Four bathrooms to build. Four bathrooms to design. Four bathrooms to pay for! This can add up quick when you have a (not so) secret tile obsession like I do. Where to splurge? Where to save? Where to go big? Where to play it safe? These questions spun through my mind for months while I carefully laid out – then repeatedly changed – the bathroom plans for our new house. But the time has come – my selections are finalized, and I found a way to create a beautiful and impactful bathroom for guests on a budget. Here’s how:

DIY Cabinetry

I had my heart absolutely set on adding fluted cabinets somewhere in our new house. Yes, this is a pretty big trend right now but it is a trend with art deco and classic roots, which means it is a trend that will always have my heart. One problem: custom fluted cabinets are crazy expensive. The quote we got for a 48″ vanity was over $2k – NOT including the sink or slab! I wasn’t about to spend that much on a guest bathroom that won’t even see daily use – so I put on my DIY hat and got scheming. I was seriously inspired by console-style vanities with fluted accents on the drawers. So I found a simple vanity at Lowes with a similar drawer shape that was well within budget. Bonus points – it came with a sink and beautiful marble top! I plan on adding fluted molding to the drawer fronts and painting the entire vanity a beautiful greige – Plymouth Rock by Benjamin Moore, the same color we plan on painting the trim throughout our house. I can’t wait to bring this DIY to life, and will be sure to share a cost breakdown and step-by-step when it’s done!

I love the fluted detail on this beautiful vanity from Lindsay.C.Designs 

Cheap Tile; Bold Execution

It’s true. I LOVE tile. Nothing makes me happier than filling my tiled spaces with interesting shapes, patterns and colors. But when you’re planning 4 bathrooms at a time… and you’re on a budget…. you have to make sacrifices. Luckily, this doesn’t HAVE to affect the aesthetics of your bathroom if you do it right. I found irregular-shaped, textured, elongated white subway tile for 98cents a square foot. You read that right – 98cents a square foot! It isn’t the most interesting on it’s own, but by laying it in a vertically stacked pattern with black trim stripes in between, it will make a statement and be anything but boring. I also found textured black 10×20 tiles on clearance from Bedrosians for the bathroom floor – we will lay this in a 90 degree herringbone pattern. This pattern is made up of right angles in a step pattern, meaning there is less cutting therefor it is a bit cheaper to lay than a traditional herringbone pattern. The combination of the “striped” shower and large format herringbone floors will take this black and white discount tile to the next level – I doubt anyone would ever guess the materials cost less than $500 for a 150 sq foot space!

This shower detail from The Lifestyled Co totally inspired me!

A Semi-Custom Entrance

Custom shower doors are EXPENSIVE. If you’re lucky enough to be renovating your bathroom or building from scratch, I’ll give you this piece of advice: pick standard dimensions for your entrance. In fact, pick your shower door out ahead of time on Lowes, Home Depot, Overstock or Wayfair, and THEN choose the dimensions for your shower entrance. This doesn’t mean your shower has to be basic or boring. In fact, few people realize this but my last bathroom renovation was built around a standard shower door! This time, I have something a little more straight-forward planned. I found this inexpensive brushed brass shower door and had my builder cut the drywall so it will fit the space from left to right perfectly. So the shower will actually be like a little room – all tiled in on the sides of the glass and above it. And don’t forget the arch I had cut – just for something extra special.

Sconces  |  Mirror  |  Shower Door  |  Subway Tile  |  Trim Tile  |  Shower Head  |  Floor Tile  |  Faucet  |  Vanity  |  Fluted Trim

I can’t believe I’m going to say this… but this bathroom design is tugging at me as my FAVORITE in our entire new build. I love the classic black and white and the feminine touches. I’m so excited to see it take shape – be sure and follow along this weekend as I tackle the vanity DIY!