From Drab to Fabulous: 5 Ways to Update & Modernize Your Bathroom

If you’re currently living in an older model home, you might feel that the look is out of date. Home renovations can be costly and time-consuming— especially if you’re trying to update all of your rooms at once. With most rooms, you can just buy new furniture and decor pieces instead of having to remodel the entire room. But sometimes, it’s a little bit trickier than that when it comes to the bathroom.

Sure you can paint the walls, lay new tile, and switch out the countertop, but the bathroom “furniture” is a little more complex. For one, the shower and the bathtub are no longer two-in-one these days. So how do you transform your out-of-style bathroom into a modern one? Here’s a compiled list of some simple and some more difficult ways to update your bathroom.

Photo credit: Max Vakhtbovych

This is the easiest way to update your bathroom, but it’s still really effective. A chic, but minimalist look seems to be in as far as bathroom decor goes.

Countertops

A white, quartzite countertop is just the thing to achieve this look. You can even use this on walls. Quartz is a very versatile and durable material. Feel free to add this to all of your bathroom walls, or create a unique accent wall.

Tiles

Continuing with the versatility of quartz, you can also use this as your flooring. It is a bit more expensive than regular tile, but it’s sure to bring some modernity to your bathroom. Also, if your bathroom lacks windows for basic lighting, opt for white or light colors to brighten up this room.

Mirrors

Even simpler than countertops and tiling, changing out your mirror can make a dramatic improvement to your bathroom. Older bathrooms tend to have small, simple mirrors or even large, but still simple, mirrors. To switch it up, you can play around with different shapes: round, oval, square, etc.

The lighting around the mirror can make the biggest difference, too. You can have the lights above the mirror, on either side (or just one side, depending on the amount of space), or you can choose to remove all mirror lighting and have the lights suspended from the ceiling. Keep in mind that changing up the lighting in this way will likely require an experienced professional.

Vanities

Like lighting, bathroom vanities are going to take a little more experience. The simple things, like a new paint job and new hardware are quick and easy ways to give your bathroom vanity an update. Now, it is possible for you to shut off the water valve to the faucet and replace your old vanity with a new one yourself, keeping basic plumbing safety rules in mind. But if you’re not sure what you’re doing, it’s best to consult a professional.

Shower/Bath

Now we’re getting into the more difficult projects. If you want to completely replace your current shower/bathtub, it will have to be cut out completely. You also have to remove any trim surrounding the bottom of the bathtub and remember that removing a bathtub is not easily done with just one person.

While there are several ways you can update your bathroom, a good old-fashioned paint job could also be enough to do the trick. If the methods listed above seem too difficult or too time-consuming, you could always brighten (or darken) your bathroom walls. You can also add dimension by painting an accent wall or adding vinyl.

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However you decide to update the look of your bathroom, just make sure it’s something that you want to do and something that you’re able to do safely.

Published in: Bathroom | Author: Yanita