The very thought of updating anything in your house can be exhausting. Finding the time, the energy, and in most cases, the money, can be difficult. But there are simpler and more affordable alternatives to modifying the spaces in your home, particularly in the most important room in the house: the bathroom.
Update what’s already there
You can see it now; a dozen pieces of the same countertop or wall lying on the floor, or maybe a mirror leaning against the door that’s just waiting to fall over and break. Well you can avoid that headache with these simple ideas on updating what is already there.
1. If you’re worried about that mirror being knocked off the wall, don’t just hang it; frame it by adding wood and molding. Check out DIY Bathroom: Update Mirrors on In My Own Style.
2. Don’t replace, repaint. Instead of tearing out and installing new countertops, just give them a fresh color. Check out Easy DIY Ideas for Updating Your Bathroom on LiveLoveDIY.
3. If that window just doesn’t provide you with enough privacy, etching the glass can afford you that privacy while still letting in natural light. Check out Polka-Dot Bathroom on Martha Stewart.
4. Take that boring shower curtain and really liven it up. Check out Oodles of Ruffles Shower Curtain on Just Call Me Blessed.
5. If the radiator is in your bathroom, as it is in many old-style apartments and homes, simply paint it the same color as the walls. Check out Radiator Revamp on Haddon Musing.
Cozy it up
The bathroom can sometimes be the only room in which you can truly be by yourself. Even if that’s not the case, you can certainly make the powder room the most comfortable space in the house with these simple ideas.
6. Make your bathroom feel like a vacation. Check out DIY Mosaic Tile on Centsational Girl.
7. Give your bathtub something extra; make it appear as if you’re bathing in stone by using faux stone siding as a tub surround.
8. That bathroom tile can get awfully cold in the dead of winter. Warm up the floor and keep your feet from freezing. Check out Simple Style: Put a Sheepskin On It at Elements of Style Blog.
9. Instead of wasting time and money trying to find a rug that matches your new paint color or towel set, simply make one yourself. Check out Paint a Rug on The Idea Room.
10. Our feet are tired at the end of the day, so why not sit while you shower? After all Winston Churchill said, “Why stand when you can sit?” Check out Simple DIY Shower Stool on Home and Away.
Alternatives to shelving
Sure, you can simply stack your towels or other linens underneath the sink; but you aren’t like that. These creative shelving concepts are sure to be fun projects, and will certainly impress your guests.
11. Eyebrow raising and space saving, a ladder is a great way for your family or guests to hang towels or clothes. Check out How to Make a Rustic Ladder on Twelve Oaks Blog.
12. For spare or extra towels, hanging old wicker baskets is a great alternative to digging around cabinets or closets. Check out DIY Bathroom Towel Storage in Under 5 Minutes on Making Lemonade Blog.
13. Wooden crates add a rustic feel and can either be stacked or hung on the wall. Check out How to Make and Hang Wood Fruit Crate Shelves on Condo Blues.
14. Drawers may as well be the desert dwelling lion from Aladdin. Things get swallowed up and are never found again. But there’s a simple way to combat this problem. Check out DIY Decorative Tray on Made By Girl.
15. Re-use an old suitcase to store your toiletries. Check out 40 Creative Ways of Re-Using Old Suitcases on Homedit.
Don’t take up space; create space
Between a half-dozen towels, makeup, toothbrushes and blow dryers, space can be hard to come by in what is normally the smallest room in the house anyway. But these space-saving, and creating, techniques can help you earn back some wiggle room.
16. Use knobs to hang towels and create more space for yourself and your guests. Check out Weekend DIY: Bathroom Organization on Eat. Sleep. Decorate.
17. Does your toothbrush or toothpaste roll off your sink counter on to the floor, or perhaps even into the toilet? Attach a glass mason jar to your wall. Practical and stylish. Check out DIY Bathroom Decor Ideas on My Teak Home.
18. Installing shelves can help organize and create extra room when there isn’t much to be had. Check out DIY: Floating Shelves on Thrifty Decor Chick.
19. You can use PVC pipe to create unique storage for just about anything. Draw or paint on them anything you like. Check out PVC Pipe Toothbrush Holder on Crafting in the Rain.
20. Sometimes there just isn’t more physical space to be had. But you can create the illusion of space by using a glass enclosure for your shower area. Check out Master Bathroom Glass on Freshome.
Wall art doesn’t have to be store-bought
Whether it be pictures, paintings or wallpaper, finding things with which to decorate your bathroom wall can be expensive. But these DIY creations can inspire you to do more with less.
21. If you have an artistic side you like to entertain, and don’t want to deal with the mess of wall glue, draw your own wallpaper. Check out How To Create Sharpie Wallpaper on Shannon Berrey Design.
22. You can cut pages out of magazine, use your own photographs, or simply draw something to make a collage of your favorite things. Check out Home Sweet Home Tour on Poppytalk.
23. If you have kids, they likely have drawn on the wall at some point. So give them, or yourself, that space to be creative. Check out DIY Chalkboard Powder Room at Sara Russell Interiors.
24. Wall art and pictures don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. You can take pictures or draw whatever your heart desires and frame them yourself. Check out 5 Tips for a Cheap DIY Bathroom on Thrift Diving.
25. A few words of inspiration or wisdom can help get you ready for the day. Check out Bathroom Wall Decals at In Blop.
Designs to inspire: think big
The simple projects like re-painting or mosaic tiles are fun, but these designs will have all who come into your house asking, “How did you do that?”
26. If you’re looking to do something a little more appealing than simply put up a curtain, why not use old windows to achieve a rustic feel? Check out 35 Interesting Industrial Interior Design Ideas on Shelterness.
27. Take a trip back to the 19th Century every time you open the bathroom door. Or rather, slide it open. Check out Sliding Barn Doors on Remodelista.
28. Anyone can hang a picture on a wall, but have you ever seen a bike as a sink stand? Check out Biker Bathroom on Boston Biker.
29. You can also use a nightstand, or build your own table to use as a vanity. Check out DIY Bathroom Vanity at Remodelaholic.
30. An update to your light fixtures can really make you or your guests feel like they’re a Hollywood star. Check out Will You Turn on the Light? at Pink Wallpaper.
Your own ideas?
This is a pretty extensive list, I know. But, I’m sure there are projects you’ve undertaken to transform your bathrooms. I want to hear about them.
Tell me all about them in the comments section of this post!
Cheers,
Rob.
Related posts:
Bathroom Remodeling Design Ideas
Bathroom Design That’s Man-Friendly
Bathroom Makeover Ideas: Budget, Layout, Color