This bathroom needs help on a budget!

Julie J C
by Julie J C
Progress is being made! As a change takes place, I'm posting the results.
Come on in to my husband's basement bathroom.
Tiki theme has got to go. 15 years is long enough!
Everything works.
Toilet could be removed during renovation and recaulked.
Bye homemade towel bar. Door can surely be painted.
Water damaged sheetrock.
Moldy sheetrock is replaced with green board. Lower half of wall will be covered with barn wood.
Shower is and will be the cat box room.
12/12/13 Wall painting is done and new light fixture is in!!
Yes! That is a whole wall done.
You like burlap? You want rustic? You can't sew? I give you Hot Glue litter box curtain. Still needs trim at top where glue shows. 3/13/14
We reinstalled a toilet for the first time in our lives and now have two bathrooms again!
My son chose this one of all the rugs I made this winter.
It's OK; it's RUSTIC!
I did go to the Restore, and I got this handiwork for $10! 4/13 We are still awaiting cabinet hardware, TP and towel holders.
  30 answers
  • Z Z on Nov 22, 2013
    Other than replacing the drywall, painting and scrubbing the tile and grout I see nothing that needs to be changed. I bet that alone will make you love your bathroom again. If you are wanting to update the vanity and mirror, which I love both, I think a light sanding and staining darker with gel stain would do that. Walnut stained cabinets are in now.
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Nov 23, 2013
    Just yesterday I saw a bathroom posted here where the walls were painted a light gray and the cabinet under sink was painted a soft dove blue...stunning! I would take out the damaged sheetrock and treat for mold. Since this is a small room, use half a sheet of beadboard on bottom all the way around...paint white (you do not have a lot of fitting since the molding will cover any uneven cut and you can nail right to 2x4s. Take down the wallpaper and use texture paint (you do not have to repair where removing paper messes up wall) then paint. Put up a strip of flat molding between beadboard and texture paint (measure and leave flat underneath so it will fit better). Paint towel bar, door, mirror and small cabinet white...be sure and use sealer (Kilz) and then paint. Here is a photo of my small half bath with these features...not small decorative dowels at corners for affect. Put in new baseboards, prepainted and just put on 1 coat. You can use these corner dowels on bottom too! Cut them down if necessary to fit with your molding. Oh Yes...put in a new light fixture and cabinet knobs!
  • Katrina Arsenault Katrina Arsenault on Nov 23, 2013
    how about beadboard for the wall? Baking soda paste then add vinegar and you''ll get some of the dark stains off of the tile.
    • Julie J C Julie J C on Nov 24, 2013
      @Katrina Arsenault We are thinking barn board and oil rubbed bronze fixtures. My son says some kind of blue for the cabinets.
  • Annette C Annette C on Nov 23, 2013
    if you like the shape & style of your current fixtures, you can use the old paint & glitter I would pull the cabinet & use a free standing sink, give you more room visually. I have stained grout dark gray & black, it hides discoloration & made the tiles look whiter. They have color forms now, no adhesive but stick well so you can move them around or change them out when ever you like (I found at the 99 cent store, used them on the Shower surround. I love I home salvage stores, never know what you'll find. How about themes, Vintage, Masculine, Pet's, Sport's & Hobbies, Children, hospital stark... What I like about paint is if you don't get what you expected you can always try again. Maybe try just painting & if you still don't like the cabinets pull'em when you find what you do like. Good luck & have fun with it, as hard as feels you are going to feel great when it's done.
  • Hi there, Paint is your best friend in here, a dark color on the vanity and lighter on the walls or that in reverse, You can even spray the mirror to match. The tile just needs some elbow grease with a brush and some grout cleaner. There is also beadboard wallpaper a less expensive application compared to the actual boarding. The mildew wall well let your husband at it. It will need some green board etc. I am sure with paint and some new bathroom décor and maybe a bamboo rug it will look so beautiful!
  • Polly Zieper Polly Zieper on Nov 24, 2013
    Please post a picture when you've made some changes to this basement bathroom. I Love seeing the 'after' pix- they are motivating!
