Sometimes, you’ve just got to feel sorry for the bathroom. For a place that spends so much time and effort on replenishing us each day, it’s very rare that the favour is reciprocated and the space gets its very own spruce up in return. Maybe it’s a lack of time, perhaps other rooms are more immediately demanding, but more often than not, it’s the financial obstacle which stands most stubbornly in the way.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. The bank doesn’t have to be broken to make a noticeable, tangible change for the better. Read on, for our 5 IDEAL bathroom improvements on a tight budget.
Aromatherapy
Without meaning to be coarse, we need to talk about smells. The bathroom is full of them, manmade, chemical and usually not all that pleasant. The most proactive step you can take to improve your bathroom is to wrestle back control of the room’s aroma.
Indeed, a few practical steps will keep things smelling fresh and clean, warding off mould and that damp, wet mildew smell. So first things first, make sure your bathroom is well ventilated. Remember to open your windows regularly and every bathroom should have an extractor fan. Equally, if your bathroom doesn’t have a window then consider a dehumidifier.
Also important is keeping towels clean and bins empty; common sense, but all too often neglected. Going a step further, by lighting a few scented candles, you’ll not only eliminate bad odours, but create that relaxing, luxurious ambience that all good bathrooms should have.
Read: Design ideas to make your bathroom a wellbeing sanctuary
Spit & Polish
While we certainly wouldn’t want to accuse anyone of having a dirty bathroom, we think there’s always room for giving the cleaning that extra little bit of elbow grease if you want sparkling results without having to invest in brand new features. Where your hard work will be most noticed is in your bathroom’s taps and handles; for a gentle scrub, use a microfibre cloth and plain water. If you want to go all out, add some vinegar to the mix.
It’s likely limescale will have built up on your shower screen too, giving the whole bathroom a murky feel which is easily prevented. Scrubbing too vigorously will cause scratches. Instead, use a vinegar solution followed by a gentle buff with baking soda. As these are all items you’ll likely have around the house already, the impact on your budget will be small, but the improvement to the look of your bathroom enormous.
Make Mould Marks A Thing Of The Past
Mould; it’s not a good look in any room. But in no other room are you more likely to be sitting, facing outwards with little to do but examine the nooks and crannies of the space. Combine this with stark white lighting and plain walls, and if you’ve got a mould problem, it’s gonna be a noticeable one. The best way to prevent an outbreak is to seal the area around your bath and in between wall tiles, with flexible bath seals being the most reasonable option on the market.
Out With The Old Fashioned
There’s no room more likely to feel old-fashioned if not brought into step with the times than the bathroom. That dull green hue every grandparent’s lav used to be rendered in, the furry toilet seat cover, the textured, apricoty toilet paper, the carpet……..if any of these are still present in your bathroom, it’s time to change things abruptly. It’s all about greys, whites, metallics, clean lines, minimalist vibes these days. Throwing stuff away won’t cost you a dime, so be ruthless. The contemporary bathroom adopts a less is more approach.
On a similar note, a few simple additions in terms of towels and robes can add a more modern look to your bathroom. Whether hanging on the back of the bathroom door or neatly draped over a towel rack, your bathroom robes can elevate the look of your space, providing they fit the tone and feel of your home.
Upgrading to luxury towelling robes is not only practical but also provides a fantastic way to refresh your bathroom on a budget – there are plenty of towelling dressing gowns that you can choose from to prioritise self-care throughout your bathroom upgrade.
Art Attack
It seems like the last place you’d bother with in terms of hanging art and placing a few tasteful sculptures and trinkets around, but this shouldn’t be the case. After all, there’s no other place in the house where we sit and stare blankly in front of us, wishing for distractions.
A carefully placed picture then, to ponder while punishing the porcelain, could be just the ticket. Try to think outside the thunderbox here, and give the standard nautical theme a swerve (are anchors and boats the best you can do?), and go for something a little more abstract.
Alternatively, consider some wallpaper; tropical fish wallpaper makes for a fabulous feature wall in a bathroom, or cover all the walls and pretend that you’re in aquarium while you splish-splash-splosh around in the bath.