Give a bathroom an easy makeover
A few basic DIY skills are all you need to fix up a boring bathroom. Try these simple do-it-yourself updates and turn a boring bathroom into a relaxing retreat.
The bathroom is the most utilitarian space in any home. But this is one room that often gets the short end of the style stick in newly constructed or bought off-plan houses. Standard taps and fittings are what you’d expect to find in a lot of new homes that are designed to standard specification.
A Makeover You Can Do!
Many homeowners would put up with their bathroom like this, thinking a drastic change would be too difficult or expensive. Here’s a surprise: You can make your bathroom look like the cosy retreat all by yourself.
The part of this bathroom makeover that made a big impact is the vanity. Thanks to a few tricks — paint, hardware, a new tap, and lighting, the vanity looks like new!
Dramatic difference with paint
If you have any old vanity you can paint this as easy as 1-2-3, and you don't even need to move it. Chances are your existing bathroom vanity is chipboard or supawood wrapped in a foil laminate. Start by sanding the existing finish with 240-grit sandpaper to de-gloss and provide a better surface for the paint to adhere to. Wipe away dust with a slightly damp cloth and then prime and paint it. It may take a couple of coats to get complete coverage.
Stylish new additions
To update the dated chrome faucet and brass hardware, we chose popular brushed nickel options. You will find a wide selection of handles and knobs at your local Builders - at an affordable price.
If the handles are mounted in a different way to the holes already drilled in drawers and doors, use wood filler to fill in holes. Place a small amount of wood filler in the hole and let this dry. Sand smooth with 240-grit sandpaper. If you can still see the holes, apply a small amount of wood filler to this area; let dry and sand again until you cannot see the previous holes.
To drill holes for new handles use a tape measure and pencil to mark the centre of a drawer, or where you want the handles to fit onto a door. Determine the size of the mounting screws supplied with the handles and use a wood bit slightly larger. EG. If the screws are 5mm in diameter use a 6mm wood bit.
In some cases you may find that the screws supplied are not long enough for secure mounting of the handles. If this occurs, use a countersink bit on the back of the drawer or door to create a recess for the screw head.
Modern light fittings
The last change made to the bathroom was to replace the existing light bar with a pair of great-looking wall sconces. We saved so much money on the rest of our bathroom makeover that we decided to splurge on an electrician to help with this step!