A limited budget shouldn’t deter you from making a marked improvement in your bathroom. Without custom orders and long lead times, it is possible to update your bathroom on a budget that’s easy to embrace. Keeping all of the plumbing fixtures in their existing locations and focusing on giving the room a stylish retrofit will afford you a sweet home spa. I took on the challenge of revamping this bath with flea-market finds and basic in-stock materials to show that it’s possible to achieve a stylish result on a shoestring budget and a short timeline.
When you are on a budget, you won’t likely have the funds to tile all around the bathroom, but you still need a barrier against water splashing from the bathtub. V-groove wood panelling is relatively inexpensive to buy and easy to install. If you are looking for the most economical solution, you can buy it in sheet format instead of individual board lengths and determine an overall finished height that allows you to maximize every sheet to get two panels. Once it’s installed and dressed with a chair rail and baseboard as a finishing touch, prime and paint the panelling with a glossy trim paint for a solution that’s durable, scrubbable, and charming too!
A row of hooks placed about 40 inches off the ground guarantees that there’s a spot for everyone’s towel, and room to keep a few extras close at hand. Easy and inexpensive to install, these hardware-store basic hooks help even little kids do their part to keep everything neat and tidy in a shared family bath.
While a new soaker tub might break the bank for your reno budget, fabulous vintage options are available. You should be able to source one online for a fraction of the price of any new freestanding tub. A classic claw-foot bathtub is easy to install and adds instant old-school charm for a pretty look with old-world appeal.