What is your budget and are you willing to replace anything?

Yes we need a budget.

Are you willing to replace the vanity? The lighting? The wall/floor tile?

Do you use the storage under the vanity?

It looks like you don't use the wall cabinet or the shelves over the toilet?

Just cosmetic changes can do a lot, even if the vanity and tiles remain.

The blue is not ideal with your beige tile. How about a nice wallpaper?

I had the same problem with the door opening in; switched it to open out.

Let me begin by saying that providing photos that are not taken at strange angles would go a long way to illustrating the conditions. Hold the phone straight and take the shot.

First impressions:

• The blue paints don't have any reference in any of the photos posted, so I would consider a different paint color or wallpaper.
• The glare from the light above the vanity is unacceptable. This is a ceiling light that was mounted on the wall and should be replaced.
• The scale of the tile installed on the wall is too large and should be removed. A smaller scale backsplash should replace it. It doesn't match or complement the floor tile either.
• I might consider replacing the mirror with a wall to wall, down to the counter custom sized mirror to expand the space

Wall to wall and countertop mirror example

@ilikefriday Thank you for responding, Budget under 1,000. The floor tile will be replaced when we re-donthe front entry. the vanity cannot be replaced.

@P Banos Yes, new lighting, mirror mirror. Cleaning products only under the vanity.Only TP on he shelves above toilet.

@latifolia We thought of changing the door swing. But it would then impede the hallway.

@BeverlyFLADeziner Im delighted that you chimed in. Photos re-taken as per your suggestion. Though its a teeny tiny space to get it done. I totally agree with your comments, but didnt know the lights were to be used on a ceiling.

Blue and beige are not a great combination. I'd find a fun wallpaper that has beige in it and change the the light and mirror over the sink.

North Andover Renovation · More Info

Traditional Powder Room · More Info

I would change the door swing - I suspect switching to a pocket door would blow the whole budget and then some. Keep the door closed to keep it out of the hallway. Since the powder room appears to be in a public area (based on the chair right outside), I would hope that door stays closed most of the time anyway. Currently it is a huge safety hazard - if someone were to fall in the bathroom, there would be no way to get in to help them.

I think removing the wall tile, changing the light fixture, and a fresh coat of paint will make a world of difference! I would paint the whole space (including the ceiling) one light color (or make a ceiling a few shades lighter).

I don't think you will be able to salvage that vanity if you take the tile out. That appears to be a stock vanity that was cobbled to the wall with fillers and then tiled in. There is probably going to be some damage to the finish of the vanity by attaching the other stuff to it.

I think I would just paint and put a nice floor mat down for now. Then save save save and do a proper remodel.

I had a customer with the same bathroom - here is what she did ( she likes drama )

Its a floating vanity, wainscot panels with tile border, bold tile on feature wall and same on the floor

good luck!

There's no reason you can not do a lot with $1000 or less, if you are willing to DIY some of the work. Do you have any interest in doing any work yourself? This would include removing tiles, patching drywall, painting, installing tiles, moving the door to the hallway side etc.

The flooring you select will be very important so I would wait until that is selected to make any other decisions. Ditto if you are planning to replace the door with a pocket door.

I see some water damage on the ceiling, do you know what caused that? An unsolved leak will cause misery down the road.

When you're ready to replace the floor, replace the vanity and remove the tiles from the walls. As palimpsest said, it looks like an amateurish job was done initially (square peg, round hole) and if you have to remove the vanity to get the wall tile off I'm not convinced you could get it reinstalled without it looking like a hack job. You should remove the toilet and vanity when replacing the floor anyway. While you're waiting to do the floor you can certainly paint as the blue isn't working and it's a small room, so small job. Sometimes it doesn't pay to throw a small amount of money at a project that really requires a little bit more to be done right.

Have you gotten a quote for a pocket door? it was a budget buster for me.

@P Banos, So nice of you to chime in. This bathroom is part of a much larger reno projects. Yes, we plan to do the work ourselves, pocket door included, floor tile etc. The water damage most like,y stems from the fireplace chimney, which has since been repaired. Thank you for noticing. (:

@kandrewspa Thank you for chiming in, you are probably right. I just hate this powder room so much. Reno will be another 1-2 yrs, painting now might be just a waste of time and effort. There was a lot of ’hacking’ with this house, the location, however, is awesome.

