Giving Your Bathroom a Facelift for 2023

Updated on March 19, 2024

Besides your kitchen at mealtime, your bathroom is one of the most popular rooms in your home. That’s why it is important to make it a room you love being in. And if in the future you choose to sell your home, an updated bathroom can improve your home’s resell value. Here are some budget friendly tips for giving your bathroom, whether big or small, a facelift for 2023.

Tip 1: Fix the Basics First

When you recreate your bathroom into something new, you want to make sure it lasts. So, before you make any cosmetic changes, inspect the guts of your bathroom first. Do you have any plumbing or lighting issues? Is there water damage from a previous leak? Is your floor tile or toilet seat cracked or damaged? To save a major headache down the road it’s vital that you repair these problems first before starting on a bathroom renovation.

Tip 2: Add New Paint or Wallpaper

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to give your bathroom new life is with a fresh coat of paint. The choices are endless! Whether you prefer a calming pastel, a bold shade or a neutral color, paint creates a whole new atmosphere in your bathroom. Light colors open up a room while dark colors help a bathroom feel cozy and intimate.

Wallpaper is another cost-effective way to introduce more personality to a small space. You can choose from a wide variety of colors and patterns that will make your bathroom stand out. Strive to use a paint or wallpaper that will hold up to the harsh demands of a bathroom – high humidity and occasional splashes of water.

Tip 3: Update Lighting and Plumbing Fixtures

There are so many creative ways to let loose your inner interior designer when undergoing a bathroom remodel. Updating your lighting and plumbing fixtures is an ideal way to rejuvenate your bathroom. Give your bathroom an elegant, finished look with wall sconces on either side of the mirror or brighten up a small space with new overhead light fixtures. There is a wide variety of affordable bathroom light options and ideas for your budget.

Replacing your plumbing fixtures: faucets, showerheads, even your sink, with something up to date is also a game changer in the world of affordable home improvement options. Express your unique style with a trendy pedestal sink or your eco-friendly side with a water saving showerhead or faucet. Whether choosing the contemporary look of chrome or the traditional feel of brass or nickel, your updated bathroom will have a whole new crisp, clean look.

Tip 4: Update Your Shower Doors

For homeowners with a freestanding tub, hanging a flattering shower curtain around it is one effective way to create a bit of pop to your bathroom. If you have an enclosed tub or shower, consider updating them with new shower doors and enclosures. Trade out your mold and mildew covered doors for the elegant, uplifting, and clean look of custom glass shower doors that will create a relaxing spa-like atmosphere. There is a variety of hinged or sliding doors to choose from.

Tip 5: Start the Day Off Right

Remember that your bathroom is the first place you visit every day as you consider possible updates and improvements. Creating a space with paint or wallpaper that complements your skin tone and using natural light or soft lighting will help kick your day off on a more positive note than harsh fluorescent lighting and dreary paint choices. Strive to create a peaceful, calming, and uplifting atmosphere.

Tip 6: Create More Storage

There is never enough storage space in a bathroom, especially small ones, and they can quickly become overwhelmed with towels, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. Consider how you can incorporate functional and stylish storage into this space when giving your bathroom a facelift. A wall-mounted cabinet with shelves or a medicine cabinet is ideal for small bathrooms, or a large freestanding cabinet works well for larger bathrooms. Replacing a pedestal sink with a vanity with cabinets below is another helpful solution. Or you may even choose to create a custom shelving solution to perfectly fit your space. Remember to choose a durable and easy to clean material.

Tip 7: Add Plants to Relieve Stress

Bring nature into your bathroom with the addition of plants to your bathroom décor. Plants help you feel better mentally, improve the air around you, and make your bathroom a more attractive, peaceful place. You can add plants in your bathroom windowsill, such as a cactus or succulent, or hanging baskets from the ceiling containing a Boston fern or peace lily. Artificial plants also work well for decoration.

Tip 8: Change the Little Things

Even the smallest of changes can have a large impact in the updating of a bathroom. Often completely overhauling the bathroom is not in the budget, so focus on creating a whole new look with the little things. Try these ideas:

• Change or add new knobs and handles on cabinets and drawers to give them new life. You may even consider refinishing your cabinets as well.
• Replace your mirror with an oversized mirror or several small ones to make a unique collage.
• If your tub is looking dingy, give it new life by refinishing it.
• Buy a new toilet seat. They come in a variety of colors and patterns to fit your design scheme and are easy to install.
• Clean, clean, clean: Replacing dull or discolored grout or refreshing it with a lightening pen and thoroughly cleaning areas that collect dirt and grime – like the sink, toilet, shower, and floor tile – are highly effective ways to brighten up your bathroom in both appearance and hygiene.

Tip 9: Be Creative with Accessories

You’ve focused on the big things in your bathroom, now it’s time to accessorize. Think of creative, yet practical and stylish, ways to add to the overall look and feel of your refreshed bathroom. Create the perfect finishing touches you need with an assortment of bathroom hardware and accessories.

One of the first things a visitor notices upon entering a bathroom is the towels so make a statement with towels in bright colors and patterns. Make sure your new towels stand out by installing towel bars, shelves, hooks or rings. A beautiful and functional complement to the room, they come in a variety of finishes and shapes. Stylish soap dispensers, toothbrush and tumbler holders, and paper holders can bring the whole room’s design together. Also consider displaying cotton balls, bath salts and other items in decorative glass jars for an even more classy look.

Tip 10: Update Your Bathroom Insulation

When refurbishing your bathroom, it is easy to focus on improving the things you can see. But sometimes the things you can’t see are just as important. Many people don’t think of updating or redoing their insulation as part of their bathroom renovations, but they should. Insulation helps keep the interior of your home dry by eliminating moisture and reducing airflow that can lead to mold and mildew. Insulating your bathroom walls will not only help with controlling the room’s temperature and moisture levels but will make it more soundproof, help reduce your carbon footprint, and create a more energy efficient home. One of the best times to update your insulation is during a bathroom renovation. Contact a reputable insulation company to find out what insulation would work best for your home.