Here’s an article by Michelle Brunner of This Old House Magazine on ideas for the bathroom.
SRB Signature Kitchens and Baths is a full-service, one-stop shopping design center. We have over 25+ years’ experience in this industry. We have general contractors on staff and all of our subcontractors are fully licensed and insured. Servicing Lunenburg, Fitchburg, Leominster, Westminster, Ashby, Ashburnham, Lancaster, Harvard, Ayer, Acton, Shirley, Townsend, Groton, Pepperell, Bolton.
In the confines of this grooming zone, a small investment can make a big splash.
Custom Style on a Budget
These budget bathroom ideas include fresh takes on wainscoting, tile, flooring, and more make it easy to trade up to one-of-a-kind style.
1. Subway Wall
Create an accent wall with tile in a warm neutral color, like this soothing gray. Taking the tile all the way up to the ceiling will make the room appear taller.
2. Salvaged Shutters
Forgo pricey shades and dress up a window with painted shutters instead. Louvered-on-top designs like the ones shown in this bathroom remodel inspiration offer privacy without blocking light, and the adjustable slats let you direct the sun’s rays.
3. Mixed-Material Floor
4. Beadboard Canopy
Give the ceiling a lift with this budget bathroom idea by covering it in beadboard and extending it down the walls a bit for a canopy effect. Paint it a tranquil shade of sky blue to evoke the porch ceilings of yore.
5. Sink Stand
Add a curvy console towel rail and gleaming chrome legs to a wall-mount basin—or even swap out a pedestal base—for a style and storage boost.
6. Layered Mirrors
Give a wall-to-wall mirror some focus with this bathroom remodel inspiration idea by hanging an oval mirror over it, above the sink.
7. Distinctive Decals
Dress up painted walls with inexpensive peel-and-stick designs. The fancy Federal-style swag and portrait motifs here are an unexpected twist in a bath and a lot easier to apply than wallpaper.
8. Paneled Tub Surround
Give a drop-in tub vintage elegance by wrapping it in a stylish base. Build a frame of 2x4s and clad it with birch-veneer plywood. Craft wall frames from molding and attach with panel adhesive. Use ½-inch cement board for the deck; cover and trim out with tile. Paint the base to blend in with the walls.
9. Handsome Seating
Introduce a piece of upholstered furniture to ratchet up a bath’s style. The slim profile of this British Colonial-inspired armchair doesn’t hog space, and the casters make it easy to move around.
10. Concealed Curtain Rod
Install a track on the ceiling to keep shower-curtain hardware out of sight. Bonus: Hanging the curtain from ceiling height makes the room look and feel loftier. To save on the cost of a custom curtain, fashion one from burlap or a canvas drop cloth.
11. Window Ledge
Carve out extra shelf space in a tight tub-and-shower area by adding a ledge to an existing windowsill. Be sure to use a material that can withstand exposure to water, such as cellular PVC.
12. Wood Wall
Warm up the room by covering one wall in tongue-and-groove wood paneling painted a rich matte espresso brown.
13. Red-Hot Linoleum
Take a walk on the wild side with a vibrant floor. Sheet linoleum is a great choice for high-traffic areas, like baths, and can stand up to spills and splashes.
14. Drum-Style Pendant
Inject some serious drama overhead with a fire-engine-red fabric shade.
15. Shaker Peg Rail
Turn towels into decorative accents with a row of Shaker-style pegs and you’ll never be wanting for color—or a handy place to hang your robe.
16. Stenciled Stripe
Tie your claw-foot into the room’s color palette in one bold stroke by painting a high-contrast stripe inspired by a Plimsoll line around the exterior.
17. Colorful Tile-Grout Combo
Make a statement with subway tile installed halfway up the wall: Match the shade of the grout to the painted wall above.
18. Whitewashed Barn Wood
Refine the rustic look by whitewashing salvaged planks; it’s an easy and affordable way to add character to walls.
19. Corrugated Metal
Add a surprise element by wrapping the lower half of the wall in metal roofing. It’s inexpensive, rustproof, and practically indestructible.
20. Distressed Tin Tiles
Use painted metal ceiling tiles to create a wall treatment that’s full of old-fashioned charm.