30+ Cheap Ways to Freshen Up Your Bathroom This Weekend

Interior design rule #145: Never miss an opportunity to add interest overhead. Apply wallpaper to your ceiling to grant your bathroom a high-end look without a heart-stopping price point. We’re obsessed with this project because it usually requires roughly the same investment as a single wallpaper accent wall but lends your space a luxe, designer-inspired look that says, “I know what I’m doing!”

If wallpaper feels daunting (no shame!), you can make an equally stylish statement by painting the ceiling a contrasting color instead. Follow the lead of this cozy powder room and choose a hue that complements your tile or wallpaper and apply it to your ceiling, crown molding, interior doors and window trim for a cohesive look.

Breathe life into your lackluster powder room or shared hall bathroom with a collection of framed family photos. Gallery walls are mainstays for hallways or living room displays, but this inspired space proves curated photos provide the perfect polishing touch to bare walls in bathrooms, too. Mix and match your frame materials and matting finishes for a collected, lived-in look, or create a streamlined contemporary vignette with matching black-and-white gallery frames.

Make every bath or shower a spa-like experience and add style to your walls in one fell swoop with the help of this weekend upgrade: towel warmers. Treat yourself to a wall-mounted towel warmer (or two!) with an integrated on-off switch for a high-tech feature that looks good and feels uh-mazing post-shower. Take cues from this primary ensuite and style your warmer with bath sheets and towels in contrasting colors or textures. Bonus points if you nestle a low-profile bench against the wall below for a chic space to disrobe.

Pretty up your (plain) white shower curtain by layering a custom valance or cornice overhead. This ribbon-trimmed number lends this transitional bathroom a tailored look and creates an illusion of taller ceilings. The best part? These finishing pieces are simple to install over your existing curtain and won’t break your budget.

Create some privacy in your powder room by building a DIY pony wall a la this navy design. Ideal for roomier half-baths, a pony wall provides ample storage and styling opportunities. And, not for nothing — this little wall offers a small but significant buffer between yourself and the rest of your household when your toddler inevitably and repeatedly charges into the room as you try to find a moment for yourself.

Take notes from this enviable space and work smarter, not harder, when refreshing your bathroom this weekend. Install wall hooks and slip a set of color-coordinating bath sheets on the lot to create a pretty-but-practical feature wall in your bathroom.

Not interested in putting holes in your wall? Adopt the same idea and show off your chic towels with a leaning wall ladder instead. Shop our 15 favorite blanket ladders here and spend the weekend (read: 15 minutes on Saturday) styling it, or follow the link below to DIY a wooden ladder for a more hands-on experience.

Ceiling light fixtures are an integral part of any bathroom design. The bad news? They’re notoriously expensive. Silver lining? We have a quick weekend fix that costs next to nothing but looks like a million bucks. Take cues from this pretty, pink powder room and use your wall or vanity paint to give your simple ceiling shade a facelift. Incorporating the same hue overheard will bring cohesion to your design and give your simple budget light a new lease on life.

Why settle for one or two vanity mirrors when you can just install mirrors to the entire wall instead? Spend your weekend installing mirror panels to the wall behind your bathroom vanity to achieve a European hotel-inspired look. Bonus: Cleaning rogue toothpaste and hairspray off a frameless mirrored wall is a breeze.

Wrap the base of your bathroom vanity with baseboard molding or decorative toe kicks, then paint it to match the cabinet for a custom, built-in look. This seemingly small change will anchor the space and transform any big-box vanity into an eye-catching bathroom focal point. Plus, less dust gets trapped underfoot!

Maximize every inch of your primary bathroom by creating a chic makeup station. Make this setup your muse; start with a skirted storage console that hides your borderline concerning makeup collection and add a sculptural tabletop vanity mirror. Accessorize with fresh-cut (or faux) blooms, then pull up a countertop stool in a humidity-friendly material like rattan or acacia wood.

Pick up a flat finishing trowel and transform your bathroom walls with a few coats of plaster this weekend. The matte, earthy texture offers a striking juxtaposition to classic white subway tile and serves as a seamless complement to warm terracotta or honed natural stone floors. Pro tip: Minimize project costs by applying plaster to a single wall, ceiling or a portion of the walls.

