Before & After: A Budget-Friendly Mini-Makeover for a Boring Bathroom

Lindsay and Matt, the Brooklyn homeowners who brought a light touch to the renovation of their less than exciting kitchen, took the same approach toward their apartment’s somewhat generic bathroom. It had been recently renovated, and they were on a pretty serious budget, so a complete overhaul wasn’t in the cards. Instead, they made a few small changes that made this little bathroom much more fresh — and much more functional.

The changes to the bathroom aren’t huge, sure — but added together they make a big difference to the room’s look and feel. When you’re remodeling on a tight budget, you have to be very judicious about what you choose to change. Lindsay and Matt kept the existing classic black and white tile and most of the fixtures. Instead, they zeroed in on the bathroom’s pedestal sink, which was awkwardly shaped — neither classic nor modern — and provided no storage whatsoever.

Replacing the old pedestal sink with a new vanity cabinet gives the bathroom a cleaner, more modern appearance — and has the additional advantage of providing quite a bit of extra storage space.

Other changes to the bathroom included the addition of the shelves above the toilet, and a new lighting fixture above the bathroom mirror. The shelves provide storage where previously there was none, and their minimal aspect lets them blend in neatly with the rest of the bathroom. Linsday and Matt’s remodel is proof that you don’t need to replace everything in a room to get a clean, updated look — you just have to be smart.

Lindsay and Matt found their contractor, Paul, on Sweeten, a free online resource that connects homeowners with local design and construction experts for renovations. You can read more about the project, see more photos, and find sources on the Sweeten blog.