Here are 36 inexpensive ways to spruce up your bathroom.
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Put up some Cafe Drapes
Bathrooms benefit from both natural light and privacy when café curtains are installed. Like what Avery Cox Design did here, opt for a patterned option to boost the room's personality. DIY-ers can even use any fabric they like to make their own.
Café Curtains, Toile, Etsy
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Set up a Picture Wall
Alexander Reid, the designer responsible for this bathroom's makeover, suggests hanging framed artwork on the walls to add some personality. Flea markets, HomeGoods, and Facebook Marketplace are great places to find reasonably priced frames. Fill the frames with art from coffee table books you already own or purchase a new one.
RIGHT NOW ONLY $30 for the Chanel Coffee Table Book at HomeGoods
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Put Wallpaper on the Cupboards
The cabinetry in this bathroom, designed by Toledo Geller, is sure to inspire you. You can cover the inset surfaces of plain cabinets with peel-and-stick wallpaper. You could even add your own personal touch by painting designs on the cabinets yourself if you have an artistic flair.
Novogratz is selling their peel-and-stick wallpaper for $43 right now.
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Flowers should be brought in.
The simple addition of a vase holding a bouquet of fresh flowers can do wonders for the opulence of any bathroom. Look at the flowers next to the pottery and artwork on the floating shelf in this bathroom by Lucy Harris and you'll see what I mean. Artificial arrangements are the way to go if you want your decor to last.
RIGHT NOW ONLY $30 for HomeGoods' Fake Cherry Blossoms
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Put Used Items to New Uses
Instead of throwing away or selling that old, unused piece of furniture, why not put it to good use in your bathroom? As an alternative to having shelves built in, you could use an armoire to store your belongings. This unusual accessory is a perfect blend of classic and quirky, making any bathroom feel more like home. In this Arent & Pyke-designed bathroom, the cloud-print wallpaper by Fornasetti and the contemporary aubergine stool create a truly one-of-a-kind atmosphere.
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Put Towels on Towels on Display
A well-stocked towel rack is the ultimate sign of opulence. The linen closet in this Hecker Guthrie-designed bathroom is the envy of the neighborhood. The modern mirror and vase of flowers help, too.
Four White Hammam Linen Hand Towels, $17 BUY NOW
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Use Brass Accessories
Designer Shari Francis says that the bathroom she just finished updating has a "hint of luxury and a nod to older styles" thanks to the addition of brass accents. Is there a quick and cheap method for this? Include brass accents Use a soap dish, tissue box, toothbrush holder, or towel and robe hooks made of brass in the absence of a sink and a mirror.
Brass Bathroom Hardware Set, $43 Buy It Now!
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Put in a Tiny Table
Take a bubble bath every day. Like this one by designer Elizabeth Georgantas, which features a small table placed next to the bathtub. A wooden stool or skinny side table can serve as a decorative accent and a functional surface for your wine glass, book, audio system, and candles.
Teak Stool - NOW (Available)
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A Tree in the House
Put a tree in the corner for a low-cost makeover with huge impact. The palm tree adds the finishing touch to this 2LG Studio-designed bathroom.
RIGHT NOW $39 for a Costa Farms Majesty Palm Grower Pot
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Use a Uniform Color Scheme
Choosing a single color and sticking with it will simplify things greatly, and this tonal look is fashionable and eye-catching (even if you choose something as basic as white). Leanne Ford Interiors painted every fixture in this bathroom white.
RUST-OLEUM $23 for a can of ultra-matte white paint
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Select a Bright Rug
A bathroom area rug is one of the few low-cost ways to add coziness to the room. The addition of color, print, and texture is also enjoyable. This marble bathroom with neon accents and fringe by Regan Baker Design is a prime example of the designer's skill. A rug for the bathroom will do.
West Elm's $40 Landscape Stripes Bath Mat is NOW AVAILABLE.
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Upgrade to More Striking Equipment
Always remember that extra storage is your friend in a bathroom, where you'll want to tuck away unsightly essentials The rose gold handle pulls by Hecker Guthrie in this bathroom definitely up the perceived value of the cabinetry. As an alternative to expensive custom marble counters, you can save money by purchasing a marble tray.
Pink Marble Tray, $17 NOW ON SALE
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Buy Expensive Soap
Smaller upgrades can give the bathroom a more luxurious feel when a full remodel is out of the question. For those who can't afford to replace their marble sink with a new one, investing in some high-end soap for guests can make a big impression at a low cost. In this Arent & Pyke-designed bathroom, Aesop soaps are prominently displayed.
Aesop's Aromatique Hand Soap, $40 RIGHT NOW
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Artificial Plants
A small bathroom, like this one by Hecker Guthrie, can make a big statement thanks to the incorporation of plants. If you have a green thumb but a black thumb when it comes to keeping your plants alive, then you should read this. Artificial plants and leaves that don't look completely fake exist, and they can be used to enhance a vase arrangement or a bouquet of flowers.
The Smycka Artificial Leaf from IKEA, $5 RIGHT NOW
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Include a Metal Element
The addition of metal to the bathroom can elevate the space to a more refined and elegant level. A simple soap dish or wastebasket will do the trick, but that round stool in Leanne Ford's bathroom is our favorite.