Ruler at the ready, friend! Give your bathroom walls a chic new look with the help of this time-tested pattern: cabana stripes. Throw on your paint clothes and get to work using our step-by-step stripe painting tutorial linked below.

Transform your airy powder room into a moody jewel box with a few pails of paint and a couple of days to spare. This rich, olive-colored bathroom offers ample inspiration with deep green walls and vanity paired with creamy-white ivory accents and lustrous brass hardware. Achieve the same saturated look using similar paint hues like navy, chocolate, purple or oxblood and pair with metallic brass, gold or polished nickel hardware.

Invite richness and warmth to your bathroom by installing espresso-stained ceiling beams inspired by this primary bath. The dimensional wood feature draws the eye up, creating an illusion of taller ceilings, and the deep-brown stain balances the coolness of the classic black-and-white finishes below. Ceiling beams are unmatched tools for visually expanding a room when installed horizontally across a space, or they can lengthen when installed parallel to the longest walls.

Switch out your dated, dusty knobs and pulls and replace them with their chic, shiny counterparts. This quick, low-cost project (can you even call it that?) has the power to transform the entire aesthetic of your bathroom design. Proof: this white double vanity with inky countertops and bright, brass hardware that oozes glamour. That builder-grade brushed nickel doesn't stand a chance.

Work with what you've got and craft a custom frame for your bathroom mirror. This remodeled master bathroom features a white built-in makeup vanity, a wood-framed mirror and two sconces positioned above. Pro tip: Opt for a natural wood frame to bring instant warmth and coziness into an otherwise all-white space.

Mix trendy with traditional this weekend and create a powder room that packs a punch by installing crisp, classic wainscoting to the lower half of the walls. Line the top of the room with bold, removable wallpaper or roll on an unexpected paint color.

All white linens = fresh, fresh, fresh. Purge your powder room and master bath of all your ratty, mismatched, rainbow-colored and/or busy-patterned towels. Replace the lot with crisp, cloud-white cloths and towels to evoke a unified, clean, spa-worthy aesthetic.

A wide, double faucet sink gives a unique look to the vanity setup of this country bathroom and we're very much here for it. The top takeaway here, though? Those uh-mazing sconces. Take note and toss out (or donate) your basic vanity lights and replace them with cool, contemporary sconces that better suit your hip design.

You'll be shocked how much fresher your bathroom looks, and how much more "together" your life feels when you come home to cohesive-yet-stylish storage containers. Use wicker baskets, as seen here, to create texture or opt for sleek acrylic boxes or wire baskets to lean into a more modern design.

Who doesn't need more storage space in the bathroom, right? Stop procrastinating and check this shelving project off your to-do list ASAP. Natural wood open shelves keep the bathroom airy and spacious while also providing much-needed, easily accessible storage.

From sparse to stylish, give your en suite a fresh, new look by rolling out the red carpet. Or blue. Or green. Whatever floats your boat! Recycle your hallway runner in your bathroom to create a gorgeous pop of color and an ultra-soft spot for your chilly feet in the morning.

Drape your bathroom in drama by adding fancy, floor-to-ceiling drapes. The simple elegance of the ivory sheaths in this master bath makes it the perfect place to escape and relax.

Get out your paintbrush and roll up your sleeves. Transform your vanity from drab to fab with just a few coats of your go-to bold color. You have our full permission to copy the gorgeous, gumptious green featured here. If you don't, we will.

Use black paint to paint your bathroom's window trim for a show-stopping upgrade. The high-contrast results are undeniably cool and, the best part? This transformative paint project costs next to nothing to complete.

Do yourself a favor and rid your bathroom of dated ceiling fans and/or light fixtures. Find your best lighting and replace played-out pendants for a bright, bold chandelier, packed with pizzazz. This gold, star-shaped pendant dangles dreamily over the soaking tub, totally elevating the otherwise sparse, white bathroom design.

See yourself, and your bathroom, like never before with a brand-new vanity mirror. Chuck your old, square mirror (note: be careful not to break it!) and fasten an oh-so-trendy, round mirror in its place. The results will instantly lift the look of any bathroom vanity from so basic, to so pretty.

Take years off the sad, forgotten hall bathroom with a few hours and your favorite removable wallpaper! We're currently drooling over this bold-yet-classic look created with a simple, black and white floral paper.