Inside Alyssa’s DIY Bathroom Makeover: A Designer’s Budget-Friendly Retreat

Welcome to the behind-the-scenes DIY remodel of an interior designer’s home.

I’ve lived in my house for about four and a half years, and during that time, I’ve completed many home projects—DIY style. Like all of my clients, I work within a budget. As a single homeowner who also happens to do this professionally, I’m fortunate to have access to the industry and some amazing pricing. But I think we can all agree—labor costs are wild!

Now, there’s definitely truth to the saying “you get what you pay for,” and I firmly believe in compensating professionals for their expertise. But there’s also a sense of enjoyment and confidence that comes from doing things yourself. There’s just something about putting your own hands to work in your home that feels so rewarding.

My first big project was my guest bathroom. I ripped out the flooring, removed the vanity, plumbing, and lighting, and replaced it all with new pieces. It was my first time doing any sort of plumbing—replacing a toilet, installing light fixtures, etc.—and honestly, it was intimidating. I think anyone would feel that way stepping into something brand new. Needless to say, I was jumping for joy (and maybe screaming a little) when the water filled the toilet tank and the lights actually turned back on!

Flash forward four years, and my primary bathroom was the only untouched space in my home. It felt completely disconnected from the rest of the house. For someone like me—who deeply values cohesion and flow in a home—this was frustrating. But I also knew this project would be a financial commitment and time-consuming. About two years ago, I gave the space a quick “refresh”—painting the vanity, swapping the faucet and lighting, updating the mirrors, and even using Rust-Oleum’s floor paint to stencil over the tile. Was it my dream bathroom? No. But was it “good enough” for the time being? Sure.

As time went on and the savings for this project grew, I was finally ready to dive in. I was beyond excited—and fully committed to taking this on myself.

Now, if you’re a designer or can imagine a designer’s perspective, you’ll understand how hard it is to make decisions for your own home—especially when you're designing stunning bathrooms for others on the regular. It’s even harder to choose within a limited budget when you know exactly what your dream bathroom would cost. Sometimes, what you want just isn’t realistic—or at least not right now. I still found ways to include natural stone in key areas, just in a different (more budget-friendly) form. I still achieved that serene “spa” feeling I was aiming for, using a mix of high and low products—from a vanity at Home Depot to lighting from Hudson Valley and tile from Bedrosians. That mix of high-low is something I always seek in my designs.

The Project Itself.
To make this manageable, I broke the renovation into two phases. Phase one focused on the shower, which allowed me to keep the vanity and flooring functional while living in the home. The demo? Easy. But building the new shower? That was the heavy lift. It involved moving water lines for new fixtures, building a pony wall, creating a niche, and constructing an interior bench. Then came the tile work.

I’ve done tile before and usually enjoy it, but this was next-level. Vertical tile requires serious precision and patience—and I decided to go with mitered edges (yes, I know, crazy!). It took 18 days just to finish the tile, sometimes working 8+ hour days. It genuinely felt like a second full-time job.

For phase two, it was time to rip out the floor tile and replace the vanity. The demo was more challenging this time because the thin-set under the tile was inconsistent throughout the space. I also knew I wanted a double sink setup—something more fitting for a primary suite. Plumbing had to be reconfigured for that, which was our first task.

The new vanity was pre-fabricated and came with the sinks and slab top, which felt like a win, especially since these pieces often arrive with damage (mine didn’t—thankfully!). Because of the design, we needed to install the floor tile before placing the vanity. My bathroom’s layout is a bit tricky, with sharp angles, so we ended up using the tile packaging to create custom templates for precision cuts. The floor tile took only two days to install, plus one more day for grout—and just like that, it was all coming together.

Two months in, I was beyond ready to wrap it up. Once the final plumbing trim was installed, the glass was templated, and I reinstalled my beloved bidet toilet (a birthday gift to myself last year!), the end was finally in sight.

This project took over two months, tons of labor, sore hands, and gallons of lotion—but I wanted nothing more than to enjoy this space when it was done. The room now feels so much larger thanks to the vertical frameless LED mirrors. A single sconce adds warmth and a touch of “jewelry.” And the combination of multiple showerheads, the built-in bench, and the niche makes every shower feel like a retreat in an elevated, serene spa—exactly what I envisioned.

It’s been a few months since the project wrapped, and although there are still a few minor touchups to be made, I’ve loved every moment in this space. I still walk into my bathroom and go, wow.

I truly hope the way I feel about this transformation is how all my clients feel after their own homes are refreshed, renewed, and ultimately—styled for living.