Budget Decorating

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

Budget Decorating

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

9 ways to revamp your bathroom without undergoing a large-scale renovation.

 

According to designer Robin Siegerman, principal of Sieguzi Kitchen & Home Inc. and author of Renovation Bootcamp: Kitchens, bathroom renovations can be surprisingly expensive for the (generally) smaller size of the room, because so much of the expense is hidden in the walls, such as electrical and plumbing. But if your bathroom is in relatively good shape but uninspired from a design standpoint – often the case with condo units, for example – there’s much you can do to give it a spiffier look, with little or no professional help. Here are a few tips.
 

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9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

New faucets

Replacing an ugly bathroom faucet with a pretty one has become a relatively simple do-it-yourself task, with many faucets now sold in kits that include all the fittings and complete instructions. Make sure you have the right type for the number of hole openings in the sink.

Image by: Style at Home By: Martha Uniacke Breen Source: Angus Fergusson

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

Reface your countertop

There are companies that will come in and reface your countertop with a ¼-inch veneer of granite, for the look of solid granite at a fraction of the cost. Alternatively, you can have a boring or worn laminate counter refaced with new laminate—there are ones on the market now that closely mimic stone, wood or other natural finishes, or go for something more fanciful if you like.

Image by: Style at Home By: Martha Uniacke Breen Source: Donna Griffith

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

Update your mirror

Replace a boring plate-glass mirror with a framed version you can hang like art. Scoop up an ornate frame at an antique store (or pick out a nice one at a framer’s) and have the framer make it into a mirror for you. Attractive framed mirrors in every style from Victorian to modern can also be found at thrift stores, antique markets and home stores.

Image by: Style at Home By: Martha Uniacke Breen Source: Stacey Van Berkel

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

Extend the tile

If your bathtub or shower is tiled inside the enclosure but stops at the edge, and you can find matching tile, have it extended (or do it yourself, with new ceramic tile mounting kits available at box stores) the rest of the way around the bathroom to the 48” mark, like wainscoting. The advantage to doing this is more than aesthetic; it makes your bathroom much easier to clean, since you can wash the walls at the same time you do the floors.

Image by: Style at Home By: Martha Uniacke Breen Source: Virginia Macdonald

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

Consider side sconces

Many bathrooms are cursed with a single light fixture directly above the mirror, which creates unflattering shadows. If you don’t want to have side sconces wired in, look for a fixture with two lights side by side, which will at least direct the light a little more to either side of your face.

Image by: Style at Home By: Martha Uniacke Breen Source: Mark Burstyn

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

Add an area rug

If your bathroom floor is ugly, cover it with a small pure-wool area rug. Unlike synthetics, wool is moisture and mildew resistant, resists dirt (and can be cleaned relatively easily), and if you choose an Oriental or Persian style, adds a touch of class. If it gets very wet, hang it up to dry.

Image by: Style at Home By: Martha Uniacke Breen Source: Angus Fergusson

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

Experiment with colour

It’s amazing what a beautiful bathroom wall colour will do to add interest to the plainest room, and a small room takes only a day or so to paint. Be careful choosing colour, though: some blues and greens can be cold and unkind to skin tones, while too bright a colour may be overwhelming in a small room like a bath. At the very worst, if you choose a colour and don’t like the effect, it’s easy to paint over again.

Image by: Style at Home By: Martha Uniacke Breen Source: Donna Griffith

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

Make your own shower curtain

Making your own shower curtain is an easy job, even if you’re not a sewer. Measure the shower opening and purchase a few yards of beautiful fabric from a fabric outlet store. Finish the edges with iron-on hemming tape and sew curtain rings along the top. Buy a plastic curtain liner from a bath shop, and hang.

Image by: Style at Home By: Martha Uniacke Breen Source: Stacey Brandford

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas

Add simple accessories

Think scale with bath accessories, but don’t think you have to display only small things. One beautiful vase or piece of artwork (a sealed print is best if your bath gets very steamy) can have fabulous impact in a small space.

Image by: Style at Home By: Martha Uniacke Breen Source: Angus Fergusson

 

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Budget Decorating

9 budget-friendly bathroom makeover ideas