Making your bathroom look new and updated can be easily achieved if you are willing to put in a little time and work. When we purchased our home in 2020, we loved it, but could easily see it needed a little bit of TLC. Especially in the kitchens and bathrooms.
Our current house, a Sanibel Island bungalow, is the fourth home that my husband and I have renovated. Through each renovation, we’ve learned you can’t completely make over a room in one weekend. However, there are little updates you can work on, one weekend at a time, that can make a big difference in the overall look and feel of your home.
Read on to see our top ten bathroom updates that will make your home look fresh and new.
Gray and white bathroom before the makeover
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The bathroom wasn’t “bad” before, it just simply needed a deep cleaning, some paint and a few other things to make it look a little nicer and feel more “home-y”.
Our gray and white toilet and shower area before the makeover
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This is basically what it looked like when we moved in. Some of the bathroom cabinet handles were rusted somehow, so my husband replaced those with some from the kitchen. They were the same handles, and since we replaced the kitchen cabinet doors and added new handles, we had the leftover handles available.
The bathroom vanity before the makeover
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The style was a gray and light wood Scandinavian style. It reminded me of something from an IKEA catalog. I don’t mind the light wood, but it simply needed to be tied into the overall design of the area, and I worked to do just that.
1- Clean Your Tile and Grout
Our Bissell Steamshot Tile and Grout Cleaner
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We needed to touch up some of the grout that had come out, but because it was so dirty, I couldn’t see what color we needed.
Our dirty grout before using the steam cleaner
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After trying some cleaner, magic erasers, bleach spray and more, I just couldn’t get it clean. So, I ordered a steam cleaner from Amazon and tried it out.
The dirt being removed from the grout using the steamer
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It worked amazingly! It was kind of gross to see the amount of dirt come off the grout with each puff of steam.
I read the directions carefully and took my time. I used the steam cleaner wherever I saw dirt, then wiped away the water from the steam and dirt with a Magic Eraser, then dried the area with a rag. Cleaning all the floor tile and grout took me about 2 hours, as I had to refill the cleaner several times and I worked on little area at a time, but it was worth it. It made the grout and tile look brand new.
Our clean grout, after using the steam cleaner
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I also used the steam cleaner on our second bathroom, which had white grout. It worked on the white grout too, but unfortunately the previous owner had spilled something that stained it in an area, so nothing has worked 100% perfectly on that one spot.
Overall, though, steam cleaning truly does help and I highly recommend either doing it yourself or hiring a company to do it for you.
2- Paint the Walls and Hang Some Art
Me, Carolyn, preparing to paint the bathroom
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Before painting, I prepped the area by using painters tape and brown contractor paper. I’m super messy so these items always help make my mess more manageable. I painted the walls only, and this took an entire weekend, as it’s a decent sized bathroom. If I had painted the ceiling, it would have taken a little longer.
I used my favorite white paint color by Behr called “Melting Icicles”. The bathroom is kind of dark with only having one window, so using a light color brightened it up.
Hanging string from the back of our photo frames
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After the walls were painted, I had some of my photography printed via Amazon photos, ordered some lightweight plexiglass and wood frames from Amazon, then hung some natural string on the back.
The look of the photo frames with the string hanging from the back
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I ordered some wood peg hooks from Amazon, then hung the frames from them. I could have just hung the art on the wall, but this just took the look up a level.
The completed photo frames hanging with string from our wood peg hooks
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I hung three photos of my plant photography in this style along our wall behind our vanity and toilet area.
Our bathroom photo wall
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3- Add Some Rugs and Bath Mats
Our bathroom vanity with natural rope mats
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I ordered some natural rope rugs from Target, added some rug tape to the backs (as they weren’t non-slip) and placed them in front of our bathroom vanity. With each rug only being $15, this was a quick, easy, and inexpensive update.
I added a wood bath mat in front of the shower area to add a bit more style than a traditional bath mat. I have a cloth bath mat on hand if our guests want to use that instead.
