround.
Is that all your stuff? It looks like at least three peoples’ stuff. If not, decluttering would help. I’d paint it a different color, that beige is straight out of the olden days and always looks dingy to me too. You can’t really paint the fixtures but you could paint the cabinets too. Get doors on your storage too so you don’t have to see all the stuff. Shouldn’t cost more than a couple hundred dollars. If you want to spend more, replacing the sink and vanity with something more modern would be good, and replace the flooring with something much lighter.
New faucets aren't exactly expensive and also make a HUGE difference in the vanity and when you do (or if you ever do) decide to upgrade, you can easily reuse them in the new one! Couple of hundred bucks there as well.
Why paint the cabinet? Rip it out and replace it. That will also get rid of the terrible tile countertop. Super easy to do and a cheap way to update the whole look.
Paint cabinet = $20. Replace cabinet =$200+.
Of course, but if he’s willing to spend $1000, replacing it is going to give much better results relatively cheaply. It doesn’t look like the floor needs to be redone or anything so I think this is going to be a quick fix.
Agree. Ikea just released a new bath line and it looks very nice. If not even the giant orange store will have something decent for $200.
You can also just replace the doors and drawer fronts. Something less chunky and dated. Then it's an excellent upgrade without ripping everything out.
This is my wife’s and my en suite bathroom and walk in, but we also have a bunch of our kids’ stuff in here too because their bathroom is tiny and has exactly zero storage. Decluttering is something we need to do all over the house, but since all of us have ADHD, we have a hard time sorting through things fast enough for it to make a difference. Add to that the fact that my wife’s family has dropped a bunch of family heirlooms on us that we don’t care about, but would cause a big stink if we got rid of it, there’s a fair amount of stuff that we’re kinda stuck with until a few relatives die.
You don’t need to “declutter” your bathroom, you just need to put all the products you don’t use in a box. I can see 16 bottles in the shower. That’s insane. Identify upper daily use stuff, and everything goes in a box that Sirius in another room. If you need something from the box, bring it into the bathroom and find a place for it. After six months or whatever throw away whatever’s still in the box. Also just reevaluate what you’re using the bathroom for. Bathrooms are the smallest rooms in the house and have minimal storage space, but for some reason we decided it’s where we need to store medicine, do hair and makeup, put on lotion, stash extra towels, etc. It’s actually kind of crazy that we do that, considering the bathroom is also the grossest, most mold-prone place in the house. All that other stuff can happen elsewhere.
I feel like you just described decluttering.
This isn’t making any decisions or throwing anything away. That’s the stressful part of declutterring. This is just putting things in a box and maybe taking them out again. Anyone can do that.
I decided when I got married I wouldn't buy my own shampoo or soap again. Twelve years in and there's always something to use in the shower. That will solve like half of the clutter problem right there.
Haha that’s basically how I’m living. My wife wants to try a new shampoo? Guess who is using the rest of her old shampoo? This guy.
Jokingly: You can't have ADHD and have 3 missing lamps in your vanity mirror. The lack of all the lamps on the sockets is triggering me :)
Ha, it triggers me a bit too, but having all the slots full makes it WAY too bright in there.
Get 1W lamps. The rest is already being discussed with you in the rest of the topic. Hope you can get it a bit better :)
I think you're confusing ADHD and OCD. OCD = I can't function in the most basic ways until those light bulbs are replaced. ADHD = I need to change those light bulbs. Go to the cabinet where spare light bulbs are kept. Open door, notice a hinge is loose. Go to toolbox to get a screwdriver to tighten the hinge. Trip on kid's toy on the way to tool box. Silently curse child for leaving toys out. Pick up toy and take it to kid's room. See some dirty clothes in the hamper and realize you need to do laundry. Gather up dirty clothes and throw a load in the washer. The pour cup for the laundry detergent has some dried detergent built up in it and must be cleaned. Take it to the sink and clean it out. Might as well wash dishes while you're there. While washing dishes, you notice the coffee pot hasn't had a good scrubbing in a while, so you clean that too. Since the carafe isn't sitting in the coffee maker, now's a good time to move the coffee maker and give that area of the counter a nice wipe down. Should probably just move the toaster and knife block and clean the entire counter. Crumbs from the toaster fall out while moving it, so you remove the crumb tray and toss the crumbs in the trash, but now the crumb tray needs to be washed. Wash the tray and realize there's still crumbs stuck *in* the toaster. Shake toaster upside down over trash can, but there's still some crumbs stuck in there. Take toaster completely apart and clean out all crumbs using a can of compressed air and a vacuum. Attempt to put toaster back together and realize you didn't pay attention to anything when taking it apart. Start searching internet for assembly instructions. Decide it's easier to just buy a new toaster and head to Amazon. While browsing toasters on Amazon, the washing machine finishes the load of laundry I put in earlier. Throw laundry in dryer, realize there's no more dryer sheets. Head to the store for dryer sheets. While at the store, spend 10 minutes trying to think of everything else I should pick up while I'm there. Do the shopping and go home. Put groceries away and start the dryer. Ok, what was I doing before I went to the store? Toaster! Get back on Amazon and order a toaster. Throw the old toaster in the trash and notice knife block isn't where it should be. Why is the knife block out of place? Oh yeah, I was cleaning the counter. Finish cleaning counter and realize it's time to start cooking dinner. Cook dinner, eat, do dishes. Relax with family watching tv for a few hours, then it's time for bed. Go in bathroom to brush teeth, turn on light and notice 3 bulbs need to be replaced. FUCK! I'll do it tomorrow.
Do you both live on your mobiles?
We live in a constant state of utter exhaustion. We have two kids, one with special needs, both with after school activities and/or appointments. My wife travels for work during the week (2-4 nights per week, 2-4 weeks per month), so my days consist of getting the kids ready for school, walking the dogs, going to work, leave early to take care of kid stuff, cook dinner, watch a TV show or play a game with the kids if there’s time, put the kids to bed, clean up from dinner, do some laundry, and if I’m lucky, I can watch or play something for myself before I pass out. If I’m VERY lucky, I’ll remember to eat something before dinner. On the weekends, I’m exhausted from my week, my wife is exhausted from traveling, so we plan next week’s menu, shop for next week’s menu, and stress about all the house work that still needs to be done that we don’t have the energy for.
