A bathroom that’s dark, with dirty grout, chipped and discolored sinks and old fixtures is not very welcoming for either family members or guests. But the great news about sprucing up bathrooms is that they tend to be small, so the homeowner can splurge on luxuries that would be prohibitively expensive anywhere else in the home. Here are five budget friendly ways to freshen up a bathroom:

1. A Paint Job

Paint that’s dull, dirty, or peeling needs to be removed and the walls and ceiling refreshed with a brand new coat or two. A good and proper paint job should take less than a day in most bathrooms. Fresh paint makes the space look bright and cheerful or intimate and sexy right away.

2. Wallpaper

Some homeowners are surprised that wallpaper can even be put into bathrooms. There are special wallpapers that can bear up to high heat and humidity, and it is true that they need to be installed with some care. The solution to the problem of craving wallpaper but not wanting to do all the work or spend the kind of money to paper the whole room is to simply paper one wall or even one section of a wall. If a homeowner really wants a certain pattern on a wall but just can’t afford wallpaper, they can cheat with a stencils or vinyl stickers.

3. More Light

The homeowner can install natural and artificial light to make an otherwise dim room brighter. These jobs, especially the installation of artificial lights, are best left to professional contractors. Options for lighting include crystal chandeliers for rooms with high ceilings, sunken lights, skylights and the less expensive sun tubes. These fixtures also allow in natural light through the roof for the fraction of the price of a regular skylight.

Photo by Alair Homes Savannah – The Strong GroupLook for bathroom pictures

4. New Fixtures

Though it’s one thing to have fixtures modeled after those used during the Edwardian era, it’s probably past time to replace ones that are really from the 1910s or look as if they are. Fixtures are very easy for DIYers with moderate plumbing and carpentry skills to remove and install. Experts suggest that though the color and finish of the metals should match, the styles don’t particularly have to. This is good news if the does want something rather traditional for the sink faucet but wants state-of-the-art fixtures in the shower.

Something to keep in mind is that the spigot for a vessel sink will probably need to be mounted in the wall, and the plumbing for an overhead waterfall shower with LED lights might be similarly complex. It’s best to call in professionals such as those at Alair Homes Savannah to install these fixtures.

5. Clean the Stone and Tile

If the stone and tile in the room have seen better days and are stained, they can often be cleaned with a poultice. This is a powder that’s mixed with water to make a paste. The paste is slathered onto the stain, allowed to sit overnight then rinsed off. The paste actually sucks the stain into itself. Chips and faded colors can also be problems for a bathtub or sink. If the budget just can’t cover a new bathtub right away, the old one can be refinished. This costs much less than buying a new one.