Last Updated on December 13, 2023
Bathroom renovations can be expensive, time-consuming and inconvenient – after all, you need to use your bathroom several times a day. But if your bathroom looks tired and needs a refresh, you don’t have to renovate to brighten up your ablutions – here are ten ways you can spruce up your bathroom without a complete renovation.
Give it a Clean
Make a day of it and take everything moveable out of the bathroom before setting to work with limescale remover, mould killer, and a citrus-based cleaner. The citrus will cut through soap residue you haven’t even realised is there!
Then, when you put things back in the bathroom, take the opportunity to declutter and get rid of almost empty shampoos, bubble baths that no one uses, and those bath bombs that stained you and the bath an unsettling shade of green.
The difference will surprise you, which might even be enough to keep you satisfied with your bathroom for a while longer before you need that remodel.
Invest in New Soft Furnishings
Shower curtains, bath and toilet mats, and even your towels all get a little stale in time. Invest in a set of fluffy towels in a colour that harmonises with your bathroom, switch to a new, beautiful set of mats and see how your bathroom décor begins to sing once again.
Add Plants
A splash of green plants in your bathroom is a great way to add a touch of nature to your otherwise stark ablution fittings, and it also imparts a lovely exotic air, especially if you choose rare plants, of the type more usually found in warm and steamy rainforests – an environment that your bathroom can emulate most admirably!
Make Small Changes
You don’t need to change your cabinets to make them look impressive: simply change the cabinet handles. If you can, attend estate sales and look out for antique fittings which are often sold in large job lots for just a few pounds. These add real cachet to even the most suburban bathroom.
If it comes in the same style, also change your toilet flush handle and even the taps. These small and seemingly insignificant touches can add a great deal of interest to your bathroom and if you are shortly due to have a house survey before putting your home on the market, they will almost certainly be noticed in a positive light.
Transform the Lighting
A lot of the ambience of a room – any room – comes from the lighting. One harsh unshaded bulb overhead is dramatic and grim, perfect for a noir film, but not comfortable for living room lighting and not desirable in a bathroom where one spends time trying to look one’s best.
Softer lights from multiple points are kinder to all types of skin as well as throwing a much more even light which makes putting on make-up and bronzer so much easier – no more harsh lines where the bronzer or foundation stops. And it will also make your bathroom a more inviting place, a refuge rather than a mere convenience.
Waterproof Wallpaper
Bathroom walls get wet, so you need waterproof paint and lots of tiles, which can feel stale in time. Mix things up by experimenting with waterproof wallpaper, which can come in a wide array of colours, designs and patterns, opening up a whole exciting world of interior décor.
Feature Wall
If wallpapering your entire bathroom will create a claustrophobic effect, you can make the best of both worlds by picking one wall as a feature wall, and only applying waterproof wallpaper to that wall. Feature walls can also be picked out with paint, using a strong contrasting colour that makes the wall pop and gives the whole bathroom a unique look.
Make it Fragrant
Bathrooms are necessarily smelly places, and it can be quite off-putting to use such a bathroom when one is trying to get clean. Add plenty of artificial good smells to your bathroom: diffusers, incense sticks, gels, and automatic air fresheners all work to keep your bathroom smelling great. A bowl of potpourri refreshed regularly is the answer for a more natural method of air freshening.
Mirrors for Size
Mirrors are an excellent interior design tool. You can use mirrors to change the shape of a room. For example, you can effectively double the width of a narrow room by placing a mirror along one of the long walls. Mirrors can also make a small space, such as a bathroom, feel more spacious because they double the space you can see. It is a trick, yes, but one that the human mind is happy to accept.
Faux Tiles
Finally, what have you got underfoot? Bathroom floors take a lot of abuse: feet, splashed water, spilt shampoo, and more. Keeping your bathroom floor needs to be easy to do, and using high-quality all-in-one vinyl or lino is an excellent answer. Vinyl keeps the water on the surface, so you will not suffer from leaks, and it is effortless to mop clean – and even replace should it become damaged or stained.
Try one of these tips or all of them, and see if you can transform your bathroom without needing an extensive renovation. Of course, eventually, even these tricks will not be enough and you might need to call up the experts to put in a new bathroom for you. But once that is in place, you now know how to keep it looking like new for longer.
