Planning a No-Demo Bathroom Renovation
Whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, sometimes the best option for a room refresh is a no-demolition renovation. Take our main bathroom. Eventually we want to do a full gut and expansion, but with budget in mind and timeline in relation to the rest of the house projects we want to do, that is about two years down the road.
In the meantime, we are stuck with a bathroom that lacks storage, is painted a weird blue-gray color, and has a mirror and light that doesn’t fully function.
Enter the no-demo bathroom renovation! Read on to see my design process, look at three moodboard options, and my recommendations for features that will make a massive difference without having to move any plumbing or knock down any walls.
Goals for the Bathroom Refresh:
More storage
New paint color & decor
Remove builder-grade mirror + add new one
New light
Paint the vanity
Those are the general things to consider that would solve for all the current pain-points in the bathroom as it stands today. The other factor to keep in mind is the rest of the colors in the rooms surrounding the bathroom on our second floor. Now, I don’t think each room has to match - and they certainly don’t - but there should be a sense of cohesiveness throughout the house.
We have Berto’s office (dark brown & rust), our primary bedroom (light brown & blue), and my office (green & rust).
With that in mind, here are the three design plans I came up with:
Here’s what I like about this one - the wall color would be a light blue, which then would tie into the blue trim accent on the shower curtain, the bath mat, and the towels. Also I LOVE the pattern of those towels! I like the warms of the wood shelves and wicker basket. I like that the art print ties in my husband’s heritage (and adds another splash of blue). And while I normally don’t gravitate towards nickel or silver as a finish, it would tie into the existing finishes that we aren’t changing with this no-demo reno.
Disclosure: My content is reader-supported, which means that when you purchase through links on my site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more here.
Here’s what’s drawing me towards this one - I love how light and bright it feels, with the lighter accessories nicely contrasting with the black accents. Blue and green are colors used throughout our house, so I love that this one leans into that theme. The art print is so cool and feels very “us”. And that bath mat is just the coolest!
Here’s what I love about this one - that ‘Sardines’ rug! Need I say more? Also I love how this one leans slightly southwestern, which not only incorporates all the colors from upstairs but also just feels cool. I really like that light on the left from Pottery Barn. It feels elevated and modern. And the art print is so colorful and unique.
So, which one did we go with? What if I told you NONE OF THEM!
Okay, that was just for shock value. I presented all three to Berto in a formal design presentation (because that’s just how we do things in our house!!) and he was most drawn to Option A and Option B. I would have been happy with all three options, but if I’m being fully honest, A and B were my favorites too!
I decided to combine our favorite elements from each to create the final design plan:
I love it so much! And I think it’s going to be the perfect interim room until we get around to the full renovation. Two things on this design plan that were not on the original three: the mirror update and the darker green paint for the bathroom vanity, both of which will make a huge difference in there.
If you are doing your own no-demo reno, I suggest changing the paint, adding in a natural element (like the wood shelves), updating the lighting, and giving all the decor a refresh. You’ll get a new-ish room without spending a ton of money!
So for now, we are sourcing and ordering. Stay tuned for more no-demo bathroom renovation updates!
