Okay, it’s kind of embarrassing. Last month I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror and instantly felt unsettled. “When did this become a hotel lobby?” I thought. Not in a good way.
You know what I mean? In a “this room is cold and sterile and no one lives here” way. My bathroom had become bland and lifeless.
But here’s the kicker. I was extremely low on funds.
Like scraping-by-on-Ramen-noodles kind of broke.
So, I did what any sane individual would do. I waged war against boring bathrooms with nothing more than my debit card’s life savings and a compulsive need to make people feel happy in their homes. Add Interest With A Mirror The first victory was achieved in an unexpected place.
While perusing the aisles of a thrift shop (under the guise of looking for a winter coat, obvi) I spotted this gorgeous, vintage brass mirror frame. It was twenty-three quid. There was also a gross, foggy mirror that had mystery stains on it, but who needs the mirror when the frame is THIS GOOD?
Seriously, guys. Look at this beauty. Okay, fine.
So I shelled out another eight pounds to get it professionally resurfaced at a local glass shop. But now my bathroom had depth. Personality.
Soul. That fancy mirror taught me a valuable lesson: You don’t have to gut your entire bathroom to make it feel intentional. Sometimes you just need something to smile at when you catch yourself staring while brushing your teeth.
Roll Your Towels and Fight the Towel Debacle Speaking of smiling at your towels. I had been using sad, sad towels up until this point. Ikea-tier thin, airy towels that resembled dry napkins more than actual bath linens.
And let me tell you, good towels are pricey. Like, $40 a towel pricey and only if you know where to look. Luckily, my neighbour happened to be tidying out her linen closet.
She blessed me with three thick, white towels for a grand total of fifteen pounds. Did they match? No.
And honestly? That just made them better. Accumulated over time vs. purchased as a set.
I also began rolling my towels rather than folding them. I know, I sound like your mother. But hear me out.
Rolled towels in a basket look stylish. Curated. Spending thirty bucks on a basket of rolled towels at a boutique hotel just seems next level, right?
Paint Those Walls The fact that my bathroom needed painting came to me one particularly grim Tuesday in February. The walls were a gloomy shade of magnolia that intensified the terrible lighting. I had been putting off painting because I assumed I needed primer, special mold resistant paint, and an assessment from a professional painter.
All I really needed was fifteen bucks worth of paint and a free weekend. I opted for a deep blue shade. Not navy.
Not royal. Just deep blue. Paint usually runs me eighteen pounds a gallon, and I had paint brushes from previous home disasters.
Suddenly my bathroom went from blah to flippin’ fabulous. Magnolia walls and white fixtures can make any fixtures look dull and dirty. Blue walls and that brass framed mirror popped.
Even my ten dollar plastic shower curtain seemed more curated next to that bold colour. One thing no one tells you about dark paint colours in small spaces is that they help hide things. Wall stains, scuffs, water spots.
Dark paint colours forgives your bathroom for not being perfect. Low lighting also makes your space feel cozy as opposed to closed in. Replace the Fixture Replacing my overhead light fixture was a battle of creativity vs. frugality.
The fixture that hung over my bathroom sink was this atrocious frosted glass bowl that cast jaundice on all who looked into it. I figured that replacing it would be costly and complicated. Surely I would need to hire an electrician and get it safety-certified or something.
Nope! One quick trip to my hardware store and I picked up this simple pendant light kit with cord for twelve pounds. All I replaced was the light fixture itself.
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Worst case scenario- your electric bill has 9/11 flashback when you start messing with something that has electricity. So….TURN THE LIGHTS OFF. My Dad took me ten minutes to install (and yes, he turned the breaker off first, Mum.) But here’s the game-changer, my friends.
On my windowsill now rests a cute table lamp I scored from the side room at IKEA. Crazy, right? A lamp in the bathroom.
Guys. Lampshades hang down, so it’s totally fine as long as you’re mindful of placement. And ONLY use LED bulbs!
Bright, indirect light from your bathroom window can suffice during the daytime. But that soft glow from the side in the mornings? Total game changer.
I actually LOOK FORWARD to getting ready in the mornings now. Storage! Let’s talk storage.
Adding custom cabinetry was never going to happen with my budget. But I did stumble across the easiest storage solution at any car boot sale: Vintage Suitcases. Old hard-shell suitcases from the 60s and 70s that typically range from £5- £15 depending on the condition.
Stack them in a corner and boom! You have storage that looks like it belongs in the most luxurious hotel. One holds extra towels and bed linens.
One I keep bathroom cleaners and shower products, etc. The top case I use for fun things. Fancy bath salts, candles I’m saving for romantic occasions (also known as any Tuesday I need to relax), etc.
Put Some Plants in That Place Ok, hear me out on this one. I will admit, I tried the classic “mesh these plants in your bathroom” route. You know the ones I’m talking about.
Pothos, Snake Plants, etc. EVERYWHERE. They all died within months. (I have a black thumb and not enough natural light to keep plants alive.) But lo and behold, at my local nursery I discovered the magic that is Artificial plants.
Yes, you heard me. Fake plants. But hear me out.
Obviously, you don’t want your plants to look fake. But I found some lush artificial plants that looked realistic AF next to the real deal. Pair them with some real soil on top of nice ceramic pots and voila!
Everyone gets fooled. Including me sometimes. They’ve lasted me two years of steamy showers without showing a hint of dust or regret.
Get a Better Shower Curtain Finding the perfect shower curtain also came somewhat by accident. I had resigned myself to dealing with this cheap, clear plastic curtain that highlighted every water spot and bar of soap dropped into it. Silly me.
Fabric shower curtains existed, and were only about ten quid more than the plastic versions! I found this gorgeous off-white cotton shower curtain with a subtle texture for sixteen pounds. Then I popped a simple clear liner behind it for an additional four pounds.
BAM. My “shower area” finally felt finished. Like adults lived here kind of finished.
Finally, the Secret Weapon: Scent. I’m not talking expensive candles or plugins that smell like fake jasmine and petrol. I’m talking real scent from real things.
Throw a small bowl of coffee beans on your counter.
They absorb odors and smell warm and toasty. Reed diffusers with REAL essential oils.
Bars of soy soap that smell like lavender or something yummy. All of these small changes cost me next to nothing but make my bathroom feel cared for and PUT TOGETHER. Kind of like how I want people to feel when they enter my home.
For around £200 and three months, I was able to spruce up my boring bathroom without breaking the bank. Certainly not what I thought bathroom renovations would cost. More importantly, my bathroom finally feels like it belongs to me.
It’ not trying to emulate someone’s else’s idea of glamour or luxury. It’s simply a place where I can feel marginally human before I stumble, zombie-like, out the door. Honestly?
That’s worth every penny I didn’t spend.
