Whether you’re moving house or just want to spruce up your bathroom with a limited budget then here are a list of bathroom decorating ideas for you to work through. We’re not talking about major purchases but spending a little money or a little time to get a lot.

1. Make It Sparkle – Groan I here you say… Get a blank canvas to start off with, every room looks better when it’s clean and tidy. So get the cleaning tackle out and get the best from walls, ceramics and tiling. Paying attention to tile grouting in particular can lift a room and perhaps consider products with mould inhibitors to prevent repeat or future mould growth. If you don’t want to use bleach based products many websites also swear by using vinegar or bicarbonate of soda with a toothbrush, perhaps try in a small area first.
2. Replace Unsightly Bath Panels – They’re one of the first things to go in a bathroom. Water over time ingresses into wooden bath panels while plastic ones become scuffed or cracked. If yours is looking a little tired then get it replaced. The sheer expanse of space they cover means replacing them makes the whole room look cleaner and newer.
3. Add Wow To Your Walls – If you’re selling your home then perhaps the electric blue paint isn’t a good idea but a muted blue or green or just a clean coat of white will add freshness. For £10 – £20 you can easily purchase a good quality paint and brush and rejuvinate your bathroom in an instant. Lighter colours will add the illusion of space too. Alternatively consider shower wall panels for a real waterproof upgrade.
4. Quietly Does It – There’s nothing more annoying than the clang of the toilet seat when one of the kids accidentally drops it. Your ears and any prospective new buyer will thank you for adding something cleaner and quieter! Choose a slow close toilet seat from as little as £14.99.
5. Add Space & Light – Here in the UK the vast majority of us have tiny bathrooms with not enough room to swing a cat. One of the easiest tricks is to give the illusion of space by adding a mirror. This can be a simple sheet of glass or consider an illuminated bathroom mirror.
6. Get Things Flowing – We’ve all been away for a weekend and used a dodgy shower in a B&B or hotel, how disappointing is it when there’s no flow, just a dribble of water to wash with because the head or flex is blocked? So why put up with it at home? If you have a shower handset or shower head that unscrews or pulls apart then take the rubber insert out and soak overnight to remove limescale. This will free up the nozzles and get it performing like it used to. If they don’t unfasten or you can’t be bothered then consider a cheap replacement shower head from the likes of Amazon.
7. Introduce Storage – Clear up the clutter! Nothing makes a bathroom look more untidy and cluttered than cosmetics and toiletries all over the place. So if you have the room consider a mirrored storage cabinet or perhaps a corner bathroom tallboy which will make use of available vertical space.
8. Hide Cleaning Products – For 2 reasons you should hide cleaning products. Firstly keep bleach based products out of reach of children for safety reasons. Secondly they look a right mess hidden behind your toilet pan. Hardly the calming space you were originally aiming for eh?
9. Lose The Shower Curtain – Good lord is there anything more off putting than a shower curtain, they look ok for a few weeks until they start to mould and cling to your body. Get rid pronto and replace with a cheap glass over bath screen available from as little as £50, better still choose a folding model that tucks away when not in use and doesn’t dominate the space like that pink shower curtain!
10. New Towels Please – Nothing adds freshness and cleanliness quite as simply as new bathroom towels. They smell great and soak the water with ease from your body unlike the tired dried up excuses you have in the airing cupboard. Consider choosing a bold colour if you have a white bathroom space.
11. Matching Accessories – If you do feel the need for a toilet roll holder, robe hooks or towel rail then get them all to match. Stay clear from the uber cheap plastic models and consider classy stainless steel bathroom accessories.
12. Use Dispensers – Another idea to reduce the number of toiletries on display or to at least make a feature out of them is to use dispensers. High quality attractive numbers are available from the likes of John Lewis or Debenhams for a few pounds.
13. Bring The Beach To Your Home – If you’ve ever been on a family holiday to the coast then invariably half the beach ends up in your home. Shells, pebbles and sand from the suitcase finds it’s way back so why not make use of it? Perhaps add pebbles and shells to a tall slender vase as a permanent and attractive reminder of your family time.
14. Make The Room Breath – A splash of green foliage looks great in a plain white bathroom. Plants draw moisture and also release oxygen into the air. For bathrooms without a window choose low light plants such as a Spider Plant, Peace Lily, Bamboo or Orchid. Using fluorescent bulbs will help to give plants some light in bathrooms with no windows as this light is on a similiar wavelength to natural sunlight.
15. Refresh Your Taps – A cheap bathroom suite can easily be spruced up with new taps. These are relatively quick and easy for a good DIYer or plumber to fit. If you’re moving home then keep the design simple and functional and stay away from gold. New clean chrome taps look the business and a set of inexpensive taps are available from as little as £40. Spend a little more and get models with brass components and ceramic disc technology. Go a step further and replace bath, basin and shower wastes. This will allow water to drain away more easily and furthermore you can rid yourself of the discolouration of cheap zinc based wastes.

This list isn’t exhaustive so if you have a good idea or tip of your own then please feel free to comment and we’ll add the best to the list. If you’ve published your idea elsewhere just let us know and we’ll consider linking to that too!