If you follow the blog or any of my social media channels, it probably hasn’t escaped your attention that we’ve been working on a mini bathroom makeover. It’s not the forever bathroom, but we’ve made a few simple changes that have totally transformed the space. Our tired dark bathroom now looks so much more fresh and modern and so I thought I’d share a few decorating ideas you can use to brighten and modernise your own bathroom. Low cost, low effort, win win!
Install a new shower screen
We knew we didn’t want to replace our actual bathroom furniture. But the shower screen was one of those very old-fashioned concertina style ones. We now have a simple, clean pane of glass which looks so much more stylish and is far easier to keep clean. There is so much inspiration, similar to these shower screens from Better Bathrooms here.
Mirror, Mirror
I’m a little bit obsessed with mirrors at the moment. Some great ideas for bathrooms include illuminated mirrors and ones which are fog-free regardless of how hot the room gets. We fitted a new cabinet with large mirrored doors, very simple but helps to give a greater sense of space.
Interesting Wall Decor
As our main bathroom is tiled floor to ceiling throughout (not our choice believe me, inherited from the previous owners!) we didn’t have any artwork previously. Now we’ve framed and hung a beautiful piece of photography from one of our friends. It adds interest and detracts from the very bright, white tiles. If you’re unsure about drilling through tiles, consider super-strength Command Strips, they work a treat!
Treat yourself to new towels
Opting for a monochrome colour scheme, I hunted down some gorgeous fluffy black towels from Hampton and Astley. Nothing says luxury like wrapping yourself up in a cosy towel post bath or shower.
Upgrade your lighting
The way you light a room has a big impact on its ambience. Little touches like adding lighting around the mirror, or installing dimmable lights can make a huge difference. When our electrics were upgraded at the start of 2016, all the downlighters in the bathroom were replaced.
Bye bye mould! Refresh that grout
Dirty or mouldy grout is one of the earliest giveaways that a bathroom is in need of an upgrade. It is also notoriously hard to keep it looking pristine without very regular cleaning. Thankfully there are several inexpensive, effective products on the market which will bring it back to sparkly new.
Wine o’ clock
I don’t know about you, but taking a long, hot soak in the bath is one of life’s great pleasures. I now have a wooden bath caddy to rest the all important trinkets of wine glass, book or ipad, as well as scented candles. Enjoy that bath time to the max.
Got space? Time for a rocker
I’m so envious of all those gorgeous spacious bathrooms I see on Instagram. Unfortunately neither of our bathrooms are big enough for a separate chair, but if you are lucky enough then turn your bathroom into a lifestyle experience. Add a chair to either relax yourself or to hold those important conversations with your other half whilst you’re in the bath.
Don’t forget the heating
Heated towel rails are an absolute must. There’s nothing worse than damp towels that haven’t had the chance to dry properly. There are so many stylish choices on the market now and you can even replace it fairly easily using these instructions. We haven’t been brave enough to tackle this type of job ourselves yet, but there’s a first time for everything!
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We’re going to be doing up our bathroom over the winter, and adding in an ensuite too – I’ll definitely be bearing all of these in mind! Currently the bathroom is big enough that we’ve actually got a cuddle chair sofa in there! haha. We didn’t have anywhere else big enough to put it, so it has gone into the bathroom (which is a weird space as it used to also incorporate a corridor into the house next door!) Alice xxx
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Author
Ooh Alice I’m so jealous of you having a cuddle chair in there!! Can’t wait to see what you do with your plans Xx
Such a beautiful transformation Lins I love it, you’ve added lashings of sophistication and style xx
I loved watching this makeover on your Instagram, it literally looks amazing now! There’s nothing better than a clean feel to a bathroom and yours is exactly that! (I think the super scrubbing of the tiles helped a lot!! :P) You’ve totally got it right here – not too busy, not too plain, homely but stylish – totally in awe of what you’ve achieved! Budget makeovers can sometimes totally be the best makeovers!
Kezz 🙂 Xx
Author
Ahhh thank you SO MUCH for your lovely comments, it’s really incredible what can be achieved isn’t it? Sometimes it’s just about having a little bit of vision and the rest falls into place. I love it so so much now and thank you for inspiring me Xx
That floor is divine! and these are great tips. My in-laws have a plain white bathroom but every year one of them suprises the other with a “bathroom in a box” which is basically new accessories/towels to a new theme. Keeps it fresh every year
🙂
Author
Ah that is such a cute idea and a really cost-effective of changing things up. Love it X
Gorgeous, I love what you have done with this bathroom and the tile is just stunning!
Author
Thank you so much lovely, really thrilled with how it turned out X
I just love this transformation and you’ve shared some great tips here on making a bathroom feel more decadent. I’ve just finished sprucing up our own bathroom so have enjoyed following your progress! #homeetc x
Author
It’s amazing what you can achieve with relatively little effort isn’t it? Just wish I could keep going with the next project…and the next 😉 X
Fantastic tips, Lins! And I absolutely love your bathroom makeover! xx
Author
Thank you Meera, you know a thing or two about makeovers so I’ll take that as a huge compliment Xx
Nothing better than a new fluffy towel warming on the towel rail – great tips 🙂 #homeetc
Author
Totally agree, it’s the little luxuries isn’t it? X