I really hated our downstairs bathroom. The lady who re-did it before we moved in did a horrible job with the wallpaper. It was peeling, you could see the edges, they didn’t even come close to matching and it was just plain ugly.
I also didn’t like the fixtures in our upstairs bathroom. They were silver but I had a warm garden theme in there that would have looked better.
We have navy towels for the downstairs so I kept those. I mixed three 1/2 gallons of leftover paint together to get the right color, use up the paint and save some money.
I then took the towel rods and light switch covers and mirror and put them in there instead of upstairs.
I did buy a new bathmat ($9), light fixture ($20), caulk ($2) and soap dispenser ($4) and clock ($7).
Mike is looking for a better paying job so we may end up selling this house and moving. We really needed to get this bathroom fixed up. I figured if we fix it up the house will sell better and if we don’t we can enjoy the new bathroom! I spent $42 total but we did have to replace the old light fixture, it was not working and a fire hazard. We also needed a clock in there. The only things that I bought that were "frivolous" were the bathmat and soap dispenser.
I ended up caulking the entire thing too since they did a bad job on it. I also painted the vent which was rusty and a water spot on the ceiling from a previous leak with some Kilz I had on hand.
It looks wonderful!! It’s a warm tan color, navy and silver. Look just like a hotel or spa. I could just go and sit in there all day! LOL
I am doing a little bit in the upstairs bathroom. I am putting up new towel rods. I painted the light fixture to look better. I made a new mirror out of an old window my brother gave me. I used the old mirror from downstairs and had the glass place re-cut it to size for me. ($2) I asked for new towels for my birthday so I will be using those. I could still use the old ones but I really just want something new after 11 years. I only needed to buy one new towel rod but I painted the old one to match the light and it turned out ugly. I can’t really re-fix so I am just going to get a new one. I will have spent ($15) in the upstairs bathroom.
Be sure to try and paint anything you can before buying new. The towel rod paint stuck really well and I painted the switch plate covers and they look great. I might try and think of anyway to paint the towel rod before I buy new.
It’s amazing how much a little thing like that will change your attitude. I hated cleaning that bathroom because it was so depressing but now I am vigilante keeping it clean because I want to keep it looking nice.
It doesn’t cost much to fix things up in your house. Try to find ways to decorate so you are inspired to keep it clean!
Tawra
photo by: blmurch
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Just a thought on a towel bar, I actually bought a shower grab bar at a ReStore that supports Habitat for Humanity. It is white powder coated and has held up for years. I believe I paid $1. I just hung it horizontally on the wall outside of the shower rather than at an angle. It serves dual purpose because this is also our guest bathroom and when my elderly aunt and uncle come and stay, they can use the corner to get in and out of the shower and their towel is close by. I also got a new vanity replacement sink for $10 on that same shopping trip. The old sink bowl had a huge crack in it that I had taped to “get by”. That was a pretty good bathroom upgrade for $11.