Bathroom renovations feel like daunting tasks, especially if you’re working with a tight budget. It’s one of the most important rooms in your home, and you want to make it as stylish and comfortable as possible.
Lots of Australian homeowners struggle with getting their bathrooms looking how they imagined them. It’s not a budget problem, it’s an idea problem.
You need some good ideas that will get you the results you need without breaking the bank. As it happens, there are quite a few that could prove to be useful for this mission. Here are a few examples.
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Limit the tiles
Let’s face it, tiles can get pretty expensive. They can take up a big part of your bathroom renovation budget without covering a lot of ground.
Although, this doesn’t necessarily have to go against your vision. You don’t need a large number of expensive tiles to make a statement.
In fact, you can do it with very few of them, while also keeping your bathroom covered in all the right places.
If you have your eye on an expensive tile, try to use it as scarcely as your vision allows it.
Instead of covering the whole bathroom all the way from the floor to the top of the walls, make a horizontal strip that goes all the way around the bathroom.
Use regular tiles and paint for the rest of the surfaces. It’s going to pop just as much, and it might even look better if you organize the tiles in an interesting way.
Go for a zig-zag look in some points and your bathroom walls will still look amazing.
Keep your countertop fresh
Granite countertops are all the rage in Australian bathroom design right now, and for good reason. They’re attractive, durable, and they go well with any bathroom design.
They’re also ludicrously expensive at times, depending on the kind of slab that you get. Luckily, you can save up quite a bit on your countertop by being clever. You don’t even have to sacrifice aesthetics to do it!
The fewer the imperfections on the granite, the more expensive the piece is. What most buyers don’t consider is the fact that the sink basin will take up most of the slab, so imperfections will be hard to notice either way.
Get am imperfect granite countertop and add details where you can.
Better yet, choose some outlandish colours. Uniform, white bathrooms are going out of style, so why not get a countertop that will stand out?
The more popular colours are expensive, and they don’t really do much for the style. A different colour can do a lot of good for your design and make for a much cheaper purchase.
Fix-up the fixtures
In any renovation, it’s important that you look at the small details around the room. This is especially true for bathroom renovations. The fixtures are a good place to start.
They might not seem like they’re crucial for the bathroom’s aesthetic at first, but once you start changing them, the effects are quickly noticeable.
Faucets and shower accessories can make your bathroom look gorgeous when they’re up-to-date. Old and rusty ones just won’t do.
If you’re looking to spend some cash, brass might be a good decision. On a budget, simply switching up the colour and shape can do a great job for the bathroom’s look.
If you’re aiming for a contemporary and sleek look, black and minimalistic is what you should be looking for. The colour makes your fixtures look fresh and makes them easier to clean.
Speaking of cleaning, you need to decide how much they’re going to stick out. Some bathrooms look better with more protruding elements like long faucets and visible piping, while others do better with small faucets and hidden elements.
Changing this is a small task, but it has a huge impact on how your bathroom will feel.
Upcycle used elements
While “used” isn’t something Australians usually look for when designing their bathroom, it can really help bring the price down on lots of bathroom elements.
It’s not at all difficult to refurbish and upcycle bathroom accessories and fixtures, and you can get some wonderful results out of it.
Fixtures, showers, and even toilets can be found for stunningly-low prices on websites like Craigslist and eBay. You shouldn’t fret, as refurnishing these elements will make them look and feel brand-new.
You won’t be able to tell the difference once you’re done with them. Get a mirror on the low and simply polish and clean it up, you’re going to love the results.
You can get much nicer and more extravagant pieces this way, and you don’t have to break the bank to do it.
Add storage options
There’s nothing that looks worse than a cluttered bathroom. Having cleaning supplies and hair products all over the place is not a good look, and it takes away from the design of the bathroom.
It’s a very common situation in most modern bathrooms, as people don’t add nearly enough storage options for their bathroom supplies.
It’s not that difficult to add some extra room for your bathroom essentials. There’s a lot of potential for extra room that you might not take into account when first designing your bathroom.
Like most bathrooms, yours will probably have a mirror. Why not have a shaving cabinet behind it? It’s going to make it easier to store away your basic hygiene essentials.
Having lots of cabinets and hooks lying around also helps quite a bit. When you’re out shopping for essential bathroom supplies in Sydney, do you consider where you’ll put those supplies? Most people don’t.
Install a few robe hooks next to your shower or bathtub. They can hold your robes and towels, giving you extra room to store other things.
Instead of keeping your detergent and softener on the washing machine, suspend a cupboard or shelf above it. It’s going to look neater and be easier to clean.
Go the eco-friendly route
Environmental-friendliness is quickly becoming a necessity in home design everywhere. People want to reduce their carbon footprints and cut down on pollution.
Look around any bathroom supplier in Sydney and you’ll run into eco-friendly options left and right. It’s all about saving the environment, but there are some cash savings to be made from this trend as well.
You can significantly cut down on your water bills by installing the right kinds of fixtures. Low-flow toilets and showerheads are marvels that work just as well as their high-flow counterparts but save you tons of water.
You don’t have to waste double-digit litres of water every time you take a shower anymore. Best of all, they don’t cost more than normal bathroom fixtures, so you’re not even spending extra money for your long-term savings investment.
DIY solutions also make for very cheap and attractive bathroom storage options. Instead of buying plastic cups and soap-holders, you can use tin cans and mason canning jars.
They’re easy to clean and don’t accumulate as much dirt and grime. It’s a simple, but effective way to save a few bucks and get a few charming additions to your bathroom.
Conclusion
It’s not very difficult to renovate your bathroom, even when you have a small budget for the job. As long as you know what you want and how you want it,
any change is manageable. You just need to pick a few clever shortcuts to get to the bathroom that you’re aiming for. Consider some of the above options for your bathroom, and you’re sure to be satisfied with the results.
Bio: Patrick Adams is a freelance writer and rock-blues fan. When he is not writing about home improvement, he loves to play chess, watch basketball, and play his guitar. More than anything, he loves to spend his time in his garage, repairing appliances and creating stuff from wood.
