Quick Bathroom Fixes Add Style and Luxury

Want to increase the value of your property? Update your bathroom. This strategic remodel invariably turns out to be money well spent.

Financial considerations aside, spending time in a pretty, cheerful bathroom can lift your spirits every day. And, if you’ve done most of the work yourself, a sense of accomplishment will add to your pleasure. The process is actually less expensive and easier than you might expect.

Start with the largest object in the room -- the bathtub. Replacing it is not a quick fix, but a big, expensive undertaking because it involves plumbers, tilers, flooring contractors and more. But a new look can be achieved with just a facelift. Find a specialist in bathtub and sink re-glazing; your fixtures will look brand new, and while the process can be accomplished speedily, the results are long lasting.

New shower heads and faucets can make a big difference, both aesthetically and functionally. A rainfall showerhead can give you the feeling of being in a spa every time you shower. Faucets can be replaced at minimum cost from one of the many home improvement stores or online. If you can turn off the source of water coming into the house, you can install them yourself. Or, this may be the time to call a trusted plumber.

The fastest, most cost-effective decorating trick available is a big-impact shower curtain. Color is the key, but extra touches can work wonders. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, Art Institute of New York City interior design instructor Mary Saleeby recommends finding just the right contemporary or traditional touches in a trimming store and sewing them on yourself.

“Adding ‘jewelry,’ which is what I call the trim, can enhance the look at a minimum price. Use beads, fringes, or tassels; since all curtains should have a plastic liner, just about any fabric or trim can be used. For a really coordinated look, buy two shower curtains and make one into a window treatment,” she suggests.

Another transformation can come from a new wardrobe of towels, purchased inexpensively at sales or discount stores. Towels too can be trimmed to your taste -- appliqués, lace or anything washable. However, if your current towels are faded and have worn a bit thin, just seeing thick, thirsty new ones hanging on the rack waiting to enfold you will impart a feeling of luxury.

Coordinate all your colors and styles. “The more you repeat themes, the more you achieve a designer look,” says Mary Saleeby. “Repetition is a trick of the interior design trade. Trim on the shower curtain could be repeated on a window shade or on towels. Don’t forget waste paper baskets that can carry your theme to another dimension in accessorizing the room.”

Lighting is crucial in setting the mood of any space. New lighting fixtures can be very inexpensive, with no rewiring needed to create a noticeable cosmetic change. Visit home improvement stores, then compare prices online where you may find real bargains.

Dimmer switches can be used to brighten the bathroom for cosmetic application, or be turned down for mood setting. Lower the lights in the bathroom, light some candles, play music in the background, and look around at all you’ve accomplished; you’ll have a spa experience, enriched by the warm glow of personal achievement.

To learn more about The Art Institutes, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.

Courtesy of ARAcontent