Things to Consider When Updating Your Bathroom

Bathrooms are one of the most used and abused rooms in your home, yet they are also a serene and relaxing retreat to escape for a few moments each day. With that in mind, it is important for your bathroom to be functional, beautiful and enjoyable.

Studies have shown that renovating the main bathroom in a home has an estimated payback of 60% to 65% when the home is resold. But it can cost well over $5,000 to complete, not to mention the significant inconvenience.

Fortunately, there are many quick and inexpensive solutions to make updating your bathroom a simple day or weekend project.

Determine your design style
To make your bathroom your own, first determine how you want your bathroom to work and how you want to feel while you are in your space. Secondly, decide if you are someone who likes to frequently change your decorations to follow seasons or trends, or if you prefer a classic style that involves little or no updating.

Personalize with paint
Painting is an easy and inexpensive way to make a dramatic and instant impact on a room. When choosing a paint colour, find one that is going to inspire you, make you happy and create a desired mood.

Dark dramatic colours are great for those who are not up for frequent changes. However, neutrals, available in light, medium and dark tones, are the most accepting of colours, which is ideal for those who want to continually add the latest colour trends or seasonal decorations.

Freshen up
Replace your grey and mouldy old shower curtain with a nice new one. Plastic or fabric shower curtains are inexpensive to buy, incredibly easy to change, and provide a great way of adding a splash of colour to dull décor. Something as simple as hanging a clean new shower curtain can have a big impact on your bathroom’s appearance.

If you’re willing to spend a bit more, replacing your shower curtain with a glass shower door or screen is a great way to add the wow factor. Frameless shower doors made from tempered glass are ideal for a sleek, modern look, whereas those with a chrome, brass or gold plated frame can look stunning in a more traditional themed bathroom. Be practical when choosing a shower door and think about how it will open. A folding door that opens outward looks grand and elegant, but is likely to bang into your sink or toilet if you have a small bathroom. If your shower is above your bathtub, a space-saving sliding door is a good choice.

Install a new vanity cabinet
Bathroom vanities come in all sorts of different styles to suit bathrooms of all themes, from decorative furniture styles to minimalist contemporary designs. Bath vanities usually consist of a base storage cabinet with an inlaid sink on top. They are great for making the most of a small room and provide useful storage space. An attractive bathroom vanity will be a focal point of your bathroom and can work wonders at giving the whole room a stylish new look.

Replace your existing bathroom cabinets or simply paint the doors for a quick and simple makeover. Wall mounted bathroom cabinets tend to attract our attention as they are at eye level, and a tatty or old-fashioned cabinet can really tarnish a bathroom’s appearance. Wall cabinets come in a huge range of sizes and styles, from wooden ones made from cherry, walnut or oak to those with hand painted, distressed or laminated finishes. In a small room, having a mirror on a cabinet door is not only useful, but can help create an illusion of space.

Add a classy mirror
Be particular and stylish here. If storage is not a concern, forgo the medicine cabinet. Don't limit yourself to traditional bathroom mirrors that are found everywhere. There are endless possibilities for creating an interesting new look with an elegant mirror.

Finish your look with coordinating finishes
One of the easiest ways to create a professionally designed look in your bathroom is to coordinate the metal finishes. Get rid of ugly or worn out taps on your sink and bath. Often there is no need to go to the hassle and expense of fitting a new bathroom suite. Simply installing stylish new bathroom faucets can give a tired bathroom an instant lift. Bath and sink faucets come in a surprisingly large variety of styles and finishes, from brass plated Victorian styles for period homes to sleek looking chrome for the contemporary bathroom.

Coordinating the finish throughout a room is a great way to pull it together. Be sure not to stop with the faucet -- change your drawer pulls, knobs, towel bars, faucets, showerheads, accessories and even your framed artwork. Not everything needs to be exactly the same finish, but be sure the tonal colours are relatively the same hue.

Add accessories and personality
Accessories are a great way to pull together a bathroom design as well as showcase your personality and individuality. Adding complementary or contrasting colour towels, bathmats and shower curtains can brighten up your bathroom and create a finished and cohesive look. In addition, accessories such as toothbrush and cup holders, towel bars and soap dishes available in coordinating finishes to match your faucets can add not only style, but additional storage solutions to avoid clutter.

Lighten up
Light is an important element in the bathroom, yet it is one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make. Most bathrooms are equipped with fluorescent lighting fixtures, which give off an unattractive blue tint to people and surroundings. Change out the fluorescent lighting and swap with halogen, which is the closest to natural sunlight. An additional way to add light is to add a mirror, since it’s like adding a window to a room. Even if you do have a window, position a mirror opposite the window. The natural light will reflect off the mirror and flood the room with bright white light in addition to expanding the visual plane to give the illusion of expanded space.

Whether you are decorating your house to sell, or planning on staying where you are, it's time to freshen up that bathroom you've always hated with a whole new look.