Easy, Affordable Bath Upgrades

Easy, Affordable Bath Upgrades

If your bathroom is looking worn around the edges but you aren’t yet ready to commit to the expense of a full-scale remodel, consider giving your existing bath a little upgrade. For a relatively small cost, and often without hiring a plumber or an electrician, you can dramatically liven up your bath’s appearance, make it easier to use, and even save money in the process.

  • Switch out your showerhead

    Switch out your showerhead

    Nothing gives you more bang for your buck than simply replacing your old, inefficient showerhead. Showerheads generally don’t require a pro to install, are relatively inexpensive, and can save you hundreds of dollars in future water bills over time.

    Best of all, water-saving showerheads use the latest technologies to save water while actually improving your showering experience. And it's easy to find a showerhead to suit your needs. “The Flipside® showerhead is a great choice because it offers four distinct showering sensations in one showerhead,” says designer Lynn Schrage of the Kohler Store in Chicago. “Particularly if your current showerhead is an older, single-spray model, upgrading to Flipside makes a world of difference.”

     

  • Consider glass doors

    Consider glass doors

    Fabric or plastic shower curtains attract mold and mildew, and are hard to keep clean. Consider installing easy-to-clean frameless sliding bath doors to instantly add elegance to your bathroom.

    Shower doors fitted with clear glass make your bath seem more spacious, providing a particularly nice aesthetic upgrade for petite baths.

    For an even more minimal look, consider a three-panel glass shower screen. Some models fold down to around 20 inches, make getting in and out even easier, and they are very easy to clean.

  • Throw your shower a curve

    Another way to lend your existing bath an expansive feel is to replace your conventional shower rod with a curved model. Curved shower rods provide an additional six inches of elbow room when showering.

  • Accessorize to revitalize

    Accessorize to revitalize

    Another high-impact/low-cost facelift for your bath is to swap out your tired old bath accessories with stylish new ones — as well as adding new accessories that add even more functionality to your bath.

    Adding towel rings, soap dishes and tumblers, and extra shelving will not only beautify your bath, it will help keep you organized. Even a small change like swapping out hardware, including drawer pulls and knobs, can lend a dramatic new sparkle to existing cabinetry.

    Installing a new mirror — or even more than one — will reflect more light to brighten your space and make your bathroom seem larger. Another way to freshen your bathroom and add more discreet storage is to replace your wall-mount medicine cabinet with a new one — or add a second one for even greater convenience.

  • Have a (nicer) seat

    Have a (nicer) seat

    Upgrades to your toilet seat run the gamut from practical to luxurious, but even the smallest improvements can add up to higher quality of life in your bath.

    Quiet-Close™ toilet seats fall shut slowly and noiselessly and avoid disturbing other family members.

    If you’ve always wanted to have a bidet but lacked the space to accommodate a stand-alone model, opt for a bidet-function toilet seat that provides the full bidet experience for a fraction of the cost.

  • Invest in the future

    These enhancements can serve as stopgap improvements before you embark on a more comprehensive future remodel. And while you don’t have to perform all of these upgrades to give your existing bath a fresh new look, every one of them can greatly improve the beauty, usefulness, and efficiency of your existing bath.

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