Construction dust, jackhammers, paint fumes, muddy boots – the reality of being in the thick of a home renovation project is mostly completely awful. Especially if you plan to live in the house while it’s going on – yikes. Of course, the pain is worth the gain of a beautiful new bathroom – but you aren’t alone if the thought of that process makes you cringe. I get it!
I’ve put together 3 practical DIY ideas that can radically update your bathroom. These will help you get by, until you decide to take the renovation plunge.
UPDATE YOUR BATHROOM WITHOUT A REMODEL TIP #1 – CHANGE CABINET HARDWARE
Cabinet hardware is unfortunately a commonly overlooked element in bathrooms. Ugly knobs and pulls can bring down the whole design of a room! And come on – updating cabinet hardware is seriously cheap and requires almost zero effort.
When selecting new cabinet hardware for your vanity – consider mixing metals. It is a trend that has grown in the last couple of years, and I don’t foresee it slowing down any time soon! If you have a brushed nickel faucet or light fixture, then matte black hardware would be a great choice. Or if your faucet is a traditional oil rubbed bronze finish, go bold with brushed brass hardware. What do you have to lose?!
UPDATE YOUR BATHROOM WITHOUT A REMODEL TIP #2 – PAINT PORCELAIN TILE
There are many products at your home improvement store that give you the ability to completely change the look of your porcelain flooring – by painting it! Many people have no idea that this exists, but several great products have come out in the last few years. While it will be more time consuming and slightly messy, it can dramatically change the look of your bathroom, at a fraction of the cost of ripping out existing tile and replacing. Not to mention – no construction dust.
I have never attempted this DIY project myself, so I went digging for some good online tutorials about the pros/cons of the process. Check out this blog to answer every question you might have!
UPDATE YOUR BATHROOM WITHOUT A REMODEL TIP #3 – MIRROR UPGRADE
One of my biggest builder pet peeves: the HIDEOUS bathroom mirrors that they slap up in new construction homes. You know the ones – no frame to speak of and installed with little plastic clips. Thanks but no thanks. The look is boring and lackluster and downgrades an otherwise nice bathroom.
My recommendation: take that sucker down and replace with a FRAMED decorative mirror (like the photo), or have a frame installed on your builder grade mirror. There are tons of great posts on Pinterest for a DIY how-to.
Does your bathroom desperately need one of these 3 updates? Let me know in the comments below! Or if you’ve done one of these changes already – I’d love to see the transformation! Send me a photo and share your skillz: lauren@studiolinteriordesign.com