It may be the tiniest room in the house, but we sure spend a boatload of time there. I’m talking about the bathroom. Often relegated to a status similar to cluttered closet, it has the potential to provide us with a great deal of respite from our daily lives. Bubble baths, pedicures, body polishes and brow spruce-ups are all spa treatments you can accomplish at home to save money, and having a pleasant environment can make the difference between feeling like you want to continue with your money-saving endeavors or start spending big bucks at the spa again.
Even if spa treatments aren’t a huge priority for you, having a few budget tricks up your sleeve for sprucing up the guest bath or making the children’s bathroom a bit more functional can only be a good thing. Here are three simple tricks for sprucing up the bathrooms in your home.
photo credit: quinn.anya
Storage:
While we may all feel like our personal product collection is unique, the truth is that the items in most household bathrooms are similar. It’s how we choose to store and display them that takes a bathroom from simply functional to spectacular. Crystal wine decanters with coordinating glassware are a classy way to handle mouthwash, while a set of matching sealed jars spruces up storage of things like Q-tips and cotton balls. To take the most efficient advantage of under-the-sink storage, use rectangular transparent boxes with snap-on lids from department stores or the Dollar Tree to organize things by category and have streamlined access to things like hair accessories, first aid supplies and cosmetics.
Supplies:
To make your master bath feel more like a home spa, there are a number of affordable supplies you’ll want to consider. Loofahs, lava rocks, back brushes and bath pillows are all available for less than ten bucks a piece and add loads of posh style for minimal cash outlay. Sugar scrubs, scented lotions and body mists can be made from home recipes or purchased on the cheap. Another fun upgrade that isn’t terribly expensive is a wall-mounted towel warming rack. You get warm spa towels and a place to hang them at the same time. It’s an elegant addition that only requires an outlet and some available wall space versus a pricey remodel.
Color:
Getting aggressive with your color palette is a sure-fire way to make a massive decorating statement, whether you’re decorating the kitchen, the bathroom or any other room of the house. Two of the most affordable ways to do that are with paint and towel choices. Choose something deep and exotic or go with earthy tones like sand and sage. Whatever fits with your home’s overall color scheme is fine. The point is that most bathrooms can be covered with a gallon of paint (a great way to deal with old-fashioned wood paneling), and higher-end towels are affordably available at any Marshalls, Big Lots, Ross or department store clearance sale.
Sources for these spruce-up tricks do not have to be high-end stores. Discount chains, dollar stores, yard sales and the oops paint supply from any hardware store can all be used to source some seriously sexy bathroom makeover supplies. For super-cheap bathroom infrastructure consider a shopping trip to Ikea, Target or your closest salvage yard.
A lifelong money cruncher who can squeeze a nickel ‘til it cries, Myscha is a syndicated columnist, best-selling author, and founder of Trek Hound and We Be Sharin’.