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Whether it is the family bathroom or your en suite, we are all looking for style and function but how do we achieve that do-it-yourself interior designer look when we have a limited budget?
To tell the truth it is a lot easier than you would imagine. A few simple yet relatively inexpensive ideas can totally transform your utilitarian space into a sumptuous sanctuary of joy that is worthy of the finest hotels in the World.
If you have the tools, the determination, and the do-it-yourself frame of mind, you can keep the price down and totally modernise your bathroom without the need of a professional tradesperson.
If, however you are thinking of a brand-new bathroom suite, including a bath, toilet, sink and shower then why not go to your local showrooms and ask if they have any ex-display furniture as this is very often sold at a reduced rate and can be very budget-friendly.
Reuse Existing Furniture
There is no need to purchase all the items you associate with a bathroom; if the bathtub is in good condition just keep it and the same goes for the toilet bowl and sink.
Tiling
There has been a trend for floor to ceiling tiling over the last few years, but the materials and installation can prove to be quite expensive, so why not only tile the necessary areas like the splashback on the bathtub and sink and the shower enclosure and paint the remaining wall space.
Yet another do-it-yourself project you can undertake to keep within budget whilst adding value to one of the most essential rooms in the house.
Painting Can Create Balance
If you use a bathroom-specific paint that will last for a considerable time before you need to repaint. This is also cost-effective as you can easily and affordably update the colour as trends and fashion changes.
If, however you are just upgrading your existing bathroom, then you can really make it pop with some clever little design touches such as:
- Display your towels on a vintage piece of furniture
- Add seating if you have room
- Large gilt-edged mirrors instead of wall cabinets
- New taps in copper or brass
- Clean up grouting and tilework
- Change the colour of your grouting to contrast your tiles
- Hang a flamboyant light
All of these little tricks can save you money and increase your budget and affordability for those over-the-top and slightly more expensive items.
Cleaning Can Improve The Look
Grouting is a necessity in any tiles and most bathrooms will have an abundance of tiles in them so why not get out the rubber gloves and start scrubbing?
There are a number of solutions from ingredients that you already have in your pantries such as lemon juice, or a mild disinfectant that gets rid of mould and limescale stains naturally.
You can also use white vinegar for chemical-free grout cleaning. Simply pour vinegar from the bottle into the cap and spread it over the dirty grout lines. Allow the lemon juice or vinegar to sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add Character With New Grouting
Why not go for an entirely different style, remove the grout, and replace it with an excitingly different colour to the tiles? This year’s most popular colour scheme by far is white tiles with black grout.
New Shower Attachments
What better way to reach your budgetary requirements than just changing simple items like the shower head, the hose or even the taps that feed the water?
You can spend less to achieve the designer look and if you use your do-it-yourself skills, you can save valuable money to spend on some other luxury items.
Recycled Furniture
For that ultra-modern designer look in any bathroom, you have to think of the past in today’s bathrooms and change that veneered cabinet for an old piece of budget storage furniture.
It could be that dresser from your grandmother’s house or an old timber merchant’s cabinet that you can paint and not only use for storage but as a platform for your sink.
Take it one stage further this bathroom and add a Belfast sink:
Bucket with cleaning supplies on white background
This recycled merchant’s cabinet was painted with chalk paint and sealed to protect it from the moisture and the cabinet, paint, sink, new handles, and taps came to £125, a considerable saving from a showroom.
Timeless Pieces Give You That Finishing Touch
Go for real personality and character by adding pillows to any seating you have and draping ornaments from windowsills.
Throw in beautiful upcycled bottles to store shampoo and shower gels. This will create an upmarket feel as well as being sustainable for the future.
Different materials and furnishings can add elegance and style to turn a functioning space into a spa-like ambient and decadent room that you will want to spend time in.
Plants Can Help Brighten The Bathroom
Plants, especially succulents, can not only be pretty but beneficial as they can absorb moisture from the air and reduce mould from settling on taps and tiles.
Hanging plants will add vibrancy without taking up too much storage space, as a clutter-free, bright bathroom is what this budget renovation should be about.
Fundamentally you can make your bathroom look and feel like a million dollars without having to bust your budget.
