Bathroom Updates for Less
Bathrooms and kitchen redos are more attractive and important to future prospective homebuyers than any other redecorating projects. Even if you’re not thinking about selling your home, these are two areas where a room rejuvenation is most appreciated by guests.
Getting a new look in your bathroom doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. The bathroom decorating tips and tricks below can help you create a totally new look without costing a lot.
Replace the Mirror
Your bathroom mirror is looked at or into more than anything else in the room, so what better place to start your decorating project? If you have one of those old, large mirrors, consider replacing it with a smaller one with a decorative frame. If you’ve already gone that route, how about looking for a sleek new frame? If it’s a kid’s bathroom you’re decorating, try several smaller mirrors at different heights and positions for a fun and exciting view.
Change the Color
Paint is cheap, and most bathrooms don’t require much paint, so refresh walls, cabinetry, wainscoting, and accessories with a fresh coat of paint. Try some unique and personalized decorative painting techniques if you have an artistic side. Think beyond the walls and paint anything that can be painted. It’s a quick, inexpensive way to make the whole room look different.
New Hardware
Replacing bathroom hardware, faucets, and towel bars is a pretty easy task and isn’t too expensive. Spend a little time and money, and you’ve got a clean new look that sparkles.
Clean the Clutter
Over time we all accumulate stuff, no matter what room it is. Clean your bathroom of all clutter, whether essential products or decorative touches. Then find new storage options for your necessities and replace all of your decorative touches with simple items.
Updated Lighting
Don’t only change outdated lighting fixtures, but change the bulbs as well. Get energy-efficient light bulbs that give off a slightly different glow and you’ll see your bathroom brighten in unexpected ways.
New Accessories
Changing the bathroom accessories is one of the most obvious ways to give your bathroom a new look. Go beyond towels, shower curtains, and bath mats to new curtains, decorative touches, and perhaps even some intricate stenciling to create a totally updated bathroom.
Get creative with your bathroom redecorating project and try to see what the room can be as opposed to what it actually is. Use one, several, or all of the bathroom redecorating tips above to create an entirely new look for your bathroom.
Budget Bathroom Decorating
Remodeling a bathroom can be one of the most expensive interior decorating projects in your home, but you can give your bathroom a fresh, new look without spending a lot. Before you begin, clean your bathroom from top to bottom. You’ll definitely be happier with the way it looks when you know it’s clean.
Next, it’s time to freshen up your old grout and caulk. Renewing these elements gives your existing floor and fixtures a little new life. It’s cheaper than purchasing a new tub or sink and much easier than pulling up old tiles and laying new tiles.
If you have linoleum, consider replacing or recovering it. Peel and stick squares are inexpensive and very easy to lay. In just a weekend, you can have an entire bathroom floor without spending a lot of money or effort.
Paint is obviously a great way to rejuvenate any room, but a little bit of faux finishing or decorative painting will add even more visual impact and doesn’t cost much more than a solid coat of paint. If you have painted shelves or a vanity, freshen that paint as well, maybe even change the color.
If your vanity is bare wood, a coat of paint is a great way to change its appearance. Remember to use a good primer when working with wood and select paints for use in bathrooms or other moist areas.
Use your towels as decorating items. Don’t spend a lot on new towels, skip the luxury and go for style. Select contrasting colors that visually pop when hung against your newly painted walls. If you’re looking to brighten a bathroom, select white towels and accessories and darker wall color. Dirt is less likely to show on the darker walls, and the white appliances, towels, and accessories will appear crisp and fresh.
As long as you’re updating your towels, you should spend a little more and update the other accessories. Buy a new shower curtain, bath mat, soap dish, etc. Don’t spend a lot on these items, as they can be found at almost every discount department store and even some dollar stores; instead, look for items that are dramatically different in color, style, and form from your previous decorations.
Keep your bathroom decorations simple; fussy knickknacks and dried floral arrangements really don’t have a place in bathrooms and only serve as dust collectors. Use bath items as decorations instead. Colored lotion bottles and bubble baths are functional and can be attractive when organized properly.
Decorative soaps are nice but rarely used; you should find attractive bottles and refill them with liquid soap. Turning functional items into works of art or attractive pieces in small rooms is much more important than filling the space with useless trinkets.
And finally, replace your light bulbs with energy-efficient ones that not only brighten those dark corners but also save you money.
Following these few tips, you can redecorate your bathroom for a few hundred dollars rather than thousands and still wind up with a dramatically different room.