Beautify Your Bathroom in a Weekend: Super Easy Ideas for an Instant Style Boost

When folks aren’t happy with the look of a bathroom, sometimes it’s because it is in need of some major changes: a renovation. For most of us, though, creative decoration will instantly help boost the look of this often woefully under-styled space. Yes, it’s a utilitarian room, but don’t let that stop you – in this small space, simple decorative changes are fast, affordable and definitely go a long way…

The bathroom above from Liz and John’s 1926 Sears Craftsman tour is a perfect example of how a bit of decorating chutzpah can take a space from very nice (and maybe a little safe) to a big, gorgeous wow! of a room. Painting the ceiling black was a risky move (in concept) that totally pays off in reality, elevating the design of the whole room and it certainly could be done in a day or two.

This Shaker-style rail from Phil & Vicki’s Halloween House in Providence adds function and style to the room. It would be a great addition to a new-construction bathroom, adding a bit of vintage-y architectural detail.

A different style of rail, this one with a shelf adds a huge amount of visual interest to the bathroom in Grainne and Ian’s Characterful Collection in Edinburgh when styled. The quirky display of perfume bottles (with a few tchtochkes) reads just as much as wall art as a collection of usable scents.

Multiple mirrors look amazing over the sink in Alison, Paul & Ru’s Home of Colorful Collections. Round up a few favorites from thrift shops, antique markets or even discount new home goods retailers and go for the mix. It’s a look that’s unique, memorable and still functional.

If you’ve got a window to let in natural light, go for the green as illustrated by this photo from Kirsten’s Bluebird of Happiness House tour. Adding houseplants is a no-brainer – they look beautiful and if you choose the type well, will love the warm, misty air.

Try filling a blank expanse with a small scale “gallery wall” display like the one in the bathroom from Kristen & Michelle’s Modern Bohemian tour. Far more affordable to put together due to the smaller size of the frames needed, you could buy, fill and hang in a few hours.

Don’t forget the floor. While the go-to coverings for bathrooms are often monochromatic, textural bathmats, they don’t NEED to be. A flat weave works perfectly and adds so much more style, color and pattern, as you can see in this fairly large-scale example from Deans Court: William & Ali’s Ancestral Home. Flat weaves are often available in multitudes of sizes, including those small enough for most standard bathrooms.

Are you inspired to make some style updates to your bathroom? If you do, please send us the photos – we’d love to see them!

Re-edited from a post originally published 11.14.13-NT