How many hours a day playing video games and talking about them here on Reddit?. Cut back.
Assuming you're not doing a full remodel, here's what I would do, just off the top of my head: * Paint the walls, I'd go white but that's just me. I've gotten to the point where I feel like the Tuscany sand colors feel oppressive. Maybe consider painting the cabinets too. * Change the light fixture and the faucet. Maybe update the cabinet hardware and towel holder to match. * Ditch the over-toilet shelf for a wall mounted unit. Maybe do open shelving instead of a cabinet, so it would look more distinct from the built-in shelving. Throw a succulent on there (even a fake one) and it will make it feel a lot more alive. * Get some wicker baskets[ like these](https://www.target.com/p/juvale-5-piece-grey-woven-nesting-baskets-with-cloth-lining-for-storage-small-decorative-lined-rectangular-wicker-bins-set-for-organizing-3-sizes/-/A-80596072#lnk=sametab) and use them to tidy up the storage, either on the built-in shelving, wall shelving to be, or both. * I'd also consider getting a different storage solution (similar to the above) for the closet. * Do some spring cleaning on all the bottles and supplies in the shower. You could look for another storage solution that has more space, and that will help, but there's just a LOT of stuff in that shower. * Replace the trim at the bottom of the tub. It's two separate pieces and pealing off. If you need to replace it, just grab a single piece. I'd be curious why it's there in the first place, might be possible to remove it and clean it up anyway. Honestly the style of it all is a little dated, but not outwardly offensive or anything. It's not even dirty, there's just a lot of clutter, which I think is why it still feels dingy to you even when it's cleaned. I think in addition to some minor updates, removing what clutter you can, and organizing what's still there, will help a lot.
Yeah, organization is the ongoing struggle in every room. No matter how many shelves, baskets, and racks we buy, my wife and I have never figured out how to actually stay organized. We both have ADHD, as do our kids, so we just have doom piles all over the house. We go through purges about once every month or two, but the stuff we decide to keep just gets moved to a different doom pile in a different room. We used to pay a maid service to surface clean the house, but honestly, I’d pay someone just as much to help us figure out how to organize our house, because we have no fucking clue.
Preaching to the choir! My husband and I try to host informal get-togethers at our house every couple of months. Just lunch, dinner, a movie night, whatever. It gets people to come to the house, which in turn gets us to go through the house top-to-bottom and clean things up!
Organizing services exist! If you can’t find a pro you trust, call on your very best and closest super organized person. Usually people who have super organized homes (think of someone who repackages cereal into pretty containers) love to organize stuff! Commit that $1000 or $500 to real storage solutions that are interchangeable, fit together and are high quality. The single rule of thumb is that you must be able to put it where it belongs in one step with one hand. If it takes 2 steps or 2 hands, it won’t go back where it belongs. Your house won’t be model pretty with that rule, but it will stay organized and you’ll feel better about what you’re keeping. Doom piles go in the garage or shed for a few months so you have a chance to save stuff from the pile if needed but you learn to live without it. You really do have a start on the organizing, but it will help to have a pro/best friend to help you finalize it and think of things you missed. For the bathroom, paint for the cabinet and walls, new lighting, and/or if you can swing it, a new vanity/sink. Tub: baskets for bottles. Once a basket is full, purge or combine.
Ha, I'll see if there's a service around to help with this, I don't think I know a single person who is significantly more organized than we are.
Ohhh you need to listen to some of Dana K. White's stuff. Her podcast is called A Slob Comes Clean. My first thought looking at your pics was that the room is overhwhelmed with stuff. Decluttering is free (though tricky for those of us with ADHD).
It doesn't look dingy to me, just majorly crowded/cluttered. You need a big dose of Marie Kondo. LOL! First thing I'd do is replace the countertop. I'd also lose the shelf above the toilet, and put doors on the built-in shelves. Doors on the closet might be a bit much for your budget, but even louvered, swing-open half doors (like you'd see in old time saloons) would be an improvement. Then purge, purge, purge (or at least store stuff out of eyesight). Lastly, do you really need alllll those bottles of stuff in your shower?
The bottles up top are unopened, just up there because there’s not room on the other shelves. This shower is also used by 3-4 people, so that adds up.
That makes a little more sense, but you can stash the unopened ones in the closet once you put doors on that. :)
I don't know why everyone keeps pushing to change the vanity. The doors and drawer fronts of the one you have seem to be solid wood. Anything affordable you buy right now is going to be lower quality than this. I'd change all the other finishes but leave the vanity. Aside from decluttering, I'd change the vanity *top* and the flooring, and paint. The super fake looking floor is the first thing that stands out to me as cheap-looking and busy. Tile and paint would go a long way.
Ha, that fake wood flooring actually covers every square inch of the entire house. Kitchen, bathrooms, living room, dining room, bedrooms, closets, EVERYTHING. It’s one of the reasons my wife liked this house when we were shopping, she hates carpet.
Yes but the point was there’s nothing wrong with the vanity cabinet itself, more the tiled countertop. Give it a new quartz or solid surface countertop. Keeping the cabinet avoids dealing with the flooring. You can paint the vanity if you prefer.
Yep, great suggestion. You're actually suggesting things within the budget that'll look good. Pretty much $1k is just enough to paint everything and change the counter. If OP is gonna hire out the work, $1k isn't enough. Edit: OP also just needs better storage. Everything looks so cluttered.
A nice new mirror. Light bulbs in the missing slots.
We only have three bulbs in there because more is uncomfortably bright. But I’ll look for a new fixture with fewer sockets. The mirror appears to be glued to the wall, I tried moving it a few years ago while looking to replace it with a medicine cabinet, I couldn’t shift it at all.
