Bathroom renovations can be a costly affair, not to mention the disruption to family life whilst they are ripped out and remodelled. A much more cost effective and less disruptive solution would be to upcycle or refresh the room. Here we look at some various interesting ways to give your room a new look on a budget.
1. Give it a good clean
It might sound obvious but starting with a deep clean will always give the room a fresh feel, but the parts that are often missed in day to day cleaning are the ones that will have the biggest impact to make a room look brand new. Grout lines in tiles are notoriously difficult to keep looking but spending a little time here will really pay dividends. Some of our customers tell us that a mixture of 2 parts baking soda to 1 part water is particularly effective and inexpensive. Apply the paste to the grout lines and leave for 10 – 20 minutes. Scrub with either an old toothbrush, a special grout brush or something similar, rinse with warm water and finally wipe with a dry clean cloth.
Next we can move on to the silicone, every bathroom will have silicone applied around the edges of anything you want to keep water tight, the edge of a bath, shower tray, the base of a toilet etc. When newly applied these silicone beads can attract dirt and become discoloured, replacing them will really give the whole room a lift.
This is something you might want a professional to do but equally a competent diy’er can achieve great results. Start but using a sharp utility knife or scraper to remove as much of the silicone as you can. Next apply a silicone removing gel, available at most good diy stores. Follow the instructions and wipe away to give you a clean flat surface.
Next apply the new silicone and marvel how amazing the room now looks!
2. Change the brassware colour
For a more extreme makeover consider a change to the colour of the brassware, many bathrooms are installed with a standard chrome colour but the modern colour schemes now use more contemporary finishes such as Brushed Brass, Brushed Bronze, Gun Metal or Matt Black.
Before you start, make sure to make a list of all the items that will need to be changed in the room to make the transition complete.
- Basin Overflow Cover (often overlooked)
- Bath Tap
- Shower
- Toilet Seat Hinges
- Accessories like Toilet Roll Holders
Once you have a full list then you can start browsing to make sure that everything you need is available in the chosen range. For example take a look at the Aquarius RF series which has matching versions of all the above components in a variety of colour ways.
Replacing these components is a little more involved so consider getting a professional in to do this. But a day or two of a good plumbers time is whole lot less expensive than a full rip out and refit.
3. Add a Vanity Unit
Many older bathrooms still use a standard Basin and Pedestal, whilst practical it’s now often considered an area of wasted space.
Bathroom furniture such as the new Aquarius Flute range is now a lot less expensive and can be very easy to install. Especially if you are already replacing basin taps.
Choose a colour that will compliment the wall tiles or shower boarding and give the room a lift.
4. Bath Panels and Toilet Seats
Often older rooms have either an old acrylic bath panel with cracks, or one that has come away from the bath over time.
Consider replacing with either a PVC Waterproof bath panel like the Aquarius AquaShield or a new wooden panel and matching toilet seat, if you have a vanity unit then tie these colours together for a co ordinated approach to the whole design.
Whichever of the above you use you are sure to create a stunning new room that looks like it’s just been completely renovated and will be the envy of all your friends.