Outdated Bathroom Gets a Budget Update

Mandy Brown
by Mandy Brown
$650
2 Months
Advanced
I got tired of my 21 year old bathroom and decided to give it a remodel. I grew up in the home building business so I do a lot of home improvement myself, but this was the first major remodel I attempted alone.
Before: My master bathroom was too cramped and only had a single bowl sink. It had a huge 72" wide contractor mirror over a 48" wide vanity so I had this awkward space next to it that I put a tall cabinet in for extra storage, but it just never looked right.
I have a large walk-in closet on the left and the tub, toilet and linen closet are in a separate room beyond. The linoleum was 21 years old and so were all the fixtures.
The old toilet kept running and you had to hold to handle down when you flushed.
View back into the master bedroom.
After: I purchased an antique server at an auction for $30 and converted it into a double vanity. I purchased two vessel sinks and faucets off eBay at a fraction of what they cost at Lowe's, purchased a new low-flow toilet (probably the most expensive item) and I had a bunch of 12"x12" ceramic tile in my storage shed I had bought for a project I never did that I got on sale about 9 years ago. I did all the labor myself on the weekends and after work so it took me a while to get it done.
I added molding to the contractor mirror and turned the existing light fixture around to point up so the bulbs weren't so glaring (I turned the light off for this picture because of camera glare). I also added tilt-out trays to the top drawer fronts under the sinks so they could be useful and not dead space.
The new toilet wound up paying for itself after two months. My water billed went from $189 to $90. I never realized the amount of water the old toilet was wasting!
I also added a curved shower rod to the tub which makes showering a whole new experience now! It feels like a you can have a party in there!! (I've since changed out the wall switches and added the covers back.) Oh and I painted the walls a pretty green.
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