Frugal Decorating: The $60 Bathroom Makeover

Share:

Frugal Decorating: The $60 Bathroom Makeover

Staff Writer · Oct 5, 2009

A bathroom makeover can turn even an unappealing small bathroom into a part of a more inviting home, but when you’re on a budget, you probably think a makeover is beyond your means. Plus, living in an apartment, you probably can’t paint the walls or floors, so any changes you make will be superficial. However, with just $60, you can change a few features of your apartment bathroom that will make it look brand new:

Clean with Homemade Cleaners

The first step in your makeover should be to give the bathroom a thorough cleaning. For less than $5, you can purchase distilled white vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice–the only cleaning tools you’ll ever need. Use 100% vinegar or a mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% warm water to clean the sink, tub and other hard surfaces. Squirt lemon juice, which acts as a natural bleach, over grout stained by mold and let it soak a few minutes before scrubbing away. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your toilet, let it soak for 30 minutes and then use a brush to scrub the inside of the rim. A clean bathroom will already make the bathroom seem more inviting. Cost: $5.

Buy a New Shower Curtain

Since you probably can’t touch the walls, the shower curtain will be your biggest canvas and the focus of the bathroom design. Pick a bold, striking color that compliments the walls or a fun, attractive design, like flowers, constellations or a tropical or sea theme. Whatever you pick for your shower curtain, it should guide the rest of your bathroom makeover. Look for curtains on sale, and don’t forget your home furnishings store coupons. Cost: $15-20.

Accessorize with Towel Racks

You might not be able to change out the towel racks during a bathroom makeover if they’re part of structure of your apartment bathroom, but you can continue your inexpensive bathroom makeover by adding more towel racks if you have the space. Wire towel racks ($15-30) make a bold and simple statement when they stand alone in a corner. You can cover existing towel racks with attractive towels that fit your makeover theme; coordinate the towels with your shower curtain. Cost: wire rack: $15-30; towels: $10-20.

When Form Meets Function

While you don’t want to clutter up your bathroom with unnecessary junk, you can pick out attractive items for your vanity that fit in with your room’s color or theme. Head to a furnishings store with a coupon–or even a dollar store–and look for items on sale like a toothbrush holder, soap dish, reusable soap dispenser, cup dispenser or reusable tumbler, etc. You can find matching collections of these items for anywhere between $15-25 if you’re willing to do some comparison shopping. Cost: $15-25.

Cleaning your bathroom and changing just a few focal points of the room can result in a complete bathroom makeover for very little cost. When you live in an apartment on a budget, you may think you don’t have a lot to work with, but you can make the most of what you have to craft a dynamic new look in your home.

You might also like:

Moving into a new apartment or rental property can be both exciting and stressful. From packing up your belongings to coordinating logistics, there’s a lot to manage. However, one aspect that is often overlooked is what to expect on move-in day regarding the condition of your new unit. Surprisingly, according to recent surveys, a significant […]

Jessica Lee

 · Mar 12, 2024

On ApartmentRatings, real renters have the ability to rate and review their apartment communities based on their experience touring and or living in the communities. ApartmentRatings offers renters the ability to see what life is like at a community through a report card grade style format called epIQ. Every month we highlight apartment communities whose […]

Jessica Lee

 · Feb 28, 2024

On ApartmentRatings, real renters have the ability to rate and review their apartment communities based on their experience touring and/or living in them. ApartmentRatings offers renters the ability to see what life is truly like at a community through a report card grade style format called epIQ. Every month we highlight a major city across […]

Jessica Lee

 · Jan 31, 2024