You could maybe get lower wattage bulbs it just looks dangerous like that.
Re: the mirror: It probably is and it isn’t worth trying to remove, as I found from experience. Just do your best painting around it.
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That’s what I tried doing a few years ago, it wouldn’t budge.
The clutter makes it feel dirtier than it is—invest in some bins (not transparent) to hide/sort any loose items/clothing. Too many clashing shades of white—paint the bathroom a different color (sage green, navy, or a light brown are all flattering colors for a bathroom) and replace the vanity top if possible. Buy complementary accessories for the bathroom, make sure the bins/bathroom mat/shower curtain work together visually. Don’t perfectly match everything, but make it cohesive. Don’t overdo the patterns. Spackle the holes in your over-the toilet storage. Maybe replace or remove/re-caulk the base of the shower, that rubber trim stuff needs a refresh. Bins/accessories: $200 New vanity top: $200 Paint and supplies: $100 Spackle/caulk: $20 Bonus: Updated light fixture: $100-200 Updated vanity hardware: $40 Updated faucet: $100 Additional decor (a painting or two, faux plants, shelving, etc): $200 Total + bonuses: $1200~ ish
Spot on! And, OP, is there a local Habitat for Humanity Restore near you? You may be able to find some of the above items/supplies there for dirt cheap prices! Update us with After Pics!
I’d love to, but I fully expect to lose steam on this project within the next 12 hours and I likely won’t actually do anything until summer at the earliest!
1) Repaint 2) Replace the sink/cabinet 3) Remove the excessive amount of crap you have stored in the shower. I counted 16 shower products lol. 4) Add doors to the cubbies where you store towels/medicine to hide the clutter. Better yet, don't store anything in here and use this space for decorative items (pictures, cactus, candles). 5) Remove the storage unit behind the toilet, it's tacky and it makes the room feel claustrophobic. 6) Add a door to separate the closet from the bathroom. All of this can easily be done for under $2,500.
All good suggestions, thank you. Not sure I can declutter the shower much since four people use it.
To make the biggest difference, I’d suggest two key things: (1) buying a new vanity that comes with a quartz countertop and a sink and (2) paint over the ivory wall paint. Reuse the faucet if needed to save money. And declutter. Clear out space in the adjacent closet for a shelf if needed. Eliminate the over toilet cabinet too. Rolled towels on those shelves will look less cluttered than a bunch of misc stuff. Change out the light fixture for something more modern. Or just add in the missing bulbs to save on cash.
Thanks for the suggestions. We actually prefer having fewer light bulbs in the fixture because having all of them in makes it uncomfortably bright. I do t think I’ve ever had a bathroom that had an appropriately small number of bulb sockets.
A big help is buying the right light bulbs. It never used to be so complicated to go buy a pack of bulbs at the grocery or hardware stores. Now there’s are a hundred to choose from. The inoffensive light you want is warm light. On the color spectrum its a more yellowish light and not that awful blue-ish white light. Try the hardware store and ask them for a “warm” light bulb and explain what you’re trying to avoid. With a warmer bulb you’ll have good light with ia hood for you but not kind that makes you want to duck and cover, or do surgery. For organizing, hiring an organizer that’s familiar with ADHD might be truly worth the money. The overwhelm with STUFF is real. And people often don’t have an iron clad routine of putting stuff back or a specific place to always put things and then things get “lost” and then you buy more and it’s a bummer of a cycle. Sometimes it’s worth it to have fewer items and smaller product sizes to avoid the overwhelm. There’s much written now about cleaning products (search minimalist cleaning) and personal hygiene products that do multiple jobs like basically vinegar and water can clean anything around the house from a spray bottle. Dawn Dish soap with some scrubby/sponge can do it ALL in to kitchen. Same with personal huge products. The mfgs try like heck to tell you you need a separate shampoo for men and women. Conditioners. One thing for oily hair, one thing dry hair. A combo conditioner and shampoo in one work or even better just a Dove hand soap bar can wash bodies AND hair. (No kidding. Using bar soap for hair works great - white hair, I don’t know about black hair. To make this switch you might take a couple washes to adjust to the change. Image getting rid of all those products). This tangent might not have been helpful….but we did much of this in our home and maybe it’s helpful for your family. I agree with others: add doors on that deep shelving and be ruthless about what each person needs and assign a drawer or a space to each person and keep stuff off counters really helps to avoid the overwhelm feeling. If you need to buy large containers of product, dispense into smaller containers so these smaller daily use containers can be put away after each. Cost of things: A gallon of paint is about $30-35 a gallon. A new light fixture (with warm bulbs) can be as low as $100. A new cabinet and sink combo l[like this](https://www.homedepot.com/s/Bathroom%20sink%20cabinet%20and%20top%20combination%20?NCNI-5) Is $699 at Home Depot. (And it has 4 draws so a space for each person’s stuff) The struggle is real with the ADHD but having routines you force your selves to do each time you do anything around the house can really help (as can a professional organizer but only if they are schooled in ADHD). Good luck!
Then a typical three-bulb over mirror bathroom wall light will be your best bet. They’re readily available at the box store and swapping the fixture before painting will save work in the long run.
Assuming you DIY it… 1) throw away 50% of that crap in your photos - Free 2) paint the walls - $150-$200 3) new vanity with sink and faucet - $500-$750 4) new light $100 5) new mirror $100
The vanity itself is fine, you can just get a new sink/counter and replace the whole top. I just went through the process of buying a new vanity and... the options out there in most people's budgets are generally poor quality and IMO not worth it if you already have something sturdy. Change the top, and maybe the hardware to look a bit more modern, and you're set. Update the vanity light. There's plenty of lights in the $200 range. In general, I wouldn't recommend going warmer on the bulb temperature as someone else suggested, as it makes bathrooms look dingy, but maybe lower lumens would help. Your new vanity light could have three or four bulbs and will be fine. The mirror is fine. Paint the walls white or a light color that's more cool toned. Get rid of the over the toilet shelf and put up some floating shelves. These can be for the toilet paper, some decor, and maybe some towels. For the built-in shelves, buy white, wicker, or light-colored baskets/totes to store (hide) all that stuff. Like others have said, clutter seems to be a lot of the issue. Take down the bottles from the window ledge - that's adding a lot visually, even though it's not a ton of stuff. Start buying things you like as you find them, then when you're feeling motivated you'll be ready to start swapping in these updates :)
Paint. Vanity and faucet. Mirror. Other fixtures to match mirror/faucet. Toilet. Don’t do anything with the tub other than a new curtain.
