Going Maximalist Without Maxing Out the Budget
- Ashley Bandier
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 5
Before, After and all the details in between of this bathroom renovation...

This new townhouse primary bedroom suite didn't have enough storage. This lack of functionality made it impossible for the home owners to organize their essentials, making the start and end of each day a little longer.
Lucky for me they wanted to celebrate the solution with a burst of personality!

How'd we do it?
Ala Design Balabous I customized a design plan and timeline that met these clients' specific budget and schedule.
4 months time
2 payments of approximately $2000.00
4 days of installation
1 energizing space to refresh that works!
The Design Plan
What's Beneficial? What's Essential?
This submission included photos of the existing space which isn't essential but definitely Beneficial! | The client also provided dimensions which are Essential to producing a floor plan. Note* the initial design featured a different layout of the shelf. |
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They even included details of existing damage. This was Essential to properly allocating the budget. | Their collected their design inspiration in a Pinterest board. This was Beneficial to expedite my understanding of their style but simple descriptors will essentially get job done. |
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The Process
What Changed over 2 rounds of Proposal edits?
Task | Adjustment | Solve | Notes |
Alternative wall covering time savings. | I sourced vinyl wall decals in lieu of wall paper. | Savings in product costs and endless install aggrevation. | Wallpaper install is not for the faint of heart.* |
Install cost savings | I adjusted the layout of the shelf and vanity and mirror. | Saved half a day of labor. | I aim for minimal changes and keep it cosmetic whenever possible. |
The Outcome
You can see more photos on my project galley page.
Increased storage:
Bigger Vanity
Entegre Shelving unit
Floating Shelf
Storage cups that fit on both the floating shelf and towel rack
Second Vanity Mirror
Robe hooks
What Does the Client Think?
Don't take my word for it. Read the client testimonial below.
"Redoing our primary en-suite was something I had always wanted to do, but didn’t know where to start. Having moved into a ‘millennial grey’ home as a maximalist, I needed help marrying my love of color with the existing tile work all while on a pretty strict budget. Ashley did an amazing job not only drafting multiple options, but did a great job of interpreting my sometimes vague descriptions. Ever resourceful, Ashley worked our existing fixtures in a way that we could optimize storage and elevated the overall style of our bathroom. I now have more storage than I know what to do with (I’m obsessed with my French-style above-the-sink shelf) and I love that I get to say, “yeah, I have a *cool* bathroom” thanks to the warm tones and decals applied to the walls. You are in good hands at Design Balabous".












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