Bathrooms are one of the most commonly used areas of the home, which makes them one of the most popular rooms for renovation.

But let's face it - even though a reno is an excellent way to give your bathroom a fresh, new look, they can get pretty expensive. Professionals usually charge tens and thousands of dollars for a full bathroom renovation, with labour costs taking up most of the budget.


That’s probably why many crafty homeowners these days are bringing themselves up to the task by going the do-it-yourself route.

Take this one woman for example.


In the 8 years that they lived in their home, Helen and her family never made any ‘drastic’ changes to their bathroom. So she decided to shake things up a little.

However, her budget was pretty limited at that time so she decided to start small first, while she and her husband are saving up for their “dream bathroom”.

Sharing on TikTok, she showed her followers how she completely transformed her bathroom space without needing to pay for any major adjustments.


The first thing she did was give her bathtub a new look.

Instead of getting a new bath or replacing the yellow plastic bath panel, Helen decided to paint it a different colour instead. She looked for inspiration online (Instagram and Pinterest) and figured that it would be best to paint it black.

“Literally all you have to do is clean it and paint it!” she said, adding that she used Zinsser AllCoat exterior paint in satin for her bathroom.

And if you’re curious about how well the painted plastic holds up against moisture, Helen said so far they haven't had any issues with water and condensation. Her kids splash it with water all the time and it’s been holding up fine.

After her bath was all dried and painted, she proceeded to “paint” her tile grout.



In another TikTok video, she demonstrated how she used grout pens to colour her tile grout, completing the new muted black-and-white look for her bathroom.

Helen also used lino to update the floor tiles and paint on the walls and door. She said all of these changes added up to only $700, which, while still a significant sum, is quite the save already!

Several of her followers on TikTok commented on her video, praising Helen for the job well done.

“This looks so good!” wrote one user. Another user commented: “You’ve done a fab job, love your bathroom!”


The design is one of the most important elements if you’re considering a bathroom renovation project. It should be based on your personal preferences, what elements you think will look best in the space, and of course, your budget.

Here are some things to consider:

• Colour scheme: Like what Helen did, the colours you will use for your bathroom renovation should work together in terms of the look you’re aiming for.
• Fixtures: Will you need completely new fixtures, such as sinks, showers and tubs, or will you keep the current ones? Knowing what to keep and what to remove will help you decide on the project’s timeline and budget.
• Storage: Will you be adding storage space during your renovation? If so, where will you add it? You might want to consider adding a few storage items too, like this one from Kmart.

Best of luck with your bathroom renovation projects, members!