  • Sherrie Sherrie on Nov 24, 2013
    I also like the painting idea. I like the tile. It needs to be cleaned really really well. They have acids that can clean it, or a commerical steamer you can rent from a rental store, I put up bead board half way in one bathroom. I would also replace the moldy dry wall, or seal it. We had a place where we had a water leak and one spot on a wall we sealed. We also skim costed my mothers bathroom walls to make them smooth and presentable. We put several coats of mud and sanded in between, cheaper than dry wall.
  • Kathy Kathy on Nov 24, 2013
    Here are my thoughts....I would go to either Lowes or Home Depot and look for cheap, cheap, cheap boxes of 12" square tiles, then re-tile the entire floor and halfway up the walls in tile (after replacing sheetrock with the appropriate wallboard for under tile); then paint the cabinet with chalk paint, replace the light fixture with another cheap light fixture from the above referenced home improvement sources (you can also check online). These stores and online places seem to have a lot of "returns" and clearance items in all of these categories, so I think you could do this for a pretty low total cost...best of luck to you, :o)!
  • DeMarie I DeMarie I on Nov 24, 2013
    I would definitely get rid of the moldy drywall. Bead board half way up the wall would look great (pretty cheap at Home Depot). Paint it a creamy white and above on the walls any soft, light color your hubby likes. I would nix the towel bar. Put several hooks for towels on that wall or hooks on the back of the door. Paint the cabinet base, also. While a pedestal sink would make the room look larger, there is no storage - they're great for powder rooms but impractical for a bathroom where you need storage. If you must keep the hanging cabinet, (otherwise, put up a couple of glass shelves) paint that the same as the base cabinet. For the floor, if on a really tight budget, I'd just clean the grout really well (clorox and old tooth brush and elbow grease - UGH). Good luck, anything you do with a little paint and cleaning will make it look fresh.
  • Karen Young Karen Young on Nov 24, 2013
    I would remove the moldy drywall, spray with bleach and replace with bead board. Give all the tile a good scrubbing or even hire one of those companies that clean tile. I did and it was amazing the difference. I would replace the light fixture and faucet, paint the cabinets and door. If you can find the right size doors, replace the cabinet doors from Habitat. They are about 2.00 in my area. I think you could get all that done for under 100.00 depending on the light and faucet. I would go light on all my colors and use dark towels and bath rug. Post pics when you are done.
  • Terri Mayfield Terri Mayfield on Nov 24, 2013
    I have a yucky, dated bathroom too. Here's what I plan on doing: cut the center of the cabinet doors out and replace with a frosted glass. Paint the vanity and storage unit black. I would suggest you remove the wicker from around the mirror and leave just the small piece attached to the mirror, like a frame and paint the small area around the mirror black too. Walls would look good in almost any color, maybe some beadboard on the lower part and a brighter color above. Could you put a drain on the water softner and freezer so they don't leak into the sheetrock? Just my thoughts, good luck.
