Bathroom Ideas - Decorating Tips and images

May 26, 2018 by Tabitha Naylor

Top 7 Grand yet Affordable Ways to Transform your Bathroom

So, you have braced yourself to redesign and give your bathroom a new makeover, but spending $10,000 dollars on a deluxe spa retreat seems to only to exist in your dreams? Well, here’s the good news, expensive doesn’t always guarantee quality neither does cheap always infer low quality. I mean, you don’t need thousands of dollars to transform your bathroom into an exquisite space for relaxation. Truth be told, there are several ways you can redesign and renovate your bathroom even on a strained budget.

Furthermore, adding or updating your home’s bathroom is an improvement project that does add value to your house. The golden rule is determining how much you are willing to spend, then decide the extent of changes necessary to transform your bathroom into the picture in your dreams.

If you are on the edge with a strained budget, you might want to stick with cosmetic fixtures such as installing new sinks and giving the walls a fresh coat of paint. If you have more to spend, why not focus on making bigger changes like installing a bigger shower head, adding tiles or even installing a new bathtub? All in all, it boils down to your budget!
So, can you save money and still transform your bathroom into something exquisite? Well, the answer is a definite yes but how? That’s the question this post seeks to answer.

1. Limit Your Tile

Tiles can be expensive more so if you hire private contractors to install them for you, instead of spending too much on them, limit their usage and concentrate on high impact places such as the floor and shower stall walls. If you can’t let go on tiles, why not tile a single horizontal strip across the wall and compliment the rest of the wall with some nice paint? If you have already set your eyes on some artistic but expensive tiles and you can’t afford them, you can still copy the design and pattern to compliment the ones you already have. The artistic tiles will not only be more noticeable but also help you save lots of money.

2. Paint

If you don’t have a lot of money to spare, repainting your bathroom with a fresh coat of paint will be the cheapest and most effective way to give it a new and fresh makeover. However, this could take a lot of time. Despite your bathroom is one of the smallest spaces in your house, you have to paint gently and slowly around the shower, tub, wall corners, and switch plates. This demands patience and time if you are out for a superb finish.
When choosing paint, go for a brand that is synonymous with high quality. It will be wise to invest in a paint that produces a satin finish since it keeps moisture at bay. Since bathrooms are always under lots of moisture, mildew and moisture could develop on low-quality paint. This will end up compromising your whole makeover venture rendering it useless.

3. Update Fixtures

Very little details could spell the difference between an excellent finish and a rugged one. Watch out for them! Tasks like updating your sink faucets, towel racks, light fixtures or drawer pulls will only cost you a dime while accounting for a huge transformation of your bathroom. Though some of these items might be way out of your budget, you can replicate them for just a fraction of their original price.
Bear in mind that you don’t have to always new fixtures. Personally, I have recycled second-hand fixtures rescued from old buildings and nothing could be better than what they look.

4. Freshen Caulk and Grout

Caulk and grout is another crucial but overlooked detail with the capacity to transform what you knew about your bathroom. If you let it become grimy, It will eventually become unpleasant. Simple practices like cleaning the grout then adding clean but straight lines of caulk on your sink or bathtub will add some sparkles for only a few dollars. You will become surprised by the results that these two inexpensive products can produce.

5. Redo, Don’t Buy New

Replacing your old shower or tub is going to cost you a fortune. Instead of buying new ones, you will save a lot of money by letting professional plumbers realign them. However, do not try this with your bathroom fixtures or sinks. It is more expensive to refurbish them than installing new ones.
If you have vintage bathroom fixtures with sentimental value and you are not willing to let them go, you can easily refurbish them yourself if they made of fiberglass, cast iron or porcelain. A simple DIY refurbishing is going to cost you only $100. If your friend has one, it will be even cheaper to ask them to lend you.

6. Buy Used

Who said used products are of low quality? My experience with second-hand fixtures has been smooth and most importantly affordable. Used fixtures like showers, tubs, and toilets cost a fraction of new ones in scour sites like Craigslist and eBay. Upcycled bathroom fixtures are also available on Etsy. The sheer variety available on this site will astound you. On the site, you will get the chance to purchase cheap, unique, handmade designer bathroom accessories. There are also local stores which sell high quality used home appliances and necessities like tubs, toilets mirrors, and sinks. You only need to be aggressive enough and a deal of the years could be waiting for you.

