Don’t despair if your bathroom is tired and dated, you can freshen it up for a whole lot less than the cost of a major renovation. With a few clever tips and DIY projects, you can give your old bathroom a much more modern look.
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Freshen up with paint
Paint is the budget bathroom renovator’s best friend. Do the walls and ceilings in white to reflect any natural light and brighten up the room. Use a paint that’s specifically designed for bathrooms, as it’ll help prevent mould and make cleaning easier. Tiles, tubs and basins can all be painted using a hard-wearing product designed for that purpose, which is a lot less expensive than removing and replacing them. Paint old vanities with enamel paint, just make sure you use a primer that will help the final coats stick.
Modernise with tapware

Changing your tapware adds a shiny modern zing to your bathroom. Showerheads and spouts can usually just be screwed off the wall and the new one screwed on. Wrap thread-sealing tape around the fitting in the wall before you put the new one on to prevent any leaks. Old taps can usually be removed from the tap spindle and replaced with new ones. Take the old set with you when you buy, so you get new ones that will match your bathroom.
Add modern storage

Increase the storage and add a modern touch at the same time. Mixing and matching different materials together is all the rage these days. A set of floating wooden shelves can be made by drilling holes into the wall studs, inserting short lengths of reinforcing bar then sliding the shelves over these with corresponding holes drilled into the shelves. The copper towel rail is made from copper pipe slotted into elbows and T pieces. It’s held on the wall using flanges screwed into the wall studs.
Splash some colour

It’s amazing the impact colour can make to a bathroom. Use towels and accessories as a contrast to the otherwise stark colour scheme. A few potted plants sprinkled around soften the hard edges of the other elements and brings a touch of nature to the room as well, making it feel more inviting.