Next Up

Before-and-After Bathroom Remodels Under $5,000

January 15, 2016

By: Mina Hochberg and Shannon Phillips

Is your dream bathroom way over budget? Check out these inspiring under-$5,000 bath transformations for ideas on how to cut costs in your own remodel.

Price and stock could change after publish date, and we may make money off these affiliate links. Learn more.

Scroll For More Photos

1 / 19

With $5,000 or less, seven designers dramatically overhaul seven dreary and outdated bathrooms. See the before-and-after photos and steal their budget-friendly ideas for your own bath remodel.

Photo: Heather Scott Home & Design. From: Heather Scott Home & Design

2 / 19

Before: Gloomy Guest Bath

With dark wood cabinets and dull, colorless tiles, this guest bathroom is anything but inviting.

Photo: Heather Scott Home & Design. From: Heather Scott Home & Design

3 / 19

After: Chic Meets Cheerful

Soft gray walls, marble flooring and a furniture-style vanity create an elegant spot for guests to freshen up. Heather Scott Home & Design removes the wall-mounted cabinet above the toilet, making the space feel much larger and brighter.

Photo: Heather Scott Home & Design. From: Heather Scott Home & Design

4 / 19

Budget-Friendly: Upcycled Vanity

Instead of designing an expensive custom cabinet for the space, Scott attaches a Silestone countertop remnant to a chest furniture piece. The accent tile in the shower storage niche is pricier than the room’s other tile, so it’s limited to a small space where it still makes a big impact.

Photo: Rebecca Zajac. From: Rebecca Zajac

5 / 19

Before: Generic and Charmless

The builder-grade cabinets and basic tile floor make this feel more like a generic hotel bathroom than a welcoming guest bath.

Photo: Rebecca Zajac. From: Rebecca Zajac

6 / 19

After: Warm and Inviting

Designer Rebecca Zajac prettifies the room by replacing the cabinets with a custom vanity and laying down patterned floor tiles. Black and brass metals complement the gray and give the room a warm sophistication.

Photo: Rebecca Zajac. From: Rebecca Zajac

7 / 19

Budget-Friendly: Twice-Used Counter

Zajac saves money by using a remnant counter from the owner’s kitchen remodel. The mirror is a bargain find.

Photo: Patrick Brickman Photography. From: Lauren Messina

8 / 19

Before: Dark and Dated

The worn almond-colored wall tile, coupled with the maroon paint, make the guest bathroom a dreary corner of this historic Charleston, N.C., home.

Photo: Patrick Brickman Photography. From: Lauren Messina

9 / 19

After: Southern Charm

Designer Lauren Messina brightens up the room with an elegant chandelier. The pretty floral wallpaper ties the colors in the room together.

Photo: Patrick Brickman Photography. From: Lauren Messina

10 / 19

Budget-Friendly: Refinished Tiles

Rather than entirely replace the wall and floor tiles, Messina refinishes the tiling and makes it white for a crisp, updated look.

Photo: Anice Hoachlander, HDPhoto. From: Shelley Rodner

11 / 19

Before: Claustrophobic Chaos

Everything about this small bathroom is in need of a modern makeover, from the busy wallpaper to the curtained pedestal sink. The dull glow cast by the dated brass sconces is unhelpful in a space that already feels dark and confined.

Photo: Anice Hoachlander, HDPhoto. From: Shelley Rodner

12 / 19

After: Peaceful Powder Room

Designer Shelley Rodner brightens and modernizes the bathroom with playful silver wallpaper and a chocolate vanity with much-needed storage. A handsome chandelier replaces the sconces.

Photo: Anice Hoachlander, HDPhoto. From: Shelley Rodner

13 / 19

Budget-Friendly: Go Petite

Rodner chooses a petite-sized vanity, which costs a third less than similar designs with larger footprints.

Photo: Terracotta Design Build. From: Terracotta Design Build

14 / 19

Before: Green Gone Awry

Emerald green walls overwhelm this small bathroom, which lacks cohesion and personality.

Photo: Jeff Herr Photography. From: Terracotta Design Build

15 / 19

After: Simple and Serene

To give the bathroom more personality, TerraCotta Design swaps out the plain pedestal sink for an Asian-themed vanity and replaces the oval mirror with an expansive frameless mirror that enlarges the room. TerraCotta keeps the wood flooring and repaints the walls to transform the room without going over budget.

From: Brown Design Group

16 / 19

Before: Cramped Quarters

There’s hardly any room to move in this outdated bathroom. A wall-to-wall vanity overwhelms the small space.

Photo: Matt Wier. From: Brown Design Group

17 / 19

After: Minimalist Luxe

A floating vanity and spacious glass shower open up this previously cramped bathroom. Rather than splurging on stone slab counters, Brown Design Group cuts costs with a one-piece countertop and sink. A single glass-panel shower helps the room feel larger while saving on extra hardware for a swinging door. Large-format wall tiles make for a quick install.

Photo: Terracotta Design Build. From: Terracotta Design Build

18 / 19

Before: Sad and Ignored

From the square floor tiles to the dated sink faucets, this bathroom is an unsightly throwback to the 1980s.

Photo: Jeff Herr Photography. From: Terracotta Design Build

19 / 19

After: Bold Accessories

TerraCotta Design switches out the faucet, hardware and tile for an instantly dramatic transformation. A pair of bright, bold red stools pulls the look together.

Before-and-After Bathroom Remodels Under $5,000

Before: Gloomy Guest Bath

After: Chic Meets Cheerful

Budget-Friendly: Upcycled Vanity

Before: Generic and Charmless

After: Warm and Inviting

Budget-Friendly: Twice-Used Counter

Before: Dark and Dated

After: Southern Charm

Budget-Friendly: Refinished Tiles

Before: Claustrophobic Chaos

After: Peaceful Powder Room

Budget-Friendly: Go Petite

Before: Green Gone Awry

After: Simple and Serene

Before: Cramped Quarters

After: Minimalist Luxe

Before: Sad and Ignored

After: Bold Accessories

Related Pages