Bathroom with Shiplap (Rustic Bathroom Makeover)

I gave our main bathroom a budget-friendly makeover by adding shiplap to the wall, adding concrete to the vanity countertop, painting everything, and making a new towel rack and storage from rustic vintage finds.

The final reveal is here!  I took our blah main bathroom – where all four of the family members shower, brush our teeth, do all that daily bathroom “stuff” – and turned it into a functional space that we actually enjoy. Welcome to our new rustic bathroom with shiplap wall!

Here’s where we started a short six weeks ago.

before photo bathroom

Which brings me to how our bathroom looks today. Adding whitewashed shiplap to the bathroom wall totally changed the look of the room. I think it gives it a rustic look but also lightens up the room too.

bathroom with shiplap plank wall on a budget

Besides the fact that the room is finished, I have quite a few things to celebrate!  The tile and grout look 38 times better.  We now have enough room to hang our towels without the bar falling off the wall.  Our four toothbrushes and three different kinds of toothpaste can finally stop cluttering up the counter.  Speaking of the counter, it’s not an ugly plastic black any longer.  Our faucet doesn’t leak from both the hot and cold water handles.  The room now has a little bit of charm and style, at least in my opinion.  I spent less than $200.

bathroom wall with shiplap that has been stained and whitewashed

The whitewashed plank wall is still my favorite feature, and it was so easy and inexpensive to make and install!

white washed wood plank wall in bathroom

It was so fun to look through my stash of things that didn’t sell at the last market I sold at and “shop” for items to use in my bathroom.

DIY cubby hole in the wall

I built a nook in the wall to hold our toothpaste and toothbrushes to keep the clutter off the counter.

In order to make it feel like I had a new vanity, I painted it with General Finishes Milk Paint in equal parts Driftwood, Coastal Blue and Seagull Gray and lined the drawers and bottom of the cabinet with leftover fabric.

This concrete “faux marble” counter top is my favorite project in the room.  I took that ugly black counter top and created this look for less than $35 with concrete and grout colorant.

Towel rack with antique glass door knobs| Vintage Rustic Industrial Bathroom Makeover for $200

Now we have enough room for all of our towels, and even one for a guest. Here’s how I made this rustic industrial towel rack with antique glass doorknobs.

whitewash plank wall | Vintage Rustic Industrial Bathroom Makeover for $200

I don’t know what this hook was originally used for, but now it holds a hand towel.

Stained glass window | Vintage Rustic Industrial Bathroom Makeover for $200

My dad found four of these windows in an attic he was clearing out.  I originally took one to hang above my sink in our kitchen window, but never got around to hanging it.  So for now, it’s tucked in the wall space behind the door.

bathroom storage with old glass jars to hold small items in the bathroom

Those are old salsa, applesauce, and pasta sauce jars, topped off with vintage knobs I’ve found at flea markets along the way.  I reused old glass jars to make this easy DIY bathroom storage. The little pink glass creamer jar will hold jewelry and hair bands before baths and showers.

antique wood box in bathroom for unique ideas for storage above toilet in bathroom

I found this crate at an estate sale last spring and had it out at all of my pop-up markets this summer (for $12, which I thought was a reasonable price), but it never sold.  I’ve always loved the lettering on the side, so I’m really glad no one else took it home because now it has a permanent home in my bathroom.

barn light in bathroom | Vintage Rustic Industrial Bathroom Makeover for $200

I just love how the wall turned out.  I originally planned to only put the plank wall on the small wall behind the door.  My husband, of all people, told me that was silly, and I needed to “go big or go home”.  I use this phrase all the time, but my husband is never one to utter those words, especially on a home improvement project.  I’m sure glad he did, though!  We both love it, and that’s all that really matters around here.

Click on the image for a step by step tutorial of the project:

In case you’d like to use an of these products on your own home, here is a rundown of what went into the space.

