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My 2 Days 200 Dollars Challenge

  1. Trish says:

    Oh my!! It turned out so great!!!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
    I love the mirror, wallpaper, sanded look, light fixture with copper washi tape!! I love it all!!

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thanks so much, Trish! I appreciate that! I’m so happy with the changes, and even happier that my husband was so impressed, lol. I’m glad I took on this challenge and pushed the bounds of my own creativity on a budget! XO, Cynthia

    • Liz Taylor says:

      Did you remove the cabinet doors/drawers to sand and seal or leave them in place? We have orangey oak cabinets in our kitchen and I love your natural wood results.

  2. Kelsey says:

    I am so so so impressed with how this turned out!!! Looks amazing Cynthia 😍 I have several bathrooms in my home that are builder-grade with no personality that I’ve been living with for too long. I see a tiny reno coming my way! 😜

    • Ann says:

      Cynthia! I love this so much! What a difference two days and UNDER $200 made. You did such an amazing job at being creative and deliberate. I love it!

      • Cynthia Harper says:

        Thank you so much! I truly appreciate your kind words here! This definitely pushed the bounds of my creativity, but it was such a fun challenge and I enjoyed it. XO, Cynthia

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thank so much, Kelsey! And I LOVE hearing that this may have inspired a tiny reno in your future! That’s awesome! XO, Cynthia

  3. Cindy says:

    Looks amazing! Great idea to paint the floor! Will be curious about how well the painted linoleum holds up.

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thanks so much, Cindy! I’ll be putting together a blog post on how I painted the linoleum, and will be sure to keep everyone posted with how it holds up. Time will tell. Fingers crossed for good results! XO, Cynthia

  4. Alycia says:

    Cynthia this turned out so amazing!! Love it!!

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thanks so much Alycia! I truly appreciate your kind words. I have to admit, I’m really pleasantly surprised how much of a difference these changes made! XO, Cynthia

  5. This turned out AMAZING Cynthia!!! Such simple changes yet they made a HUGE impact! It’s gorgeous! 🖤

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thank you so much, Lisa! I’m really pleased with how it turned out, and a little shocked that I actually stayed on budget, lol. I’m glad I pushed myself to do this challenge – it was fun and forced some creativity! XO, Cynthia

  6. Korey says:

    Hi! This looks great! Love it!
    Does the challenge have to be completed in September?

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thanks so much! I’m running it ‘officially’ in September because I’ll be selecting other people’s projects to feature in an early October blog post, but you can really do this challenge any time you’d like! XO, Cynthia

  7. Anna says:

    I’m in love! 😍

  8. Alissa says:

    It looks incredible! Great job

  9. Lindsey says:

    This is all so creative, I love it so much!! I definitely want to try this challenge

  10. Kristi says:

    It’s so good!!!! I need to get on my guest bath ASAP!

  11. Jessica Eaves says:

    Love it all. What an amazing budget transformation! Where is that rug from? I love all your rugs but can never find exact ones. Please do a blog post on those pretty rugs! 🙂

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thank you so much! Most of my rugs are from home goods, so unfortunately I can’t link them. Sorry. XO, Cynthia

  12. Kristen says:

    Wow! This is incredible! And has totally inspired me to tackle my space! I can’t get over how the light fixture changed so much with just paint and Edison bulbs! Great job!

  13. Teresa says:

    What a marvelous transformation!! You are a genius!

  14. Vidhya says:

    I agree with your husband completely. Oh my! I wasn’t even sure if this transformation is possible on a budget. You made me shut up and believe that a little creativity and some elbow grease can render such results. Bow down to you Cynthia. Great effort and inspiration. ❤️

  15. Leah says:

    The cabinetry in our bathrooms looked the exact same as your “before” and we painted them white several years ago. I now wish we had sanded them like this! I am shocked at how awesome they look now! Who knew?!

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thanks! I’m sure your white ones look pretty though! XO, Cynthia

      • Christine Paciero says:

        Cynthia usually the side of the cabinet is laminate, it’s not wood so you can’t sand it and make it look like wood. How did you handle that on this bathroom vanity? I’m looking to do this with our kitchen cabinets.

        • Cynthia Harper says:

          Hi,
          The sides are tough since it is not real wood. You can either prime and paint it or you can do a treatment like wood slats or pole wrap.