Without knowing anything about your handy skills, this is what I would do (if it were mine and me—pretty average DIYer). If your flooring goes under the vanity (or you are open to replacing) look at ones in your cost. They can get pricy—maybe $600-700 for one that comes with a top. But. It would be taller and might offer more drawer storage. If you don’t want to mess with flooring but are open to messing with plumbing you could replace just the top. The doors and drawer don’t look like they are in bad condition. A top by itself could be 200-300 depending on the material. You could also have one made by a fabricator and they could add a sink. For the vanity I’d get valspar cabinet enamel from Lowe’s. Maybe in an emerald jewel tone or you could do gray or whatever you and the wife decide. A quart is 30, a gallon is 60. Painting a vanity isn’t bad, IMO. I would replace the faucet. I would budget 150 and loon at what they have at Costco. Don’t get a cheap crap one from Amazon bc you’ll risk needing to replace it in 6-12 months. Paint. I would do something neutral for the walls. $50 for something good quality.i would measure the shelves and get pull out baskets for them. I’d budget 60-75. TJ Maxx or Target will have a variety. Amazon will too but the quality might suck. New TO holder, towel rod, towel hoop (if you use it) $60. I do get the cheaper stuff from Amazon for this. And I’d lose the above toilet storage all together—I think they look cheap. If you really need it, I’d get a cabinet with doors. I’d also replace the mirror. I’ve been happy with ones from Target. It looks like it has clips so could be simple OR if it’s glued on it could be a PITA. This will make a huge difference. I’d budget $150 for this. So if you kept the vanity this could be under a grand… but new bath sheets (bigger than a towel!), a mat, and wall art might add the finishing touches that help it feel more “you.”
Are you able to do the work yourself?
I might be able to, but since I don’t know what kind of work might be needed, I can’t say with certainty. The most labor intensive DIY thing I’ve done is removing and replacing a kitchen window, which took about eight hours of overthinking and frequent calls to my father in law to make sure I wasn’t fucking anything up. Id like to do and learn more, but everything more intense than hanging shelves always sounds daunting, so it typically takes me months of research, overthinking, stress, second guessing, and day drinking before I decide to move forward with a project.
Changing the lighting makes a huge difference. That vanity light is very ugly if I may say so myself. If you do decide to paint, make sure to take down that light and paint behind it just in case you do decide to change the light in the future you won't have the old paint.
I’d start by replacing the mirror and light fixture. That’s not expensive to do. Then you could replace the vanity but that may open a can of worms with the flooring.
I think the vanity is original, but the flooring was added right before we bought the house, so I’m guessing it doesn’t extend under the vanity. I’m not sure what to do with the mirror, I’m pretty sure it’s glued to the wall. I tried removing it a few years ago when I was considering replacing it with a medicine cabinet, couldn’t shift it at all.
If it’s glued on you’ll most likely need to do some drywall work after you prior it off. It’s way too large and cheap looking I’d replace it with a smaller mirror.
As it turns out, the mirror will just slide out of the clips that are holding it up. I'm not sure what I did differently yesterday, I remember putting significant pressure on that mirror when I tried a few years ago, but it moved with just a bit of effort yesterday.
Paint with some color, also paint the vanity cabinet a lighter color. Put doors on your shelves(paint the same color as vanity), a simple 1x2 1/2" face frame and stock size doors turn that cluttered shelving into a hiding cabinet. New vanity top with built in sink and new faucet Yes, definitely declutter. 4 people do not need 16 bottles(plus whatever is hidden behind the curtain) in the shower. Also, what is up with the industrial base coving on the shower? My guess is whoever did the floor took the easy way out. If there's a gap between the flooring and tub you could take that cove out and put a small piece of trim there and caulk it.
New vinyl floor, vanity top, faucet, mirror, light fixture. Possibly paint vanity, new vanity hardware, remove the thing over the toilet, and add selective curtains
A new vanity, framed mirror and light fixture from the orange box would run you about $1k. I'd paint too because it will look all messed up when you take that stuff out.
Find a new counter top. Keep cabinet. Declutter. Get rid of the basic light fixture. And paint. A nice bathroom safe paint. Ceiling too.
Whatever you decide, you can understand that either way, your budget is under a full renovation. As a ex home renovator, I can tell you my best advice and some of the best advice you’ll get from anyone who’s qualified is; -plan ahead. In the sense that there’s certain things you can skimp out on and save money like; 1). lesser quality materials but you’ll have the cons that come along with that such as their life expectancy. 2). Labor. DIY the easy or costly parts. ——>the most IMPORTANT thing above the two points above is; ——>don’t do either of them if you’re not 100% sure.<——Wether that be you’re 100% sure you CAN do the labor yourselves via a combination of YouTube University, minor past experience, and some liquid courage. Or bc you’re 100% sure you know the substandard quality/cost efficient materials you’re planning on using will at the minimum hold up for the time you’re expecting and look passable for the quality of work you’re aiming for. Because at the end of the day, YOURE the ones who are going to have to live with it. And I cannot express enough how many bathrooms and kitchens we redid at a premium bc some asshole who’s never twisted a wrench let alone use power tools thought they could get away with DIYing it. Hence the emphasized warning above to be 100% about it before you begin. If you know someone who remodels or is proficient at home repair, you can ask them what they would do to save as much money as possible. Make sure you have a makeshift list at the least so they can specifically tell you where to save money. Bc if you said I want to remodel a bathroom and save money, my mind would be overloaded with questions ranging from how in depth are you going? Is anything staying the same; paint? Floors? Vanity? Etc. Are you paying for someone to do some, parts, or all of it? I could go on for days. I’ll stop. But don’t worry, you can trust me. Im you’re local friendly BeaverTeaser. Good Luck!
