Photo: Artazum (Shutterstock)
Bathrooms are notorious for being one of the most expensive rooms in a home to renovate. Between tiling, plumbing, storage, and fixtures, the costs can add up faster than you’d probably like. However, if you want to enhance the look of your bathroom without spending big bucks on a full-scale renovation, a few minor upgrades can actually make big difference. Go beyond a new shower curtain and bath mats to spruce up your bathroom—for less than $100.
Start by freshening up your bathroom walls
The walls are the first logical stop in your quest for modernize your bathroom on the cheap. This upgrade is as easy as buying a can of paint or a roll of wallpaper. Although both paint and wallpaper can get pricey, you can find affordable options with fun colors and designs if you do your research.
You can score wallpaper online for as little as $7.99 roll and, when applied to a portion of the wall set off by a chair rail ($3.99), can add a fun focal point to your bathroom. Just make sure the wallpaper is vinyl so it can stand up to steam and moisture in your bathroom.
(If you’ve got a little more to spend, you can opt for a fresh coat of paint, which should be semi-gloss or high-gloss paint to be water, mold, and mildew resistant. A gallon of paint will cost you around $33, depending on the brand.) For the cheaper easiest option, I suggest wall-papering, it adds a feature wall and gives character to your space. You’ll probably need more than one roll to cover the area so buy a couple to be sure.
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Cost of wallpaper (two rolls) and chair rail: $19.97
How to update bathroom storage on the cheap
One of the focal points of a bathroom is the medicine cabinet, and it’s probably in need of updating. Unfortunately, medicine cabinets can get pretty expensive, but if you do a bit of digging, you can find some functional (and affordable) options. For example, this classic wall-mounted mirror cabinet is only $38.80 on eBay, at $50 to $100 less than average retailers.
Another affordable storage idea for bathroom linens is nailing woven baskets to the walls to house your washcloths and towels—here’s one from Ikea for $9.99.
Cost of cabinet and basket: $48.79
Redo your bathroom floors on a budget
If your floors are in need of a refresh, but you don’t have the funds to retile, you can apply new laminate flooring over your existing floors. Some laminate planks come in the “peel and stick” variety, and others “click and lock” into place for easy installation. There are a wide variety of colors and patterns options to choose from, with some resembling ceramic, marble, or wood. The cost per square foot can add up, though, so you want to keep that in mind when you measure the room and select your laminate tile. This one is quite lovely, though, and will only set you back 99 cents per square foot, or just under $20 pervcase.
Cost for a case of laminate flooring: $19.80
Before tax and shipping, you’ve just modernized your bathroom for a grand total of $88.56.