This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

White Washed Plank Wall

Vanity and Counter Top

Floor and Walls

Accessories

  • Barn light (Lowes) (here’s a similar one) – $40
  • Pine wood plank and white barn wood – free from wood piles!
  • Rope Cleats – $12
  • Antique glass door knobs – $3 each (you can find reproduction ones here)
  • Label holders – $3
  • Vintage goodies – I picked up most of these at garage sales or estate sales.  I don’t think I paid more than $2 for any of the items I used in the room.  Total – $10

Total Cost: $208

I sold my old bathroom set and the picture frame that used to hang over our toilet for $25, so you better believe I subtracted that from my total bathroom makeover cost!

Making the grand total $183.

complete bathroom makeover cheap and inexpensive with shiplap wall and DIY countertop
Bathroom Makeover for $200

This was one of my first room makeovers and while I’m still DIYing everything, I’ve come a long way in my design and the types of projects I’m able to complete. You can see all of my room reveals here.

And 7 years after this budget friendly makeover, I did a full gut renovation of the space! You can see that vintage, yet modern bathroom remodel here.

 

Jenny at Refresh Living (dev.refreshliving.com)

Post by Jenny Leads

Jenny is the voice behind Refresh Living. She has a passion for helping people to create a home they love without spending a lot of money.

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36 Comments

  1. That plank wall is beyond amazing!! I love how it turned out! Your bathroom is adorable! I love the towel rack! Amazing job!

  2. Hi Jenny, your bathroom redo came out awesome! Love that plank wall. Good thing you did the entire wall…it came out wonderful. Love all the rustic and industrial elements you added in this space. So impressed that you did this for such a small budget. Congrats on finishing this challenge!

  3. This is such a great transformation. From boring and bland to rustic and pretty. You did a great job and I love all of the little touches. The light fixture is very pretty and the crate used as a shelf is also neat. But my favorite has to be the hooks which are very original.

  4. I love this! One of these days I’ll be finished with my bathroom too, I used the same barn light from Lowes! Great work, it looks fantastic.

    1. Thanks, Kris! I think the countertop is still one of my favorite parts of the room, and it’s especially awesome because we can finally use the sink again!

  5. Love the plank wall! Can’t wait to see the tutorial on that. Love the light and towel hangers. You did a great job and stay within budget.

    1. Thanks Tiffany! I’ll share a tutorial soon, but using plywood helped to keep the cost down (but hopefully it doesn’t look too much like plywood!)

  6. I am loving your wall! I adore all of the rustic, vintage touches in your bathroom. It looks great!

  7. Wow!!! I love SO many things about this bathroom. Let’s start with your vanity makeover! I cannot wait to see how you did that! It looks awesome. I look the plank wall and the crates and your jars topped with knobs. Ah-mazing!

    1. Hi Dorothy! I’m going to be devoting a whole post to the countertop very soon. I will email you the link once it’s up. Then, if you have other questions, I can definitely try to help out!

  8. I love your wall! I’ve been wanting to do this in a bathroom for quite some time, but don’t know how. Do you have a tutorial?

    1. Hi Jennifer! Thanks so much – I’m glad you like it. I have all the pictures ready to write a tutorial that will be posted in the next couple of weeks!

  9. I absolutely love the transformation! The plank wall is fabulous. One question … What did you do with the tub surround? It looks like subway tile, but I’m certain it’s not since that would up the cost considerably. You didn’t mention what you used. I need to revamp my dated bathroom and you gave me some good ideas.

    1. Hi Christina. Yeah, the bathtub stayed as is. It’s an acrylic tub surround and in decent shape, so I’m going to extend its life for a few more years. However, when I did my other bathroom, it was a complete gut, so I had to replace the tub tile. White ceramic subway tile is a very budget friendly option. I think I tiled the entire tub surround (up to the ceiling) for a little over $100. Best of luck on your bathroom!

  10. Gorgeous!! I love the transformation of this bathroom! Isn’t it amazing how changing a few things out and changing some paint colors totally make a huge difference??!! Great job!!

  11. Hey Jenny. Love the new bath. I think your pink creamer is Depression glass. Looks very cute with your jars.