15 Cheap and Easy Ways to Makeover Your Bathroom

Becky Harris says:

P.S. My bathroom is certainly not Houzz-worthy, but here's my new shower curtain (made by Thomas Paul if you're looking for it):

Becky Harris says:

another free idea: rearranging the TP!:

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/121674/list/Bathroom-Storage--Where-to-Keep-the-T-P--

lafrickdusud says:

I want to paint this mint green colored tile which trims the top and bottom of the white tile in the bathroom of the house we are remodeling.....what's the best way to do that? I'm probably just doing it white. (The floor tiles are the same color, but I'm afraid to do them!)

phjordan says:

Becky, I'm completely in love with that shower curtain. I love Thomas Paul. I've been eyeing his Arboretum pillow and I'm glad his fabrics are now available for sale.

Becky Harris says:

lafrickdusud - I actually LOVE your mint green! It's so cute and really has a vintage modern look. However, I know what you're going through - my last house had maroon and forest green accent tile - it was so disgusting I painted it. I have to say, it always looked painted; I've never seen someone do it in a way where it's not. What I do remember was hitting the paint department and getting some really good help - they hooked me up with a primer made for these kinds of projects and the appropriate paint. I don't remember what they were, but it was 9 years ago and the products very may well have improved by now.

I would recommend posting your bathroom picture on our Questions Board to see if there are more Houzz members out there who have a better memory than I do!

phjordan, I'm not sure T.Paul makes a product that I do NOT love. I got my mom a crab pillow for Christmas and she went wild over it, we have the lobster and the turtle on our couch in Maine, and I hooked my cousin up with a Botany one she loves. Is Arboretum the one with the beech tree? that's my favorite tree of all time :)

phjordan says:

Yes, it is the beech tree. One of these days...

Becky Harris says:

ph - try following some of the retail sites that sell it on twitter and facebook. I know at Design Public (DISCLAIMER - I also work for them) we often throw coupon codes out to our Twitter and Facebook followers - it can make all the difference when you are saving up for something!

Becky Harris says:

Oh also, I've scored some DEEPLY discounted Thomas Paul from Gilt.com in the past - you might want to sign up for that site.

andrealuna says:

lafrickdusud, I saw the "Design to Sell" people (on TV) hire someone to spray over a tile border and a bathroom sink (it was pink and they wanted it white) at the same time, with the same stuff. Not paint. Enamel, I suppose. Probably expensive, but they do NOT spend a lot of money on that show. Mint green would have to go if it were in my house, too. :-) Sorry, Becky; I usually agree with your tastes, but not this time.

Becky Harris says:

Ha! None taken! For those of us who had maroon and forest green, mint looks pretty good ;) I do think perhaps some black accents would play down that floor - I'm a sucker for a black and white bathroom.

Tricia Rose says:

Wonderful ideas Becky, and they all make the bathroom more of a room, less of a pit stop.
I love to have a chair in a bathroom if at all possible - makes me clean my teeth more thoroughly.

SUCH a handsome octopus...

Alison Hodgson says:

lafrickdusud, I too like your bathroom, but since you don't you might consider doing what my friends did. There bathroom was peach (!!!) and tiled from the floor half way up the wall like yours. Instead of knocking it out they went over it with panels of beadboard and trim. It looked fresh and clean and you never would have known the peach was lurking behind it.

steph barron says:

hey becky! just fyi I'm a mommy of a two year old and at the end of each night I have to sneak off and check to see if you've posted some awesome post on houzz! Thanks for the break!! Your ideabooks are the BEST!! So Thanks a bunch :o)

Becky Harris says:

Oh my gosh, thank you SO much, you really made my day, just when I thought I could not possibly come up with another idea! I have an interview that should post tomorrow of a GORGEOUS apartment - I hope you'll enjoy it. It's basically my dream apartment, if I won the lottery.

Atypical Type A says:

That paisley bathroom is seriously sexy and is giving my bathroom self-esteem issues.

wjoy says:

Since I consider myself reasonably sane, I don't usually talk to the TV. However, when
somebody on a home makeover show tells the homeowners to paint over tile I yell "DON'T PAINT OVER TILE!!!" I agree with Becky (as I usually do), it always looks painted and tacky in my opinion. Most home improvement stores offer classes on tiling. It would be very simple to remove the border of green tiles and replace it with some of the wonderful border tiles that are now available. It would not cost much more than the prep, primer and paint and it would look much better. When I purchased my current home the previous homeowner had painted some of the kitchen tiles in some weird random order and they were painted with "road stripe" yellow. What a mess! I thought I could strip it but after my first gallon of paint stripper and hours of labor, I decided it would be easier and less expensive to replace the tile.

lafrickdusud says:

Becky, andrealuna, chrisedly, wyoy - thanks for your input. I think I'm now convinced not to try and paint the tiles. I had thought about covering with beadboard, but apparently that gets tricky with thickness lining up with current walls, covering outlets, towel bars installed on the tile, etc. In the longterm, maybe a re-tile like wjoy suggested could be a fun diy project. For the short term....I think I'll start shopping for a shower curtain and towels that will complement and downplay that green all at the same time!