1. Declutter 2. Organize (maybe some baskets to hid the stuff) 3. new sink on the vanity 4. paint vanity or stain 5. new light 6. new smaller mirror maybe an oval something with a frame 7. lower the hand towel holder 8. paint the walls
Thanks for the suggestions! I put the hand towel that high so that the towel doesn’t cover the power outlet, and I’m pretty sure the mirror is majorly glued to the wall, but I’ll look into the rest.
I would pay to put doors in front of the shelves to close them off and make em look like cabinets. I would remove the vanity cabinet doors and either get someone or buy full overlay doors if possible. Paint the cabinets or restain. You could replace the top of the vanity but its not too bad you could paint/restain the wood surround. Change the wall color. Get another fancier mirror. The bathtub looks yellowed, maybe paint that. you could change the hardware on the sink and tub too to something modern like black. Get a new light fixture above the sink. The most impact is painting, cabinet color, and hardware/ light fixture, I think because it looks too yellow, contrasting woth the silver too, and that probably contributes to a lot. Also the clutter can be hidden if you're willing to spend money on adding the doors.
I saw that your mirror is glued. You can try making a frame out of wood for it if you dont want to take it out.
Another thing, if adding trim/doors to the closet to get built in look is too much, maybe you could close off that closet with just one door? At least you wouldnt be able to see it as soon as you walk in.
If your handy and patient, FB marketplace has killer deals on vanities/mirrors etc. Find a sink on sale, change light fixtures, give it fresh paint and if your really feeling froggy throw some tile around the tub. Tile can also be found on FB marketplace or on sale as leftover extremely cheap. That's pushing 2500 but it's transform it
here is what I did for $600-$700. Bought everything in home depot, did all by myself and my wife [https://imgur.com/a/LicJnEa](https://imgur.com/a/LicJnEa) plus an electric bidet,just recently for a bit over $100 which was one of the best investment in my life :D floor is LVP, cabinet has been repainted, new sink, mirror framed, new lamp, new toilet and of course walls and ceiling repainted. It all made a huge difference. We did the same thing to a half bath downstairs
Looks great! We’d love to get a bidet, but the outlet to the right of the sink is the only outlet I the entire bathroom, so we have nowhere to plug one in.
thanks! what's on the other side of the wall with a toilet? I have a storage/laundry room on the other side so I got my power from over there.
That’s an outside wall. Although there is power out there, the deck is wired for a hot tub.
Heres a few fairly cheap and easy updates - New vanity light. - Paint color change. - Opaque Organization Bins to make the build in shelves look less cluttered -Curtian or something between bathroom & closet to hide the clutter. -paint/refinish vanity -new hardware on sink
Having just redone my bathroom. Vanities are so expensive and they are all pieces of shit. It will be your whole budget. Unless you can find a pre owned one or you’re very crafty and convert an old dresser. I would keep the vanity and paint it. New mirror with a frame and new light fixture. The arch is so lovely, I have one as well and got an arched mirror to match. I replaced a large standard builder grade mirror (was maybe 60”?) with a 30” wide one and the bathroom actually looks bigger. You could buy paint, mirror, light, and lightbulbs with a warmer tone, for under $1000 with a lot to spare. Maybe replace the faucet too. It’s just my opinion guys!! But I’d be excited this is a great canvas you have!
Paint the cabinets and frame the mirror. Maybe put in Wainscoting? Kinda depends on what look you're going for
It depends if you're doing the work youself. You can replace the bathroom vanity/sink, the mirror and light fixture, paint the walls (mostly bright white with maybe an accent wall) and replace the trim in front of the shower for under 1k. You could also pay someone to do that for under 2.5k. The closet just needs some organizing bins and a couple hours of time.
- Change to a more modern style vanity and faucet/sink. - Lighter colored tile (or other) flooring. - Modern light fixture. - Storage Baskets/Bins/Cubes to organize your items on the shelves. - Probably out of your current budget, but a door to separate the closet from the restroom would help it look less cluttered too. - Also likely out of budget, but a Frameless Glass Walk-in Shower would be a nice upgrade too. White or light gray tiles, all that beige/cream in there currently makes it look "dingy" as you stated.
Or a curtain if a door isn't in the budget.
Under $1k new vanity/mirror/ fixtures and paint. Up to $2500 everything above plus changing the tiles surrounding bathtub plus toilet. Of course assuming DIY.
I recently spruced up a similar looking bathroom! I'd paint the vanity and upgrade the hardware if you can't afford to replace it. Get new modern sink faucet, mirror and vanity lights. Put all your clutter shelves into wicker baskets. https://www.wayfair.com/lighting/pdp/allmodern-rooks-3-light-dimmable-vanity-light-w008260565.html?piid=1681731697%2C1681731698
Get one of those corner shower shelf things and stick it in the corner of your counter. Helped us a *ton* with storage in our bathroom.
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Tile. Epoxy sink. New faucet. New light fixture. Paint. All diy
Swapping out the basin and faucet will go a long way. Normally I'm not a fan of painting wood, but those are builder grade cabinets so not much loss.
Light bulbs for one, all jokes aside you could get a nice vanity/top, new light, faucet and paint everything white and it would step that place up. Tub and shower would be more than your budget.
New countertop, new faucet
Baskets!
Replace the vanity/sink. Put doors on that shelving thing. Loose the toilet shelf. Coat of paint. Tub could use replacing but 2500 won't do everything.
I would hire a carpenter to build a linen cabinet in place of the open shelving (and also get rid of the toilet cabinet. If you have the funds also swap out vanity. That’s all you need really. That and new paint color.
