The Projekt:
Hold on to your butts. This was a good one. Due to a little aquatic oopsie it was partially demo’d already but desperately needed to be decrustified™ and cutened™. The primary goals were to keep costs down while honoring the historic home, aesthetically, and not pissing off resident ghosts who haunt the walls. Probably. At my old house, her name is Grandma Wisconsin. She’s mostly responsible for farts and spills but she’s never complained about the decor so I had a reputation to uphold.
With that important context out of the way, there are several tips to keeping your budget in mind without having to settle for a lame outcome:
– Maintain Layout
In a space like a bathroom or kitchen, with so many costly mechanics, the major way to avoid a costly remodel is to keep plumbing and electrical location changes to a minimum. Definitely don’t move that toilet or tub if you don’t have to.
In this bad boy, much of the plumbing needed updating but we worked with the existing layout.
We swapped out a good ol’ boob light with this vintage- imposter fan/light overhead. Since this is a second-floor bath, this required venting through the attic but the wiring was already in the ceiling.
The vanity wall light was swapped out for two sconces. This was a minimal change, made easier by the fact that the wall was already opened up, but we could have just replaced the vanity light to save a bit more. I much prefer lighting from the sides in bathrooms, when possible. Can you believe these mofos were $30!?
– Retain What you can
Try to hang on to as much as you can, especially floors, tile, woodwork, or anything else that requires major labor costs. I know you want the works, but be real about if your bank account is giving underfloor heating and bidet vibes or if this is more of a finally towels that match each other situation. There’s no shame in a simple well-put together modest space. HGTV has broken us all.
In this case, the flooring was in good condition. It’s neutral and durable. Of course, we could have imagined all kinds of fun materials to replace it with, but it was not absolutely necessary so it stayed! The toilet could have been retained as well, although ultimately the client decided to update it.
The medicine cabinet was original. I got a new mirror for it with a bit of a bevel, which is a pretty low-cost upgrade.
I was also able to clean up the original heat vent.
Hot tip: I soaked it in a crockpot full of water on each side overnight and for the center part that the water couldn’t reach, I used a heat gun, wire brushes, and a metal point to pick away at all that old paint.
We also worked with all existing door/ cabinet hardware. We were not able to reuse the baseboard but sometimes it is possible, depending on their condition. Check out this beautiful built-in. Score!
– strategic sourcing
I have a special sourcing strategy for budget projects. I like to think small. It may seem obvious to focus on less expensive materials and finishes but I actually like to splurge a little on details and focus my thriftiness on the larger-cost items. This can help the space feel elevated while still keeping the overall project costs down. Is this what the kids call girl math? I very recently turned ancient and I officially don’t know what I’m saying.
There was no need to overthink the subway tile in this installation. I opted for a basic 3×6 ceramic, sourced from a local big-box store. Subway is kinda subway. I know it comes in endless variations. But at the end of the day, even the most common subway gave the overall impression we were looking for. Bright. Cleanable. Connected to the past.
Another big cost-saver was going with paintable beadboard wallpaper, rather than the real thing. It’s very inexpensive and easy to DIY. Faked you out!
Some examples of items I splurged on were the bronze switch covers, artwork, and faucets, although even those items did not require breaking the bank. It can be really useful, on a budget project, to know when and where to use builder-grade and when more curated items can go a long way.
– tweaking
Don’t be afraid to tweak items that don’t quite do it for you. In my case, when I sourced the ceiling fan, I didn’t like the amber shades that came with them. I was able to source inexpensive replacements in a frosted white glass, which was more in line with what I was going for. Think creatively about little changes that can be made to make a big difference, like lamp shades that aren’t quite right even when the base is great, thrifted artwork in ugly frames, etc. Don’t settle if minor changes are within reach!
– Find a Contractor Who’s Game
If you’re hiring the work out, it’s really important to team up with a contractor who is on board with your goal of keeping costs down. This does not mean cutting corners. This means someone who is going to try their best to reuse materials, suggest creative workarounds when problems arise, and help develop a plan from the beginning with cost in mind. Not all contractors will want this type of work and that’s okay! But it’s worth it to shop around for that type of partner. In my case, that partner was ZP Construction. He was flexible and worked with us from beginning to end with our goals in mind and gave us a solid outcome. Shout out Zach.
The Plan:
The Results:
And that’s that on that. The clients are happy with their new bathroom. I hope you and the ghosts are pleased as well. Thanks for following along!
*I want to hear from you! What is your fantasy bathroom feature? Mine is a water closet. Something about doing my hair and makeup so close to a toilet never hits for me. 😉
This is gorgeous!! I still have the design ideas you did for me – just haven’t gotten to that project yet. Looking forward to it!
Thanks LuAnn!