Becky Harris says:

la, another thing I did in my old bathroom was use peel and stick black and white checkerboard tiles over the floor. They are a little chintzy but it was a nice temporary fix that was cheap and easy to do.

patscats2 says:

lafric, there is a beadboard paneling and when painted it looks darn good. Also there is the PVC beadboard that is also very thin. You might want to try one of those.

Linda McMahon says:

I agree with accessorizing to downplay the green. My friend had a blood red jacuzzi tub in her ensuite and couldn't afford to replace it. So I told her, paint the bathroom red and you won't notice it. She did (and with a few more upgrades) its a divine space now. I've done minor cosmetic changes to my bathrooms. The powder room has an inexpensive Home Depot modern-look chandelier, a HD contemporary mirror and a framed MoMA print that I found at Value Village for $8! Its painted in Benjamin Moore Sea Star. My ensuite got new lighting and another HD mirror, and some wall bling from a mall in Kingston.

Roberta Philbrick says:

Last year we replaced the flat contractors mirror in our bathroom with real mirrored medicine cabinets that offered great architectual accents to our small bathroom. We then followed it up with new tile for the backsplash, a new cyrstal light fixture and red linens....very ohh la la
http://con-tain-it.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/04/metmorphisis-monday-tiled-bathroom-backsplash.html

imanirose says:

I'm still fairly new to houzz. . . but I have to say this has become my absolute favorite site. Becky I am in love with your hower curtain and can see it in my bathroom. . which happens to be black and white :). thanks for the fabulous ideas.

Lauren Gries says:

Becky this is a great post! I love your shower curtain, I've been thinking about changing up my bathroom a little with a new graphic, black and white shower curtain. My boyfriend also loves his octopuses. Unfortunately, it is a little pricey. . . I'll have to look out for the discounts.

But I definitely did a lot of what you suggested in our bathroom when we moved in.
1. changed out the hardware, knobs and pulls
2. added some interesting artwork
3. edited our countertop accessories
4. Added some architecture with a custom cabinet and shelf (thank you carpenter boyfriend)
5. The last thing I need to do is to change the shower curtain, the current one isn't awful but I can foresee a better option!

Natasha says:

Definitely a fresh coat of paint and I also like a new set of towels. You can even add your own personal borders to the towels to give them a personalised touch.

mlholeman says:

Hey Becky, I love reading your ideas on houzz, but just had to comment about your suggestion of changing out your "soap-scummy old shower curtain liner." We have a clear liner behind our curtain, which I just throw in the washing machine with a cup full of vinegar, wash it with hot water, and it comes out like new. That's even cheaper--of course you won't have the drop cloth for painting . . . Keep up the great ideas!

Becky Harris says:

mlholeman, thanks for the tip, that's a much better and more sustainable suggestion than mine! I didn't notice how bad mine had gotten until I went to hang the new curtain.

Louryne, looks great! Remember you can find ready-made curtains really reasonably at IKEA and as long as you buy the right length (a lot of theirs are extra long and you can iron them up to the right height) you can adapt them to the shower.

rlp, looks great - you have some awesome storage solutions too!

imanirose - I'm so glad! I'm a big black and white fan, especially in bathrooms. I just saw one that used this wallpaper called "Coop" that I am now coveting - it looks like a chain link fence, kind of, but much prettier.

dancingfish says:

As someone who has learned to embrace her harvest gold bathroom LOL-- you are so right that a new shower curtain and some new accessories can really freshen up a space..

As far as the tile.. if I were you I would just replace the trim tile It wouldn't cost much and would change the whole look of the room... or you could be like me and learn to embrace!! hehehe

judybonner says:

Becky,
I absolutely love this website. I have a condo at the beach that I am trying to update with new faucets fixtures.The tile is white ( 6"), the jacuzzi white, the marble and cabinets are white,walls B&M -CamouflageThe old fuxtures were white. Would you update with nickel,chrome @white handles or just get new white fixtures. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Also anyone please respond if they have fixtures they love and would good with a basically white bath. The double sinks are oval 21x17. Tnks.
Judy Bonner

Becky Harris says:

Hi Judy! I highly recommend posting this question on our Questions Board (just click on QUESTIONS at the top of the Home Page). If possible, post a picture of what they look like now (but that's not necessary). That way our bathroom experts and a lot more of the Houzz community will be able to chime in with their opinions - I fear not many people will see your question as a comment in this ideabook.

pams says:

Love Houzz!! And all of your articles. Back to the green tile - I like the idea of replacing it, but if you have an old house with plaster walls, there's a good chance it was installed in a thick mortar bed. DO NOT TOUCH it unless you want a much larger project. Opt for some of the other suggestions.