Powder Room Refresh: The Before + Inspiration | $100 Room Challenge Week 1

Yes, you read that correctly. I’m sure you’re like, “she’s starting ANOTHER room?! Yes, it’s true. Ever since moving into our new home last summer, my head has been spinning with ideas for ways to transform each room in the house and truly make it feel like ours. My house project to-do list only gets longer by the day and I do tend to start and stop a lot, however, I have managed to check several rooms off the list. I’ll share more on those spaces later. But today, I am introducing you to a space that has needed some love since the day we stepped foot in the door last June. I simply couldn’t fight the urge to makeover our main floor Powder Room any longer and when I heard about the $100 Room Challenge, I knew it was the PERFECT time to jump in!

Erin from Lemons, Lavender and Laundry created the $100 Room Challenge two years ago when she set out to makeover her home room-by-room, but limited herself to spending $100 maximum and the goal was to have the completed in one month. You can read more about how she began this journey here. Earlier this year, Erin decided to invite other bloggers to participate in her “challenge” by transforming a space in their homes over 4 weeks with that same $100 budget! The thought of taking on such a task actually scares me a little bit. While I love to thrift and DIY, I know there can be significant costs when it comes to working on various spaces in your home…materials and decor add up quickly, but slap a few hours of labor costs on top and you’ve got yourself a much larger figure. Numerous bloggers have joined in and the challenge has taken off. Needless to say, people everywhere have been inspired by how far that $100 can stretch and truly impact a space. I’m talking dramatic changes and enormous improvements! Erin has done this 12 times, which means 12 rooms, you guys! So cool, right?!

Ok…Am I really ready to do this? Eeeek! We’ll see!

Alright, let’s take a peek at the before photos of our powder room and then some inspiration for how I am going to spruce up this tiny space, but not throw a ton of money at it either. Yes, this can actually be done and I am going to show you how I am going to do it or at least what my best laid plans look like!

Oh and in case you didn’t quite get the full effect…let me turn the lights on for you!

I mean…there are no words really. Yellow walls, cheap broken towel bar, the art, the mirror, you get it. It truly makes me shudder to think that our guests actually used this powder room for the last year. It is the only bathroom on the main floor for goodness sake!

However, I can reassure you that this room isn’t going to look like this for long. Things are-a-changin’!! Here are my plans…

[*Affiliate links are used below.]

baskets | black/white rug | pink abstract art | word art print | pineapple print | eyelashes print | faux flowers | vanity | gold mirror | toilet | planter + stand | roses candle | wastebasket | striped towel

Of course if I bought everything listed above I would be waaaaay over the $100 budget, but this mood board is simply serving as my inspiration for the direction I want to take the space! [You can see other mood boards I’ve created here.]

Through a few DIY projects, some thrifting [of course!], watching for sales and coupons, plus shopping my house, I am crossing my fingers and taking the plunge!

The main plans include:

• paint the walls
• paint the vanity
• update the knobs
• swap out the mirror
• switch out the artwork
• update the light fixture
• hang new hardware [towel ring & TP holder]
• place a new rug
• refresh the countertop??

So the list seems a bit daunting at the moment, but T has agreed to pitch in and help! Plus, now that the little dudes are off at school, I at least have the mornings without the littlest! Like I said, fingers crossed. Here is how this will work…Each Wednesday in September, I’ll be here with an update of how things are coming along and then the reveal at the end of the month. You can follow along on instagram, as all of us will be sharing photos there and you have the opportunity to join in as well. Just use the hashtag #100RoomChallenge! C’mon – seriously give it some thought!

I am absolutely head-over-heels for pink decor lately, so you’ll certainly be seeing more of it. I did name this project ‘Pretty in Pink‘ after all… 😉 And as soon I put the finishing touches on the Master Bedroom Refresh, you’ll be seeing some in there, too.

Don’t forget to pin for later!

Now, be sure to head down below to view the other participants’ week #1 posts!