Bathroom Decorating Ideas on a Budget

In general, many homeowners don’t take enough risks with their bathroom decorating. Bathrooms are about cleanliness, sure, but, from a decorating point of view, they’re about creating mood. You may think of white as being sterile, but color is going to be one of the key components in creating a relaxing atmosphere. The smaller room of a bathroom allows you to make bold decorating choices with less risk of an overwhelming effect. Of course, there’s always going overboard and making the room so busy that it becomes distracting, but most homeowners aren’t even close to taking their bathroom decorating this far.

Create a Budget

Your budget doesn’t necessarily need to have an exact dollar amount right away, but it’s better to decide on a relatively specific range and then narrow down what you can do within your budget and what’s most important to you. It’s no fun to get your heart set on something only to realize you can’t afford it. Everybody would like to have a spa-like retreat if we didn’t have to worry about our budgetary concerns. You should also keep in mind that for every dollar you spend on one bathroom decorating idea is another dollar you can’t spend on bathroom remodel costs. And, of course, the opposite is true for every dollar you save.

Bathroom Decorating Ideas

Of course, it’s not easy to stay bold with your bathroom decorating while also staying within a budget. Here’s a rundown of some of the best bathroom decorating ideas we could find with a brief note about their budget implications.

• Bathroom Walls: Doing something exciting with your walls is one of the cheapest ways to make a bold decorating statement. Vibrant paints are easy, but you might also think about wainscoting, wood paneling or backsplash tile.
• Contemporary Lighting: New lighting design and fixtures is one of the most cost-effective and underrated ways to improve your bathroom decorating. Recessed lighting and modern wall sconces are just two of the more common and ways to improve your bathroom lighting design.
• Shower Stalls: This bathroom decorating idea is great for smaller bathrooms and homeowners who are honest about the fact that they rarely, if ever, take baths. Saving space by shortening a traditional bathtub into a shower stall will immediately open up your bathroom space. Luxury shower stalls can even improve your daily shower experience.Built-in Cabinets: Cabinets are just the most common feature that can be built into walls and save space. The cost and overall value really depends on the condition and ability of your walls to accommodate these nifty storage spaces. As an alternative, converting floor cabinets to wall cabinets will also reclaim floor space and help open up your bathroom.

Inexpensive Bathroom Solutions: Repair and Resurface

Bathtubs, sinks, cabinets and tile can fall into disrepair beyond what can be fixed with a cleaning product and elbow grease, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be entirely replaced. Fiberglass inlays can patch most cracks or chips, resurfacing techniques can make even the oldest bathtubs look brand new. Cabinets, too, are often great candidates for resurfacing. You may not like the size or placement of your cabinets, but otherwise, resurfacing can dramatically improve the effect your cabinets have on bathroom decorating. Repair and resurfacing what you can will allow you to focus the rest of your bathroom decorating budget and other things.

Hiring a Bathroom Decorating Professional

With bathroom decorating, the project can be a collaborative effect between you and a professional contractor. You may be able to resurface your cabinets yourself, allowing you to hire an electrician to come in and install new lighting fixtures. If you can salvage your walls with re-grouting and re-caulking, you may be able to hire a bathtub repair contractor to overhaul your old tub. Recognizing what you can do on your own will enable you to spend your money on specialized projects. Together you can often extend your budget into what amounts to close to a full bathroom remodel.

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