8. Go Green with Upgrades

When redesigning your bathroom, don’t forget to let nature be part of the transformation. Simply put the environment’s welfare into consideration by installing environmental friendly sinks, low flow toilets and shower heads which will help you conserve water and also save you some money. Purchasing repurposed or used accessories is also environmental friendly. Websites like Etsy, eBay and craigslist are also resourceful tools when it comes to sourcing upcycled bathroom fixtures.
Using old pieces of barn wood as shelves, vintage light fixtures or classic mirrors will not only save you some money but also add a unique look to your bathroom. All in all, every time you opt to recycle, you will be cutting down your consumption and consequently reduce the amount of money required to transform your bathroom. Which is a good idea especially in our current situation of a strained budget.
One more thing, don’t forget giving back to the community. You can donate all the items you want to get rid of from your bathroom to any local charity or habitats for humanity restore.

Final Word

After recently acquiring my house – which was built in the late 1900s, I realized the bathroom looked dull and I embarked on a mission to transform it. Thanks to its unfortunate paint color and design. At first, I thought it was impossible because I was working on an extremely strained budget. However, I used these tips and I can now boast a fully furnished bathroom. Personally, I hope you’ve learned a thing or two and you are going to implement them in your bathroom. Otherwise, if you have a few tricks of your own, we will be glad if you shared them with us in the comment box below. I can guarantee you that someone will appreciate your help just like you’ve appreciated mine.

Top 4 Smart Ways to Add a Touch of Color to your Bathroom Decor

Traditionally, bathrooms were paid less attention compared to other rooms in the home. However, people are paying more attention to this private room today, more than ever before.

When it comes to breathing life into your bathroom, creativity, as well as skill, is called for. Simple splashes of Color could make a noticeable difference. This is an inexpensive tactic that enables you to make as much or as little change as possible. Before incorporating color, there are a few factors to consider.

1. Available Space

Just because black is your favorite color doesn’t mean that it belongs in your bathroom. The key in color based decor lays in the space available. A small bathroom calls for bright colors while a spacious one allows you the freedom to play around with colors.

Bright colors naturally make a room appear bigger than it really is. It creates the illusion that there is ample light in the room which also plays a big role in making it appear bigger.

With a larger room, you have the freedom to use several and bolder colors. You are also not restricted to certain hues since the room will accommodate them well.

2. How to Use the Color

If possible, it is important to incorporate different colors in this room. In this case, you are free to use prints and shapes. These are great for making use of large spaces.

Besides the ordinary, you could also easily incorporate color in smart ways. Candy colors work perfectly well together. In a sky blue themed bathroom, add touches of turquoise, yellow, orange or pink in the form of accessories; toothbrush holders, paper bins, tissue holders, soap dish and dispenser. These instantly get rid of the boring vibe that plain washrooms normally have.

3. Colored Bathroom Decor

Did you know that just like the living room you can also incorporate decor to your bathroom? Yes, you can, just like any other room, this one needs a focal point as well as other statement decor items. If yours is a large one, think beyond the plain bathroom lights above your mirror.

You can choose a colorful bathroom chandelier to make your washroom stand out. This doesn’t have to be as glamorous as the one in your living room though. A colorful chandelier instantly adds a touch of class and sophistication.

On your plain walls, choose a multi-colored mosaic wall hanging. It can be in the form of a picture frame or a simple artistic mosaic or collage painting.

Another route that you could take with plain walls is a colorful back splashround the sink. Choose different colored tiles on this area. Small bathrooms could also adopt this idea but in a minute way. A series of bright colored tiles used in a small section of this area will work perfectly fine.

4. LED Lighting

Did you know that you could embrace technology and make it work for your bathroom? With a little creativity, LED lights could effectively take your ordinary washroom a notch higher. Incorporate an LED strip around your bathroom mirror instead of the traditional ‘above the mirror’ light bulb. These are not only fun but work especially well in dark room spaces.

A multi-colored bulb is also a fun way of incorporating color to your bathroom. This bulb allows you to change the mood of this private room whenever you wish. This also works best when you don’t want to draw too much attention to the traffic to and from the bathroom.

Today, glow in the dark lighting is being incorporated even in toilet seats. This rules out the need to switch on the light especially at night. The lit seat will automatically glow and guide you to where the seat is. This is an ideal choice for all washrooms but especially so for kids bathroom. This fun feature will encourage them to rise above their darkness freight.

Color effortlessly breathes life to any living space. With a few expert tips and a creative mind, you could effortlessly make your loo extraordinary in a fun way. Choose to look beyond your favorite colors in this case, be open to sampling a combination of different hues to determine which ones best work for this room. After all, you’ll never know unless you give it a try!