Now that the summer months are approaching, it’s the perfect time of year to assess which rooms in the home are in need of an upgrade. Sometimes, a room is practically begging for a total overhaul, complete with pretty much ‘new’ everything (new flooring, spruced-up fixtures, and modern furniture). However, some rooms are just crying out for a little upgrade.
It might be that they just need a punch of colour here and a well-placed shelf there can give your space an entirely new vibe. Even by switching up the design scheme, replacing material items or moving certain things around can drastically improve a space.
Nowhere is this truer than in the bathroom. Bathrooms tend to be fairly minimal and typically light on the square footage. It might be that you don’t actually need to invest in a whole new bathroom refit, but just to get it spruced up and updated with a few newer pieces.
Here are the five ways to upgrade your bathroom without having to completely re-do the entire room:
Update Your Vinyl Floors
One thing that many homeowners will find they have ‘suffered’ is to put up with a previous owner’s poor flooring choices. They just didn’t seem too awful to change immediately at the time of moving in. But five years down the line, you can’t stand the sight of them.
Yes, redoing the floors in your master bathroom can be a costly time-sucking activity, which is why it’s fine to leave it a little when you first move in. However, if you have a case of ugly vinyl or linoleum tile on your hands, you can use this shortcut to breathe some life into your bathroom.
Simply repaint your vinyl floor. Yes, that is right, you can actually paint vinyl and linoleum—just make sure to select a type of paint that’s rated for porches and floors, and prime them with two coats of all-purpose interior primer before painting.
If you do have a bit of spare cash, it could be worth upgrading them to tiles, and consider having matching ones on some/all of the walls. We’ll touch on that tip further down…
Invest in a quality bathtub
Sometimes, shopping for cheaper bathroom units and basins doesn’t make much difference. As long as the toilet works and is designed to a nice shape, it does the job. But your bath can tell a different story. Baths tend to rust away or collect mould – and even chip away – the more they are used. A poor quality, cheaper one will do this much faster.
Many homes invest in upgrading to a steel bath when looking at ways to improve their bathrooms. Sometimes, it may be the only one update they choose to do, but with the bath being such a focal point, it’s totally worth it. Online retailer Bathdisc has a great range of steel baths for inspiration if you wish to have a look online.
Add a spa-worthy shelf
For some of us, our bathrooms are our sanctuaries. There is not much better in life than indulging in a luxurious soak, but it helps to enjoy our bathroom surroundings at the same time. For many homeowners, this means installing an open shelving system with a minimalist feel at the foot of the tub for faster access to extra washcloths, facial scrubs, candles, and that very necessary glass of fizz.
All you need to do is to swap out any old, threadbare towels and replace for plush new ones in bright, luminous white. This will give that instant illusion of living the spa life.
Upgrade your tiling
If you shop around, installing new tiles can be a cheap and easy way to transform the look of your bathroom. You can choose to have matching tiles on the floors and walls so that you only need to purchase one type of tile.
Whether you opt for new tiles on the floor, walls, or in the shower (or everywhere), it’s important to pick classic, timeless options that will resonate with potential buyers. Sure, it should match your personal taste, but anything too bright and bold may scare off anyone who views your house in years to come.
Grey is always a popular colour option, although white tiles with a dark grey grout are now the biggest bathroom trend. This type of look upon walls and floors looks clean, modern and minimalistic – embracing that popular Scandi style. The contrast of light with dark looks fantastic.
Ditch outdated lighting
Sometimes we don’t look up enough and inspect our bathroom lighting situation. But if you do, you might spot that old Hollywood style light fixture above the bathroom sink. Do you see it? It’s time to get rid of that.
Lighting plays a huge part in how your bathroom is perceived, and replacing your outdated light fixtures for something more modern is a cheap and easy way to make the whole room look like new.
Ceiling spotlights or dimmable lights look incredible in bathrooms but make sure you do your research beforehand. Certain styles of lighting are approved for the bathroom, and others aren’t, so make sure this is checked out first.
Of course, you can opt for a little bathroom shopping trip, updating your towels, wall art, baskets and accessories, which will all make a huge difference. Just step back and assess what little updates can be done to make the biggest impact, with your budget in mind of course!
