Don’t let your rundown or outdated bathroom cause you shame and embarrassment. Knowing how to make simple updates and improvements to your bathroom can turn a source of disappointment into a place of tranquility and warmth.
domestic-construction.com gathered the following DIY information, ideas, and tips on how to easily update your stale or outdated bathroom.
Bathroom Updates
With frequent, sustained exposure to water, moisture, and humidity, even the best-quality bathroom fixtures eventually give in to such problems as mold, mildew, rot, decay, and rust. Over time, colors, patterns, and designs can also fall out of fashion or fade. One of the best areas, second to your kitchen, to update in your home are your bathrooms. Consider the following DIY updates to repair and modernize your bathroom.
1. DIY Vanity Upgrade
Replacing your vanity instantly changes a bathroom’s look. Shop for vanity combos with an installed countertop and sink for a less-costly update. Carefully repainting your existing vanity in a bold shade or pattern is another way to save considerable money.
2. Hang Wallpaper
Transform your bathroom with bold floral wallpaper. This is an efficient way to create a chic, upscale appearance at an affordable price tag. Select peel-and-stick wallpaper to put up a fast and dramatic change while saving even more on your DIY bathroom update. Add detail to the finished look by installing gold fixtures, hardware, accessories, and trim.
Tip: Use Deep colored wallpaper with brightcolored, large floral designs. The idea is to make a beautiful impact otherwise lost in solid colors and smaller patterns.
3. Replace Light Fixtures
Spruce up your bathroom by changing your dated light fixture for a new and dramatic one. Glass or mirrored accents give bathroom light fixtures alluring sparkle (especially in smaller spaces). For a more romantic or subdued look, consider changing incandescent lighting for soft LED bulbs, strip lights, and backlighting.
Tip: Consider installing multiple light sources, including direct and indirect lighting.
4. Paint Bathroom Cabinetry
Paint or refinish cabinets for a quick, easy, and affordable bathroom update. Another inexpensive way to update your bathroom includes installing new cabinetry or shelving that matches your existing cabinets, creating a unified and organized appearance.
Tip: When painting bathroom cabinets or fixtures, use acrylic (water-based) or alkyd (oil-based) paints. Either option holds up well in a bathroom environment while providing years of vibrant color (when painting with oil-based paint, ensure the space is well-ventilated and the paint has 24 to 48 hours to completely dry).
5. Replace Plumbing Fixtures and Accessories
Faucets, spouts, handles, diverters, and handheld shower heads can all be swapped out with more modern, up-to-date models in silver, brass, copper, gold, glass, or acrylic models. Consider getting matching hardware for your cabinet/vanity knobs and hinges when making this fixture update.
Tip: Cleaning and maintaining your tub or shower stall is significantly more convenient with a handheld sprayer. It makes rinsing debris, hair, and cleaning products more manageable.
6. Add a Medicine Cabinet
A medicine cabinet will fit nicely between wall studs above your bathroom sink, adding significant storage space and style to your bathroom. Include a mirror behind the shelving to brighten the interior and make your belongings easier to see.
Tip: You can use vintage glassware to keep items like cotton swabs, toothbrushes, and makeup brushes neatly arranged.
7. Hang a New Shower Curtain
Patterned or brightly colored fabric curtain panels can substitute typical shower curtains to give your bathroom a sleek touch that’s easy and budget-friendly (use two panels so your shower curtain can open from the middle). Pair your fabric panels with a clear plastic shower liner to protect your panels from water, soap, and shampoo splatters.
Tip: If your bathtub has become worn or stained, consider having it professionally refinished (the process is quite simple and relatively inexpensive).
BONUS Idea – Replace Towel Racks
You can replace your standard towel racks and toilet paper holders with more modern and sturdier pieces. You can make them yourself if you are handy with a saw, drill, and screwdriver.
Note: If you make your own fixtures, you can determine the length of the rack (to hold more or fewer towels) and even create shelf space above the rack as part of the same fixture.
Bathroom Update Ideas
In this article, you discovered do-it-yourself ideas, notes, and tips to help you easily update your bathroom without spending a lot of money.
Updating your bathroom’s fixtures, furniture, and decor will transform it into a welcoming, practical, and comfortable space in your home.
Ignoring the need to update your bathroom can lead to plumbing malfunctions and embarassment, as your decor falls out of fashion.
Sources:
scf.usc.edu/~mcright/itp104/finalproject/bath.html
fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/sites/fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/files/hf-lra.154.pdf