One of the most popular renovations in Australia is the bathroom – and more often than not homeowners will attempt an upgrade themselves.
Luckily, it’s super easy to change the look of your bathroom quickly without the help of a sledgehammer. Even if you’re obsessed with Scandi-white throughout the rest of your house, the smallest room can often be improved with a lick of bold, fresh colour.
You can choose to go subtle and add colour just through accessories – think bright fluffy towels, vanity accessories such as toothbrush holders and soap dishes/ dispensers, a statement shower curtain and even a feels-nice-underfoot rug in your chosen hue.
Or you can step it up a notch by repainting lacklustre walls or cabinets in a swathe of colour. Start small with just an accent wall, and you can be done with your bathroom makeover in an afternoon. You could even try just painting the inside of open cabinets, or (if you're lucky enough to have a standing bath) only the base of your tub for an eye-popping effect.
If you don’t want to spend the cash paying a professional tiler re-tile, you can also purchase tile paint that can be colour-matched to your palette (although check the bathroom waterproofing requirements first). Or you can get specialist companies to come in and re-enamel your bathtub, vanity and tiles in a brilliant new shade. Voila! Instant revamp!
Other things to consider when you’re renovating your bathroom are:
- Spatial planning. Some of the worst bathroom renovation mistakes are the result of lack of preparation. You use it daily, so it's vital to plan out the space to suit your needs exactly. Think about how you use the room and what elements you'll need easy access to (e.g. putting the heated towel rack near the shower, so you don't have to cross a cold winter bathroom dripping wet). It might be your dream to have a spa bath, but will it really fit into your en-suite?
- Unskilled DIY. It’s tempting to have a crack at the plumbing or tiling yourself, but this is one room you should always call in the professionals for. There's a lot that can go wrong, and it's pricey to redo if your bath starts leaking or the tiles won't stay put. Plus, this is a wet area, so issues can crop up with bad plumbing that might take a fortune to fix. Play it safe and call in an expert.
- Lighting. Getting the balance of brightness is essential. For make-up application, you'll want to ensure no shadow lines are being generated near mirrors, for instance. LED lights particularly can change the colour of make-up easily. Also consider different parts of the bathroom – atmospheric lighting over the bath makes for a more relaxing soak.
- Adequate ventilation. By law, you need to have a window at least, but anyone who's dealt with creeping mould due to a poorly vented bathroom will tell you that it pays to add extra ventilation that can vent the damp air quickly.
- Inadequate storage. Storage is often the last thing on your list or missed entirely when you're renovating a bathroom. But you'll notice it once it comes time to use the bathroom every day. Think carefully where you're going to keep loo paper, make-up, cleaning products and dirty laundry. And go as far as checking with the bottles and containers can easily fit in your cupboards.