On TikTok, the #bathroommakeover hashtag has over 1 billion views. Scroll through the videos and two things become apparent. First, be it a subtle refresh or a complete overhaul, TikTok creators have so many clever bathroom remodel ideas. Second, while some creativity may be necessary, breaking the bank is not.
“For many homeowners, myself included, a full-on renovation isn’t always feasible,” says Phoenix-based content creator Lidia Salazar, who goes by @everyday_homedecor. Salazar recommends mini makeovers, which she says are ”a fantastic way of making the best with what we have.”
Julian Thomas, of Brooklyn, known on TikTok as @marfastewart, echoes that sentiment. “Let’s be frank: Bathroom updates can be pricey.” For DIYers on a budget, he recommends “focusing on elements that you can change by yourself and in a day,” like doorknobs, sink fixtures, and vanity lights.
Here, a closer look at four of the most inspiring, wallet-friendly bathroom remodel ideas on TikTok, plus tips for recreating them at home.
1. Choose decorative tweaks with a big impact
For renters or DIY’ers on a budget, Salazar says “don’t underestimate the power of decorative styling in your bathroom. Simply adding some decorative pieces like a statement vase with floral stems, framed art prints, and a beautifully textured hand towel can make such a difference.”
With a bit more effort, you can create visual interest with minimal budget and effort. When Salazar set out to makeover her home’s powder bathroom, changing out mirrors, light fixtures and faucets was a total game changer. And, with over 147k views of her mini makeover, her viewers agree. “Getting rid of the 1980s builder-grade mirror was the biggest aesthetic change,” Salazar explained. A fresh coat of paint in a moody color added some much needed contrast to the space. Swapping out the outdated light fixture and faucet for some modern options also made a big impact.
2. Lean into your bathroom’s existing quirks
In a perfect world, we’d all begin our remodels with a carte blanche. So, what happens when your starting point is more like carte Pepto-Bismol? That’s the challenge that Julian Thomas, aka @marfastewart, faced when he decided to makeover his very pink bathroom. The decor expert and “internet’s favorite homeboy” said that, while the bathroom’s original design had a lot of old-school charm, it was a little too dated. “It reminded me of the communal bathrooms in my old college dorm.” But rather than tearing it all down, Thomas decided to lean into the bathroom’s existing quirks, including those pink-hued wall tiles.
To get started, Thomas removed the shower’s sliding doors and all of the old fixtures he wanted to replace. He spray-painted the shower door a matte black, “to give it a more modern finish,” then painted the walls and ceilings. “The color choice was a little challenging considering I didn’t want to paint over the vintage pink tile, but I did need to find a color combo that suited my personal style,” Thomas says. Sage green turned out to be a smart complement.
Next, he installed new sink fixtures, cabinet pulls, and a vanity light. Finally, he gave the floor tiles a fresh coat of paint and finished the space with decorative touches and bathroom essentials.
Thomas’s bathroom refresh, viewed over 386k times, and budgeted at $500 no less, is a vote of confidence for aspiring DIY’ers: Any space can become sleek with a bit of creative thinking. Rather than fighting your old bathroom’s existing quirks, imagine how you can embrace them.
3. Make permanent decorations impermanent
Leave it to home decor pro Drew Scott, aka @lonefoxhome, to create an enviably cozy and stylish bathroom—for just $350. The Los Angeles DIY expert’s recent small rental bathroom makeover is a lesson in the impact of crafty DIY touches—the linen Roman window shades, the slide-out vanity, and paintable wallpaper—all look like permanent fixtures, but aren’t.
“In this particular bathroom, I created my own peel-and-stick wallpaper by using temporary painters tape meant for long-term projects,” Scott says. “The bottom half of the wall was completely covered in the tape, and that allowed me to apply a textured permanent paintable wallpaper on top to give the look of paneling.” Never one to go halfway, Scott applied a fresh coat of paint in Halo (OC-46) by Benjamin Moore to the faux paneling and finished it off with some trim in the same creamy shade.
“Thinking outside the box in small spaces is always fun because it’s a space you’re not ‘living’ in, but instead a place you go in every now and then,” Scott says. The bathroom is the perfect place to flex your creative design muscle—even on the cheap.
4. Try peel-and-stick flooring for a quick revamp
Oakland artist Faith Cao, who goes by @faithcaoculator on TikTok, said she had been wanting to redo her bathroom flooring for a while when she figured out a rental- and budget-friendly way to achieve a quick revamp: peel-and-stick flooring tiles.
In a recent TikTok video viewed over 844k times, Cao offers an overview of the process. First, she recommends removing everything from the floor and cleaning it thoroughly. If you’re renting, Cao suggests adding a protective layer to the floor. (She used a granite contact paper leftover from another project.)
For the DIY peel-and-stick tiling process, start by laying out the tiles before applying them to ensure you have enough to cover the entire floor. Remove and save the paper backing of the tiles that fit squarely on the floor; use it to trace any irregularly shaped areas. Then, use the pattern over new tiles and cut out the shape with a precision knife or scissors. Finally, fit-test the tiles and use scissors to trim off any excess. Cao uses foam window-seal strips to cover uneven edges or imperfect cuts.