4- Get Organized
Our bathroom vanity decor with faux plants
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I added a large wall mount wire basket (I also hung these baskets in my pantry for more organization) between the two sinks as well as some faux plant decor, seashells (since we live on an island known for its seashells), a slice of natural wood (I had this leftover from a wedding I styled and added felt pads to the back so it wouldn’t scrape the countertop that we had refinished by a professional).
Our bathroom vanity with the wire basket organization for towels
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I also added some neatly rolled guest towels and washcloths to the basket and decorative glass pump bottles that contain lotion and gemstone handsoap.
5- Add a New Bathroom Fan, Light Fixtures or Vent Covers
Our bathroom toilet area with a new light/fan combo installed by my husband
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We added a “fancy” bathroom fan and light combo from Lowe’s. I liked it because it was less noisy than our old fan and it sits more flush to the ceiling. This is helpful if you have shorter ceilings. It has nightlight functions, which is great for our older guests that get up during the night. It also has a bluetooth music function, which isn’t necessary, but it’s fun and cool.
We also added new vent covers (see them in my main bathroom too by clicking this link) as the old ones were rusty and had paint peeling off of them.
6- Add a New Toilet Paper Holder
Double stainless toilet paper holder with shelf
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I ordered a double toilet paper roll that also had a shelf from Amazon. With so many people having their cell phones with them in the bathroom, this only made sense.
7- Add Some Faux Greenery
Toilet tank tray with faux plant decor
I ordered a basket filled with faux eucalyptus as wall decor for behind the toilet. Eventually I’d like to add some wood strips or planks to this wall space, but that’s another project for another weekend.
I also purchased a tank tray basket from Target and filled it with bathroom necessities like room spray, toilet spray and matches.
8- Add a New Towel Rack
Our ladder towel rack
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I added a ladder style towel rack as well as some additional white coated hooks. We always have a ton of towels from the pool, beach or from numerous guests, so having lots of space to hang them was important. This ladder style also fit the tall space next to the toilet quiet nicely.
9- Clean Mirrors and Glass
Our clean glass shower door with wood bath mat and ladder towel rack
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While a squeegee is a nice addition to any glass enclosed shower, I didn’t want guests feeling like they had to clean it after every shower. I keep a squeegee on hand for me to clean if needed, but I normally use a Norwex glass cleaning cloth.
I have used one for years and it’s truly a remarkable product. You only need water and the cloth to get glass and mirrors spotless. I learned about the cloth when I once reluctantly attended a Norwex party (I’m not a fan of product parties) but it turned out to be a party worth attending.
10- Add a Shower Stool
Our clear plexiglass modern shower stool
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After taking several showers in this bathroom myself, I realized it wasn’t very easy to shave my legs without something to prop my leg up on. I didn’t want a traditional bath stool, as many look very “medical supply-ish”, so I opted for a clear plexiglass one.
I found our stool on Amazon. It was more expensive than a traditional shower stool, but I love how it looks. And it’s incredibly sturdy. My only complaint is that it does show water spots, but it’s nothing my Norwex glass cleaning cloth can’t handle.
The laundry area is connected to the bathroom
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This bathroom is “L” shaped and also contains our laundry area. It’s something I’d like to reconfigure at some point, but for now, I made the area naturally flow by using the same decor style as I used in the bathroom. See a cool DIY towel rack I made for the laundry area (and the entire area) by clicking this link.
The completed white and gray bathroom renovation
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I also added a black makeup remover/washcloth per my mother-in-law’s request. She didn’t want to mar our white towels with makeup, so I found some black cloths on Amazon. They came in a set of six, so I use them too and love them.
Our dog, Johnny Cash, checking out our finished bathroom
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One day we’ll probably do a total bathroom overhaul, when it fits into our budget. But for now, I’m happy with how it turned out. It took me (and my husband) about two weeks to complete the small renovations in our spare time. I purchased the items for the space months before we did it (and had some items already) so it wouldn’t be a lot of cost all at one time.
Have you used any of my tips and tricks or completed any of my projects? If so, let me know by leaving a comment in the comment section below. Or, leave a DIY home update or DIY decor tip for others to read about.
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C.J. Braden is a regular contributer for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Little Ways to Get Back To You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her by clicking here.