Family Home Tips: Updating a Bathroom

Updating a Bathroom on a Budget

If your bathroom works but is just older and "blah," you can spruce it up for a fraction of the cost of a full remodel. Paint and updated accessories go a long way if you're not in desperate need of another sink or knocking out a wall. If you're feeling ambitious, you could even try a DIY project that includes tiling without breaking the budget.

Color

Try a new color scheme for a fresher, more modern look. Consider a less common color scheme, such as lavender and a soft aqua. Finding the colors you want in a shower curtain, window curtain or other item makes it easy to weave the colors into the room naturally.

Chocolate brown and aqua is another newer combination, as seen below.

One great way to make sure you love your new bathroom is to start with an item that you absolutely love and plan your color scheme around that. A fresh peach or pink, with pale green is great in a feminine bathroom.
Multi-colored, ocean-inspired bathrooms can be fun for children.

What to Do About the Bathtub

Replacing a bathtub can bust your entire bathroom makeover budget, with the national average in 2010 being $3000. But there are other option to living with an old, oddly colored or chipped tub. Instead of replacing the tub, try refinishing it. If you are experienced there are tub refinishing kits, but DIY may not be the best option in this case. Ted Maidla, of Green Refinishing Pro in Raleigh, says that it is easy to make mistakes if you have no experience, and you could end up spending far more in the end. Most of the time, the result is rough and uneven. Also, it's a messy job and some of the chemicals used in kits are toxic. Depending on your choices, you can get your tub professionally refinished using an entirely safe and green refinishing process from $300 complete. You can also get tile and countertops refinished.

Accessories

Simply changing your accessories, wall decor and towels can make a huge difference in your bathroom. Get a new shower curtain, bath mats and towels, sink accessories. Get shower curtain, toothbrush holders, cups and soap dishes in whimsical designs for your kids' bathroom at reasonable prices by shopping at WalMart. Young children usually love fish or duck designs in bright colors.