Easy and Affordable Bathroom Updates

I’m always looking for easy and affordable ways to refresh our home. We only have one full bathroom in our home and at some point I’d really love to completely redo the whole thing. However, we don’t have the budget to remodel this space so I thought I’d share a few affordable updates we’ve done over the last few months.

We share this bathroom with our boys so it really gets a lot of use. I know teenage girls are notorious for spending lots of time in the bathroom but I’m here to tell you teenage boys spend equally as long (if not longer)…

Let’s take a peek inside shall we?

New Affordable Lighting

The first thing I think you’ll notice is our NEW bathroom lights. I’d been searching all over the web and different hardware stores unable to decide on something. I knew I didn’t want to spend lots and lots of money just in case we end up being able to do the bathroom over sooner. Also some fixtures are well over $600 and that adds up when you need to buy two.

I knew I wanted to go with white shades and not clear glass. In my experience clear glass attracts dust and is harder to keep clean. I couldn’t believe I found these at Ikea. They’re the Vallmora three spot lights with frosted shades. I couldn’t believe each set was only $59.99.

I really loved the three lights we had in the bathroom previously but they were rusting. That’s the problem we have with living so near to the ocean. Things corrode and rust.

Here’s how they look above our vanity:

I think the frosted glass has a milk glass feel and while they’re new I feel like they offer a traditional feel. These are brushed steel and we have some chrome and brass in the bathroom. I like mixing and matching metals.

I discovered the perfect light bulb for these dimmable lights. I really like warm white light but not too warm. In the past I’ve struggled to find a warm LED light that I love that also works with dimmable lights. We love the GE Relaxed Soft White Dimmable Lights. We got them at our our local hardware store but they’re also available on Amazon too.

Here you can see it with the lights on (in person) the lights are warm white:

Small Luxuries

You all know I LOVE blue and white. Specifically TOGETHER. I couldn’t resist this shower curtain which I found at Bed Bath and Beyond (I got it while the shop was still open). I’m having a hard time finding this exact shower curtain for you, but this tickings stripe curtain is very similar.

There’s something so classic about vertical stripes. Am I right?

The bathrobe was a gift from Luke for Christmas. It’s hand block printed and quilted so extra cozy. Great to wrap around yourself or to sit and sip coffee in. You can see I’m wearing it here:

The bathrobe is by Coastal Brahmin, a company based on Cape Cod owned by my friend Michele. She designs small batch clothing and home decor that is hand block printed in India. The robe is reversable and came in a matching tote bag.

My slippers are never far away. My mom gave these to me and I love them so much! A must during the cold winter months in New England.

I’m a big fan of teak benches and big fluffy bath sheets in the bathroom. I think they give a spa feel to any bathroom.

Those are not new additions but I think they elevate the experience in our bathroom. The teak stool has stood up so well and can be used in the shower if we have company that needs to sit while showering. The waste basket is new and I love that it has a plastic liner.

Another spa style element is these shower bottles. They came with the waterproof labels and a small funnel for filling. I added my favorite shower gel. Now I can pretend I’m on vacation at home.

Elevated Bathroom Details

In addition to the above, I enjoy adding small details that make our bathroom feel extra special.

This plant is thriving in our bathroom. I think it likes the humidity in there:

I love how the leaves feel a bit like watercolor.

The brass mirror was an old yard sale find. It’s unlaquered brass and starting to patina.

Back in 2019 I painted our vanity in Oxford Navy Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan. It’s stood up pretty well. There are a few chips here and there but it’s a busy bathroom. You can see that little bathroom refresh here.

I added this reed diffuser with a beautiful coastal fragrance to both this bathroom and our half bath downstairs. It’s such a lovely fragrance.

Speaking of fragrances, I’m such a huge fan of Minot Candle. My friend Kerry makes her lovely non toxic candles in a beautiful oceanside studio in Hull. I use her candles throughout our home. She’s offering my readers a special 10% off discount click here.

Another small brand I love, founded by my friend Carolin on Cape Cod is Atlantic Soap Company. Her soaps look so pretty in the bathroom and are all natural:

For me I think it’s the little and useful things in a bathroom that I think make it special. I gave Luke this razor for his birthday. I absolutely love his shaving brush and cup.

More Bathroom Inspiration

• Coastal Bathroom Makeover
• Bathroom Inspiration
• Bathroom Organization
• DIY Bead Board Cabinet

Well, I hope this post was helpful and gave you some ideas for your own home. Do you have any home projects or refreshes coming up?

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