Bathroom Decorating Ideas (on a budget!)

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How To Update Your Bathroom Without Renovating

  • Fresh paint
  • Peel and stick wallpaper
  • Spruce up your faucet
  • Update fixtures
  • Change the vanity
  • Paint or refinish the counter top
  • Change your flooring
  • Use dead space for storage
  • Touch up or refinish bathtub
  • Consider new shelves or cabinets
  • Use window film
  • Hang wicker baskets
  • Change your grout color
  • Add a new backsplash
  • Experiment with LED lights
  • Add a splash of color
  • Use interesting blinds or curtains
  • Change your shower curtain
  • Use dispensers instead of plastic bottles
  • Pretty jars for storage
  • Add some greenery
  • Use a towel warming rack
  • Bath tray
  • Add a rug
  • Get new towels
  • Update accessories

Nope, you don’t need to splurge on an expensive renovation to give your bathroom an expensive looking upgrade.

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Decorating a bathroom can be very intimidating. This can be especially true if your budget for the project is limited. Not to worry though, because here you will find some decorating ideas for your bathroom on a very friendly budget. 

Fresh Paint

A fresh coat of paint can go a long way towards refreshing your bathroom’s look and in most cases, it will only take a gallon of paint. You can make a small bathroom feel bigger with a light color like white, or you can make a bold statement with a bright color. 

If you are the type of person who likes to change things up regularly then you might consider sticking with white or other neutral colors. That way you can easily change the look of the room with a new shower curtain, rug, curtains or an accent wall with removable wallpaper.

Peel and Stick Wallpaper

Big bold colors can be a little more difficult to coordinate but it is possible. 

Removable wallpaper is a budget friendly option and easy to remove if you end up hating it!

Paint also works well if you’d like one wall in a brighter color as an accent wall. Adding tile to one wall, particularly the wall with the sink, is another option for adding a layer of color to your room. 

Check out our guide on where to find the best removable wallpaper for small budgets!

Spruce up Your Faucet

If you don’t want to replace your faucet or a replacement isn’t in the budget right now consider giving it a coat of paint as well. Painting the faucet fixture can be time-consuming but a can of paint and an afternoon of your time is much less expensive than buying a whole new fixture. You can learn how to paint your faucet fixture here. 

Update Fixtures

There are a lot of fixtures in the bathroom when you think about it. Towel bars and cabinet handles are abundant in most bathrooms and they can be replaced inexpensively and quickly.

It’s actually kind of surprising how changing something as small as a cabinet handle can change the look and feel of your bathroom. If you want to try something budget-friendly and unique try looking for knobs for your bathroom cabinets at Wayfair or Pottery Barn instead of the hardware store. 

Change Your Vanity

Replacing the vanity in your bathroom can be quite expensive, but what if you don’t have to replace it to update it. There are several ways that you can go about changing the appearance of your bathroom vanity with minimal costs:

Replace the Doors

If your vanity has cabinet doors that are looking a little bit outdated or worse for wear, consider painting the doors, or replacing them completely. Replacing them with a different style of door can completely change the look of your vanity and give the whole room a new appearance. Make sure that you measure for the correct fit before heading out to the hardware store. 

Where to find replacement doors:

Here’s a guide on how to replace your vanity doors.

Paint the Countertop

Replacing the bathroom countertop can be expensive, but you could just paint it to save quite a bit and still transform the look of your space. There are several different methods that you can use to paint your countertop:

There are lots of great tutorials online to show you how depending on the method you choose for your look.

Paint the Vanity

Painting or staining the wooden parts of your vanity can give the whole bathroom a new look and feel. This is particularly true if your vanity is older or very dark in color. 

Types of paint best for vanity:

Giving the vanity a distressed look with paint is a very popular remodeling trend. You can learn more about the different distressing techniques and how to use them here. 

Change the Flooring

Replacing bathroom flooring used to be an expensive and time-consuming prospect, but that is not the case anymore.

From paint specifically made for bathroom floors, peel and stick tiles, vinyl planks or linoleum you can easily change the flooring in your bathroom without professional help. 

Use Dead Space for Storage

Generally speaking, bathrooms often have a lot of dead space that many people don’t consider using to their advantage. For example, the space just above or beside the toilet.