  • CLEVELAND ROCK & TILE CLEVELAND ROCK & TILE on Nov 24, 2013
    get grout stained it will make big differance
  • Kim Dagenais Kim Dagenais on Nov 24, 2013
    If that is mold on your ceiling you need to remove it before painting. (There are mold cleaners on the market in a spray bottle that aren't that expensive). If the mold does not come out, then you might have to remove the ceiling panels that have mold too. There could be mold through and through above your ceiling. I am hoping not, and then use a primer first with stain protector/sealer and then paint. I agree alot of people here about removing the drywall all around your toilet area, and replacement with new drywall, and yes wainscoting would look great to cover up the new drywall repair job. Chair rails, and baseboards with quarter rounds to finish off the trim. If you look on Pinterest or even on this site you should find a recipe for a solution to use to whiten and clean your grout for your tiles on the wall and floor. If the grout doesn't come clean, then there is a tool that is inexpensive at your home improvement store that you use to remove the top layer or move of grout. Then you just re-grout and everything looks new like you just had new tiles put in. Yes I would remove all the wallpaper and sand the walls smooth, then prime and paint. Anything that is wood like your door, vanity, towel rod etc I would sand lightly prime and paint. I would look into Anne Sloan Chalk paint. Then lightly sand some edges to your vanity here and there and seal. I would then update the hardware on your vanity and small cabinet above your toilet. Also I would remove the wicker from your small cabinet and replace it with a thin piece of wood. Something that has a thin layer of veneer. Next I would update the lighting, and the metal colour should match the hardware. I would go with silver/nickel finish with three white light shades that face towards the ceiling. I would also update the tap for the vanity, the dome light and change the mirror above your vanity. Does your shower work? Do you have another bathroom with a shower/tub in your home? If you do have another bathroom, why don't you break down the wall to the shower in your bathroom where your cat litter box is. You would have much more useable space, and your bathroom would be alot bigger. I live in Quebec Canada, but I am sure you have an online sites like Craigslist etc where or Habitat where you might be able to get supplies for a fraction of the price you would pay in a home improvement store. Can't wait to see your after pictures.
    • See 3 previous
    • Polly Zieper Polly Zieper on Jan 09, 2014
      @Kim Dagenais @Kim, We have aHabitat for Humanity homestore here, too, I'd almost forgotten-thanks for the reminder
  • Frankieh Frankieh on Nov 24, 2013
    If you are up for a craft project, I have a couple of ideas for the mirror surround and cabinet doors. Take small twigs/sticks and cut them the size that would fit and stack either vertically, or horizontally flat against the basketweave and glue them in place. Spray paint, or stain the whole cabinet (including the sticks) dark for a lodge/outdoors look. Light gray would also give a nice outdoors look. Then replace the shower door with a long curtain to carry out the theme. This way it is covered, but the cats can still have access. If you go with the gray color, I can envision curtains with gray limbs or twigs on a white background. Another idea would be to cover the unwanted door panels (the lattice section) and mirror trim with burlap. You could even make a template of foamboard, covered with a light batting and cover with burlap. The curtain door could be burlap or muslin. I think a whitewash for all the wood would look good with colored walls. I would replace all the knobs, faucet and counter top with new. The light fixture just needs updated with different globes. Could you possibly use mason jars as the globes somehow? Maybe add twigs cut to fit the light fixture. Looks like a fun project.
    • See 1 previous
    • Julie J C Julie J C on Nov 24, 2013
      @Frankieh My son decided on oil rubbed bronze as the fixture theme, so I ordered a two-light fixture. After we get that far we can go for cabinet hardware and later the faucet!
  • Kim Dagenais Kim Dagenais on Nov 24, 2013
    Hi Julie So had you see what I mean. If your neighbour is a contractor like you said, then he will be able to tell you if you can knock down the wall completely between the toilet and walk in shower. I am one of those people that can actually visualize what your bathroom will look with all the finishes I mentioned. It will look fantastic. Too bad I didn't live near you cause I would definitely help you out. I love renovating, painting, refinishing furniture and many more hobbies. You subbed to a great site. I am still pretty new to this site, but have found that everyone is so helpful, artistic, give great opinions, and have very creative ideas. Keep everyone updated. Can't wait to see the before and after pics side by side. Take care
    • Julie J C Julie J C on Nov 27, 2013
      @Kim Dagenais We talked about it, but it was more than we can manage at the moment. If we can get the bathroom portion to a nice condition, that will be a great accomplishment. Always thinking for the future, though!
  • Frankieh Frankieh on Nov 24, 2013
    @Julie J C Sounds like a really fun project. I hope you will post pictures of the finished bathroom. Rubbed bronze is gorgeous! I had it in my last house and loved it.
  • Julie J C Julie J C on Nov 27, 2013
    My husband suggested doing the chicken wire in the cabinet door centers. A little bit kitcheny, but he is completely nuts about his chickens. So far we have repaired the wall and primed everything.