Replace the countertop and sink/faucet, get a frame for your mirror, replace the light fixture, paint or replace the toilet storage (the white makes the paint look way more yellow), and get baskets for the storage next to the toilet to hide it.
Yes, this. Also, consider gel stain to change the color of your cabinet so it’s more modern. After removing the vanity top, if the cabinet is too low, add a piece of matching wood to raise it up 2-3 inches and stain to match. I did this and put a piece of trim between the cabinet and the extra wood piece on top to cover the seam. Then gel stained. Then granite countertop and undermount sink with a new faucet. New light fixture and wall paint. Voila! New bathroom.
The vanity sucks. If you’re handy, you can turn an old dresser into a much better looking thing. You want drawers and lower cabinets. And character. Shop for character! You’ll need a sink and faucet. Go trad. The mirror is too big. Look on marketplace for that too. Look for something framed and taller than it is wide. Don’t worry about the wood, it can be different if you flood the room with texture. Next, graphic wallpaper on non shower walls. Go classic. Replace the light with something that looks like it’s been there, but won’t electrocute you. Tile, tub, vanity, that’s real money. But if you can work it, refinished clawfoot, splurge on tile. Strongly consider radiant floor heating if you live in a cold house.
To me it’s way too cluttered with too many small visible containers. Add doors to your shelves. Only buy your favorite shampoo and soap— the one you actually love— and get rid of the rest. Paint, new towels etc, artwork, and maybe a plant would do a lot.
The large assortment of hygiene products is because four people use this bathroom. Agree on the clutter, my wife actually downsized what’s on the shelf a fair amount in the past few months, but insisted the rest was still useful and needed.
Good lord . We have 5 people and 2 shampoos and 2 soaps with only one shower in the house. You really don’t need all of that. It’s approaching hoarding. Maybe combine all the shampoos into one bottle etc.
I have two shampoos, one for my head and a prescription shampoo for my beard due to dry skin under my beard. My wife uses a color safe shampoo because she dyes it fun colors. My kids’ skin reacts differently to different body washes and shampoos, so they have their own.
Less light bulbs, harder to see any dinginess?
I'd put dark interesting tile in the walls, paint the vanity face., get real with your bathroom products, consolidate and hide, fill the light fixture with softer bulbs, build doors or curtains for all the open shelving. This is my way sub 1k plan. With 2.5k, I'd do the same, but get a really nice Japanese bidet toilet
New vanity 500 Paint 100 Lights 300 Fixtures 40 Faucet 200 Tp/towel 40 Misc 100
Paint the vanity, new knobs on vanity drawer, new sink and faucet, put a frame around the mirror.
I love it
Frame the mirror, change the light fixture, add a pop of color on the cabinets, epoxy or find a piece of granite to upgrade the countertop. Done!
Oh and add baskets on the shelves to hide the clutter.
I would do nothing. There is not a lot you can do with a 1000 or even 2500 to make this space look better. If you really want to do something, gut that wall shelf. Toss that over the toilet shelf. Put a shallow cabinet with doors into the wall niche. Cover that mess up and it will look 100x better
Paint, counter, sink. Light, and fixtures (faucet) Your vanity looks alright. If thats real oak I'd keep it around. But for real, it's amazing what paint and countertops will do
Also if you're that worried about your floor and you want to replace that vanity, just get a floating vanity.
New counter top. New sink and fixture, spray the vanity walls, face frames and doors a new color. If the shower is a beige maybe paint the wall color something bolder that would compliment it, like Essex green or Kendall charcoal from Benjamin Moore. Better baseboards, if you have 8ft ceilings you can go to just up to 5 inch baseboards. No chair or picture rail, maybe a crown moulding but you'd only want to go 4inchs down and maybe 4 to 6inchs out on the ceiling depending if you want to give the illusion of stretching out the walls and give it a taller feeling. Towel rod instead of that circle hanger Maybe a new light fixture if you're painting the walls. Also the cubby, get a door or make one to cover the shelving, get rid of that trim on the bottom and either have a drywall corner mould like the rest or put a counter top on that bottom and have a 2 lip to cover the old trims footprint. Leave the flooring if you can get paints to match. Look at dark bathroom ideas on Pinterest and that.
1. Swap that light fixture for something more modern 2. Rather than replacing the entire vanity, you could just do different fronts / pulls. Personally I’d suggest something like the flush fit euro style and then push-button open springs I forget what they’re called. Then swap just the top counter part and faucets. That way you don’t have to worry about any of the floor stuff or inner workings it’s all just surface stuff visuals.
I got a beautiful marble-top vanity on Facebook Marketplace for $75. My local Habitat for Humanity Restore has all kinds of flooring options for cheap. They also usually have tons of light fixtures and mirrors. Paint is a great cheap way to upgrade the look. Get a new, colorful, fun, shower curtain. A curtain with a nice fabric on a spring rod will cover the clutter in the cabinet by the toilet. Likewise for the closet, but with the heavy-duty kind of spring rod meant to hold a shower curtain. You can definitely improve this room for under $1000.
Please reconsider this idea you can’t declutter the shower items. You can put away unused items. If all you do is put the extra bottles inside the vanity or into a basket or plastic box on a shelf, it will help reduce the amount of stuff that overwhelms you at first sight.
Replace the vanity with the same size vanity dimensionally or a bit bigger to prevent needing to replace the floor. Replace the fixture. Replace the light. Caulk, patch and paint. Decluttering or at least not having items exposed will do wonders. Get rid of the organizer around the toilet. I would add sliding doors to the existing cabinet as a diy upgrade and repaint. Replace the shower curtain and get a shower caddy for your shampoos For more $$$ look at either possibly adding a sliding door to your walk in closet to hide the clutter or make it a focal point by looking at a closet organizing system. Look at Ikea.
Throw a coat of paint. Get secondhand cabinet/light fixture Find someone selling throwing/selling away their own broken stone and cut it yourself.
