I have always been a design geek. I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t trying to put my personal stamp on my living spaces, DIY’ing something I couldn’t find or couldn’t afford to buy, and last year where we renovated a distressed property into an Airbnb. A Life Unfolding is where I share design, decor, DIY’s, and all things home.

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Hello!

Today, I am sharing the latest project at the Little Green Cottage. Our Small Cottage Bathroom renovation is completed, and I can’t wait to share all the pretty details!

Let’s start at the beginning.

*This post may contain affiliate links.

Before Pics:

If you are new here, please note that this bathroom is in pretty decent shape for us! We tend to take on some awful properties. We planned to take the bathroom back to the studs as we knew we had some mold and termite issues to address, so we planned for it early.

Before pic of a small cottage bathroom renovation.

Before pic of bathtub before renovation.

Once the demo began, I pulled together a mood board. The bathroom is very small (as is the entire cottage), so we stayed within the original footprint. I debated going with a walk-in shower here because the space is so small, but we will add a larger shower in a wet room in the primary bath, so I am keeping the tub. I will add a deeper tub for some added comfort.

Mood board for small cottage bathroom renovation featuring a green bath cabinet.

Renovating a small cottage bathroom:

The Budget:

Luckily, the footprint is small, as my budget is too! We set aside 3,500 for this renovation and came in a little under that. Of course, that is because we DIYed everything except some minor plumbing repairs.

Drywall and supplies $200.00
Cement board for shower $130.00
Red guard $75.00
Ceiling boards $145.00
Tub $310.00
Shower Tile $600.00
Shower Head kit $200.00
Floor Tile $285.00
Cabinet $289.00
Faucet $119
Fan $89.00
Light fixtures $99.00
Wallpaper (this was gifted but would have been $250.00)
Toilet $199.00
Window $185.00
Paint $30.00
Moulding $35.00
Mirror $50.00
Shower rod $30.00
Shower curtain $50.00

Time Frame:

We gave ourselves three weeks to get the space completed. It took us closer to four as we had a few delays with some of the finishes.

Getting the work done:

First up was to add a wood ceiling (and we were excited to gain six inches of ceiling height in the corner of the shower). Every inch makes a difference in such a small space.

Shiplap we used on the bathroom ceiling of our cottage.

Once the ceiling was complete, it was tile time. After several plot twists involving some tile samples for the shower, I elected to go with a basic white subway and white grout in a stacked pattern to add a more modern feel.

Tiling a small cottage bathroom with classic white subway tile in a stacked pattern.

For the floor we went with a larger format tile in white and grey. I have used this tile in previous renovations, and it is easily installed and holds up well.

Classic white subway tile in a small cottage shower.

Because I love all things green and the rest of the cottage is filled with greens and blues, it works here. I chose a green cabinet with a gold faucet and built the color palette from there. Pretty wallpaper was always in the plan for the cottage, and I wanted to put some in this bathroom that would both make a statement and feel neutral. This wallpaper from A-street Prints does both and, as a bonus, adds a touch of texture.