After a $2,500 Reno, This “Murky Brown” Bathroom Feels 2x as Bright
If you’re renovating a home down to the studs, you might find treasures in the walls, like photos, razor blades (read the fascinating history here), newspapers, or old architectural plans. When Brenna was renovating her bathroom, she found a stud with a note that said “John was here, 2003,” which clued her into when the bathroom was last updated.
“I’ll give John credit; he used quality materials, and his choices were definitely on-trend for the time,” Brenna says. “But in 2025, the room left something to be desired.” In particular, Brenna disliked the “murky brown” 12×12 ceramic tiles. The grout made them look dirty, and the dark color made the already small space feel crowded, she says.
With the help of her parents, she gave the bathroom a bright makeover for 2025 — and for about $2,500.
The shower tile was the biggest undertaking.
The first step was zeroing in on a design from dozens of Pinterest inspiration photos. “Once the vision was set, my mom and I demoed the shower tile!” Brenna says. “My mom was a champ, helping me take the shower down to the studs while making sure my beloved bathtub stayed protected. After that came the real marathon: tiling.”
Brenna and her mom, Beth, and her dad, Keith, worked on tiling the shower walls every night after work for a week, and she says the white subway tile made the biggest difference in the reno. “Running it nearly to the ceiling helps show off the 9-foot ceilings and makes the shower feel so much taller and brighter,” she says. “It’s a tiny bathroom, but now it feels like it has some breathing room.”
There were several DIY firsts for Brenna: cutting cement board, waterproofing it, laying tile, and grouting, and she says the grout was the most time-consuming part.
The floor tile adds a vintage vibe.
“Once the shower was finally done (and our sleep schedules had recovered), my dad and I moved on to the floor,” she says. The floor tile is from The Home Depot and “feels like a modern take on vintage,” Brenna says. “The larger format of the tile makes it feel more modern while the shape and colors are a nod to vintage tile.”
The house itself is somewhat vintage (built in the 1930s), and nothing is level or square. “It took some puzzle solving to get things prepped,” Brenna says. “After another long week of late-night tiling, the floor was done.”
A new vanity and hardware complete the bathroom.
The rest of the transformation was all about modernizing touches: Behr’s Chic Gray paint, a vanity from The Home Depot, matte black hardware, a more modern vanity light, fresh paint on the walls and cabinet, and putting back the baseboards.
“I really considered adding a vintage medicine cabinet, but ran out of time,” Brenna says. “I can never have enough storage, so it’s always on the wish list!” Even with the old (now painted) medicine cabinet, Brenna loves her mostly new bathroom.
“It’s amazing how many resources are out there for people trying to DIY their home renovations,” she says. “You’ll be amazed at how much you can learn!” And she left a little note behind for the next person who renovates this bathroom, too. She added her own name and date to the same stud as John, “so in 20 years when someone’s redoing my design, they’ll uncover both of us!” she says.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.