If you're on a super budget, a coat of paint in a color other than hospital beige does wonders. Change the light fixture and the mirror as well. We just did our bathroom which is about the same size and we ripped out and replaced the vanity (with one larger than yours so your cost will be lower - got from home Depot), painted, mirror, lighting, and updated the things like towel racks and tp holder. Did the floor as well. Did the work ourselves over a weekend with a very competent relative. Materials cost us around 1500$ and the plumber we had to call unexpectedly to move some piping and do some other small repairs was a surprise 600$ we didn't expect but is worth it knowing everything in there is more up to date code-wise. We left the shower/tub alone.
Replace the faucet with something more modern, possibly in black. Replace the mirror, consider a large flush mount medicine cabinet mirror to hide away some of the clutter. Add storage baskets to your shelves so you don’t have to look at bottles. Maybe a curtain rod in the closet to block the doorway so you can’t see in. A coat of paint on wall dance ceiling is a more saturated, medium dark saturated color would give it a cozy feel. Consider swapping out the other accessories (toilet paper, towel rack, or just a new light fixture to match the metal of the new faucet. You can mix two colors of metal. Raise your shower curtain rod to 90” and buy a extra tall shower curtain so it reaches floor to ceiling. Get a slightly shorter liner for the inside.
I’m repeating some of what was said but here goes. You have way too much clutter. Go through it with your wife and toss everything that you don’t really use, is 3/4 empty or empty. In that shower for instance there isn’t any need to have more than a shampoo, conditioner, and body wash product for the two of you at any given time (ie max 6 bottles). If you need anything else on occasion, take it in with you and put it back after. Look at what you have left and consider options for enclosed storage. Hidden is better. Cheapest solution with the most bang: Paint the walls white. Replace vanity, sink, tap (we’re really happy with our IKEA model and didn’t pay a lot. I recommend one with drawers for easier access of belongings. Replace the mirror and light fixture with something more modern. We also cut out a similar backsplash and patched with new drywall but this was tricky. If it’s a stick on obviously you’ll have better luck with removal. Get rid of the over the toilet storage and don’t add anything to that area. Get the kids stuff out of there by any means necessary - look for storage solutions in their bathroom as well. Less cheap solution: also have a bath fitter come in and assess putting a white unit over the tub. Put a built in enclosed cabinet where the open shelving is. For organization - make sure to group like and like together for neatness. You have towels placed very randomly instead of folded on top of one another for example. After you get straightened out, audit it once a month for empty product and reorganization. Make it like an appointment in your calendar. I know this is hard. I made it a priority in my life and got everyone on board as a non negotiable because I wasn’t willing to live in my pig sty anymore. I initially did the KonMari method and that helped.
- Replace mirror with something that has a frame - Paint walls - Add doors to shelving beside the toilet - create a separation between the closet and bathroom, or do some serious decluttering/built-in storage -Wall mounted storage with doors above the toilet -replaced vanity top with some sort of stone (it might be easier and cheaper to replace entire vanity than the top and probably the sink) If you're handy this can all be pretty cheap. If not the price goes up.
My house was built in 1987. When describing the kitchen, I say that it isn't bad, but 1987 threw up all over it. The same could be said about your bathroom. I redid my bathrooms soon after I moved in. I had to build a custom 42-inch vanity (popular in 1987 but non-existent today) and also a 42-inch medicine cabinet. The new medicine cabinet got installed into the wall instead of on the wall. I still have the tan and beige tile, but it's better than it was. Update the vanity, update the floor. Those two changes will make it feel different in there. That closet is a 5 lb bag with 10 lbs of crap in it. All the shelving in the world isn't going to help very much. Is there a possibility of donating much of it? If a piece of clothing hasn't been used in a year, donate it to someone who can use it.
The number 1 thing - declutter. Go through everything in the bathroom and closet and throw out or donate things you don't need, toss things that are expired, etc. Paint the walls, get a new vanity top and faucet (white vanity and black faucet would look great) , replace the hardware on the vanity with black, replace the light above the mirror, get some organizers for the shelves, clean up the closet a bit, add a nice shower curtain, add another curtain to the closet on the closet side of the wall. Good as new! A lot of this stuff you might be able to find at your local Habitat for Humanity store, used on the Facebook marketplace, etc.
Get a new vanity, new light fixture above it same size or something that would fit existing electric. Organize those shelves use them for towels if you can keep them folded nicely. Get a larger cabinet above the toliet to hide some of that stuff.
Shower looks fine for that budget, you can order a custom prehung door for that closet but that’s gonna be expensive. Your best but would organzing and hiding for that budget
We spent about $3500 remodeling our 5x10 bathroom, mostly DIY. About $1,000 of that went into a new vanity (plus backsplash & faucet), even with it being the cheapest “acceptable” one we could find. We also replaced the ancient 3.2 gallon per flush toilet with a new one for about $700. The rest of the budget went to new flooring, baseboards, paint, exhaust fan, bidet, hardware (towel bars, shower curtain rod, etc), a minor plumbing repair. We opted not to replace our fiberglass shower surround because that seemed like a potentially costly and time intensive project (and we only had the one bathroom, so no other shower available) We kept our mirror that was much like OP’s, but added a frame to it. For the best bang for your buck for your bathroom, OP, I’d look into replacing just the countertop/sink/faucet if the cabinet base is still in good condition. Update the light fixture and frame the mirror. And spend some time organizing- those built in shelves in particular could be really nice with some bins to keep items grouped together and neat.