@A M Thankfully, we can do the job ourselves. Do you mind sharing your pocket door quote?

You can fix this space with your energy and make it work until you can truly rip it out.

I would keep the floors. I know, I know they are not what you want but redoing the floor is going to be far more costly. Instead rip out the sink, the crazy tile around the sink and even the vanity. If you notice you have many different squares in these three pieces Eliminate all the squares except the floor. That floor would look fine with a more modern vanity.

use your funds to measure and find a new sink with vanity like this one.

$798

Bliss Bath Vanity, Natural Wood, 30", Single Sink, Freestanding · More Info

$504 Maybe this one offer chrome and then you could keep your mirror and hardware

Huesca Bath Vanity, Integrated Sink Top, North American Oak, 18", Without Mirror · More Info

You will need something that will go over or the existing tile floor. Unless that tile sits under your old vanity cabinet. If that is the case you could put in a new one like this below

Harvey Bathroom Vanity, Brown, 42", Single Sink, Freestanding · More Info

Use the other funds to repair sheet rock, paint, faucet and maybe a new light fixture.

But even if you decide to keep the chrome hardware and oval mirror. They might go better with the new vanity you choose.

Oakman Marble Top Vanity in Grey Oak with Faucet, 30", Vanity With Chrome Faucet · More Info

I know that you said that the vanity can’t be replaced - but as as been pointed out in above comments, removing the tile may be an issue due to the fillers used to fill gap between wall and vanity + vanity countertop and wall:

Odd way to close gap between countertop and wall:

Filler between vanity and wall:

Also, are those scratches on the right side filler or is it water damage?

IKEAS has discontinued the Godmorgon vanity - which is a floating vanity (my daughter just told me this because she wants to use one for a gues bath remodel). They are not expensive + can look nice. I’ve seen quite a few posted here on Houzz - one user (Mittens Cat) used it in three of her bathrooms - and none of them look like IKEA bathrooms

A floating vanity would open up the space - not sure if your floor tiles run all the way under your current vanity.

Years ago I hated my bathroom and decided to put just a few hundred dollars into it until I could afford to replace everything a few years later. I used paint everywhere, including the tiles, and a bit of molding. It has been 8 or 9 years and I haven't gotten the itch to change a thing. It went from the saddest space in my house to one of my favorites.

If this were my space I would paint all the tiles, hang wallpaper, change the light fixture, and paint the vanity.

OP, your comment made me laugh. The house we moved into four years ago has some hack jobs in it too. The previous owner thought he was handy. :-) There are so many things to do even in a well maintained house after you move, so make a list, prioritize it and try to just laugh everytime you see the powder room. Location is the most important thing in real estate. Everything else can be fixed.

@likestonehomes $12k for 2 pocket doors to close off an office area

agree @ilikefriday !

I am always telling my kids - there is a LOT of ground between "perfection" and not doing anything - I have also used tons of caulk & white paint to make spaces feel clean and bright when a reno was further down the line.

Life's too short not to do some happy DIY projects and enjoy a space in the meantime (2 years is a LONG time) -

same @kandrewspa ! Our house was full of hacks, like the kitchen cabs installed with 240 6 in nails... our 1920'a home was the ugly duckling on the street - but 24 years & lots of work later she is a Grand Dame ♥

@Sabrina Alfin Interiors Love the wallpaper ideas.Thank you.

@AnnKH The powder room is right off the front entrance and hallway leading to bedrooms. You are correct, the door, closed is not good and definetly not user friendly. Folk with disabilities have a hard time navigating it. In fact, this is a ’What were they thinking’ building design. The house does not have a full bath either but only has an ensuite. Go figure!

@Boxerpal Isnt this the craziest mismash you have ever seen? Thank you for the vanity suggestions and advice. The floor will be replaced as well. It will be a big job as it extends into the foyer.

@dani_m08 I hate the vanity, but it fits so well in this tiny space. As for the marks in the side, I think they are scratches. The whole thing is poorly done and I am not sure if tile runs under the cabinet. Eventually, we will rep,ace all the tile, entryway included, we will find out then.

@ilikefriday Your suggestion re painting is spot on. If you get a chance, do you mind sharing a pic. Thanks (:

@kandrewspa OMG, you should see how they built this place. Electrical was and is a njghmare a veritable wire snake pit. The house is post and beam, Lindal Cedar Home kit. I am sure, the original design included a main family (4pce) bath with 3 beds. It was changed to 2 bed + very large sewing room and powder room. Major renos on the way… But you are right location (20min into city) is amazing as are the views.

