Guest Post: Morgan's Budget Friendly Bath Makeover

Back in May, I was so flattered when Morgan of Pepper Design asked me to participate in an interview series she was hosting on her blog. (read it here). Her site focuses on two topics near and dear : decorating and entertaining. So of course I jumped at the chance! As if that wasn't enough, she was also sweet of enough to share her own bathroom update with us. Hard to believe she transformed this space with less than a hundred smackaroos. Stylish and affordable - what more can I ask for? Off to Morgan to hear how she did it...

Hi all - first off, I'm thrilled to be here guest posting from Pepper Design Blog, a big thank you to Stefanie for including me in the mix of these fabulous bloggers!

Today I thought I might share a recent renovation project from our old 1935 Spanish bungalow. My husband and I purchased our home with the hopes of updating it piece by piece over the next few years and until we really get to dive in and move walls, replace cabinets and remodel each room, I've been working on few tweaks to help it feel a bit more like 'us'.

Here's the before:

We don't love the cabinets that sit too low, the handicap bars or the cracked basket weave tile... and we have great plans for the finished product. Until then, I tackled an update for just under $100 that included new mirrors, a new paint job, a handmade shower curtain and plenty of accessories.

First to go was the giant mirror. Next we patched, sanded and primed from floor to ceiling. Working with the blue theme our previous owners left us with, I color matched a slightly lighter shade to add to the walls. We took those dark bars off of the windows and replaced the white vinyl shade with an espresso-colored bamboo version.

The inside tub nook (with that neat architectural arch detail) got yet a slightly lighter blue to highlight the feature. That’s my newspaper-tape job, no laughing :).

Since the bathtub area was separate from the shower, I didn't need to worry about a water-proof version and created my own striped curtain to add a bit of pattern to the space. Here’s my Ikea buddy cutting from the bolt - after searching high and low through my favorite fabric shops I was amazed that Ikea carried the ideal pattern – and at $6.99 yard I was thrilled with the find. If you're planning on creating your own shower curtain in a space that will get wet, Ikea sells a great little plastic liner for $2.

To keep the dark wood-theme going, I stained an Ikea stand a rich mahogany. The stand would be perfect for holding rolled towels in the corner of the bath.

Last but not least I updated that giant old-school mirror with two small vanity versions framed in espresso Aaron Brothers wood frames. The mirrors were purchased at Lowes for $10 a piece and I used my favorite 40% off coupons for each of the frames.

And for the big reveal...

I'm so thrilled with the final result! The above image is at a bit of an angle - don't worry the counter really doesn't jut out to the right like that. The shower curtain is my favorite addition, it's amazing what adding a little bit of modern in the form of fabric or accessories can do to a dated space.

We accomplished the entire Before & After for just under $100, including new accessories such as garage sale candles (nothing says ‘relaxing’ like a bubble bath and plenty of twinkling lights), apothecary jars from Michaels (40% off coupons can go a long way… did you know you can print them any time online, including their ‘20% off an entire purchase’ coupons?), baskets from the Container Store, a neat plate on sale from Pier 1 (picked it up ages ago),vases from West Elm’s 20%-off-all-vases sale, shells from ebay, my favorite soap container from Home Goods, a bamboo shade from Lowes, espresso picture framed (Aaron Brothers) mirrors (Lowes) and the shower curtain, rod and towel stand from Ikea.

We're continuing our home renovation project over at PDB with our bedroom, living room and kitchen as the next in line. Pepper Design Blog shares daily tips, tricks and inspiration for every type of design - from entertaining to home decor to a soon-to-be-released wardrobe look book.

Come on by sometime - and it was nice to meet you all today!