The Plan: Renovate Later, Make It Good Now
We’ve planned a full renovation for our master bathroom for years. It’s tiny, awkward, and absolutely on the list. But waiting for “someday” didn’t mean it had to stay boring.
Small bathrooms can still be sexy. So instead of leaving it bare until renovation day, I gave it a Phase One makeover—something intentional, affordable, and fun enough to hold us over.
You can see what the bathroom looked like before in this post here.
The Risky Idea: Painting Striped Walls
I saw a photo on Instagram—perfect striped wallpaper, instant drama. I loved the look but didn’t love the price tag, especially knowing we’ll eventually gut the space.
So I did what any confident-but-delusional DIY person does:
I’ll just paint the stripes.
This was incredibly tedious. Painfully tedious. My back is still mad at me. But the result? Completely worth it. The stripes turned this small bathroom into a statement without committing to wallpaper we’ll eventually remove.
Will I ever do this again? No.
Do I love how it looks? Unfortunately, yes.
The Cubby Glow-Up (A Redemption Story)
There’s a weird little cubby in this bathroom. I don’t know what it was meant for, but we’ve always used it as visible storage—which made it an eyesore. A clutter portal. A vibe killer.
Instead of ignoring it, I styled it on purpose:
- a faux plant
- a basket
- neatly folded washcloths
Now it looks intentional. Elevated. Reformed.
Storage That Works and Looks Good
This cabinet was exactly what I needed. It holds my skincare, hides the chaos, and actually adds to the room instead of distracting from it.
I originally planned to swap the lighting and medicine cabinet, but once the striped walls were finished, I liked how they looked. Sometimes the right backdrop changes everything—and saves you money.
Personal Art Makes It Feel Like Home
The small flower painting is by my best friend, who is incredibly talented. Adding original artwork—even in a bathroom—instantly makes the space feel layered and personal.
Budget-Friendly Floors That Don’t Look Like a Compromise
The flooring is peel-and-stick tile, the same pattern I used in the laundry room but in a different color (I’ll link that post too). It’s affordable, easy to install, and completely transformed the room without permanent commitment.
The baskets do their job quietly—hiding everything I don’t want to see every day.
The Showstopper: A Shower Curtain That Actually Matters
The real star of this Phase One bathroom makeover is the shower curtain from Two Pages.
It has memory shape, which I didn’t know existed—but now I’m obsessed. The curtain holds its structure, hangs perfectly, and instantly elevates the entire space. No sad sagging. No floppy fabric. Just clean lines and a polished look.
The color is rich, the fabric feels substantial, and it somehow makes the whole bathroom feel finished—even though this is very much Phase One.
You can also get 22% off if you decide to try it yourself— head over here to see the beautiful selections (use code MEGANFREEMAN).
Why Phase One Matters
This makeover proves you don’t need a full renovation to make a small bathroom feel special. A few bold choices, some patience (and back pain), and one really great shower curtain can completely change how a space feels.
Phase Two will come eventually. But for now, this bathroom feels intentional—and that’s the goal.
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