Are you wanting to update your bathroom or ensuite on a budget? Keep reading to find out how I refreshed our bathroom on a small budget (under $500) and did it all by myself over 3 days!
We built this house over 6 years ago and I originally loved the wall colour, tile, and style. But fast forward to 2021 and to be frank, I was getting sick of looking at it. I wanted a freshen up and to go in a different direction with style and colour, however, I didn’t have a lot to spend or want to make structural changes. And considering everything was still reasonably new and in great condition, it seems extremely wasteful to rip it all out and start again.
So what did I do? I made small, easy to manage changes and totally transformed the room from a bland, lackluster space to something bright and fun. It has certainly become somewhere I am happy to get ready in every morning.
Make sure you read to the end to see all the final photos and watch my Tiktoks at the end ……..
Where to start?
When planning a makeover or reno project, there are a couple of options you can choose from. You can keep it basic and straightforward with just a visual guide and some notes with measurements and what you need to buy. Or you can delve into more depth and write down all the information that is needed to successfully complete the project, including a to-do list, create mood boards, and list exact products required and costs. Either one of these options is recommended before you make a start as otherwise, you may find you are going off in all different directions. You then tend to lose momentum and usually spend a lot more than you originally wanted to or make costly mistakes as you didn’t spend enough time planning it all out.
OPTION 1 – VISUAL – CREATE A MOOD BOARD
I often find so many images on Pinterest and Instagram that I love but I end up getting totally overwhelmed with options and mash-up too many styles as I want it all!!! So I find creating a mood board, no matter how basic is a great way to gather your thoughts and see what works well together.
You can make mood boards in so many ways. You can start a Pinterest Board just for that project (be careful not to add too many pins as you will be back to square one). Or, you could print out images and cut and paste onto paper. You could also try my preferred way which is a digital mood board. I use a combo of Canva (click on link for a coupon), StyleSourceBook and even Microsoft Word if I just want to do it quickly.
Canva is great because it has an option for a background remover (for Pro users) and I find this the quickest way to create a professional looking mood board.
Here is my bathroom mood board :
Now remember a mood board is simply that, a way of creating a image of what you would like. It does not need to be followed to the letter of the law, it does not need to be exact and it certainly does not need to look perfect. Just add things until you get a good feel that you are on the right track and then you can narrow it down and start making decisions.
OPTION 2 – DETAILED PLANNING – USE A ROOM MAKEOVER PLANNER
Being a procrastinator and often overwhelmed with so many ideas, I needed something to ground me and help me focus. So I created a printable ROOM MAKEOVER PLANNER. This planner covers most things you need to decide on and plan in order to complete a successful room makeover.
Now, you can keep it basic and use a notebook and pen and just take some notes, however, I tend to misplace those or write about other things on the pages and it becomes a hot mess! So I like to keep it in one document that is easy to use and focus on. It’s also great to keep in a home binder in case you need to refer back to items for warrenties, instructions, or paint colours and brands.
Some of the things to consider taking note of if you are just writing it down in a basic form are, the room measurements, paint colours and flooring details and your budget and estimated costs.
You can purchase my printable Room Makeover Planner here.
How I Did It
After finalising my plan, I set to work. Here is a step by step overview of what I completed.
Step 1 – Prepare and Paint Walls
- Removed all items attached to walls including hooks, screws and I also remove the surround plates of powerpoints and lights to ensure a neat finish
- Wiped down everything with hot water and sugar soap (very important if you want a good finish) and let fully dry
- Taped edges where needed (I use Bear Green Painters Tape) This is a place where spending money and getting a good product is important for a crisp edge, trust me, you will regret going cheap on this
- As our wall panels are pine we did have some areas bleeding thru so I covered those specific areas with B.I.N Primer as an undercoat
- Painted three coats of paint using Haymes Ultra Premium Expressions Interior in the colour Dulux Lexicon Quarter
Step 2 – Prepare and Paint Cabinetry
- Remove draws and knobs
- Wipe down with a good Degreaser (this is important especially for shiny surfaces, our cabinets are from Ikea and have a sheen and you want paint to adhere to it well)
- Tape where needed to keep crisp edges
- Undercoat using B.I.N Primer (I used a small brush for corners and a high-density foam roller for the flat areas). Wait 45 minutes before applying the first coat of paint. Don’t wait any longer as you need it to be a little tacky and help adhere the paint colour.
- Apply 2 – 3 coats of paint. I used Haymes UltraTrim Acrylic Enamel in the colour Haymes Native Essence . Wait the listed time on paint between coats and ensure a roller is used to achieve a smooth finish. Enamel hardens more than standard interior paint so it is best to use it to achieve longevity of the finish.
- Wait 24 hours until you return draws to ensure they have dried and add knobs or pulls. I choose these beautiful wood and crystal ones from Etsy.
Step 3 – Finishing Touches and Extras
- We had existing silver wall lights but wanted them black so we got out the trusty Matt Black Spray Paint and it made a massive difference. Don’t forget to spray screws to match, I punch them thru some thick cardboard so they stand upright and give them a quick light spray to get good coverage
- We also added some wall art in a large A1 frame and a smaller 5 x 7. The prints are my own creation and available to purchase. The large Hello Sweet Cheeks and smaller No Selfies. I got the frames from Officeworks. Don’t be afraid to add art to a bathroom or toilet
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