If you want the most bang for your remodeling buck, focus on the kitchen and bathrooms. While it can cost a small fortune to update both of these spaces, you can find less expensive ways to refresh them.

Remodeling a lackluster bathroom may be easier than you think with a few simple DIY tasks and the addition of some new accessories, designers say. Jessica Love, an interior designer with Urbane Design, shares her tips and tricks for refreshing a bathroom in as little as a weekend—no contractors needed.

Love says one way to give a new look to the space is to “paint your bathroom walls or vanity a fresh new color. I like to stick with neutral, Zen colors for the bathroom.” For example, she currently favors Sherwin-Williams’ “Misty” and Benjamin Moore’s “Van Courtland Blue.”

In Urbane Design’s bathroom update below, Love incorporates a relaxing blue color around a soaking tub.

      Photo credit: Molly Culver

It may be time to give that blah builder-grade mirror—the kind that has just a big piece of glass and zero extra appeal—an overhaul. One of Love’s hacks to evoke more personality in these mirrors is the addition of a custom frame. “I love the DIY frame kits from MirrorMate where you measure your mirror and choose from the many frame styles. The frame kit arrives at your door and can be assembled in minutes,” Love says.

Below is an example from Urbane Design that uses a MirrorMate frame in the color “Cherokee Montuak Sand.”

      Photo credit: Sarah Matsumi Moore

Older hardware, from faucets to drawer pulls, can make a bathroom appear outdated. “Switch out your current hardware for something more modern,” Love says. “Mixed metals are trending right now; we’re seeing black with brass and brass with chrome.”

Love has used Build.com, a company that features a variety of manufacturers and a vast selection. See how Urbane Design upgraded the bathroom with entirely new hardware below.

      Photo credit: Molly Culver

Sometimes, simply replacing your linens and adding new accessories to the bathroom is all it takes to make it look refreshed. “I love a light linen/cotton blend for towels because they look good and are quick-drying,” Love says.

To top off the look, she suggests adding “an air-purifying indoor plant, a natural tray for texture, and a favorite candle to a shelf for an attractive display.”

In the picture below, Urbane Design paired natural, minimal accessories to perk up an already colorful bathroom space.

      Photo credit: Molly Culver

Source: How to Transform a Bathroom in One Weekend National Association of REALTORS® (June 20, 2022)