9 Easy Bathroom Upgrades Without Remodeling

This post is all about ideas to easily upgrade your bathroom. Each bathroom update is affordable and can be completed in one afternoon!

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Do you have a build-grade or old bathroom that just needs some updates? I don’t know about you but to me, the builder-grade bathrooms are just so BLAH! It was time for me to do something about it, so I started adding small details and upgrades to enhance my primary bathroom.

With each update, I aimed for as affordable as I could go without looking cheap. In this post, I share my secrets to making your bathroom look updated without the hassle or cost of remodeling it.

Easy Bathroom Upgrades

Each of these updates I’ve done and can attest they are easy enough to do on your own and can be completed in an afternoon. No more waiting on those honeys – you got this girl!

1. Change Hardware

The oldest trick in the book… change hardware in your bathroom! Change it all – the pulls, knobs, towel bar, toilet paper holder.

Hardware can seriously date a bathroom if you live in an older home, and this small change can make a big impact. In a builder-grade home like mine, the hardware just looks so cheap. I installed my bathroom hardware on my own because I wanted a more high-end look.

Here is my latest post on my tips for installing hardware! Remove your current hardware pulls and measure the distance from center to center of the holes. This will be the size of hardware pulls you need to look for to replace your current ones. Just use a screwdriver to add them on!

2. Frame Mirror

Frame your bathroom mirror using trim or wood to enhance the look of a builder-grade mirror. I had frameless, builder-grade mirrors in all of our bathrooms and they just look so CHEAP. But mirrors are expensive… so instead of buying new ones, I framed my primary bathroom mirror using trim.

Check out how I framed a bathroom mirror in my latest blog post.

3. Replace Mirror

If you have a slightly bigger budget, replacing your bathroom mirrors can change the entire look. After framing in my mirror and having that for a couple of years, I actually decided I wanted to change it up and replace the mirrors with a larger bathroom revamp.

At this point, I’ve replaced all the builder-grade bathroom mirrors in my home. As shown in the image above, I now have the Atoll mirror from Ballard Design.

4. Replace Shower Head

This is a true “treat yourself” DIY! Replacing the shower head in your bathroom shower will not only update the bathroom but it will change your life! A big shower head makes showers so much more enjoyable.

5. Paint Vanity

Painting the vanity is a great way to update any bathroom. You really can go with any color you want in the bathroom. It’s a space that I like to have some fun with!

To paint a bathroom vanity, you must use a good Shellac Primer like Zinnser BIN Advanced. To get a nice smooth finish, sand between every coat of primer and paint using a high-grit sandpaper block.

6. Replace Light Fixtures

Another classic, easy upgrade idea is to replace the light fixtures in your bathrooms. Changing out lighting to something upgraded can make your bathroom look expensive! I am always saying that lighting makes all the difference in a space, so this is a great update to invest in.

7. Replace Just the Vanity Lampshade

For those who are more budget-conscious and/or not wanting to deal with electrical, replace just the lampshade on vanity lights. I actually did this in our primary bathroom and it immediately enhanced the look!

I swapped out frosted cylinder vanity lampshades for clear bell-shaped ones that I found on Amazon for $50. Our lights looked so builder-grade but honestly, now they look high-end! I swapped out the lightbulbs for Edison bulbs with a lower lumen too.

8. Paint the Floors

Painting tile is all the rage right now, and rightfully so! If you live in an older home, I love this tip to update your bathroom. Many brands have floor painting kits now, like this Rust-oleum floor coating kit from Amazon, which comes with comes with your base color and top coat for $75.

To really go all out on your bathroom floors, add a stencil design to the pattern of your tiles. You won’t regret it!

9. Upgrade your linens

Take a good long look at your linens, rugs, and towels in your bathroom. Do they need to be replaced? If you haven’t replaced them in a few years, then it’s probably time for an upgrade! And who doesn’t love to buy some fluffy new towels?!

And just like that, with these 9 easy tips to upgrade your bathroom without fully remodeling it, you have a totally refreshed bathroom! These ideas can be combined to make a cohesive update or you can focus on one at a time.

If you give these a try, let me know below in the comments!

This post was all about easy bathroom upgrades that you can do yourself in one afternoon.