Budget DIY Bathroom Updates for Less Than $20!
$19
Easy
We've been working on a budget renovation of our main bathroom, and here we're sharing four simple updates that we did for under $20 total. See the whole project breakdown at our blog link below!
WINDOW CURTAIN: The bathroom window is a grid of wavy glass blocks with a screen and “venetian” pane in the center that can be opened and closed by a crank handle. We like our bathroom window - a grid of wavy glass blocks with a screen and “venetian” pane in the center - because it provides privacy while letting in a lot of natural light. But we also wanted something more aesthetic than a bare window. So John sewed a leftover fabric remnant into a curtain to fit the window dimensions.
WINDOW CURTAIN: The bathroom window is a grid of wavy glass blocks with a screen and “venetian” pane in the center that can be opened and closed by a crank handle. We like our bathroom window - a grid of wavy glass blocks with a screen and “venetian” pane in the center - because it provides privacy while letting in a lot of natural light. But we also wanted something more aesthetic than a bare window. So John sewed a leftover fabric remnant into a curtain to fit the window dimensions.
It’s white so it diffuses the natural light really well, and works perfectly with our neutral bathroom color palette. Plus, it was completely budget-friendly – we just used what we already had on hand (even the tension rod!).
VANITY CABINET HANDLES: Our existing handles were decorative white-painted metal and didn’t really fit with our vision of a more modern bathroom. Something about them was a little too country, a little too granny for us. I figured it would be an easy upgrade to replace these. I went with these simple brushed-nickel handles with clean lines, to provide a little contrast on the painted white cabinets.
I wiped down the cabinet doors with warm water and vinegar, just to clean off any grime and dust. Then I screwed in the new handles – they fit easily into the existing screw holes, so I had them installed in a matter of minutes. Our four new handles cost only $16!
CLOTHES HOOK: There was an old brassy hook on the back of the bathroom door that we used for hanging clothes and towels, but it was not too nice to look at. So I picked up a brushed-nickel three-pronged hook as a replacement. The new hook was a little larger than the old one, so we needed to drill new holes - John took care of that with his cordless drill, and we installed the new hook. An easy $3 upgrade!
HAND TOWEL BAR: This was another update that cost only our time! The hand towel bar above our toilet had fallen off the wall soon after we moved in – one of the brackets somehow became detached and the bar came apart. So I asked John if he thought he could fix and re-install it… and what do you know? He could, and he did. It’s a pretty basic chrome towel bar, but for this quick budget update phase, it made sense to fix and re-use it for now.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
Join the conversation
2 comments
-
Love your window! It looks like a picture frame and is so symetrical. I'd use it as a major focal point. Is it the very centre that lacks privacy? Just a thought - you could make it into art piece by painting the 4 rectangles with glass paint that co-ordinates with your bathroom colours, etc. Sky is the limit. Could do a faux stained glass treatment, too. Then you wouldn't have to cover the area at all.
-
I love the curtain, John did a good job.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?