Bathroom re-do under $250

Really there wasn't anything wrong with that small little bathroom off the side of the kitchen. My large bathroom upstairs is the one I want to really remodel....starting with painting the double sink cabinet. Pinterest says painting the cabinet is possible, but I really didn't know if it was within my reach. So I thought I would 'test drive' cabinet painting on my downstairs bathroom. And that is where it all began. I started with this:



Before

Before

Fixtures before

The first thing I did was to sand the cabinets.  I removed the hardware and doors for this step.  Then I gave the cabinets two good coats of primer.  I waited a day between each coat.  Then I got to painting them.  The best part is that up until this step, I have spent $0.  The primer and paint were both found in the garage, leftover from past projects.  I'm not sure if it was because the paint was old, or if it's just the type of paint I used, but I had to use 4 coats of paint (using a mini roller and brush for crevices) to cover the primer.  While waiting between coats, I found other things to keep me occupied....like painting my chrome (I HATE chrome) fixtures with oil rubbed bronze spray paint.  I painted the toilet paper holder, towel holder, and light fixture above the sink.  The only prep I did prior to painting these items was thoroughly washing and drying them.  Technically I think I was supposed to sand and probably prime before painting, but I rationalize that the things I was painting get very little direct contact.  Now that my cabinets were painted, put back together and looking spectacular, I couldn't stop looking at that ugly mirror.  Off to Lowe's I went, and came out with two sheets of 2X2 tiles.  Once home, I took the tiles off the backing, and using clear silicone, affixed the tiles to the outside of the mirror.  Price so far, $4 for spray paint, and $14 for the tile.  $18 total.  I really should have been thrilled with it and let it go...but then...I decided to replace the sink.  You can see from the before picture that the sink is really tiny and has no counter space.  Back to Lowe's I went, and picked up a piece of aspen wood.  Once home, I removed the sink and cut the Aspen wood to fit on top of the existing vanity and extend to the wall on either side.  Using scraps of wood and trim, I added tiny shelves on either side of the vanity under the countertop, allowing enough room to store toilet paper. Lastly, I installed a new vessel sink and faucet.




AFTER

BEFORE

Material Costs:
Spray paint $4
Tile $14
Countertop $18
Vessel Sink: $80
Faucet: $89
New Towels: $18
Total cost: $223