The ceiling hole is patched — the paint is probably still drying — so we’re ready to call this project done for now.
This makeover wasn’t a full gut job but a series of small, targeted updates that added up to a noticeably fresher room. At the start we assumed the beige tile would force a complete remodel someday, but after these changes we actually really like the space. We still plan to replace the floor with hex tile someday (see the mood board mentioned below), but for now the bathroom feels much cleaner and more modern without a full demo.
Aside from a potential future flooring update, we may leave the existing wall tile in place or have it professionally reglazed white someday — an inexpensive option we’ve used before on a tub. That wasn’t our initial plan, so it was a pleasant surprise to discover that modest changes could make such a difference. If you’ve been DIYing for a while you know that sometimes a “for now” solution sticks because it just works, and we love finding ways to use what we already have rather than always bringing out the sledgehammer.
Below are before-and-after photos and a full budget breakdown. First, the room before we began—aside from hanging an extra-long shower curtain at ceiling height (one of our favorite tricks to make a small bathroom feel taller and loftier):
And here’s the room now, after careful planning, painting, swapping out the light, hanging art, painting trim, a toilet update, adding window frosting for privacy, reorganizing shower storage, trimming the door so a bathmat fits, replacing the border tile, and moving a light so it’s centered on the window and door.
Another before shot from a different angle:
And the updated view from the same angle. Painting the walls a moody dark gray, crisp white trim, swapping the busy tree border tiles for clear glass tiles, and replacing the short almond-colored toilet with a taller white model transformed the space and made it feel less like a beige box.
Here’s the old shelf and towel bar that came with the room — it felt intrusive in such a tight space:
Now that wall houses DIY artwork we already owned and a centered blue pendant light that gives the room personality without overwhelming the small footprint.
Here’s a move-in-day shot before we raised the shower curtain:
And the same corner now. It’s not a brand-new room, but the series of small upgrades made it feel much fresher, cleaner, and less beige. Using white and dark gray paint with pops of cool blue helped neutralize the warm pinky-beige tone of the tile.
Two close-up detail shots for posterity:
Our favorite and most transformative change was swapping out the old border tile for new clear glass “snow white” tiles. In person they make the space feel crisp and they catch light beautifully in the shower. In photos they sometimes reflect nearby colors and look slightly blue-green, but in reality they read as clear and bright.
Those tiles make tiny water droplets glint like glass beads when the shower runs, which is a small luxury in a tiny bathroom.
A photo looking down at the floor highlights how small this room is — roughly four tiles deep and three and a half tiles wide — but the compact layout makes it cozy and efficient.
Current to-do list for this bathroom:
paint the walls to create contrastreplace the ceiling lightpaint the trim bright whitehang bathroom-friendly artworksell the old toilet and replace with a classic white modeladd privacy to the window without blocking lightreplace the cluttered shower caddytrim the door so a bathmat fitsreplace the border tile around the roomcenter the pendant light in front of the window- choose and buy a permanent bath mat (still pending)
- replace the floor tile and possibly reglaze the wall tile as a phase two refresh
Budget breakdown:
- Paint (moody gray quart): $16
- Blue glass pendant light (local outlet): $80
- Hanging artwork and painting trim (used paint): $0
- Selling old toilet and buying a taller white model: $28 (net)
- Window frosting for privacy (leftover film): $0 (typical cost ~ $20)
- Shower caddies for storage: $22
- Trimming the door to allow a bath mat: $0
- New border tile and installation materials: $84
- Relocating the light to center it: $0
- TOTAL SPENT: $230
Spending $230 for this cumulative refresh feels like a great value — you can easily spend that on a single fixture. Taking the low-pressure, week-by-week approach made the project manageable and minimized stress, especially compared with a full demo. Have you tackled any small bathroom makeovers recently? Painted walls, replaced tile, or upgraded fixtures? We’re most excited to finally pick a permanent bath mat and complete the finishing touches.
Psst—To follow the whole bathroom project from the beginning, see the planning notes, painting updates, light swap, art and trim work, toilet update, window frosting, door trimming, border tile demo and retiling, and the light-moving post for more detail.