Narrow Bathroom Makeover: Before and After Transformation Under $600
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This narrow bathroom makeover took exactly 8 hours and cost under $600, but here’s what nobody tells you about bathroom updates: replacing the toilet makes the biggest impact. Not the paint (though that helped). Not the new shower curtain. The toilet.
If you just moved into a house with a dated bathroom or you’re looking to quickly update a small space, swapping out an old toilet for a new one creates this immediate “brand new bathroom” feeling that’s hard to explain until you experience it.
Narrow Bathroom Before and After
Here’s what we were dealing with. Brown walls, brown tile floor and a 20 year old toilet with zero personality.
The after?
Same footprint, completely different feeling.
White walls bounced light around. The new toilet made the space feel clean and current (funny how one fixture can do that).
Gray accents kept it from feeling sterile. Suddenly this bathroom went from “the bathroom nobody wants to use” to functional and fresh.
Why Replacing the Toilet Matters Most
I’m going to say something that sounds weird but is completely true: a new toilet makes you feel like you have a brand new bathroom, even when everything else stays the same.
Old toilets look dingy even when they’re clean. They’re usually stained from years of hard water, the bases are bulky and dated, and the flush mechanisms sound tired.
Replace that toilet and suddenly the whole bathroom feels cleaner, newer, more intentional.
It’s the difference between “this bathroom is fine I guess” and “oh, this bathroom is actually nice.” If you’re working with a tight budget or limited time (like we were), start with the toilet.
What Makes Narrow Bathrooms So Challenging
Anything under 6 feet wide presents specific problems that regular “small bathroom” advice doesn’t address. You’re dealing with a hallway-shaped room where everything feels cramped, even when there’s technically enough square footage.
Our bathroom is 5 feet wide by 7 feet long (35 square feet). That toilet, sink, and shower pretty much fill the entire footprint, so every design choice matters more.
Narrow Bathroom Makeover: What We Changed
Wall Color: Brown to White
Dark walls in a 5-foot-wide space make it feel like a cave. We used semi-gloss white (easier to wipe down when toothpaste splatters everywhere).
Two coats covered the brown completely, and suddenly the bathroom felt like it gained a foot of width. Paint took about 3 hours including prep.
Toilet: Old to New
The old toilet looked tired even after cleaning. We replaced it with a Kohler Corbelle that has a smooth skirted base (way easier to clean around) and a self-cleaning feature that actually cuts our scrubbing time in half.
Installation took about 2 hours. The smooth base design makes the toilet feel less chunky visually, which matters in tight spaces.
Shower Curtain: Floral to Gray
The old curtain had a busy floral pattern that made the space feel cluttered. We switched to solid gray that added just enough color without overwhelming the narrow walls.
Accessories: Less is More
We stripped down to essentials. One mirror, one towel bar, one small shelf.
In a narrow bathroom, every item on the walls takes up visual space you don’t have.
Narrow Bathroom Design Ideas That Work
After living with this makeover for over a year (and doing similar projects in our rental properties), here’s what actually works:
Go light with wall colors. White, pale gray, soft beige.
Anything that reflects light instead of absorbing it. This isn’t about being boring, it’s about making the space feel wider.
Choose toilets with smooth bases. Those skirted designs where the trapway is concealed make the biggest difference in how much space the toilet seems to take up visually.
Plus they’re so much easier to clean around (no more scrubbing in those weird crevices).
Use one accent color. We picked gray for the shower curtain and towels.
One color keeps things cohesive without creating visual clutter.
Limit wall decor. Every item you hang takes up visual space.
In a 5-foot-wide bathroom, you don’t have visual space to spare.
Think vertical for storage. We added a tall narrow cabinet (30 inches wide, 72 inches high) that holds everything without eating floor space.
Toilet Installation: Easier Than Expected
If you’ve never installed a toilet before, it’s less intimidating than you’d think. The basic process: remove the old toilet (turn off water, flush to empty, disconnect water line, unscrew bolts, lift).
Install the new mounting system, position the new toilet, secure it, connect water. The whole process took us about 2 hours.
We used the ReadyLock system which doesn’t require drilling into the floor. This was huge because we weren’t 100% sure where plumbing lines ran in this narrow space.
The system locks into your existing toilet flange securely without permanent floor modifications. If you’re nervous about installation, budget 3 hours your first time or hire a plumber ($150-300/hr).
The key is taking your time with leveling. A toilet that rocks will eventually leak.
Use a level (your phone app works fine) before tightening everything down completely.
Why the Self-Cleaning Feature Matters
I was skeptical about self-cleaning toilets because they sounded gimmicky. But in a house with five people sharing bathrooms (including kids who aren’t exactly careful), this feature genuinely cuts cleaning time.
