From the category archives:

Bathroom

Budget Bathroom Redecorating Tips

by THAT Painter Lady on Thursday, April 23, 2009

Before you start thinking about any decorating you would like to do in your bathroom, you need to make sure that it’s in good shape.

Make Sure The Caulk Is Tight

Caulking Your Bathroom It’s important that you make sure there are no leaks, and that all the caulking is tight.

You do NOT want to complete the redecoration of your bathroom, only to find a leak, and that you will have to completely redecorate after it has been fixed. What a disaster!! My friend had that happen to her. TWICE!!

photo credit: acaaron816

So, if you think the caulk might be slightly pulling away then it’s best to simply cut it all away and re-caulk the whole thing. Of course you want it to be completely dry before you do that! So cut away all the caulk, clean the space completely (I put a bleach solution in a spray bottle for this) and then wait 4 to 5 days to let that space get aired out. THEN fresh caulk!!

Or…if you see some cracks or holes in the old grout…simply reapply a fresh layer to the whole thing. Again…clean it first, let it dry and then new grout layer.

Now… Let’s Redecorate The Bathroom – On A Budget!

redecorate bathroom with new towels
Unfortunately, although the bathroom is one of the easiest and least expensive to decorate, it is often the most neglected. For many of us, redecorating our bathroom consists of replacing an old shower curtain with a new one and that’s it.

But hopefully, using the tips provided below, you should be able produce a whole new and inviting look to your bathroom without breaking the bank.

photo credit: New Internationalist

1. You can make a huge impact on this room by getting rid of any dark wood and old hardware on cupboards. Just by using some paint and replacing the handles on the doors, you will give the room a completely different look. Remember, not just the hardware stores have handles! Even Target has them now.

2. Why not put some plants in your bathroom? They’ll thrive in the humid environment. Not a plant person? Silk works great, too, and can tie in with a theme.

3. Bright colors will create the illusion of space even in the smallest of spaces (which many bathrooms are). Paint the walls a simple but clean color like lemon or pale blue. Lemon tooooo YELLOW? Shoot for “butter”. Pale blue sound toooo boring? How about a soft blue SAGE!

4. Change the light fixtures. The right type of lighting can make a huge difference to any bathroom. Instead of one big “bar” light what about using two single lights? Use a light not really intended for the bathroom like a wall sconce. Or find an old fixture and recycle it! Second hand stores and flea markets can be a treasure trove for these.

5. Why not consider replacing the faucets/taps to your bath and sinks. Just by replacing the tired, old looking taps to your bath, you will give it a completely different look, and it’s an inexpensive way of updating an old room. Some great items can be find often on clearance at those big box home improvement stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot. But don’t overlook your smaller hardware stores either.

6. Instead of buying a new shower curtain, why not instead choose to use a regular curtain?

This can be hung from a tension rod and backed with a shower curtain liner. Such liners come in a variety of colors and are inexpensive to buy. Consider a clear one or a clear “frosted” liner to add more light to the space. Many of these liners can be purchased for just 99 cents!!

AND..even better…you can throw them in the washing machine once a month or every other month to get all that build up and stuff off. To dry them, just take them outside, shake off the extra water and drape it over the clothes line or a chair or even a tree branch. Or, after shaking off the water just take it back in the bathroom and hang it back up!

7. Get a few candles. Not only are they attractive, but they instantly add warmth (even when not lit to a space). Also, there is so much variety of colors, shapes and sizes of candles available, that I think you’ll find it difficult to choose exactly what you want.

It’s always best if you buy ones which will co-ordinate with the decor of your bathroom. Buy some simple ceramic candle holders or simple saucers or clay pots to put them in. Make them different heights to make for greater appeal. Plus, add a few bars of scented soap and your bathroom will soon feel warm and luxurious.

8. Use light. Add large mirrors to amplify any available natural light. And by large I mean LARGE!!! Sometimes you can find some GREAT deals at second hand stores or flea markets! Another place is that big box home improvement store!

Yes, I know. Not where I’d first look, but amazingly enough, you can find them there. Even if you find a plain but large mirror you can add your own frame to it! You can either make one using trim from that some big box home improvement store! OR..you can often find FABULOUS frames at 2nd hand stores on not so fabulous art work. Ditch the fox hunt scene and use the frame to showcase the new mirror!

Can’t find ONE large mirror? How about grouping several antique mirrors?

9. A skylight can lighten what can be a dark cramped space. Consider putting in a sky light tube like I did. An interior bathroom with no windows is suddenly transformed in to a brighter, lighter place.

10. Towels. Yup…simple as that. Replacing those old worn out towels can make all the difference in the world. And you don’t have to spend a fortune to get some fabulous and fun new towels that look like expensive decorator items. At a membership type store – like Sam’s Club or Costco – buy a package of those BULK white towels.

