Once Danae Freihoff of The Homebody House decided it was finally time to update her guest bathroom, she had an assortment of budget bathroom decorating ideas in mind. “We went into the makeover with the intent of spending as little time and money as possible while achieving a look that would hold us over until we had the budget for a bigger renovation,” she explains.

With little more than some leftover paint and a handful of clever DIY ideas, Danae transformed the outdated guest bathroom into a chic, guest-ready space for a grand total of $400. “We didn't do any major renovations and worked to update the builder's basic features using supplies we already had on hand,” she says.

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Curious how you can pull off an amazing small bathroom makeover without breaking your bank account? We asked Danae to share her favorite budget small bathroom ideas and decorating tips — this is what she had to say.

1. Work with what you already have.

Since Danae’s main objective was to revamp the guest bathroom on a limited budget, she decided to use leftover paint she found in the garage. “The color palette was pre-determined by whatever we already had,” she explains. “I always have black and white paint on hand—because those are my classic go-to colors — and I pulled an old can of green paint to use on the vanity that is actually our exterior trim color for a fun pop of color in the bathroom,” she explains.

2. Create cohesiveness with paint.

To create consistency throughout the house, Danae opted to paint the walls of the guest bathroom in the same shade of creamy off-white that she used in the living room: Timeless. “I think when designing your home it's important to curate the colors you use and create what I like to call your ‘home's paint palette’,” she says. “Whenever you can repeat colors it makes for a cohesive home that flows from one room to the next versus rooms that feel disjointed or jarring from the rest of the space.”

3. Paint more than just your walls.

A little paint can go a long way when updating any space, so follow Danae’s lead and add it to your list of budget small bathroom ideas. “We used paint to not only freshen up the walls, but we painted the vanity a pale olive green, and the mirror, towel ring and toilet paper holder all got sprayed flat black. But the most dramatic change came when we completely transformed the tile floors with paint too,” she explains. “We used a specialty floor paint to paint the travertine tile that I never loved and then went back over and hand painted a flower detail with a small artist brush. Using mostly paint for this makeover saved us hundreds of dollars and will hold us over until we can rip it all out and install new.”

4. Shop your home (for free).

Once the walls, floor and accent furnishings were painted, Danae integrated decor elements she already had on hand at home to energize the guest bathroom for free. “When it came to the functional items of the bathroom, such as the hooks, knobs, and soap dispenser, I pulled from my personal decor stash to style the space,” she explains. “I also downloaded free art for the frames and repurposed an old pair of curtains to make an extra-long shower curtain instead of spending lots of money on a custom one.”

5. Incorporate inexpensive but impactful guest-ready details.

After all the functional decor items were in place, Danae added a handful of inexpensive yet impactful guest-ready pieces to ensure the bathroom felt inviting. “A nice hand towel and some fancy soap (even if it's inexpensive soap in a pretty bottle) go a long way to welcome guests,” she says. “Fresh flowers or a candle are always a good idea too!”

Related: Rack up even more budget small bathroom ideas! Read 6 Small Bathroom Remodel Ideas to Master a Nautical Look and get inspired!