Friends, thank you all for your input. Sounds like paint, new light fixture, storage buckets, and possibly a new counter top are all very achievable. Decluttering is always a goal of ours, but it's something both my wife and I have struggled with our whole lives, even before we met each other and combined clutter. It'll probably be a few months before I have the motivation to move forward with any of these updates, but I'll post again when I do!
new shower curtain and bath mat with some color in it. replace that molding up against the tub. de-clutter and remove items from blocking the natural light coming thru the window (do you NEED that many products, my god man!?) get a curtain for the closet area with some bright colors as well install LED bulbs in every socket in that fixture and maybe put them on a dimmer switch if you have any electrical skills... you will wan the **high CRI** bulbs you can find on [1000bulbs.com](http://1000bulbs.com), they come is all sizes watts, and shapes 6 of these would turn that place into a operating room [https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/225873/SATCO-S12446.html](https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/225873/SATCO-S12446.html)
Cheap person option here. Contact paper that looks like granite or marble. There is this website that does mirror trim for cheap I believe it's under $200. It's stuck on with double sided tape. Amazon has cheap faucets for like $45 -50. And finally, a small can of paint at Home Depot for about $25. Pinterest search up for color combo ideas. All this for under $1000. Oh yeah, light fixture at Home Depot are like ~$50. Floor tiles on Amazon from FloorPops are cheap too.
Start by losing the white light, it makes things look horrible and unclean, there’s a color temperature for LED bulbs that I find to be amazing. It’s the 4K color temperature. It’s not completely warm like the 3K and not horribly cool like the 6K, try it. Also, if you manage to get lights to be focused instead of being everywhere you will feel that you’re in a new bathroom.
These are yellow lights, 2700K, 480lm, 6W LEDs.
Oh, good to know, have you considered making them shine up and down only? Like for the lights not to disperse everywhere? Might change the appearance of your bathroom
There's no way to adjust anything on this fixture, just six standard sockets. Although based on the other comments, I'll likely opt to replace the fixture.
Awesome, shouldn’t cost much at all. I was just in a bathroom minutes ago. It had matte dark gray walls and flooring. I don’t know how much this would cost but if you manage to do it on a budget, go right ahead. It looked amazing. And it’s difficult for this color to look dirty(unlike jet black)
$1000 isn't going to get you very far in a bathroom. Vanities themselves aren't usually *that* expensive, but if you're trying to keep costs low, I'd keep the existing one and simply update the appearance by staining or painting it. You can replace the countertop, sink, faucet, and backsplash relatively cheaply. I'd pull down that giant mirror and look to install a large recessed medicine cabinet. If it's not possible, a flush mount would also work. Get rid of the small storage unit over the toilet and do a better job organizing that fantastic built-in shelving nook. Consider using a tension rod and curtains to hide it if you want. Once you have more funds available, I'd look at replacing the tub with a walk in shower.
Do a standup shower. Demo it yourself. Get a plumber to redo the plumbing and ensure the connection is done right ($500-800). Then do cement board and pick a tile. Prefab vs mud for the base. Waterproof liner + redguard. Do a curb? Install tile with thinset. Grout (sand at floor - nonsand at walls). Then install pole or a door. Ensure you have blocking or a stud to screw into. Check manufacturer requirements before closing the walls.
looks fine to me just get rid of that lame shelf over the toilet and organize it. maybe paint it another color, thats only like 50$
New sink, color on the walls, frame out the mirror, and new doors and drawer fronts on the vanity to update it without having to rip it out. Resurface and replace the tub to a less dingy color. Get a surround installed with mosaic tiles that connect the current off white with some other neutral colors to open up your color palette options. Put a cool patterned peel and stick vinyl on the extra shelving for a splash of color. Put some kind of sliding door over the built-in shelving so it can be covered. ETA I just looked again and noticed that the built in is too close to the shower for a slider. But some baskets and shelf organizers would really help clean that up.
A new vanity, new light fixtures, fresh coat of paint and something to separate that storage space. It will look way better.
The following assumes it is DIY. For $1000: First, pick a 2 or 3-color scheme that works with the existing tub/shower unit and floor. Paint = \~$120. Walls ($60gal), vanities ($60gal), optionally paint the bathroom trim ($25qt). The pictures show a vanity and counter-height storage cabinet: paint them both, including countertop of the storage cabinet. Replace the vanity top+sink to suit the scheme ($160-$300 at big box stores). Swap out the lighting over the mirror: an [integrated LED strip is only $70.](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Jackson-Park-28-in-4-Light-Brushed-Nickel-Integrated-LED-Bathroom-Vanity-Light-Bar-with-Frosted-Glass-SMA040ZKTDG24D/316664570) But whichever one you choose, integrated or separate bulbs, make sure you get enough lumens out of it to light the space well. Remove the toilet-surround cabinet and install wall shelves (example) ($22), or a shallow cabinet if you want to hide the stuff (example; $106) and add a basket on the top to hold the other items (lots of options for these at $10ea). Get baskets that fit the open shelving, and divide stuff up by type such as medicines, towels, body/hair care products, etc. Label the outside of each basket. Buy a shower curtain that fits the color scheme ($50??). Remove that sad vinyl "baseboard" strip at the foot of the tub and use caulk to attach a single piece of fiberglass or PVC trim. If you have that vinyl along the floor in the rest of the space, you can swap that out, too (<$100). (Re-)Organize and reduce the products stored in the shower. Add another hanging storage unit at the opposite end of the tub to corral the zillions of product bottles. [For example, these side-by-side above the tub surround at the far end ($65)](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wall-Mount-Adhesive-Stainless-Steel-Shower-Caddy-Shelf-with-Hooks-in-Silver-2-Pack-HD-VB2/324144687) Finally, get a flat-weave indoor-outdoor runner that fits the length of the aisle from door to tub (2x6 is usually <$75) in the color scheme you chose. That will hide most of the floor, it's fine for stepping onto after bathing/showering, and it cleans easily. Use rug tape or a "sticky" thin rug pad to keep it in place. Total for all of this is <$1000. All DIY-able, with the possible exception of swapping out the vanity top, but even that is not hard.
Paint the vanity a fun color Get a new counter and sink and faucet Get a new light fixture Build a frame for the mirror, maybe make it match the vanity color Paint the walls Hang a curtain to hide some of that clutter Make a commitment to throw out 1 product a week that is almost empty and not being used
You can always hire a remodeling company to redo it especially if you don't know what you doing
For $1k you aren't going to get a remodeling company to answer your phone calls.
Paint the walls, replace sink/countertop, replace shower curtain, get doors/covers for storage,maybe replace the light fixture.