Easy Bathroom Makeovers

Believe it or not, you can have a beautiful bathroom on a budget. You don’t have to settle for mid-20th century tile … unless you want to.

Whether you’re a young couple starting out in life or you’ve lived in your home for 30 years, you can update your bathroom easily and affordably.

If you want to renovate your bathroom, but you don’t have the money in your budget to hire a contractor, then you can update your bathroom frugally with the following tricks and tips.

You Can Update Your Old Bathroom Economically

If you’re creative and enjoy DIY projects, you can make some cosmetic changes that will look like a total bathroom makeover. Here are 11 ideas for you to update your old bathroom inexpensively:

1. Figure out your budget and make a list: If you want to save money, it’s better to make a budget before going to your big box store to start buying bathroom appliances. Everyone has a different perspective on budget-friendly … and therefore, have different ideas for updating their bathroom.

If you’re planning to sell your home in a few years, make sure that your remodeling project will add value to your home. Remodeled bathrooms improve the value of your home, and you can recoup your costs up to 100%.

2. Make a list of changes you want to make: Stand in your bathroom and make a list of things that will improve your bathroom on a budget.

Depending on how much you can spend on your bathroom project, prioritize your list starting with must-haves and going down to little luxuries. Also, consider what will bring value to your bathroom with your budget.

3. Limit the amount of tile you invest in: Tile is expensive especially if you hire a contractor to install it for you. Instead, you can pull old tile off your walls and paint the walls a classic color.

4.Upcycle an old dresser: If you have patience and have previous success with DIY projects, you can transform an old dresser as a sink pedestal.

However, this project requires time and experience. You need to cut out a hole on top of the dresser to fit the sink bowl, remove interior drawers and cut holes in the back for plumbing.

5. Replace a bathroom counter with granite countertops: Since a bathroom counter is smaller than a kitchen counter, you can save money. Also, you can find high-end seconds where the countertop isn’t perfect or is cracked.

Still, you can use your creativity to hide those cracks. Habitat for Humanity Restores are great places to look for these granite seconds.

6. Paint the bathroom walls: This is a time-consuming chore—especially if you need to remove any wallpaper. Plus, you need to put up painters’ tape around doorways, windows, the tub/shower, mirror, toilet, switch plates, wall corners and around the floors.

Yet, paint can really brighten up a room as well as it’s an inexpensive project. It’s recommended that you use a high quality paint with a satin finish and look into using a mold-resistant paint for the ceiling.

7. Update light fixtures, sink faucets, towel racks, and drawer pulls: If you only have enough money to paint the walls and some other small changes, invest your remodeling dollars into updating the bathroom “jewelry” or hardware.

You can upcycle interesting light fixtures—even add a chandelier to your bathroom. Update sink faucets, towel racks, drawer pulls and knobs. Interior designers even use different drawer hardware throughout a bathroom to add interest and whimsy.

8. Redo the shower and tub: You can refinish your tub and shower if you have experience, or you can hire a contractor to do it for you. If you can’t afford a refinish or a new tub/shower install, you can freshen up the grout and caulk.

Applying fresh grout and caulk will give you the feeling of a bath remodel since both things get dirty and have mildew due to the bathroom’s humidity.

9. Get a new shower curtain: Shower curtains run the gamut of affordable to high end. Yet, it’s the simplest way to add a focal point as well as add color and interest in your bathroom.

10. Add a rug to cover an ugly bathroom floor: If your bathroom flooring is outdated and yucky, you can invest in a rug to cover it up while you save money to remodel your floors. Make sure you get a machine washable rug.

11. Clean the clutter: Cleaning out the unnecessary clutter in your bathroom is one way to feel like the room’s brand new.

If you have silk florals that are dusty and rows of rubber ducks or other trinkets, get rid of them. You’ll find your bathroom is easier to clean with less trinkets taking up space.

You can also remove anything that juts out including shelving, hanging racks and wall accessories. A simplified look will calm the spirit as well as give more space to a small, older bathroom.

The Best Colors for a Bathroom

The best colors for your bathroom depends on what you’re looking for. For example, 1Day suggests taupe, and other neutrals in their blog post. At the end of the blog, though, they added some bright, bold colors that would overwhelm someone who isn’t a morning person.

Yet, you may like the bright bold colors especially if you don’t have any windows in your bathroom. Bold yellows, greens and blues promote serenity as well as liven up a windowless bathroom.

There are also minimalist paint ideas at Home-Designing that stick to whites, grays and light wood. The wood grain adds texture and lines as well as a light punch of color.

This article also incorporated plants in the bathroom—a great fit since plants like the humidity. Plus, houseplants—especially succulents—added a touch of color as well as texture and lines.

Finally, the minimalist approach also uses recessed lighting and natural light to add brightness to a bathroom.

Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger with These Tips and Tricks

You can make your small bathroom look bigger using some visual tricks. Here are seven tips to try in your small bathroom:

1. Coordinate colors: If you bought a bungalow that was built in the 20th century, you may have bold tiles in your bathroom.

If you don’t want to paint your tile and you can’t afford to replace it right now, then find ways to coordinate the colors with window curtains, hand towels and a shower curtain.

2. Add crown molding: Draw the eye upward with crown molding. Crown molding makes your bathroom seem larger and distracts the eyes with the upward visual interest.

3. Update your lighting: New lighting will freshen up your room and make it appear lighter. Chandeliers and pendant lights add visual interest that makes the bathroom appear bigger.

4. Get a shower curtain you can pull back: Add a shower curtain that does double duty. It makes your bathroom looked updated. You can also pull back your shower curtain to add depth to your bathroom/tub area.

5. Replace a frosted glass shower door with a clear one: Frosted shower doors close in your bathroom where clear shower doors give a bathroom depth and a hint of having more space.

6. Change up your bathroom mirror: If you have a small mirror in your bathroom, exchange it for a larger one. If the mirror is facing a window or the shower, it’ll reflect light and depth.

7. Go with neutral or light colored walls: Again, light colors will open up your bathroom giving the illusion that you have more space. Soft grays, bright whites, charcoal, light blues and greens open up and let more light into your small bathroom making it appear larger.

If you need to update your bathroom, these simple tricks and tips will help you remodel this room. Simple, inexpensive fixes also make you feel that you’re remodeling—even on a tight budget.

If you’re looking more DIY bathroom ideas, check out Pinterest that has many tips and tricks to inspire you.