15 clever ways to give your bathroom a glamorous update with ideas that won’t break the bank
1. Replace the bathroom floor
If you change just one thing about your bathroom, consider patterned flooring. Statement flooring is very en vogue and can make a dramatic difference to the look of your scheme. For an inexpensive update choose vinyl; it’s stylish, highly practical and comes in a huge choice of creative designs and colour combinations.
2. Add a chair
Nearly all high-end bathrooms have some sort of seating, be it a simple wooden bench, stool or gorgeously upholstered armchair. If you’ve got the space, consider a throne of your own.
3. Refresh with paint
Giving your bathroom a new lick of paint can be totally transformative – and it’s cheap. Remember to choose a paint that’s specifically formulated to protect against moisture and mould growth. Dark shades look gorgeously rich and expensive and work equally well in high ceilinged rooms and petite suites.
4. Hang mirrors
Mirrors have an instant knack for making a bathroom look expensive and glamorous. A floor-to-ceiling mirrored wall can look totally decadent, although one oversized decorative mirror can be equally impactful.
5. Update the hardware
Replacing taps and shower heads with quality fittings in sculptural shapes and on-trend finishes is an effective way of giving a bath, sink or shower cubicle a completely new look. For maximum visual impact consider waterfall spouts, transparent mixers, rain shower heads or a floor standing bath/shower set in black or rose gold.
6. Add greenery
Large leafy, sculptural houseplants are very on trend and perfect for adding a touch of green glamour to a simple bathroom scheme. Choose wet-loving vegetation that thrives in low light, high humidity and warm temperatures such as Chinese Evergreen, Dracaena, Boston Fern and Aloe Vera.
7. Contain and display
One of the easiest ways to give your scheme an elevated aesthetic is to find a place for all your bits and bobs. Store toothbrushes in a stylish tumbler, display soap in a dish rather than on the sink and stash cotton buds and dental picks in glass jars – a row of these on a shelf above the sink will instantly pretty up the place.
8. Get the light right
Lighting is so often overlooked in a bathroom as it has to be practically pleasing, but it’s often aesthetically boring. Add a little drama with a show-stopping chandelier, oversized shade or a cluster of pendants hung at different heights.
9. Invest in smart storage
Have you noticed how organised and clutter-free spa-like bathrooms are? Transform yours with smart streamlined storage. Make the most of every inch with free-standing cabinets, shelves, baskets, boxes, rails, hooks and ladders.
10. Replace a bath panel
Swap a plain, white plastic bath panel for a more exciting mirrored version. This will help to create the illusion of space and also serves to bounce light around the bathroom which is useful in a suite with little or no natural light.
11. Reclaim and restore
For an Insta-worthy bathroom suite why not transform an existing piece of furniture into a high-style vanity. Just cut a hole in the top of an old dresser or chest for a drop-in sink. Finish the look with wall-mounted taps.
12. Walls that wow
Being creative with wallpaper and tiling can really invigorate a bathroom scheme. Paper a feature wall or inside shelving in marble wallpaper (see wallsauce.com), or how about making a standout splashback in gorgeously tactile 3D tiles.
13. Buy new towels
Tired, worn towels are a sure way of making your bathroom look unloved and low budget. All the best boutique hotel bathrooms have the softest, fluffiest towels and if you want to make an impression in yours buy the best Egyptian cotton you can afford. The best towels should get you dry quickly and dry out speedily too – nobody likes going back to a towel they used that morning to find it damp.
14. Dress the windows
Forget wooden blinds and shutters, this year’s best-dressed bathroom windows are wearing patterned window film and material blinds in solid colours for dramatic effect.
15. Creative candle displays
Even the smallest design touches can really add to the polish of a room. Create an eye-catching display with a cluster of single colour pillar candles on a shelf or bathroom windowsill. Items positioned in groups appear considered without looking cluttered. Try standing a mirror behind the candles for double the impact.
To find more inspiration you can read our past blog from Northern Woman’s Catriona Doherty here.
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