The Continuous Clean system has a battery-powered dispenser inside the tank that releases cleaner with every flush. We’re scrubbing toilets about half as often now.
One toilet tablet lasts 8-10 months with our heavy usage. Batteries last about a year.
You can use any puck-style tablet (bleach or non-bleach, your choice). The cleaner stays safely locked in the tank, away from kids and pets.
Beyond the self-cleaning, the flush is legitimately more powerful than our old toilet (no more embarrassing multiple flushes). The bowl surface resists hard water stains better.
The soft close seat stopped my son from slamming the lid at 6 AM.
Narrow Bathroom Makeover Cost Breakdown
Real numbers:
- Toilet (Kohler Corbelle with Continuous Clean (similar/ours is a left hand): $425 (on sale)
- Paint (2 gallons semi-gloss white): $40
- Shower curtain: $25
- Bathroom accessories: $60
- Total: $550
If you hired this out, you’d pay $150-300/hr for toilet installation plus $200-400 for painting. DIY saved us at least $1400+ in labor.
One Year Later: What Actually Changed
The self-cleaning feature cuts our scrubbing to once or twice a week instead of every other day.
But honestly? The biggest change is psychological.
Walking into a bathroom with a brand new toilet just feels different. It feels maintained, intentional.
It doesn’t feel like “we’ll deal with this eventually.” If you’re deciding where to invest limited time or budget in a bathroom refresh, start with the toilet.
Next year we’re planning to replace the brown tile floor (probably with gray luxury vinyl plank) and update the vanity countertop. For now, these changes completely transformed the space without requiring a contractor.
Narrow Bathroom Makeover FAQs
How do you make a narrow bathroom look bigger?
Light wall colors are non-negotiable. Choose toilets with smooth skirted bases instead of exposed trapway designs.
Use one accent color instead of multiple colors. Limit wall decor and accessories, skip bath mats that take up floor space, and add vertical storage instead of wide cabinets.
What’s the best toilet for a narrow bathroom?
Skirted toilets work best because the smooth base looks less chunky and cleans easier. Elongated bowls are more comfortable than round despite taking slightly more space.
Check your rough-in measurement (usually 12 inches from wall to drain) before buying. Soft close seats prevent slamming in shared spaces.
Can you renovate a narrow bathroom in one day?
Yes, if you’re doing a cosmetic refresh like we did. Full gut renovations take 5-10 days minimum.
Our timeline worked because we kept the existing layout and just updated finishes. Started at 8 AM, finished around 4 PM (not including overnight paint drying).
How much does a narrow bathroom makeover cost?
Budget $400-800 for DIY cosmetic refresh including paint, new toilet, and accessories. We spent $550 total.
If hiring contractors, expect $2000-3,500 for the same work. Full gut renovations run $7,000-$30,000+ depending on size, location and finishes.
Why does a new toilet make such a big difference?
Old toilets look dingy even when clean because of years of hard water stains and worn finishes. A new toilet makes you feel like you have a brand new bathroom because it’s the most-used fixture in the space.
Fresh, clean, current-looking. It’s psychological but completely real.
Do self-cleaning toilets work?
They work but set realistic expectations. The toilet stays cleaner between deep cleans, cutting scrubbing frequency by about 50%.
You’ll still need to clean periodically (this isn’t magic), but the tablets prevent buildup and stains from setting in. In high-traffic households, the time savings is real.
Meet Jessica
What started as a hobby, Jessica’s blog now has millions of people visit yearly and while many of the projects and posts look and sound perfect, life hasn’t always been easy. Read Jessica’s story and how overcoming death, divorce and dementia was one of her biggest life lessons to date.
Talk about timing. We are getting ready to remodel our kids bathroom and I saw this toilet but couldn’t remember who made it. Thank you so much.
Yay Erin!! Send a picture of the finished bathroom!!
A soft close feature would be nice! With 2 boys and my husband, my daughter and I are always hearing the slamming of the toilet seat! I also would like that it’s easier to clean. It is hard to clean the bottom, so with the design of this toilet, it would be much easier on my back.
Yes Brenda exactly! It’s so nice to just quick wipe on the outside and have no grooves!! My mom loves cleaning this toilet and yes the soft close is perfect for kids!!
Any chance that toilet also sits higher than standard ones! That self-cleaning feature sounds really good, but my husband also wants a taller one. BTW, from the pictures, the counter looks great already! What is wrong with it?
Hi, I am not sure on the height question but you could probably call customer service and see if they make it in a higher version. I will tell you though, it is higher than the one we removed if that helps 🙂 The current counter has a lot of paint specks all over it from when the previous owner painted the bathroom and it’s almost impossible to remove them all but it’s also not really my color style either so hopefully down the road I can swap it out! 🙂