Kitchen or bathroom renovations are among the most popular home improvement projects. But the cost of renovating these two rooms is also the highest. Most of us put this renovation on some sort of “one day wish list” while in the meantime we daydream while browsing Pinterest.
Fortunately, you don’t have to do a full scale renovation to make that old bathroom feel new, look fresher, and look more stylish.
Here’s how to make an outdated bathroom feel fresh:
1. Clean the grout
Grout that is dirty is one of the first things to age a bathroom. But fixing it is also simple. If you have white grout that has turned dirty and gray, you can quickly restore its bright white appearance by purchasing a grout whitener.
If you’ve got colored grout it’s sometimes possible to find colored grout restorers, but color matching might be a challenge. Instead, invest in a quality grout cleaning brush to improve the appearance of colored grout.
This one tip will make a significant difference and go a long way toward making an old bathroom feel new, even if you don’t do anything else on the list.
2. Refresh those tiles (without re-tiling)
Colored tiles can give a bathroom a dated appearance. In fact, outdated tiles might be the reason why you’re considering a total renovation. Can you believe pink bubblegum tiles are still out there?
If a complete tile replacement isn’t in the budget, why not paint them or cover your existing tiles with peel and stick tiles? There are plenty of tutorials on the net for different options you can try.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to repaint the remaining tile-less walls.
3. Add texture
Texture is an often overlooked feature of home decor.
And while a living room or bedroom are probably the two rooms that most people think of when adding textures, it’s just as crucial in a bathroom.
Textures add depth and a sense of freshness to bathrooms, which can otherwise appear sterile, dated, and soulless.
For example, things such as seagrass baskets (also great for storage), string bags, a plush bathmat, possibly some textured containers, a wooden bath tray, etc.
4. Apply the tray technique
This easy design trick can make your bathroom look cleaner and more stylish right away. What a difference it makes just to put things on a tray as opposed to leaving them lying around!
5. Add one or two feature pieces
This is still a great option to refresh your bathroom, even if it’s small.
Add an item that is unusual but still useful.
For example, use a ladder rail to hang towels and other items in place of a standard towel rail. Alternatively, replace those functional, but uninspiring plastic hooks with something that makes a design statement but is still clearly a hook.
You might be surprised at how little changes can make a big difference in the appearance of your bathroom. Can you stack towels or keep toiletries on a stool instead of a shelf?
6. Add greenery
Plants can instantly add warmth and style and work wonders to refresh a drab space.
Choose anything green you like if you have space and green fingers. You could even go all out by placing a sizable planter on the floor.
But if you have difficulty remembering to care for your plants—or you don’t want the hassle—choose some cacti or buy some foliage, like eucalyptus, and put it in a small vase. Neither of these requires much maintenance, and your bathroom will also smell nice.
7. Refresh your fixtures
If money is available, you can improve your bathroom by changing the taps, mirrors, and cabinet fronts.
It will substantially improve the appearance of your bathroom at a fraction of the cost of a full renovation.
However, you’ll still need money to do this, so if you can’t afford to update everything, pick one or two things. The appearance of your bathroom can be drastically altered by making even a small change, such as replacing your existing mirror with a large, fashionable one.
Finally, one of the benefits of making a small refresh besides the money it can save is that you might even fall in love with your ‘new’ bathroom and put off the renovation for years.
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