Bathrooms are often the last room we get to when we are updating and decorating our home. We tend to look at our bathrooms as a utilitarian space, but anyone can create a space to brag about in as little as a weekend. These bathroom ideas and updates will make you want to put on your DIY hat and start making changes! Get inspired and steal ideas, and use them to create the perfect master, kid’s or guest bathroom!
Bathroom Ideas & Updates
How to Decorate a Bathroom
Reflect Your Dream Bathroom – Everyone hates those builder mirrors! Check out the tutorial below for framing in a bathroom mirror for a custom look. (In an afternoon!)
Color Your World – Bathrooms tend to be small, but using rich color in this space adds luxury, and allows the walls to seem to fade away. Be bold and choose the deep, rich colors you have been craving. Alternatively? Keep your colors as light and bright as possible for clean, fresh look. Anything in between looks dated.
Corral that Clutter – One of the biggest problems in a bathroom is attractive storage solutions. Baskets provide texture in a room full of slick, sterile surfaces, and can be used on countertops, attached to the wall, or under the sink to corral all those bathroom necessities!
Details Make a Difference – Use details in the same way you would in any other room in your home. Candles add that magical glow that makes that long soak in the bath special. Consider creating a wall grouping of candles for dramatic effect. (Keep the matches nearby, you’ll want to light these often!) Plants, rugs, towels and shower curtains count too!
Easy DIY Bathroom Ideas
Before we get you inspired by all these awesome bathroom updates, here are some basic DIY projects and skills you may need to makeover your bath!
So as promised, here is a tutorial on how to cover those boring builder bathroom mirrors with a custom frame. You can obviously tweak this to fit your style when choosing the stain color and the wood. From ‘Her Happy Home‘ this framed bathroom mirror can go right over those ugly plastic clips, too!
Almost all of the bathroom ideas below have started with painting the cabinets. ‘Craving Some Creativity‘ has step by step directions for painting bathroom cabinets to get a professional looking finish. And this navy blue is classic and trending, all at the same time!
Disguise an ugly tub with this DIY tub skirt with shiplap from ‘Crazy Wonderful‘. Remember, if you’re trying to save money, disguise is your secret word!
Need more? Check out these posts we have for you on DIY bathroom ideas that will help you create the bath you really have been dreaming about!
Ok, now to get inspired, but also, tutorials! These bathroom reveals from some of our favorite bloggers walk you through how they got these stunning bath updates. Some of them were done on the cheap, and some were a bigger investment, but all of them have easy ideas you can borrow for your own makeover.
Master Bathroom Ideas
‘Jenna Sue Design‘ demoed their master bath and started from scratch. Take note of the feature wall of marble, (you could use wallpaper to save money), the wood molding accent wall, the mirror and the matte black hardware. And those floor tiles. This look doesn’t have to be expensive. A shaped navy or black tile with white grout will give you all the drama you need.
‘Noting Grace‘ fixed everything in their bath from popcorn ceilings to low cabinets, themselves! Lots of bathroom ideas here, but the quickest ones to implement would be the mirrors, the faux brick wall and the sanding down and staining of the cabinets. (You have to check out her tutorial for that wall!) Also, check out the product they used to create those faux marble countertops. Step by step directions for it all! And, they did it for way less than you would think.
Lots of really cool bathroom ideas from ‘Fynes Design‘, but the one we love the most? The hand painted accent wall! You thought that was wallpaper, didn’t you? She was inspired by a paper she loved, but was beyond her budget. Go see how to hand paint a wall like she did! Other ideas to steal? The freestanding vanity that looks like furniture, the black mirror and hardware and the white tiled wall.
‘Hydrangea Treehouse‘ did a master bath remodel where contractors did most of the work… but they planned the design, and they did a few things DIY, including the wallpaper. We love how they mixed metal finishes here, and they have tips on how to make that work. So white cabinets, subtle wallpaper and luxe looking metal finishes are the takeaway here. We have this exact look of these tile floors in our Palm Springs vacation house, and we love it.
Guest or Half Bath Ideas
Can you believe this hall bathroom from ‘Young House Love‘? This update is full of easy bathroom ideas you can DIY. The shiplap wall, the mirrors, and the color of the cabinets set the stage here for a charming, stylish bath to die for. And, no contractors involved.
‘I Spy DIY‘ updated this vintage bathroom with rich colors, lots of nods to the historic nature of the house, and tons of sweet charm. Ideas we see here that would be easy for a DIY’er to copy? The shiplap walls and wallpaper, the matte black hardware and light fixtures and the navy blue paint. And who would think to bring books into a bathroom? Me, I would. This is what we meant when we said details count.
Jennifer at ‘The Craft Patch Blog‘ did this entire bathroom update by herself. Seriously, if you are a new DIY’er and are afraid you can’t take these bathroom ideas and use them to turn your ugly bath around, think again.
Kids Bathroom Ideas
Tons and tons of ideas you can steal from this kid’s bathroom update over at ‘Bless’er House‘. Learn how they turned a console table into a vanity and get all their awesome bathroom ideas for this cute but chic kids bathroom. Check out that tile floor!
‘Lovely Indeed‘ nailed their kid’s bathroom update with one simple feature. Their awesome tile wainscoting that wraps the room in the feeling that you are at the beach. You have to go check out the rest of the bath, but seriously. That tile is so fun.
Pretty and fresh bathroom ideas. After all, private spaces deserve the same attention as the public ones; it’s in our private spaces that we can recharge and refresh our souls! Be sure to check out our post on DIY Budget Bathroom Makeovers and Charming but Cheap Bedroom Decorating. Also check out 18 Bathroom Towel Storage Ideas over at OhMeOhMy!
Image Credits: Hydrangea Treehouse, Her Happy Home, Craving Some Creativity, Crazy Wonderful, Jenna Sue Design, Noting Grace, Fynes Design, Young House Love, I Spy DIY, The Craft Patch, Bless'er House, Lovely Indeed
What is the name of the color used in the purple bathroom?
Im afraid I don’t know Kim! You could color match it!
Thank you, these ideas are wonderful and the dark blue on the walls makes sense. I’ve been wondering what to do with our small, neglected bathroom. With a few of these ideas I believe it has real hope yet! Thank you again!!:)
Where did the rack for the towels come from in the white bathroom?
I’m sorry, it’s not our project so we have no idea… Sorry we couldn’t be more help!