How much of your lifetime do you think you’ll spend in bathrooms? believe it or not, a recent survey revealed that the average adult clocks in with over a year’s worth of toilet time: a whopping 416 days, to be precise!
Naturally, any room where you spend so much time ought to have a pleasant ambiance. If your bathroom is lackluster, check out these DIY bathroom projects to breathe new life into your old loo!
1. A Toilet Lid That Closes Itself
Tired of arguing about who should put the seat down? Worried that flushing with the toilet lid up will broadcast germs throughout the bathroom? Get yourself a toilet lid that automatically closes.
This small upgrade delivers a lot of metaphorical bang for your buck, by eliminating the loud bang of the toilet seat being noisily manually closed. It’s a snap to install a self-closing toilet lid. When you’ve finished your business on the throne, simply start pushing down on the lid. It will detect your intent and do the rest of the job on its own.
2. Warm Towels FTW
Here’s another perk lifted from the pages of a luxury lifestyle magazine: a heated towel rack. If you have ever experienced one of these, say at a hotel, you know how wonderful it is to step from your shower or bath directly into a fluffy, warm towel. If you haven’t yet experienced this, you’re in for a treat!
There are both freestanding and wall-mounted heated towel racks. Which you choose depends on your skill level with tools as well as the amount of available space.
3. A Quickie Cabinet Makeover
Bathroom cabinets aren’t usually anything special — but it’s pretty easy to change that. You’d be surprised how much of a difference a coat or two of paint and some new hardware can make.
Spend an afternoon changing out drawer pulls and painting the cabinet. For that farmhouse chic aesthetic, check out methods for distressing the paint after it’s applied.
4. Build a New Cabinet
A perennial problem in powder rooms is the lack of storage space. Particularly in bathrooms that see a lot of visitor traffic but must still function as a family’s main bath, you want to hide away a lot of items. Don’t have enough cabinets? Not to worry, it’s a snap to build your own.
Even a beginner woodworker can put together a bathroom cabinet pretty quickly. But if you’ve got two left thumbs, there are plenty of already assembled ones that simply need to be installed.
5. Waterproof Your Shower
The bathroom is, by definition, a wet environment. But the water does more than clean our bodies; it can do real damage if it goes where it’s not supposed to. Waterproofing is much less expensive than water damage remediation, so take steps to stop this problem before it starts with shower waterproofing.
6. Tiles for Style
Love the crisp look of clean white subway tiles, or the old-school charm of black and white checkerboard tile? Don’t want — or can’t afford — to tear out all the existing tile and replace it? An accent wall of tile is what you need.
Choose one wall, or even a portion of a wall, that you think needs a little extra pizzazz. Next, use adhesive, peel and stick vinyl tile. Make sure to get one that’s formulated for bathroom use, so that it will stand up to frequent exposure to moisture. There are loads of styles to choose from, and this upgrade is so simple, practically anyone can do it.
7. Light It Up
If you have old fluorescent bulbs in your bathroom — maybe even behind a cracked plastic panel that’s seen better days — consider a lighting makeover. When it comes to changing up the atmosphere of your loo, there aren’t many projects that make a bigger impact.
You will want bulbs that not only emit flattering light for doing your makeup, styling your hair, or shaving, but that are also energy-friendly when it comes to electrical usage.
8. Install a Dimmer
While you’re at it, install a dimmer dial for the overhead fixture. Let’s face it: there are times when you want to be able to see every pore in the mirror, and times when you’d rather see yourself with a little less high-definition clarity.
Installing a dimmer switch is another easy, inexpensive fix that nevertheless provide a hefty dose of “wow factor.”
9. Change Out Your Fixtures
Give your faucets a fresh new look, or get rid of that pesky dripping tap once and for all, with new fixtures. If you need some inspiration, a quick stroll down the bathroom aisle of your local big box hardware store will present you with plenty of choices.
Homeowners who are even more ambitious might want to consider replacing the entire sink. Obviously, it’s a bit more difficult than simply swapping out the faucet, but it’s still a decidedly DIY-able project.
10. Clear the Clutter
What does the space underneath your bathroom sink look like? If it’s a cluttered jumble of cleaning products, extra bath tissue, hand soap refills, and old rubber gloves, you’re not alone.
You don’t have to replace the entire cabinet to corral all your stuff, however. Instead, consider installing pull-out shelves or shelf dividers to contain the mess and keep frequently used items close at hand.
11. Turn Your Shower Into a Rainforest
Rain-style shower heads are all the rage nowadays, and with good reason. Standing under one makes you feel as though you are in a beautiful rainforest, communing with Mother Nature while you cleanse your body.
What’s more, a high-efficiency rain shower head will conserve water. That’s better for your water bill and for the planet!
Are You Inspired to Tackle DIY Bathroom Projects?
We hope that these 11 DIY bathroom projects have inspired you to make some changes in your own home! As you can see, it doesn’t need to cost a lot of money to make a big impact on the ambiance of this room. One project at a time, you can create your dream bathroom.
If you want to tackle another room in the house, or you’re just adding ideas to your Pinterest board, check out this informative post about shopping for furniture online!
