Want a bathroom makeover but need ideas that are quick, easy, and will fit into a tight budget?
You are in luck because today I will share SEVEN of the easiest and least expensive ideas to makeover your bathroom into a modern spa-like retreat.
I’ll give you ideas, inspiration, and clickable links to affordable sources for everything from bathroom accessories and lighting, to faucets and mirrors.
Let’s get this party started!
Idea #1: Paint the walls
Before: Walls a Khaki Green 
After: Walls Behr Swiss Coffee
Ok, so this seems like a no brainer but paint can be REALLY difficult to choose for a bathroom.
If you have a small bathroom, lighter colors will make it feel larger and more airy. You can see in the photos above, our bathroom was a khaki green on both walls AND ceiling (who paints their ceiling khaki green?).
When we painted the ceiling ultra white and the walls Behr Swiss Coffee it made the whole space feel bigger, lighter, and brighter.
Some great colors for bathroom walls are warm white, light grey, sea salt, and blue.
Idea #2: Get new accessories and soft goods
Bathroom Accessories
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at NO extra cost to you.
Upgrading your accessories such as a toothbrush holder and soap dispenser is a great way to change the look of your bathroom. Here are some modern accessories from Amazon that will help update your space.
If storage is an issue, you can kill two birds with one stone and display items in glass jars or apothecary style containers. Here’s a few links to ones I love from Amazon:
Soft Goods
In terms of soft goods, new towels are a great way to make a space feel fresh.
I love these Turkish Cotton Bath towels from Amazon – they look modern since they have a diamond pattern in the cotton. They also are thick and high quality feeling, even after a lot of washes.
Going from dated glass bathtub doors to a pretty new shower curtain can make a huge difference. Removing old bathtub doors is pretty easy and we have done it on two different bathrooms.
The best thing about a shower curtain is you can change it out frequently at very little cost, to keep things interesting.
TIP: Hanging your shower curtain up high will help hide ugly, dated tile or an old shower enclosure.
Here are a couple of affordable classic neutral shower curtains from Amazon:
Idea #3: Refresh vanity
A vanity can be easily freshened up by a coat of paint (use cabinet paint specially designed for cabinets, like Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations).
Even just changing out or spray painting the knobs and handles on your vanity can make a big difference.
In my post, DIY Budget Bathroom Remodel (for under $350), I spray painted all the knobs of my vanity to change them from brushed nickel to matte black. It was so easy and super cheap!
Another option is to upgrade the faucet to a more modern style.
Home Depot online and Amazon all have awesome options for affordable modern faucets. We have purchased below faucet from Home Depot and love it! I can personally attest to the quality (which is great).
Glacier Bay Farrington Widespread Faucet from Home Depot, available in Matte Black, Chrome, and Brushed Nickel. It often goes on “special buy” for less than $100.
Glacier Bay Farrington Faucet also comes in a centerset version too.
Idea #4: Style it up
A great budget bathroom makeover idea is to add art and plants. Adding a clear vase with a few plant stems will help elevate your bathroom.
Below are some awesome artificial greenery stems from Amazon to help get this look. Or you can grab some greenery from outside by snipping a few stems off of a bush.
Idea #5: Create a focal point
A focal point is something that draws the eye, like the wood framed statement mirror above. Creating a bold focal point in your bathroom is a great way to change the look, and also help distract from other areas (like ugly shower tile, for example).
A super easy and cheap way to add a focal point is to add wallpaper or a backsplash to the wall behind your vanity, or adding a statement mirror.
Here is an example of a focal point I created using Transform grey herringbone peel and stick wallpaper from Home Depot.
Idea #6: Upgrade lighting
Lighting is key in a bathroom, since a lot of them don’t have any windows.
Replace your old light with a new one with the same type of base to save money and time.
Trying to go from a single vanity light to two sconces can be difficult and may need an electrician. To DIY it, get the same type of light, but with an updated style.
Another way to add more light to a dark bathroom is to add a light to your bathroom fan. I found this inexpensive bathroom fan upgrade at Home Depot that fits right into your old fan’s box and comes with an LED light.
Idea #7: Modernize your mirror
Changing out a mirror is very easy, and can be fairly inexpensive depending on what you choose. We did our full bathroom makeover using a beveled edge mirror from Home Depot.
A builder grade mirror can be quickly updated by adding a new frame or painting the existing frame. Hello Hayley has a great tutorial on how to add a frame to a builder grade mirror for $10: DIY Bathroom Mirror Frame for Under $10
I purchased the above Threshold with Studio McGee modern black framed mirror from Target for around $75. I chose this mirror to get a more modern, clean look for our primary bathroom makeover.
Conclusion
Whew! Well I hope you love these ideas and inspiration as much as I do. You now have 7 great ideas to help you make your bathroom into a retreat.
Hopefully you will be inspired to make a change. Which idea do you want to try first? Leave a comment below…
For even more budget bathroom makeover ideas, check out these posts:
9 Ways to Save on Bathroom Remodel Costs
Or my full step-by-step Beginner’s Guide to DIY Bathroom Remodeling
