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10 DIY Ways to Rescue a Rental Bathroom

Dabney Frake
Dabney Frake
Dabney is a Southern-born, New England-raised, current Midwesterner. Her dog Grim is part terrier, part basset hound, part dust mop.
updated Jul 23, 2020
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Pink tile, mismatched fixtures —- if you don’t own your own home, you are well aware of the pitfalls of rental bathrooms. Some things are completely out of your control while you live there, but certain small changes are certainly within reach. Here are ten DIY ways to make the best of your bathroom, while keeping your landlord happy at the same time.

1. If you are lucky enough to have a real claw foot tub, take a cue from Marie Claire Idées and decorate yours with some colorful washi tape. Lead photo above via Poppytalk.

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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

2. Painting a laminate bathroom vanity is a change your landlord might approve. After you check in with him or her, check out this tutorial from Little Green Notebook.

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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

3. If you caught Jenna’s entry into this year’s Small Cool contest, you might have noticed her bad ass vinyl floor. She followed up her entry with a how-to post on Jezebel, along with an update on how the floor has done four months after installing it.

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4. Sewing a new shower curtain, or tweaking your existing one, is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to freshen up a space. Centsational Girl has a classic tutorial, which includes lining!

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5. Customize a basic roller shade (like this $7 one from Amazon) with a stencil and some paint.

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(Image credit: Redbook)

6. Extra bathroom storage is always a bonus, and this IKEA hack from Emily Henderson is a good, easy and cheap project. You can also take it with you when you move.

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7. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. DIY fabric skirts hide a multitude of sins.

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8. Cocoknits has a free crochet pattern for a soft, textured bath mat.

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(Image credit: Kristin Murphy)

9. Sometimes small details make a big difference. Imagine cheerfully unrolling your toilet paper off this wood and copper holder every morning. Kristin Murphy has the full tutorial.

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10. Alex gave her half bath a quick update with a DIY rustic mirror she made custom for her space.

→ 25 Small Bathroom Ideas You Can DIY

Re-edited from a post originally published 7.2.2014 – cm

 

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