  • Julie J C Julie J C on Nov 27, 2013
    I've posted updated photos of the process. The last 6 photos is how far I am now. Thanks for sticking with me and motivating me.
    • Polly Zieper Polly Zieper on Mar 12, 2014
      @Julie J C Where are the new photos? I'd definitely get rid of the homemade towel bar and consider a towel hook or pegboard sort of thing. For some reason people are more likely to hang up a towel if there is a hook/peg than if there is a bar/rod.
  • Silverngold92 Silverngold92 on Nov 27, 2013
    why don't you keep an open mind and take a trip to Habitat for Humanity's Restore Store. They often have incredible prices on new and used building and decorating materials. If you aren't totally locked in to a particular style, you just might find something really awesome. I have done both my kitchen and bathroom from these stores.
  • Kim Dagenais Kim Dagenais on Nov 28, 2013
    Hi Julie Did your neighbour/contractor give you an estimate that would cost a fortune? You know you and your husband can most likely do the work yourself. It isn't a large wall to take down, and the tiled wall in the shower most likely will have to be changed completely if you plan on having them painted or even half painted with bead board for example. I am sure you can look on Youtube or even here how to take down a small wall in your bathroom, and how to install new ones. Plus you will need to find out how to completely shut off the pumping for the shower. I am sure small improvements to start off will make you super happy. It will be like a little hobby/project. Please keep us all updated on your progress
  • Polly Zieper Polly Zieper on Nov 28, 2013
    I saw a spray mold killer at Home Depot years ago, but forgot the name. Ask them. I would spray it on the lower part of the wall whether or not you're repainting it.
  • Melissa S Melissa S on Jan 07, 2014
    outdoor Clorox is suppose to be most effective
  • Kim Dagenais Kim Dagenais on Jan 08, 2014
    Hi Julie. Nice to see some updated pics of the work you have done so far on your bathroom. Keep posting the progress. I am sure it will be like night and day by the time you are finished.
  • Kim Dagenais Kim Dagenais on Jan 09, 2014
    Hi Polly Yes I have heard and used Kliz in the past. It is a great primer. If you have alot of mold, it is recommended to replace the drywall. That is if the mold is through and through. Mold is a health risk if there is too much of it. Kliz is OK to cover up minor mold spots after they have been cleaned properly. Just covering up major mold does not solve the problem.
  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on Jan 09, 2014
    Don't know about this for sure, but, isn't a cement backerboard designed for bathrooms behind tubs and tile work and other areas where water is an issue ? If your hubby is into his chickens I'd do the chicken wire-rustic vibe...would be easy to complete after the basics..most man caves are a rec room or basement,,,, consider yourself lucky he wants a bathroom..so much smaller and easier to do a couple of things to..and be done,,Would love to see the postings when finished
  • DebLynn DebLynn on Feb 03, 2014
    Julie! I would love to suggest Bead board to replace moldy walls 1/2 the wall with chair rail moulding. Replace the light bar with a nice decorative Double light with shade. Paint the walls a warm BLUE SPRUCE! The white floor and sink and cabinet will POP! I just did my master bath with sample Valspar color from Lowes and couldn't be happier….DEFINITELY A GREAT COLOR for a Man Cave…..
  • Julie J C Julie J C on Mar 12, 2014
    Finally we are back at it and making progress. We had to secure our barn wood, borrow a miter saw, and overcome our fear of the table saw. I managed to trade a homemade rug for the barn wood!! Do you have an unfinished bathroom project? I invite you to get a step done this week!
  • Polly Zieper Polly Zieper on Mar 12, 2014
    Love the idea of beadboard or wainscoating!!!Not only covers up the problem-If you've eliminated the source of the mold, so you don't necessarily have to paint, but looks great!
  • Julie J C Julie J C on Mar 19, 2014
    Hi Polly, click on the thing that says See 12 More Photos, in gray, after the last picture.
  • Julie J C Julie J C on Apr 07, 2014
    @Silverngold92 I did go to the Restore! Take a look at the treasure I got for only $10!