Anthropologie Bridgette Towel Holder, $48 (NOW ON SALE)
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Wear a Robe Proudly
The act of hanging a robe alone can have a profound effect. It creates a spa-like atmosphere, as seen in this bathroom designed by Arent & Pyke. The small Art Deco carpet emphasizes the room's dominant blue tones with pattern and a splash of coral.
RIGHT NOW for a plush Brooklinen robe
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Use a Suspension Lamp
The shelf, mirror, and antique trinkets in this bathroom are all examples of Leanne Ford's skill at repurposing discarded items. Fresh white paint and a massive dome pendant light complete the retro look that the schoolhouse sink helps establish.
PENDANT, ANTIQUE BRASS, $100 BUY NOW
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Cover One Wall in Wallpaper
It's not only smart to keep wallpaper out of the way of water splashes, but it can also save you money if you only buy enough to cover half the wall. The white tiles and wallpaper in this Arent & Pyke-designed bathroom keep the space feeling light and airy.
RIGHT NOW: $45 for Wild Grass Peel and Stick Wallpaper
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Turn Up the Heat
With a plush area rug and striped hand towels, design firm Alexander DB warms up this industrial space, which otherwise features large factory-style windows and gritty concrete floors. Despite being decidedly more bohemian, they complement the trendy black tub and warehouse styles by sticking to that color scheme.
Black Villa Stripe Kitchen Towel from Cost Plus, only $2.
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DIY Wallcoverings
Make your walls stand out by using them as a canvas for a creative project. To provide some context, try pulling out some old records and magazines. The retro tiles in this bathroom, designed by Leanne Ford, are complemented by torn pages from old magazines.
RIGHT NOW, $28 for back issues of Life magazine
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Climb the Ladder
Add some chic towel storage by leaning a wooden ladder against the wall. It's more interesting and distinctive than a flat wall shelf because of the depth it adds to the room.
Millwood Pines Wood Ladder NOW (Available)
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Create a Story
The soap dish, like the rest of the fixtures in this bathroom sink, appears to have a long and interesting past. Hanging sconces and a gold faucet add some formality to the otherwise rustic oval mirror and sink. These vintage fittings were sourced from the home of designer Leanne Ford's longtime friend, but you'd never know it. She says, "It's an excellent illustration of how drastically different things can appear to people in different parts of the world."
Mini Alabaster Bowl from Global Views,
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Camouflage Bath Tissue
Instead of the toilet paper, the pretty linen towels, marble hooks, hexagonal floor tiles, and whimsical floral wallpaper in this bathroom designed by Elizabeth Roberts capture our attention immediately. You can achieve a similar look by placing a wall-mounted holder for your toilet paper near the wall.
Ferm Living Toilet Paper Holder, Black, $35 (BUY NOW)
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Make use of an Etagere
As seen in this bathroom designed by Elizabeth Roberts, sliding in an etagere is another great way to introduce a ton of storage without having to drill into the walls for custom cabinetry and shelving.
Three-Tier Shelf, $100, HomeGoods
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Be Bold
A unique bathroom design is possible even in a small bathroom. Study this one by Regan Baker Design for inspiration. This powder room features a toile-patterned accent wall, a timeless mirror over a pedestal sink, an artistic hand towel, and a geometric light.
PURCHASE NOW: Round Mirror, Project 62,
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Mount a Shelving Unit
This small bathroom was designed by Leanne Ford, who recommended installing a shelf above the toilet, or under the mirror and above the sink, to hide clutter and maximize available counter space.
West Elm Wood Shelf, , BUY NOW
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Spruce Up Your Bathroom with a Stylish Curtain for the Shower
As seen in this bathroom by Studio DB, a playful shower curtain with geometric shapes can liven up a space or highlight preexisting tiles.
Shape Shower Curtain by West Elm, $45 NOW ON SALE
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Be Observant and Careful
Don't forget the small stuff like a soap dish, a place to store cotton swabs and q-tips, and a toothbrush holder. Hecker Guthrie demonstrates how simple containers can elevate the aesthetic of an entire space, so she suggests taking those items from their drugstore packaging. A toilet brush, of all things, can be elegant.
CB2 Nexus Toilet Brush, $30 RIGHT NOW!
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Install a Wall Sconce
Elizabeth Roberts's small bathroom design features turquoise tiles that are tempered by a rattan-framed mirror and brought into the present with the help of modern scones. Look how much more noticeable everything else is now thanks to the color!
Sconce in Metal, at West Elm, BUY NOW
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Substitute Wall Art for a Mirror
All eyes will be on you if you give your accents a unique spin. Instead of hanging a mirror over the sink, for instance, you could put up some artwork (pro tip: you can save a lot of money on artwork by shopping on sites like eBay and Etsy or by perusing local flea markets). Then, hang a single slim pendant light above the sink like Hecker Guthrie did here to accommodate your hand soap and lotion.
RIGHT NOW $20 for an Abstract Faces Art Print

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