You can use this space to your advantage, particularly in a smaller room by adding shelves cut to fit the space. 

Ikea has some genius ideas for bathroom storage.

Touch up or refinish the tub

Has your bathtub seen better days? Particularly in older homes, the tub may look less than magnificent but even this can be fixed without having to replace it or spending a fortune.

There are products available to repair any defects that your tub may have, and then you can apply your paint which will leave your tub looking brand new. You read more about how to do it here and the re-finishing kit will only cost you about $25. 

Consider New Shelves or Cabinets

Shelving is generally inexpensive and there are tons of ways that you can build your own DIY shelving.

Wall hanging bathroom cabinets are also relatively inexpensive and they provide you with some hidden storage for medications, and personal items so that you can keep clutter off of your shelves and counter-tops.

Shelves and cabinet tops also offer a place to display interesting bathroom knick-knacks that you have discovered. 

Now that we’ve covered some of the larger aspects of decorating your bathroom on a budget, let’s talk about some things that you might not have considered that can make a big difference in the look and feel of your bathroom. 

Window Film

Window film is a very economical way to give your bathroom windows some privacy. You can still let the sunlight in without having to sacrifice any modesty, and you won’t have to spend a fortune on frosted glass panes. Window film comes in a variety of finishes, patterns, and effects that can give your room a very unique look. 

Hang Wicker Baskets on the Wall for Storage

Need somewhere to store your towels or other items in the bathroom, but want something more unique than just shelves? Why not hang some interesting wicker baskets on the wall and use them for storage instead?

You can hang them vertically, horizontally, or try a mixture of both. 

Change the Grout Color

Did you know that you can transform the look of your bathroom by changing the color of your tile grout? Grout is often white which can begin to look dingy and gray over time. You can chip the old grout out and replace it with new grout or you can save considerable time and effort by simply using a grout pen– genius!

Learn how to replace grout here. 

Add a New Back-splash

If the idea of a feature wall doesn’t suit you, or just isn’t in the budget, what about adding a tile back-splash to one wall or part of one wall?

Home Depot offers a really nice variety with a large price range.

If ceramic tile is not in the budget, there are peel and stick versions that you can apply yourself that look amazing, and cost very little. 

Experiment with LED lights 

Many bathrooms, particularly smaller ones, could benefit from some additional lighting. While you can change or add additional light fixtures to the room you don’t have too.

You can find inexpensive stick-on LED lights that you can place in different areas for tasks like make-up application or to change the mood and atmosphere in the room. 

Add a Splash of Color

If you have chosen to keep your bathroom a monotone color, something many people especially those with smaller bathrooms do add a splash of color to the room.

Add a brightly colored stool, paint a towel rack with a bold color, or add some accessories like vases or jugs in unique shapes and bright colors.

Doing an accent wall in removable wallpaper is a fun and inexpensive option as well. There are so many beautiful patterns and colors to be found online that don’t cost an arm and a leg- here are the best sources for temporary wallpaper.

You might also opt for painting your ceiling in a color other than white, this is an interesting option for introducing color, especially if you have towels or accessories to match the ceiling color. 

Interesting Blinds, Curtains or Shades

Adding uniquely patterned blinds, curtains, or window shades to your bathroom windows is an inexpensive way to change the look of your bathroom. You can choose options that blend in with the room or you can make them a focal point of the room.

Consider choosing a vinyl roller blind or shade for any windows that are close to your shower or bathtub so that you don’t have to worry about mildew.

Shower Curtain

A new shower curtain can change the look of your bathroom completely or enhance the theme you have already established. You can find shower curtains in bold prints and colors or monotone patterns. You should easily be able to find one that will fit your color scheme or add a bold focal point for the room. 

You may want to consider changing your shower curtain rod for a curved rod. This can make your shower and tub feel larger than they actually are and it will give you more elbow room in the shower.

You might try changing the finish of the rod and replacing your shower curtain hooks for an even more of a transformation at very little expense.

Extra Shower Rod in the Tub

Hang an extra shower curtain rod inside the shower and use it for extra storage. If you decide to hang a new curved shower curtain rod on the outside, you can take the old straight rod and hang it on the inside of the tub with a few S-shaped hooks. This additional rod can be used for hanging body wash, baskets of your children’s bath toys, and other bathroom necessities, like loofahs. 

