Are you looking for bathroom renovation ideas and tips ? then this article for you
The bathroom renovation is generally expensive and daunting project. Many people prefer to go through builders, especially if it is necessary to change the plumbing, the tiling …
But with the right ideas and inspiration, you can transform your bathroom yourself, while saving money on your budget. Discover how these bloggers and instagrammers have renovated their bathrooms through these 13 before / after.
bathroom renovation ideas and tips
1 – A lick of paint and a new floor
Yianoula, a 36-year-old mother, took advantage of the confinement to tackle the renovation of her bathroom. “I was inspired to do this project after seeing renovations on Instagram”. As she continued her research, she discovered how to use paint to repaint furniture facades. His advice “take inspiration from the colors and shades on the internet, test with samples before you start”.
BEFORE: a functional but old-fashioned bathroom
- the facades do not enhance the bathroom, the tiling is old-fashioned.
AFTER: a trendy, pleasant and colorful bathroom
- a new paint for the bathroom furniture, a pink color for the bathtub, a new floor with an easy-to-install adhesive coating.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is 130 $.
- painting
- adhesive tile
- bathtub bridge
- wooden bath mat
2 – A renovation to illuminate a dark bathroom
You really have to see it to believe it. This renovation is inspiring as the change before / after is striking.
BEFORE: a functional bathroom but lacking in light
- this bathroom is functional but lacks natural light to be really pleasant, the alcove is an interesting architectural element, but encloses the tub even more.
AFTER: a chic and very bright bathroom
- a renovation which lasted 1 year, the bathroom benefits from a natural light with the installation of a large Velux, the marble tiling and the dark paint of the ceiling brings a chic and modern touch.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is $ 8,000.
- Velux
- marble tile
- painting
3 – A big renovation in a very small space
Blogger Dabito ( oldbrandnew.com ) wanted “a big impact in the small bathroom”. And when we see the result before / after, we can say that it is successful. He started by selecting materials and accessories, instead of colors (which is usually the case with renovations). For the choice of painting, he was inspired by the trees in his garden!
BEFORE: a small white bathroom that lacks style
- this pre-renovation bathroom is already nice, but it lacks character, too much white, not enough colors.
AFTER: an elegant bathroom with graphic tiling
- the walk-in shower replaces the bathtub, the graphic tiling with patterns on the floor brings character to the bathroom, the green paint and the wooden cabinet blend perfectly, the golden elements (light fixture, faucet and shower column) bring the luxury touch.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is $ 9,000.
- graphic tiling
- wooden washbasin cabinet
- golden faucet
- golden mirror
- golden light
- golden shower column
- painting
4 – A graphic & colorful bathroom renovation
We don’t necessarily think of the color pink to renovate a bathroom, but with a little imagination, it’s the little extra that makes the difference. Tip: Find out how tiling, similar on the shower walls and on the floor, helps to visually expand the room.
BEFORE: an opaque shower cabin and a regular bathroom
- the corner shower cabin does not enhance the space, the bathroom before renovation is sorely lacking in charm.
AFTER: an open, colorful and graphic bathroom
- the pink paint brings personality to the bathroom, the graphic tiling contrasts with the color of the walls, the transparent shower enclosure opens up the space.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is 5000 $.
- glazed shower cubicle
- painting
- graphic tiling
5 – An old-fashioned bathroom renovated from A to Z
Mylène, from the blog tiboudnez.com , renovated her bathroom in 2015, but the look remains very current. This is a complete renovation with an enlargement of the room, addition of a toilet, installation of a new bathtub and new metro-style tiling. “We therefore enlarged the room by encroaching on the landing on the first floor”.
BEFORE: a bathroom with green paint
- a small, old-fashioned and dismal bathroom, old-fashioned green paint, no toilet and tub too small.
AFTER: a bright bathroom with a large bathtub
- a skylight and white tiling for light, installation of a toilet and installation of a larger bathtub.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is 2000 $.
- floor and wall tiles Castorama
- IKEA furniture and lighting
6 – A chic and inexpensive renovation within everyone’s reach
Jodie used adhesive tiles to renovate her bathroom on a low budget. “My bathroom was really dark, mundane and colorless”. To complete the renovation with the decorative touch, a few plants and bamboo objects are enough to bring a Scandinavian style, much appreciated by the owner. Jodie adds “it’s amazing how a new floor radically changes the look of the room”.
BEFORE: a banal and charmless bathroom
- a banal bathroom, relatively dark and ordinary, a tiling that does not highlight the bathroom.
AFTER: an express renovation with a new floor
- the floor is covered with a black and white adhesive coating, some bamboo decorative objects and plants for the decorative touch.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is $ 100.
- adhesive coating imitation cement tiles
- bamboo decorative objects
7 – A shower replaces the hip bath
Alexandra, from the blog mademoisellemodeuse.com , has embarked on the renovation of her bathroom as much for the style aspect as for the functional side. “The colors of the room and the arrangement of the furniture did not suit us”. On the advice of a craftsman, she avoided installing metro tiling “its maintenance is complicated in the long term”, she preferred a similar alternative but with larger dimensions.
BEFORE: break everything to redo everything
- a not very functional hip bath, none of the elements are preserved, a renovation with major work, everything broken to redo everything.
AFTER: a retro-inspired white and black bathroom
- a new cement-tile style tiling on the floor, a white IKEA washbasin cabinet, a brushed metal frame shower cabin with semi-opaque walls, a retro-style faucet.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is 5000 $.
