When content creator Angela Probst moved into this Detroit-area home with her husband, Tyler, and their two daughters in 2022, they got to meet the original owner who built the property in 1967. “He was over 100 when he moved out,” Probst says. “He kept most of the original features.”

The home had a great location and layout, and while Probst knew that renovations were necessary, she was confident in her ability to complete transformations over time. As she worked room by room, Probst was faced with an unexpected project one night: The mirror in the kids’ bathroom fell from the wall, shattering into pieces.

“I thought someone had broken into our house through a window—it was terrifying,” she says. “Once I came into the hallway to see it was only the mirror, I was slightly relieved. That’s when this project went from the bottom of the list to the top.”

The Challenge: Update Without Overspending

Since Probst wasn’t considering a bathroom renovation in her immediate plans, the budget had to remain small. And other than the broken mirror, nothing was particularly wrong with this space, either. It was simply outdated.

“All of the fixtures were fully functioning and in surprisingly good condition,” she says. “There were beautiful vintage lights and even funky wallpaper at one point, but those were removed before we bought the house. So while the tub, shower, and toilet were from the ‘60s, the rest of the bathroom was very boring.”

She Kept What Was Functional

While Probst says it would’ve been easier to rip everything out of this bathroom and start fresh, that isn’t her style—nor was it part of the budget. “I am a firm believer that we can love our homes without having to overspend and remodel everything,” she says. “Sometimes it just takes a little creativity and leaning into what you have to bring a room back to life.” The fixtures and vanity would stick around, but the rest would be reconsidered.

Probst cleaned and patched the walls after the mirror fell, and gave the vanity a scrub while removing the past-their-prime hardware. It was also a good opportunity to take down the old towel racks and shower rod, as well as nix the medicine cabinet. While she was at it, Probst planned to replace the outlets and light fixtures. She couldn’t afford to change the floors just yet but wants to in the future. In all, Probst was strategic about making small shifts that would deliver a big impact, all while keeping the main features the same.

“I wouldn’t go to the store today to choose yellow sinks, but that’s what makes this such a fun and unique space that our daughters love,” she says. “Keeping the wood vanity and all the butter yellow also feels right with the other midcentury styles throughout the rest of our home.”

She Let Her Daughters Design

Probst’s eldest daughter still liked the bathroom’s existing shower curtain, which has bright colors and a mix of patterns, so it remained. In fact, Probst let her daughters call a lot of the shots. “It’s their bathroom, so I wanted them to be part of the design choices,” she says. Probst picked a few teal blues and dark greens for the girls to mull over, and they settled on Sycamore Grove by Behr. She painted the walls (hoping to do the ceiling soon!) and added new towel rods below a playful picture gallery.

“My youngest loves cheetahs, so we hunted for art in the same color scheme and were able to find some cute prints,” she says. “It’s a bold color palette for sure, but I think it works well for a kids’ bathroom.” Probst also painted the sinks’ silver rings to match the gold faucets and hardware she installed.

She Made the Details Matter

The rest of the room’s personality comes down to the details. Probst wallpapered the inside shelf of the former medicine cabinet, and hung two midcentury-inspired pendants above two black-rimmed mirrors. Gilded hardware on the vanity coordinates well, and nearby accessories are a mix of old and new. Probst stayed within her $500 budget, and proved that the existing butter-yellow fixtures could be fun in new surroundings.

“My goal is to normalize living in homes that aren’t perfect and new,” she says. “The paint color was a game changer and brought the butter-yellow pieces back to life. I’m so glad we decided to keep them.”