  16. Vanessa wardell says:

    So so great!!! Can you link or tell where you got the subway tile wallpaper from? It’s perfect! Also, we have the SAME cabinets throughout our home, so I’ll be tackeling the sanding project soon! Thanks!

  17. Natasha says:

    The transforms is AMAZING! Love it!

  18. Tara says:

    Love the space! Can you share the source for that rug?

  19. AndreaCook says:

    Absolutely love it!!

  20. Robin says:

    Any tips or tutorials on sanding the vanity? I have the same ugly orange cabinets in my kitchen and have been itching to do something similar with them, but feel like it’s a risky project!

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      I literally just used an orbital sander to sand it down. It was so easy! And than I used Polycrylic clear matte water based sealer to seal it. Hope that helps! XO, Cynthia

      • Amanda Mitchell says:

        Hi! Love the bathroom remodel! Our vanity is very similar, however, the doors and drawers appear to be solid wood and the base /surround of the vanity appears to be a veneer. Was this the same for yours or was it all wood? Just curious if that will cause a problem. Thanks

  21. Carmen says:

    I am so inspired by this. Makes me want to renovate my guest bathroom. Where did you get the subway tile wallpaper?

  22. Jessica says:

    Absolutely love this!!!! I have some projects that feel so daunting, but this is super encouraging. Thank you!

  23. Marisa Svensson says:

    What subway tile wallpaper did you use?

  24. Marilyn says:

    I love your updated bathroom but the best is you were creative and spent less than $200!!
    I’m definitely using some of your ideas with my bathroom!

  25. Katie Dunn says:

    Cynthia, it looks amazing! It is hard to believe that’s the same room! Well done! I’m totally inspired to do something like this in our home. Let the brainstorming begin!

  26. Sharon says:

    Amazing! You are so inspiring!

  27. Cheryl says:

    It looks stunning. Just like the rest of your home. Paint on the floor linoleum blew me away. I thought you redid the floor until I read your post. Such a transformation with a small budget. Love it!

  28. I can not wrap my head around this subway tile WALLPAPER! I would have NEVER guessed! Didn’t even know there was a thing!! It looks so good in the photos! What is your honest opinion on it in real life?? Would you do it again? If someone was washing their hands at your sink is it obvious that it’s just wallpaper? Would love more info on this!:) Beautiful job!

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thanks! I LOVE this wallpaper. When you are standing right up in front of it, you can figure out its wallpaper. But it still looks really nice, and I would absolutely use it again! Hope that helps! XO, Cynthia

  29. Hope says:

    Looks great! Where is the subway wallpaper from?

  30. Brandie says:

    I love how well this turned out with such a small time and financial output. Great work!

  31. Bethany says:

    I love what you did so much! I would love your opinion on my own bathroom! We have a large/huge/ginormous mirror in our kids bathroom and I think it makes more sense to frame it because it’s a double vanity and they can see well right now. Would you frame it? Or would you replace with two smaller mirrors? And if I were to frame it is there anything you would recommend? I am inspired, lady! Hoping to use your light trick too! Did you find Edison bulbs that don’t give off a lot of heat? Mine do so I was just curious. Sorry for all the questions! But thanks for the inspiration!

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thanks! I think two smaller mirrors will look more modern, whereas framing the existing mirror will look more ‘farmhouse’, so I think it just depends what look you’re going for. Personally, I would do two smaller mirrors. And my Edison bulbs also give off lots of heat. I haven’t found ones yet that don’t. But if I do, I’ll be sure to share! xo, Cynthia

  32. Lauren says:

    Fantastic! Can you explain how you removed the sheet mirror?

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      I just used a screwdriver and unscrewed the 4 clips in each corner and it lifted right off the wall. Hope that helps!

  33. Meg says:

    It looks awesome! Any chance you’d share where you got the wallpaper? It’s awesome.

  34. Elizabeth says:

    This is beautiful cynthia! It motivates me to do mine. What size is the mirror?

  35. Laura says:

    Awesome job!! & what inspiration!!! Ummm….. $200/2days challenge…. yes, I hope to try this soon… 😊🤞🙏🏻

  36. Andrea says:

    What an incredible transformation on a budget! Way to go!

  37. Kristen says:

    Wowza!!!! All of it looks so good!!! You solution to the light fixture is my fav! I think I’m going to tackle my mud room doing your challenge. Will tag you if I do! 🙂

  38. Karen says:

    This is so great- will be borrowing the light fixture idea for sure!

