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The $20 (Temporary) Bathroom Makeover

By lilybee

created on: 07/08/08
I'm going to come right out and say it. I HATE our bathroom with a fiery passion. After living with it for a year-and-a-bit I decided that something had to be done.  Now my first choice would have been to rip it out, burn the pieces and salt the earth, cursing all the while. Trouble is this is a rental, and the agency might have a problem with that.

Here's the before and after shots:



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Note the ill advised blue paint on the 70's medicine cabinet doors and the 40 million miles of impossible-to-clean floor grout.

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Here's what I used:

A few self adhesive vinyl floor tiles. ($8 worth from the Dollarama)

a new shower curtain.

8 Placemats and some glue to make new slidey doors for the cabinets. (2 for a $ from the Dollarama)

First I did the floor, using instructions that I found here. I cleaned the tiles with bleach then vinegar, cause of the whole sticky Vs. Dirt thing. Then I popped the new tiles straight over top of the old ones. It's probably easier if you don't get a small dog to help you.

created on: 07/09/08

 

Next came the cabinets, after experimenting with some contact paper I decided to write off the old doors and start from scratch.

I made new doors from Bamboo placemats glued onto stiffer plastic placemats.

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Using the old door as a template I chopped the placemats to size glued them together .

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Then I jammed the whole 'door' into the slot that the old door came out of. These are light enough that they don't need doorknobs.

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Lastly I bunged a plant in there and folded some towels.

It's not perfect, but I no longer feel the need to sack it like Carthage. And, like my kitchen, it can still be returned to it's former hideous state should the need arise.

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July 09, 2008
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About: Decorating on a teeny budget is my thing. Recycling and Reusing and Repurposing are my...


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BethanyBlah

September 25, 2008

What a difference $20 made! The million little tiles were cute, but I can immediately imagine the sort of headache involved in even TRYING to make them look halfway clean. Now picturing your pebble mat in there, I can see it as a delicious little space that one could really relax in now! Good work. :)

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CyKatt

July 11, 2008

Hey it looks great now! Very creative I love the placemat idea!

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nollidge

July 09, 2008

Nice!  I'll have to steal the bamboo placemat idea to replace the sliding doors on my ugly old blond wood headboard.

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DIY Maven

July 09, 2008

Very clever! And all for 20 bucks no less....