@la_la Girl Your pearls of wisdom are so true, hope your kids listen and appreciate them.

In such a tight space, I suspect when you demo the floor, you could end up damaging any new wall tile or the current vanity. As such I'd do a mini-cosmetic makeover now to get you through to the floor and door renovation period.

Find one color to paint all of your walls, trim, and cubby shelving. Get some hand towels you love and hang a teeny piece of art. You can do this for a few hundred dollars in a weekend and make the next year or two of living with this much happier.

Pocket doors - We had them installed at the time we were building a new wall, plus we live in Manhattan so our quote won't mean anything. However, you will have to widen your wall to accommodate the pocket and mechanisms into which it slides. I don't think you can widen the wall inside the room. And, it would really butcher up the hallway to widen the outside of the wall. Have you thought through this factor?

Our pocket doors are on our kitchen. We splurged on custom solid wood doors and expensive sliding mechanisms inside the wall which really make a tight fit to contain sound and smell. Thoes are important factors on a bathroom too and doing a budget pocket door might not be a great idea for such a private space.

How hard is it to switch the door to an outward swing? I'd do that now. Try it out for a few months and then decided if you want to stick with that or do a pocket.

@likestonehomes

Here is my before and after. My decor may not appeal to the masses and that is fine with me. It should give you some idea of what can be done with paint and molding on a budget.

I did originally say I haven't changed a thing since I made these changes 8-9 years ago. I take that back. Initially I painted the tub and vanity green. I switched to blue about 4 years ago. At some point I also changed the lighting and vanity faucets.

Imo with paint, no matter where it is applied, the biggest limiting factor is your imagination.

@kendrah We will be remodelling the hallway, beyond the bathroom. Plans are to remove the hall closet, which extends into (an overly large bedroom) transform the closet into a family4pc bathroom. I am concerned that an outswing door will be a pia as no one will shut it. lol

@ilikefriday Love your bathroom re-do. Interestingky, your old bahroom tile is exactly what injave in another bathroom. I was thunking of painting it, however, am worried how the paint will hold up as we use the shower quite a bit. Do you have any issues with the painfed tub wall tile?

@likestonehomes

The lady is not painted on the tile. She is an oil and wax painting on canvas sized to cover the entire wall. I have not had any problems with the painting in that location and have noticed that there is really only one spot that tends to get wet. It's not the entire painting. It might be possible to reinforce that spot if you decide to paint your tile. This is a shower that is used at least once per day. It is in my master bedroom.

The only tile that is painted in this bathroom is on the floor and I have not had any peeling or chipping.

Glad that you will be able to add another family bathroom. That's great!

I suggest that you wait until you do your foyer tile and do the bathroom properly. Why spend money now when it really won't fix the problem with that room?

I recommend a wall-hung toilet. It will make that small room look larger and is easier to clean.

I also recommend that you change out that vanity.

I always advise that if there is a spot to go wild with design it is a powder room. You should be able to find a multitude of inspiration photos with a quick internet search. Your powder room has good bones and I even kinda like the vanity and sink. I'm sure you should be able to do something with this room that will look fantastic when done. Good luck!

Ilikefriday, love your bath. Paint is a wonderful thing!

I would do the walls in a peel and stick wallpaper. Something bold, heck why not. Add an area rug, or runner. Some pretty shelving over the toilet with baskets, a plant, etc. and be done with it. Grab these from Houzz Shopping. I am not a Professional and do not know your colors throughout your house. Please post as you go along, I would love to see how you update the room.

Charcoal Darcy Peel & Stick Wallpaper, Bolt · More Info

Safavieh Natural Fiber Collection NF114 Rug, Natural/Black, 2'x3' · More Info

Walters Wood and Metal 3-Tier Shelving, Black 21x32 · More Info

@ilikefriday Love, love, your creative soul!!!

@hellogardener, @njmomma

Thanks! You are awesome. Imo paint and a little creativity can completely transform a space.

@njmomma Thank you for chiming in and your suggestions. The whole renovation will be a years long process. But i wil update, so stick around, if you have the patience. For now, i may even just hang a pic where the visible wall shelf is.