- brushed metal shower cubicle
- IKEA washbasin cabinet
- tile cement tiles
- retro style faucet
8 – A renovation following a leak in the bathroom
It was a leak that forced this bathroom renovation. The damaged floor absolutely had to be changed. This uncomfortable situation turned into the perfect opportunity to completely redo the bathroom, which badly needed it.
BEFORE: an old bathroom with damaged floors due to flooding
- the leak forced the renovation of this bathroom, an 80s style decor.
AFTER: a modern and chic bathroom
- a modern and chic style, a rounded bathtub that allows better circulation and optimizes the layout, new tiling for the floor and walls and a white washbasin cabinet.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is 5000 $.
- rounded tub
- floor tile
- washbasin cabinet
- round mirror
9 – A trendy bathroom after the renovation
How to transform an ordinary bathroom into a trendy bathroom? This before / after provides some answers. The first clue is the installation of vertical tiles!
BEFORE: a bathroom to completely renovate
- following the purchase of a house, this bathroom is not adapted to the tastes of the new owners, everything has to be redone!
AFTER: A beautiful trendy bathroom
- the tiling laid vertically makes the difference, cement tiles to personalize the room, the round basin placed on the cabinet breaks the lines, the plants, the mirror and the black taps accentuate the decoration.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is 4000 $.
- round basin
- wooden washbasin cabinet
- cement tiles
- green tiles
- retro mirror
- retro lighting
10 – A smart renovation & recuperation with less than 500 $
Many very interesting ideas to take away from this renovation of a bathroom deemed ugly by Sarah, the owner. It is not seen in the before / after photos, but the room also serves as a laundry room. An inspiration therefore, to transform a bathroom into a functional and pleasant room. The lesson to be learned: what can you salvage and reuse to renovate your bathroom?
BEFORE: a bathroom with good potential
- the relatively large surface offers good potential for renovation, the bidet is not useful, the tiling should be kept.
AFTER: a pleasant bathroom with laundry area
- the bidet is removed to save space, the functional aspect is also present, note the structure above the bathtub to dry the laundry there, the dressing of the bathtub with a blue painted apron makes the difference!
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is 500 $.
- painting
- shower curtain
11 – A DIY renovation without the help of professionals
It took Ben less than a month to renovate his bathroom on his own, without professional help. The budget ? 700 € only! Find out what this renovation inspired by a hotel bathroom can teach us.
BEFORE: a shabby old bathroom
- difficult to describe the style of this bathroom, it does not exist, the owners were embarrassed to receive guests.
AFTER: a hotel-inspired bathroom renovation
- the renovation of this bathroom is the owner’s biggest DIY project, to date, the budget is kept to a minimum by using material collected from Facebook Marketplace, the bathtub is the only thing that is kept, everything else is replaced.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is 700 $.
- floor tile
- washbasin cabinet
- mirror
12 – A transformation of the bathroom with painting of the tiles
Replacing tiles can quickly add up to the budget for renovating a bathroom. Sophie, from the blog byfeemaison.com , chose to “cover the tiles that I couldn’t stand” with plaster. A tip to put aside for small budgets, which also allows you to avoid major renovations.
BEFORE: a bathroom with too flashy colored tiles
- this old-fashioned tile in different colors does not enhance the bathroom.
AFTER: a renovation without breaking everything
- instead of breaking everything and replacing the tiles, the owner used a plaster to hide it, the washbasin unit is replaced by a wooden model, it matches the decorative accessories that transforms the bathroom into a Zen space and natural.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is 300 $.
- coated
- wooden washbasin cabinet
- wooden stool
- bathtub bridge
13 – A bathroom renovation that is too dark and too sad
This bathroom renovation is a perfect example of not following the latest decorating trends without wondering what it will look like in a few years! Jane, the owner, explains that this style was popular a few years ago, but her bathroom “looked like a cellar, too dark”.
BEFORE: a trendy bathroom… a few years ago!
- a trendy bathroom, a few years ago the room is too dark, without a window.
AFTER: a bright bathroom, even without a window
- This windowless bathroom is bright when renovated. The layout is kept identically, the furniture is reused, a simple stroke of paint for the facades, lighting fixtures are added, metro tiles are placed on the walls above the bathtub.
BUDGET
The approximate budget for this bathroom renovation is 1200 $.
- subway tile
- painting
- luminaires
Good ideas to take away from these renovations
The smaller the budget, the more ingenuity and creativity it takes for bathroom renovations. Among the good ideas to remember:
- use plaster to cover the tiles instead of replacing it and “breaking everything”
- apply adhesive coating to the floor to cover the tiles
- use paint , not only on the walls, also on the fronts of furniture!
- make a bathtub apron to dress it up and repaint it
- do not neglect the decor of the bathroom : the small details make the difference
- optimize lighting with multiple light sources , especially in a dark bathroom
- look out for good deals on second-hand sites or Facebook Marketplace
- chat with sellers of DIY surfaces to ask for advice, layout plans and promotions on end-of-line or unsold items!
How to start a bathroom renovation?
Before you start:
- do your research : use Pinterest to collect your favorite ideas
- be clear about your budget : how much will you spend on your renovation?
- list all accessories and materials : to give you an idea of the total cost
- use Youtube and tutorials : to learn and do the renovation work yourself
- ask for help : if you are not really a handyman, call on your friends for delicate work (electricity, plumbing, etc.)
What’s the most economical way to renovate your bathroom?
Do the renovation yourself! Again, if you feel up to it.
- bet on small decorative accessories for the final touch
- repaint the fronts of the furniture instead of changing them
- change the light fixtures , the taps, the shower column …
- use adhesive tile instead of replacing it
- to put adhesive wallpaper on a section of wall
It might interest you check other bathroom ideas :