This shower rod is a straight and curved bar all in one.

Dispensers instead of bottles

Instead of having your bathroom counter-tops or shelves cluttered with assorted bottles of different colors and sizes, try matching dispensers. This can give your bathroom a sleeker, more streamlined look and feel.

If you like you can continue this look inside your shower as well, with matching dispensers for your shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. This can work especially well if you have glass shower doors and will give everything a coordinated appearance while keeping what you need handy. 

Use Pretty Jars

Use pretty jars to store some of your more mundane bathroom items like q-tips, and cotton balls. These can act as decorations to enhance your theme, and they can keep your bathroom vanity or shelves from looking cluttered.

You can purchase jars or you can make some of your own like these.

Mirrors

Mirrors can make even the smallest bathroom feel larger and they are usually inexpensive. Consider adding a large decorative mirror over the bathroom sink and smaller mirrors on the wall around them.

Look for a mirror with an interesting border that matches your décor or color-scheme, this will give the room some warmth and character that will keep it from looking sterile or clinical. 

Light Fixtures

Just because it’s a bathroom doesn’t mean that the light fixtures have to be dull or boring. Consider choosing a decorative statement light fixture to give your room some character. If a bold, statement light fixture is not your style you can still make a change.

Even if your light fixtures are just outdated you can replace them inexpensively.

Alternatively, you can just change the globes or types of bulbs that are in your bathroom lighting fixtures and still change the overall appearance of your bathroom. 

Add Some Greenery

A houseplant in the windowsill or corner of your bathroom adds some color to the room and can improve the air quality too!

Did you know you can get a houseplant subscription for $12 a month? They’ll send you a new plant once a month- guaranteed to be alive 🙂

If you are choosing a living plant, get one that can thrive in low light and humid conditions. If you don’t have a window in your bathroom where natural light can come in, you might want to consider a silk potted plant instead of a living one. 

Towel Warming Rack

Would you like to add a touch of spa luxury to your bathroom at home? Then why not consider adding a towel warming rack to your bathroom?

Having a warm towel ready when you step out of the bath or shower is a luxury that you can definitely afford.

You can find a warming rack like this one which can be freestanding or mounted to the wall for less than $70 dollars. 

Bath Tray

Adding a nice bath tray to your bathtub is another very inexpensive way to increase the luxurious look and feel of your bathroom. Besides simply looking nice, it will also give somewhere to set a book, your phone, or a glass of wine while you relax in the tub after a long day. You can build your own DIY bath tray like this, or you can buy a pre-made bath tray for less than $30. 

Rugs

Maybe the bathroom you are trying to remodel is a rental and you can’t paint the floor or lay down tile, you can still give the floor a refreshed look with some nice bathroom rugs. Rugs are inexpensive and they give you something nice to step on when you get out of the tub. 

RELATED: Jute vs Sisal (what’s the difference and which is better?)

New Towels

Is there anything better than hopping out of the shower and tub and wrapping yourself in a thick freshly laundered towel? Probably not! Definitely consider buying some new bath towels as part of your budget bathroom remodel.

They are fairly inexpensive, often on sale, and can be found in any color that you would like to match your bathroom. 

Wine Rack Towel Storage

Speaking of towels, have you considered changing how you store them as a way to enhance the look of your room? Try hanging a wine rack on your bathroom wall and storing your rolled-up bath towels on it. 

Clear the Floor

This tip won’t cost you a dime, but it can make a big difference, particularly if your bathroom is on the smaller side. Get everything that you can up off of your bathroom floor. This makes it easier to keep clean, and a clear floor tricks the eye into making the space look larger than it is. 

New Accessories

Soap dispensers, toothbrush holders, trash cans, and other bathroom accessories can be easily and inexpensively replaced to match the new look you want for your bathroom. They can be found in most of your big box stores, or online and you find any color or pattern that you need to match your bathroom. 

How to Make an Old Bathroom Look New

Use these tips to transform your bathroom into a space that you and your whole family will enjoy. Many small steps can be taken to completely change the look of your room without having to spend very much money at all.

What are your favorite inexpensive bathroom redecorating tips? 

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