Incredible Weekend Bathroom Makeovers to Inspire Your Next Project
Get inspired by vanity upgrades, wall painting ideas, and more bathroom refresh projects you can accomplish in a weekend.
Updating your bathroom doesn't have to entail an extensive remodel. Quick updates and DIY projects can make a stylish impact in just a few days. These weekend bathroom makeovers showcase stunning transformations with a swift turnaround.
Before: Outdated Half Bath
This half bath had brown linoleum flooring, an old oak vanity, and outdated fixtures. To turn it around, this weekend bathroom makeover needed a new sink, stylish shelves, and a fresh coat of paint. The homeowners wanted the windowless powder room to feel light and bright for guests.
After: Updated Bathroom Walls
To add dimension to a small half bath, the homeowners installed board-and-batten wainscoting to the walls. Above that, a simple border of mosaic tiles connects the bright white trim to the beige walls. A framed piece of art ties the bathroom colors together. Woven baskets (similar to this set of four Better Homes & Gardens Rectangular Water Hyacinth Baskets, $40, Walmart) boost storage with style.
After: Bathroom Storage Upgrade
New industrial shelves (or a Better Homes & Gardens Wooden Shelf with Metal Brackets, $19, Walmart), are not only stylish, but they're more logical for the small bathroom. Made with industrial pipe fittings, the shelves keep the tight quarters feeling open and lofty, while the wood finish warms up the neutral color scheme. Modern glass containers keep cotton balls and cotton swabs in their place.
After: Bathroom Wall Art
Don't discount bathroom walls when hanging artwork. This bathroom came to life with a small gallery wall of frames and canvases. The pops of blue add interest to the blank powder room wall.
Before: Vivid Pink Bathroom
A too-white vanity and saturated wall color created stark contrast in this small bathroom. The homeowners hoped to soften the look and create a relaxing primary bathroom with a few simple (and inexpensive) updates. A new coat of paint on the vanity and walls was a must in this weekend bathroom makeover.
After: Serene Bathroom Makeover
A strip of sandy backsplash tiles, a new faucet, and a few coats of paint beautify the existing vanity. Layers of rich brown paint, stain, and glaze—then a quick sanding finish—give it a pretty, vintage appearance. The homeowners took the existing mirror to a glass cutter who resized it to fit a $10 frame. Consider using a shaped mirror (like this Better Homes & Gardens 24-inch Arched Metal Wall Mirror, $75, Walmart) for a quick bathroom refresh.
After: Easy Bathroom Updates
A canvas drop cloth and fusible web fashion a no-sew valance. The design was created with painter's tape and traced with pencil, then filled in with a blue paint pen. A new shower curtain and printed artwork add fun pattern and color to the otherwise neutral space.
After: Elegant Storage
Wall hooks and a driftwood-gray organizer housing large baskets fashion a stylish station for bathing necessities. It's also a great place to store hair straighteners and curlers with long cords. A garden stool and pretty artwork combine fashion and function.
Before: Basic Bathroom
Although functional, this builder-basic bathroom missed the charming character it deserved. Rather than taking a sledgehammer to it, the homeowners reused and repurposed materials to create a savvy space with style. See how they added some much-needed bathroom storage, too!
After: Budget Bathroom Makeover
Paint, a few clever surface updates, and some thrifty finds completed this weekend bathroom makeover for just $200. Antique hooks stand in for a towel bar near the tub, where molding and a splash of paint create an inexpensive border. A secondhand chandelier, updated with leftover paint from the vanity, provides the perfect amount of sparkle.
After: Inviting Vanity
Soft blue paint updates the bathroom's oak vanity. The pale hue adds a splash of soothing color and complements the vanity's existing white marble top. A simple frame of ceramic tile secured with adhesive salvaged the oversize mirror for just $25 and 30 minutes of work.
After: Functional Nook
A bench from a secondhand store provides a drop spot for shower essentials and utilizes an underused nook by the shower. Fabric wrapped and stapled around the existing cushion provides a quick and easy upholstery job. Adding a waterproof bench in the shower would have had a similar impact.
Before: Blank Canvas
Monochromatic surfaces made this 9x5-foot bath boring to behold. Laminate floor planks looked nice but weren't suitable for the wet environment. Porcelain tile, painted stripes, and polished accessories created eye-catching contrast in this weekend bathroom makeover.
After: Smart Flooring
New porcelain tiles on the floor look great and provide a water-resistant surface that's safer when stepping out of the shower. A special "floating" installation method makes these tiles easy to install. The 6x6-inch and 12x12-inch tiles come permanently bonded to interlocking trays that simply snap together and are then grouted in place.
After: Bathroom Window Treatments
A beige Roman shade made of ikat fabric features a subtle pattern of cream and taupe to complement the wall striping. Black banding provides a bold accent that ties the shade to the vanity and mirror frame. Roman shades look elegant in any room and are easy to make yourself.
After: Striped Walls
Painted wall stripes in cream and taupe create the look of wallpaper. Alternating the two neutral colors adds interest without overwhelming the space. Simple black-framed, graphic artwork pops against the subtle wall tones.
After: Sophisticated Accents
A custom black vinyl-over-MDF frame kit gives the plain frameless mirror a high-end look in minutes. A hefty new four-light fixture suits the scale of the large mirror and finishes the bath in style. A matching bathroom tray set keeps soap and products off the counter.
Drab-to-Fab Weekend Bathroom Makeover
See how this bathroom got a stylish new look with a few small updates. A new shower curtain and a freshly painted storage cabinet pull it all together. Learn how you can do it, too, in just one weekend!
Before: Homely Powder Room
A cobbled-together vanity, muddy beige walls, and dark green painted floors were anything but pretty in this little powder room. The tiny sink and cheap faucet lacked the sense of luxury the homeowners craved. A mix of old and new materials will make it a European-inspired beauty—perfect for the 1860s home.
After: Affordable Vanity Solution
A ready-made vanity would have been too deep to fit in this 3x8-foot bath, and a custom-made cabinet wasn't in the budget. The solution? Retrofit a petite table to serve as the vanity. Its weathered patina and X-shape design on the sides and back made the table look like a European antique, but the $150 price tag made it an affordable find. The homeowners also added a vessel sink and wall-mount faucet and paired the vanity with an oval mirror, painted with an aged pewter and antique gold finish.
After: Vanity Storage
A pair of baskets make the vanity's open shelves more storage friendly and add to the its rustic charm. One basket with filigree metal sides holds soaps while the other, a simple woven basket, holds towels. Baskets are also a great place to store products and toiletries in a guest bathroom.
After: Powder Room Redesign
A mix of pewter gray and warm cream colors, textured and weathered elements, and sparkly new fixtures create a welcoming powder room for guests. Never underestimate the design you can create for a half bath, too. For an elegant gallery effect, neutral walls set off a collection of black-and-white photos united by black frames with white matting.
