Pakistani Inspired Guest Bathroom Remodel Before and After

It’s time I inundated you guys with my guest bathroom remodel before and after photos! This bathroom makeover took a few months to wrap up but it ended right in time for our guests. If you’re looking for hosting tips, check out that post here. Or if you’re still in that post holiday slump, shun the guests and focus on some much needed kitchen organization instead. (Shameless blog post plugging). And now, without further ado, let’s look at the before and then all the afters for some bathroom remodel inspiration.

Before: Boring Builder Grade Bathroom

Okay there’s nothing wrong with this bathroom EXCEPT, that it lacks personality. It lacks flavor and color and warmth and oh my goodness the gray tile is giving 2000s millennial core aesthetic. The sad gray tones that we all are so used to seeing from the 2000s which have no place in my house. Give me all the colors and patterns please! Especially for a small space like a small guest bathroom or a powder room you want to inject personality and set the tone.

Similar Frames | Wall Hooks

My inspiration that kicked off this bathroom remodel was a DIY hand painted block print style wallpaper. It reminds me of my childhood – perusing block print shops with my mom in Pakistan and customizing our outfits piece by piece. Just like the Pakistani outfit ensemble, this bathroom makeover also happened piece by piece. One design decision at a time which I don’t recommend for the faint hearted! Please have clear-ish design plans before beginning a bathroom remodel and certainly don’t decide to rip out existing tile halfway through. Lesson learned.

What was the most transformative project for a bathroom remodel?

Floor Tile | Liner Tile Slate Blue | Wall Tile in 1×6 Straight Sheet Set

Replacing the tile turned out to be one of the most transformative projects for this guest bathroom remodel. That gray tile wasn’t doing the space any favors and the white porcelain penny tile was inexpensive and adding a slate blue liner tile on the border added that pizazz it needed. It’s details like the blue liner tile that really take the design up a notch and separate it from your average bathroom remodel. It didn’t add too much to the cost but really elevated the look.

How can I make my guest bathroom nicer?

Faucet | Hand Soap | Brass Outlet Cover

Adding elegant bathroom accessories is a much more inexpensive way to make your guest bathroom look nicer and wow your guests. The gold trash can and yep, you guessed it, the gold toilet bowl brush of all things, are pretty accents to the space. Consider adding a freestanding toilet paper holder to avoid drilling into the tile or cabinetry. Adding a beautiful hand soap bottle, diffuser and a nice tissue box cover are all great ways to add finishing touches.

You don’t have to paint your own DIY wallpaper like I did to get this look – I’m just extra – and you can get block print style wallpaper as well. If you have the budget for it, adding tile to the walls is another way to add personality to the bathroom.

Fariha’s Design Tips

Think chunky chair rail, bold baseboards and accent tiles.

What’s behind the shower curtain?

Pakistani Inspired Guest Bathroom Remodel

Mirror | Sconces | Vanity

Great question! I have not yet tackled the tub area and I plan on replacing it in the coming months and creating a walk-in shower situation. I have old parents who stay with us for a few months out of the year and getting in and out of a tub isn’t exactly fun for them. I plan on continuing the same wall tile and adding a glass shower door so stay tuned for that! Currently I have a floor to ceiling extra tall shower curtain which is a cost-effective way to hide the old wall tile there!

Can you renovate a bathroom for $10,000?

Toilet | Trash Can | Toilet Bowl Brush | Toilet Paper Holder | Diffuser | Shower Curtain

You can most definitely renovate a bathroom for $10,000. For a roughly 7×9 size bathroom my floor tile cost me $300 and labor for replacing it was about $500. The wall tile, vanity, mirror and toilet were gifted as part of sponsored content but I love the idea of thrifting cabinets and repurposing them as vanities and you can get great looking bathroom fixtures on a budget.