Easy Bathroom Update

Bathroom decorating may not be the most exciting project, but if you think about it, it’s something with a big impact and you’ll enjoy the results frequently. We moved into our house almost three years ago and at the time I wanted something bright to go with the beige tile and taupe walls in the master bathroom. The room was trimmed in white but the window blind was dark brown wood. I opted for bright coral rugs and towels, with accents of light green and a coral-and-white shower curtain across the tiled shower opening. It wasn’t until we were preparing for my husband’s upcoming recovery from surgery that I noticed that those rugs had gotten dingy and the towels had faded. It was definitely time for an easy bathroom update!

There wasn’t much time and this update did not involve any major items like flooring or plumbing. It was really a simple refresh of the decor, but wow–it made a HUGE difference! I wish I had “before” photos but the bathroom isn’t exactly a frequently photographed room.

I won’t go into details about the trip to a local discount store where they just happened to be rearranging the bathroom linens section so everything was out of place. Or the helpful clerk who offered to bring out blue towels from the back. Or the part when I got home and realized that the six towels and four hand towels I had requested turned out to be five bath SHEETS and four washcloths. Or the 20-minute drive back to the store where I was informed that they don’t do same-day returns. I burst into tears that actually had little to do with blue towels. It all turned out okay in the end. Except for the shower rod that was too long and will be saved for a newlywed’s home in the near future. Whew!

Getting Started

I walked into the store without a color scheme because I planned to build it around a shower curtain. The room is neutral so it could go with just about any color. After scanning the selection my eye was drawn to a light blue shower curtain with a white windowpane check woven design. It looked fresh and light, just what I wanted. This is actually skipping all the in-between parts where I chose other curtains and walked back and forth discovering there were no matching towels. In fact, I picked up and put back the blue curtain at least twice, until it was discovered that there were, in fact, towels in a coordinating shade. Besides, I kept feeling drawn to it and gut feelings are important in decorating!

On the way home, before the bath sheet discovery and subsequent emotional meltdown, was a quick stop at Hobby Lobby. Floral stems and summer decor were half price: SCORE! I picked up a ceramic pitcher, a decorative wooden chair and a wooden sign. Words are important and I chose carefully what we would see every day.

Back at home, it took a while to remove tags from rugs and towels. I have a thing about tags on towels: they must be removed! Towels went in the laundry and the shower curtain and liner were threaded onto the rod with new rings. Fortunately I had husband assistance with three tasks: hanging the sign, changing the window blind from brown to white, and cutting the floral stems to fit the pitcher.

The final result was stunning–at least to us. After nearly three years of the same decor, the change is refreshing. The white window blind made a huge difference in the overall feel of the room. It’s amazing how small details make such an impact! The icy blue towels and rugs are the perfect fresh color, and the floral arrangement ties it all together:

Ideas for Your Easy Bathroom Update

This inexpensive and easy bathroom update created a whole new atmosphere in the bath. Here are a few ideas to get started on yours:

Determine the feel you’re going for: spa-like, sleek, elegant, cottage–what’s your favorite decor theme?

Depending on your bathroom’s needs, shop for linens: shower curtain, towels, hand towels, washcloths, curtains, etc. It’s okay if you don’t have a color scheme going in–sometimes you just have to see what’s available before you know what’s calling to you.

Practice use-what-you-have decorating! Look around the house to see what can be repurposed and rearranged. I pulled a china plate out of a cabinet for a blue accent. A metal cutout sign was moved from another room.

Fill in with new-to-you items from a craft store, discount store or even a thrift store. It’s fun to find things on sale but if you find something you really love, splurge if you’re able. The wreath on the shelf was a bit pricey but I will look at it and feel joy every single day for years to come.

Try to fix or camouflage anything you dislike: in this case, the brown wooden blinds. It was one of those things we always “meant” to change but didn’t get around to. After seeing the difference it made, we’re kicking ourselves that it didn’t get done sooner!