Tiny Bathroom Remodel On An Even Tinier Budget
by
Love & Specs
2 Materials
$4500
1 Month
Medium
Remodeling an old, tiny bathroom can be a rocky road and get a little crazy along the way, so I thought I'd share some honest tips and anecdotes from my own tiny bathroom remodel experience, that I completed on an even tinier budget, in hopes to help anyone else ready to take the big (tiny?!) bathroom remodel leap! When all was said and done, I loved the result and ended up spending less than $5K for the entire project.
Tip 1: Hit Pinterest for some inspiration and get a clear idea of the aesthetic you want, a.k.a. figure out what you want your tiny bathroom to look like and grab some ideas about how people out there have maximized the space in their tiny bathrooms. Even if you're not a serious Pinterest user, do some searches for tiny bathrooms, color schemes and tile types and see what's happening out there in tiny bathroom land!
Tip 2: Hit the tile store. Several. Tile stores have tons of displays that offer inspiration, much like Pinterest. I found that a lot of the vignettes they display in the stores are a little conventional for my taste and don't exactly cater to super tiny bathrooms, but you may see some cool elements that inspire you! What's more, tile stores have tile, so walk the aisles, see the options, feel the tiles, and take some pics of tile you like so you remember what you saw and can reference it.
Tip 3: While you're at the tile place, grab one of the experts working there. Tell them about your project, that you have a very tiny space to work with, what needs to be done (Plumbing? Just tile work? Both?), and some of the design elements you're hoping to incorporate. Also be honest and tell them what kind of budget you're working' with - luckily, a tiny bathroom usually means you really don't need a gigantic budget! Be confident in your design vision when you talk to them - there may be a logistical (structural) hangup or two, but for the most part anything is possible if you just ask or insist, even in a teeny, tiny old bathroom like mine. Shoot for the moon and adjust from there.
Tip 4: That leads me to my next tip. Finding people to do some of the work... that is, if you're not DIYing they entire project, which is entirely possible to do in a tiny bathroom! I highly recommend taking the route of heading to the tile place where you're going to purchase your tile from and asking them for recommendations. And not only would I ask them for recommendations, I'd really insist on someone that's budget-friendly and just plain old friendly. If they only recommend a list of larger contracting outfits, just go down the list of names they give you, get estimates and go with the one that makes you feel GREAT about your project and backs your design vision. The nice thing about getting recommendations through the tile store you're buying from is that they'll coordinate with your contractor to get them the tile they need and reinforce your design vision. For my bathroom, I had the tile guy do some of the work, but not all of it. So it was a great compromise and helped me complete the complicated stuff.
Tip 5: And now, for the other contractors. For a tiny bathroom on a budget, or any bathroom remodel for that matter, hiring different contractors and contracting outfits to do the different jobs you need is totally doable. Our tile guy took care of my plumbing problems and some of the tiling, but I needed a new shower door too. I knew that the tile guy had done a ton of bathrooms over the course of his career, so I asked him for a shower door installer recommendation and he gave me a great one. The shower door was a little bit of a pain in the butt for me. I really wanted a hinged shower door instead of a sliding shower door, but a lot of people told me that because of my serious space restrictions, it couldn't be done. But I said, "TO HELL WITH THAT!" I didn't want to go through the work of remodeling this bathroom into something so beautiful and get stuck with another sliding door eye sore. Luckily, when I met with the shower door guy he told me that a hinged door was a must, and it's absolutely perfect! So the moral there - stick to your guns. I saw a ton of pictures of tiny bathrooms that had hinged doors, so I knew that there had to be a way and luckily, I found just the guy to do it.
Tip 6: Be patient. We should all know by now that remodels are never about speed, even if you have a tiny space. Just go into it with the expectation that you're going to be slightly uncomfortable in your living space for the foreseeable future, but that the outcome will be worth the wait. In short, it's gonna suck, so adjust and know that the juice is worth the squeeze.
Tip 7: Order as many of the furnishings and hardware as you can on your own! The best part about hiring independent, specific contractors to help you with specific jobs is is that it allows you the freedom to purchase a lot of the things you need on your own and really find the best prices to fit your budget, with total oversight and approval.
Tip 8: DIY where and when you can. The most challenging thing about a teeny tiny bathroom is storage. Everyone needs ample storage in their bathroom (girls, I know you feel me on this one!), so you have to find room anywhere you can and DIYing things to fit your needs will be such a huge help, like the cabinet above the toilet in this bathroom, that was an old cabinet I had that I gave a fresh coat of paint and some new hardware. And now it looks like new and gives me tons of storage! I also DIYd the barn light to save myself hundreds of dollars on a light fixture, and I love the result and am so happy I put in the effort.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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3 of 9 comments
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Love the tile work on the floor!
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Thank you so much - that was one of my favorite elements of the remodel and something I insisted on doing! Makes me happy to hear you like it!
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Love this style so much! Looks very cozy, neat, and fresh. Did you use any interior design soft?
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I love it. My tiny bathroom have a dub and i will like to change to a walk in shower. Where can i Find direction in how to build a walk in shower.