Take them home wash them and then, pull out your grosgrain ribbon. It comes in all types of shades and widths and with dots or stripes or flowers or cars or whatever you like. Simply stitch it on to the bottom of the towel. Lay the ribbon so the bottom edge lines up with the bottom edge of the towel and then sew it at the top edge. Done!

Before long, just by using the tips provided above, your bathroom will look fresh and bright. Don’t forget to change out those rugs to complete the look and remember…you don’t HAVE to use “bathroom” rugs!

If you’re trying to spruce up the bathroom so you can sell your home the #1 thing I’d do is – obviously – paint it. Clean and crisp and fresh looking. And DO replace the old shower curtain and put out some of those fresh towels. It’ll make all the difference in the world. Three candles cluster on the vanity and you’re all set with your new budget bathroom redecorating.

{ 3 comments }

Glass, Marble Tiles, & Ceramic Tiles

by THAT Painter Lady on Monday, February 9, 2009

Tiles are a great way to get that new look for your kitchen or bathroom. New bathroom wall tiles or kitchen wall tiles can be used to give even the most boring rooms in your home some much needed revitalization. There are a wide range of different tile fabrics available, each of which can be used to achieve different effects around the home. The trick is to work out the advantages and disadvantages of the different tile fabrics as well as the expense, so then you can find the best bathroom tiles for your house.

photo credit: rick

Ceramic tiles typically come either glazed or unglazed. Ceramic tiles are normally the simplest sort of tile to cut and drill because they are much softer than natural stone and porcelain tiles. Ceramic tiles can sometimes work well on floors and walls but are probably most suited as kitchen wall tiles.

Glass tiles have become increasingly popular these days but these are perhaps the most difficult tiles to use. In most cases you should follow the manufacturers guidelines of how to cut and lay these tiles. Most glass tiles can be cut using either an angle grinder, some flatbed tile cutters or some nibblers. However all of these require a special blade for cutting glass and when the floor tiles have been cut they must be smoothed off with a carborundum stone.

Stainless steel tiles may not sound very appealing but you can achieve some amazing effects with them. Stainless steel is very tough and will not rust or crack or fade as they get older and they are also pretty simple to fix using sticky backing pads. They are normally used as splash back kitchen wall tiles, that surround hobs and cooking apperatus. Stainless steel tiles are mostly used in the food and petrochemical industries or anywhere, where a high standard of hygiene is important.

Tiles made from natural stone are great tiles to use on a floor. The reason for this is because they are strong and can take a lot of abuse as well as being easy to take care of. Limestone or marble tiles are brilliant for floors and can have a polished or honed look to them, depending on whether or not you want a shiny or matt look to the floor. Laying natural stone tiles is often a tricky process so you might want to get some help from the professionals. When it comes to cutting stone tiles like marble tiles, you should alwaysdiamond cutting wheel angle grinder.

photo credit: avidtile

Tile Idea Book

{ 2 comments }

Using Tiles In Your Bathroom

by THAT Painter Lady on Sunday, January 18, 2009

photo credit: MrVJTod

I recently got tired of my bathroom layouts and decided that I needed a change. As my eyes slowly moved around the room I thought that it was about time for some much needed maintenance work as some of the features were starting to fall apart slightly. The housing market is in a terrible state at the moment and it is unlikely that I could sell my property even if I decided that I wanted to. By making simple changes to my bathroom layout I could make it a better place to wash and increase the value of my property for the future.

Looking at my bathroom, I thought there were a variety of different options I could go for that would not take much effort but would make the bathroom feel like new. The first things that I noticed about the bathroom were the bath, toilet and sink as they had started to look like they had corroded and were past their prime. However I soon changed my mind about getting a new fitted bathroom because they were out of my price range plus I could always grab a brush and some bleach to get them clean. I then looked at the tiles around the bath and shower and realized that I could easily re-tile the walls. It then occurred to me that I could probably do the same with the floor to create a stylized effect for the whole bathroom layout.

The bathroom tiles on the wall were incredibly out of date so I headed off to my local do it yourself shop in search of new wall and floor tiles. I came to the conclusion that I should go for some ceramic floor tiles in black and white in order to design a checked layout on the floor. I then decided to co-ordinate this with black and white ceramic tiles for the bathroom wall. Instead of going for a chequered effect I went for blocks of black ceramic tiles amongst the white ceramic tiles.

One of the staff at the bathroom tiles area of the store was very helpful and gave me some excellent advice as how to best lay my floor tiles and bathroom wall tiles without damaging the surface underneath or the tiles themselves. He also told me the best tile adhesive for both of these jobs and gave me a few hints and tips for using it.

Two long weekends later and my bathroom has been brought to life, giving my bathroom a lighter and more contemporary look without needing to hire in someone else to do it. I’ve been so happy with how my bathroom now looks that I have already started looking into taking on my kitchen with my trusty trowel and some ceramic tiles.

photo credit: MrVJTod