This one was a simple re-do because we couldn’t afford to rip out the bath fixtures and renovate. Plus, the tiles and the vanity were in good shape, even if they weren’t exactly what we would have picked out.

Our solution was to make inexpensive fixes throughout. We painted the existing vanity and mirror black (using semi-gloss paint), and replaced the curtain with a retrofitted shower curtain. (I really love this solution. Shower curtains come in great patterns, the fabric wears well, and you can use one panel in a bathroom because you are unlikely to open the curtains very often.)

We also created the look of wainscoting without actually applying it. Wainscoting would have stuck out too much in this small space, not to mention that it cost more than we could spend. So we faked it. We created the look by building wood frames, and painted it the whole area white to make it look uniform. Then we painted the wall above it blue and voila! A revamped bathroom for less than $200.