Bathrooms can quickly become an outdated and forgotten space in you or your clients’ home. Although they are one of the most visited rooms within a house, bathrooms are usually overlooked and in need up upgrades.
If you do not have plans to renovate your bathroom any time soon, it may be time to give your bathroom a makeover.
Below are 9 ways that you can give your bathroom the makeover it deserves so that you can welcome it back into your home as one of your favorite spaces.
BATHROOM MAKEOVER TIP 1: DEEP CLEAN & ORGANIZE
Sometimes bathrooms just need a good deep clean to feel like a whole new room again. Start with a purge–throw out or store away any bathroom products that you don’t use on a daily or weekly basis.
Do you need that extra toothpaste lying around, or can you store it in the linen closet? Do you really need 3 half-full bottles of hair gel or can you give away the old ones? Utilize storage boxes under your sink to really maximize space.
Image Source: www.abeautifulmess.com
After you’ve purged or stored things away, it’s time to scrub your bathroom clean! Get in all of the tiny spaces. Clear the cobwebs in the corner. Open up the windows. Even soak your shower head in some water and vinegar.
By cleaning your bathroom from head to toe you are basically polishing up what was once dull, and making it shiny again.
Deep Clean Tip: Take everything out of your bathroom before you start this so that you can 1) sort, purge, and store your products in a bigger space like your kitchen or living room, and 2) you are not cleaning around things or cutting corners.
BATHROOM MAKEOVER TIP 2: UPDATE YOUR LINENS
Freshen up your space by getting brand new, matching linens. Believe it or not, linens aren’t the cleanest thing in your bathroom, and they should be replaced quite frequently.
To give your bathroom a top-notch makeover, make sure that all of your linens match or at least complement each other.
A new shower curtain and shower liner will give the focal point of your bathroom new life. Depending on your design style, a lighter shower curtain will open up and brighten your bathroom, and a darker shower curtain will serve as an accent piece and will draw your guests’ eyes to the tub.
After you’ve decided on a new shower curtain and accompanying liner, it’s time to move on to the bathroom mat and towels. Keep your bathroom mat neutral and make sure that it matches both your shower curtain and your floor. Choose towels that match or serve as an accent piece.
Linens Tip: Look for a set of linens so that you can ensure consistency. Towel sets that include body towels, hand towels, and face towels in the same color are always a safe bet, and the same goes for bathroom mats (if you are using more than one).
If you can’t find towel sets, do your best to pick one dominant color and go from there (see image below).
BATHROOM MAKEOVER TIP 3: ACCESSORIZE
Bathroom accessories can really make or break the space. Accessories can either look clean and sophisticated, or cluttered and messy, so be careful when choosing your accessories. Remember, we’re going for a makeover here, so try to make sure that your accessories match and do not overtake your bathroom.
What do I mean by accessories? These can be containers for your toothbrush and toothpaste holders, your soap dishes or dispensers, your waste basket, and so on. These are all considered accessories and are easy to find as matching sets.
Accessories Tip: If you are using neutral linens, you can utilize your accessories as design pieces. Try pops of color, embellished, or even unusual or quirky accessories. If your linens are your design statement, then stick to neutral accessories like natural stone, metallic, or glass.
BATHROOM MAKEOVER TIP 4: CHANGE UP YOUR HARDWARE
Changing out or updating your current hardware is a great way to give your bathroom a makeover. You can update the hardware you currently have by spray painting them or you can simply buy new ones.
Spray paint has really come a long way since it was first introduced to the market. You can now spray paint your hardware with a gloss finish, a matte finish, or even a semi-matte finish. You can even go so far as to spray paint an antique or crackle effect.
Some hardware elements to take into consideration are all cabinet handles, the door handles, and any other pieces that you feel would make a statement like hinges, hooks, and locks.
Just like with the accessories or linens, hardware can really be used as a design statement. Take your overall bathroom design into consideration before changing or updating your hardware, and then choose if you’d like to keep your hardware neutral or not.
Hardware Tip: If you are going to spray paint your existing hardware, make sure that you follow the instructions and test the spray paint first. Go outside (make sure that where you are is extremely well ventilated) and spray paint an extra piece of hardware you have laying around, or buy an extra piece from the hardware store.
Once the piece is dry, bring it into your bathroom and leave it on your sink for 24 hours, so that you can see how the light hits the new colored hardware at different times of the day. Once you approve of the look, paint the rest of your hardware!
BATHROOM MAKEOVER TIP 5: REPLACE YOUR LIGHTING
Changing up your lighting fixtures is a simple, yet highly effective way to update your bathroom. It’s amazing how many bathrooms still have outdated fixtures that not only look bad, but are costing people money on their electricity bill because they aren’t energy efficient.
You can either spray paint your current fixture or purchase a new one all together. To give your bathroom an even more dramatic makeover, switch up fixture styles.
If you currently have a vanity light, switch over to wall sconces. If you currently have wall sconces, switch over to a vanity light. Think about how much light you require in your bathroom and go from there.
If you decide to spray paint your fixtures, make sure that you follow the steps outlined in the Hardware section above, to ensure that the color you are choosing fits your bathroom style.
Lighting Tip: Don’t be afraid to take a design leap here. Your lighting fixtures can really date your overall bathroom design. Research current trends and take a design leap of faith. Having a statement lighting piece is sure to impress your guests!
BATHROOM MAKEOVER TIP 6: EMBRACE ARTWORK
Add some artwork to the walls to really give your bathroom a touch of your personality. Artwork is something you really can’t mess up, so find pieces that resonate with you and your design personality, and hang them on the wall or even place them on top of a floating shelf.
Artwork Tip: Don’t be afraid to go vintage here. Art is designed to tell a story, so why not include artwork that has a history. Go to your local thrift store or flea market and find some cool pieces that will have your guests entranced.
Spray paint the frames to match your new and improved bathroom and you now have a cohesive and professional look.
BATHROOM MAKEOVER TIP 7: BREATHE FRESH WITH GREENERY
Nothing says new and improved bathroom like adding fresh greenery! Greenery is starting to become a huge bathroom design trend and it is also extremely beneficial for your health. Grab some plants that work well in low-light and somewhat humid environments, and also ones that provide an aroma of your choice.
You can put smaller greenery on your shelves or sink, and larger ones on stands. You can find cascading greenery and hang it from the walls to make the space look taller.
Greenery Tip: Shoot for greenery that doesn’t need to be watered every day. Since the greenery will be in your bathroom, you may forget to water it along with your other plants. Plus, the natural moisture from the shower will help water the plant on its own.
BATHROOM MAKEOVER TIP 8: AMP UP THE AMBIANCE
Last on our list of bathroom makeover tips and tricks is ambiance! What kind of feel do you want your bathroom to have? Do you want to go from dark and dingy to bright and lively? Or dark and cold to warm and serene? Do you want your bathroom to feel like a spa or a friendly bed and breakfast? Think about the ambiance that you would like to have and go from there.
For a spa-like ambiance, you can add candles, a water feature, or even some aromatherapy to really set the mood and have your guests feeling relaxed and comfortable. For a bed-and-breakfast-like ambiance, try adding some vintage elements, bright lights, and maybe even some containers with small soaps in them.
Ambiance Tip: You may not know the kind of ambiance you wish to embrace right away, so once you’ve incorporated some of the makeover tips from above, sit with your new and improved bathroom for a couple of days and then go from there.