  39. Amy Cantrell says:

    I love this so much! You’ve inspired me to it date my son’s bathroom. What color porch paint did you use in the floor?

  40. Bethany says:

    Absolutely awesome!! Where did you find the wallpaper? So clever! Feeling super inspired, lady. Thank you!!

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      Thanks Bethany! I got it from Target. It’s linked in my IG stories highlight. I’ll add the link to the blog post here too 🙂

  41. Carla says:

    Wow! I can’t believe the transformation with only $200. It looks fantastic! I have a very small bathroom to renovate so you just inspired me to do so.

  42. Kylie says:

    Definitely incredible! Where is the subway tile wallpaper from? I’ve been looking for something budget friendly like that.

  43. […] Cynthia (cuz we’re totally on a first name basis) started a challenge on Instagram that she called the #2Days200Dollars challenge. She challenged her followers to complete a project of their choosing in just two days with just $200. Check out her major bathroom transformation here! […]

  44. Tammy says:

    I seriously love this!! Most Edison bulbs I find give off an amber glow (even if they are clear) do you happen to know which bulbs these were exactly?

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      These are clear because they are off, but when they are turned on they do have a slightly amber glow. I wish I could find a truly white edison bulb. If I do, I’ll let you know!

  45. Julia says:

    Love this bathroom refresh! looking to do something very similar in our guest bath however I believe our cabinet doors are wood and the rest of the cabinet is veneer. Are your cabinets solid wood? I’m wary of sanding the veneer but desperately want an easy fix of our orangey tone we have going on now.

  46. Nicole says:

    I am so doing this to my cabinets!! Looks awesome! Did you remove the doors to sand it all or just go for it?! Love following you on insta…..you give me so much inspiration to try some new things in our home ❤️

  47. Amy Cantrell says:

    You inspired me to try this in my boys’ bathroom. I am loving it so far! I have the first coat of paint in the floor. How long did you wait in between coats? Thank you for your inspiration and sharing your beautiful home with us!

  48. Kristen says:

    I’m wanting an update from the orange toned cabinets can I ask how you managed to sand the detailed parts of your cabinet doors?

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      I used a combination of an orbital sander and sandpaper by hand for the more detailed parts. There is video saved to my Instagram highlights @cynthia_harper_ Hope that helps!

  49. Tracy says:

    I love this entire look! My bathroom literally is the same shape and style as ur before picture! But what color grey? I don’t see it listed in ur blog post only the white?

  50. Taryn says:

    This is amazing! The sanded cabinet is brilliant!!

  51. Tara says:

    This is seriously impressive and has me wishing I hadn’t painted my cabinets white. Question for you: do you have much experience with painted knobs/pulls/bars? I’m about to paint my brushed nickel hardware black but my husband thinks that it won’t be long till all the paint has worn off and the nickel will be exposed. Thoughts?

    • Cynthia Harper says:

      I recommend giving the hardware a light sand with sandpaper, and then spray it with metal primer first. These things will help the spray paint to adhere better! Good luck with your project! XO, Cynthia

  52. Trina says:

    Do you know if the cabinet is oak?

  53. Michelle says:

    Could you share the color of the floor? I love the not quite black color. I think I’m going to try this in my powder room while I save up for continuous floors. Thanks!!

  54. Julie says:

    My bayhroom is pretty much like yours, the orangeg cabinets and all. My question is…did you sand the side of the cabinet by the toilet. My cabinet wall by the toulet isnt all wood. It seems like fake printed wood over particle board or something like that. It looks like the fronts, but isnt. I’m redoing my batnroom and wanted to sand yhe orange off my cabinets too.

  55. Jess says:

    Hi Cynthia!
    We are taking on your 2 day/$200 bathroom challenge – our current bathroom resembles your old one and you inspired us!

    Would you mind sharing what the wall color is you chose? It’s beautiful and would love to do something similar!!

  56. Shirley Ramey says:

    Absolutely gorgeous! I have to make some inprovements..and soon. I also did not want to spend a ton. Really appreciate your tips and from Libby.

  57. Shirley Ramey says:

    Absolutely gorgeous! I also did not want to spend a ton. Really appreciate your tips and from Libby.

  58. Celinda Porterfield says:

    Hi! I’m searching for blog post on painting the floors….if I get this msg can you send me link. Thank you!!

