Long gone are the days of small bathrooms…the room of the house no one ever looked at or thought about. Today bathrooms are being given more space in the home and are often designed to accommodate a particular lifestyle. Today’s bathroom is a place of relaxation and comfort. In this segment we are going to offer a few cost effective ideas to update an existing bathroom while maintaining style and usefulness.
Start by examining the space around your bathroom that may allow for expansion. Can you steal space from a neighboring room or closet? Moving a wall just a couple of feet can visually increase the size of a room considerably.
- Utilize the space between wall studs to create niches that can be used for storage or decorative accents.
- Replace opaque shower glass or shower curtains with clear glass walls and doors. Using clear glass around a shower will not only open the space visually, but it will allow more light to pass thru helping to brighten up the area.
- Consider replacing a vanity cabinet with a pedestal sink to give the appearance of a larger room. If storage is a concern, consider adding wall niches or using decorative baskets and floating shelves.
- Paint cabinetry. Updating the look of a vanity with paint is always a great option.
- Replace outdated vanity tops with cultured marble tops. Integrating the sink bowl with the vanity top is a great way to save on the cost of sink replacement.
- Add a frame to the mirror(s) over the vanity. Framing a mirror adds style and personality to any space.
- Consider replacing tub/shower units with a soaker tub. This will not only open up the space but add charm as well.
- Reglazing a tub is a great cost effective alternative to replacement.
- Replace outdated tub surround with marble rather than tile. Marble sheets are not only easier to maintain, but should save you considerably over the cost of tile labor.
- Don’t be afraid of color. Painting your bathroom walls is a great way to give it a fresh look without spending a lot of money. Sticking with lighter color pallets will add dimension without weighing down the space. Solid colors on walls will help make the space appear larger. Save the patters for accents like curtains and towels.
- As always…shop around for your fixtures. Replacing lighting, plumbing, towel bars and drawer pulls is another great way to update a space. So shop around for the best deals.
We hope you have found some useful suggestions in the last few features.
Happy Remodeling!
