Before and After: How I Overhauled My Guest Bathroom for Under $250

Our guest bathroom is one of those projects that I’ve been hesitant to tackle because it doesn’t get used all that often. But then I realized it’s so small, it actually wouldn’t take long to spruce it up and get one more room checked off my list. We’ve finished up my office and our patio, but there’s still plenty to tackle. And since we’re renting, there’s only so much time to get every room feeling like us before we’re like ‘hey, should we move?’. 

So…..I finished up a mini makeover for the guest bathroom over the weekend, in partnership with method to celebrate their brand new line of foaming body washes. And can now, happily, check this room off my list of to dos.

Since it’s not our main bathroom, I didn’t want to throw a bunch of money at it. So, keeping to a budget of $250 and just one day of shopping, I challenged myself to transform this space in a way that is realistic for our needs, but still has a pop of personality (and color). Boom.

Here’s what the bathroom looked like before…

Granted, I wasn’t starting with an awful shell. The backsplash tile and floors are both nice neutrals and the sink and toilet are good too. BUT one thing I really don’t love is the tan granite counter.

It is just a rental, which means we can’t go making huge changes though. So I selected colors for the space that would compliment the tan and help it to blend in. I bought orangey-red towels for under the sink, and a super inexpensive patterned rug in the same color. To bring in some blues to balance out the orangey-reds, I found a really great blue striped towel to hang from the wall. More blue…the inkblot print that is peeking out from the back shelf is actually a $3 piece of wrapping paper I bought at a local store (Star Provisions to be exact, in case you’re in ATL). And the big blue counter vase was repurposed from my prop closet.

The mirror. When we moved in, there was an antique(ish) shaped mirror in the bathroom that really, really didn’t fit our vibe. And to make matters worse, it was originally sitting on that top shelf, so it was pretty hard to see into it for a shorty like me. So, we moved it behind the sink, which helped, but with that came a new set of problems. Namely, how ugly the mirror was, regardless of where we moved it.

To remedy this issue, I bought two triangle shaped mirrors. One smaller and one larger. The larger of the two rests on the top shelf and the smaller hangs on the lower wall for makeup touch ups, etc. To add personality and an ‘ordered whimsy’ as I like to call it, I hung the smaller mirror off center from the sink. Still deciding whether I like the mini mirror on the wall or not. Thoughts?

The larger mirror needed a pop of color, so I used double ply strips of neon washi tape to cover the wood. When I get tired of the bright color, I can switch it out for another option in all of two minutes. Which is really nice.

I also added washi in between the cabinet drawers, where there was a little stainless steel peeking out. It’s pretty subtle, but the stainless steel was throwing off the vibe and washi tape seemed like a great (non-damaging) fix.

And for one last color fix, I have method foaming body wash. It’s nice to have a cheerful pop of color in the shower, since there’s not much decorating happening in there. Plus, the scents are delicious! Want to give ’em a try? Grab a bottle at your local Target, now through October. If you love other method product, you’ll love this one too.

And that about covers it. Here’s the budget breakdown, in case you’d like to tackle a similar makeover with your own bathroom…

Budget Breakdown

– Towels (striped blue and solid orange towels) $100
– Orange triangle bathmat $20
– Domed triangle candle $15 (on sale)
– Blue, white, and lilac vases $0 (repurposed from my prop closet)
– Blue inkblot paper used as artwork $3
– Other artwork $0 (already owned)
– Triangle mirrors $45 (total for 2)
– Washi tape $6 (total for 3 colors)
– Flowers $9
– Soap dish $0 (already owned)
– Plants and planters ($50 total)

Total Cost $248

After photos by Kimberly Murray
Styling and before photos by Brittni Mehlhoff

Think you could tackle your bathroom on a budget? What room in your home is in most need of a mini makeover?

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This post in partnership with method, a brand that I’ve used for years. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Paper & Stitch running.