  59. Katie says:

    Hi! I’ve read this post like 3 times and can’t stop staring because it is so beautiful. I started following you a couple months ago and didn’t realize you did this a year ago! 2 questions…
    1. How does the porch paint hold up against cleaning (ahem) with bleach or bathroom cleaners? 2. Would you ever sand yellowy builder grade cabinets in a kitchen? (I have about 8 uppers and 6 lowers) Trying to decide between painting and sanding. Xo Katie

  60. Laura says:

    Hi! I was wondering how the painted floors have held up? Thinking about painting my ceramic tile a slate gray.

  61. Sam says:

    I am hoping to do this for my bathroom but our cabinets have that paper finish on the ends instead of real wood. Did yours? How did you finish the side/end of the cabinets? Love it!

  62. Erin says:

    I am so impressed! The bathroom looks so much bigger and refreshing than before! It’s amazing how you can transform a room by utilizing what you already have so you don’t go way over budget!! I will try a room, and take pics.. I’ll let you know how it turned out!!!

  63. Gia says:

    Looks amazing! Just wondering what did you do with the side of the cabinet closest to the toilet? I basically have the same bathroom in my house and have been thinking of doing something similar but the side of the cabinet isn’t real wood and I’m not sure what to do with it! Thanks so much and great work!!! 👏👏👏

    • Michelle Buist says:

      Yes! I was wondering the same thing!! Mine is also laminate and I am wondering how to get it to match. so beautiful!

  64. Inspirational! Thank You!

  65. Elizabeth Gowdy says:

    Absolutely love your transformation, from the painted floors all the way up to the painted light fixture! Beautiful! I am planning on doing the master bathroom and use your ideas on the cabinets and the light fixtures.

  66. Stefanie says:

    Did you use anything to strip the vanity or did you simply just sand it? It’s amazing. I want to do this on my kitchen cabinets now. I have the paint and primer ready to paint them but this is making me second guess paint. It’s just so beautiful and more me and what I’m going for then painted kitchen cabinets.

  67. Michelle Buist says:

    This is so beautiful!! I have the same set up and plan on starting on the sanding today With an orbital sander. Two questions. How long did the sanding take you roughly and also I am wondering do you have laminate on the side of your vanity or wood? If so , wondering how you sanded it to match?

    Thanks so much!!

    Xo Michelle

  68. Michelle Buist says:

    This is so beautiful!! I have the same set up and plan on starting on the sanding today With an orbital sander. Two questions. How long did the sanding take you roughly and also I am wondering do you have laminate on the side of your vanity or wood? If so , wondering how you sanded it to match?

    Thanks so much!!

    Xo Michelle

  69. Pallavi says:

    Hey . Love ur work . Tried to copy the cabinets for my bathroom makeover with sanding . Not painting. However , I tried sanding mine manually and with electric sander , ITs not even. At some places it’s showing natural wood , and at some places it’s still the original finish . Anything else I need to do ? Or should I do more ? Or use some other sanding technique ? Thanks

  70. Pallavi says:

    Hey .
    Love ur work . Tried to copy the cabinets for my bathroom makeover with sanding . However , I tried sanding mine manually and with electric sander , ITs not even. At some places it’s showing natural wood , and at some places it’s still the original finish . Anything else I need to do ? Or should I do more ? Or use some other sanding technique ? Thanks

  71. Jody says:

    Hi Cynthia,
    I just came across this post and I am in love with the cabinet. I am wondering how the cabinet is now. Has it maintained the beautiful coloration or is it turning orangey? I plan on tackling my kitchen in the near future but I’m hesitant to do all that work and have them go orange again.

  72. Pretty impressive. Imagine if you were given above 200USD budget, this would’ve been grand. But still WELL DONE!

  73. Mel says:

    Love it, planning to do this to our bathroom. How well has the wallpaper held up in terms of humidity in the bathroom? Any issues with corners peeling up in a moist air environment, etc? Thank you!

  74. Ashley says:

    I just stumbled across this and you did a FANTASTIC job! I have been wanting to give our bathroom a refresh without spending a ton of money and a ton of time and THIS INSPIRED ME!!! Quick question – what color did you use on your floors? I’m looking for your in depth blog about the floors but can’t seem to find it?
    Anyway, great job! Can’t wait to challenge myself on our bathroom now! Cheers! -Ashley

  75. Monika Kraft says:

    Wow! This is an incredible transformation. Exactly what I was looking for in preparation for our bathroom remodel. Thank you!

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