The guest bathroom turned out so much sweeter with just a few simple, inexpensive updates. Small spaces that feel stuck can often be refreshed with fresh paint, a new window treatment, some art, and a few mixed-and-matched accessories. Rather than ripping out the original vintage yellow tile (including a floor that resembles a Scrabble board), we embraced it and made the room work with the house. For roughly $50, the space is now far more pleasant to the eye.
The room now has a relaxed Anthropologie-esque vibe, which I don’t usually pull off on my own—so credit goes to the existing features like the original white sink and the charming 60s tile. Adding a bit of art and a few accessories filled empty spaces and made the room feel intentional. Below is a before shot taken from the same doorway about a week after we moved in, which shows how much of a difference the updates made.
Thank goodness the awkward full-body mirror above the toilet is gone.
It’s a tiny room, so apologies for the limited angles. The print over the toilet is actually a page I tore from a magazine; I keep a flat box of “someday art” under the guest room bed, and this page’s colors and fishing/water motif felt right for a bathroom. The frame is from Target and included a mat for $22.
I like how the softer white frame and art complement the deeper-toned mirror and light fixture. Instead of competing, the art recedes and the charcoal-painted mirror (Silhouette by Benjamin Moore) becomes the focal point. Both monogrammed hand towels are from West Elm—gifts from readers at book signings—and the lemon tea towel was also a gift, so it felt good to find them a place to live.
And yes, John made his usual third-grade joke about why two monogrammed P towels belong in a bathroom. You can forgive him.
For those asking to see into the shower, the room is extremely tight so this is the best view I could capture. You can see the framed fabric art across from the mirror a little better here; it’s simply a fabric remnant placed in a frame.
The fabric echoes the brighter yellow tiles on the floor and ties in with yellow accents in the guest room. The shower bottom features a small tile lip that keeps the curtain away from the sink. Because the shower curtain fabric is polyester—similar to a standard fabric liner—we wash it to keep it fresh. It’s held up well after six months of use.
From the guest room, the bathroom now feels coordinated: the blue window shade and a Turkish towel on the door work nicely next to the polka-dot curtains and help the yellow tile stop feeling “the weird room” and start feeling like part of the home.
Here’s what we did to bring the space together:
- Painted the walls, trim, and ceiling to a fresh white.
- Frosted the window for privacy.
- Made a simple window treatment from a bold fabric remnant.
- Painted the mirror frame so it stands out more.
- Hung art over the toilet and across from the mirror.
- Added accessories to create personality and cohesion.
And here’s the budget breakdown:
- Fresh white paint for walls, ceiling, and trim (Decorators White by Benjamin Moore): $25 (quart)
- Mirror paint (Silhouette by Benjamin Moore): $0 (already owned)
- Frame and artwork above the toilet: $22 (Target frame; art was a magazine page)
- Coral fabric art in the mirror: $0 (fabric remnant and frame already on hand)
- Fabric remnant for window treatment: $4
- Window frosting film: $0 (already on hand)
- Hand towels, small plant, bath towel, and soap: $0 (already owned)
- Total spent: $51 (approximately $70 if you needed to buy mirror paint, towels, and frosting film)
All told, a few thoughtful updates and accessories transformed this tiny bathroom without major demolition or expense. Accessorizing made the biggest difference—simple, budget-friendly choices that let the room’s original character shine.
