In The Design Studio: Update Your Bathroom

This is a sponsored post by Anna Gibson, owner of AKG Design Studio and an award-winning, certified kitchen and bathroom designer. AKG Design Studio is a boutique design firm specializing in kitchen, bathroom designs and cabinetry sales. Contact Anna at 571-989-2541 or [email protected], and follow her work on Houzz; Pinterest; Facebook and Twitter.

Many times, we spend a lot of time and energy getting our house ready for the holidays and forget to do a quick facelift on the bathroom our guests will be using. Below are some quick fixes you can do on the weekend to get your bathroom guest-ready.

Paint — Painting the walls is an economical way to change the entire look of a bathroom. If you need help selecting a color, we suggest checking out the Sherwin-Williams ColorMix Forecast. If you do not want to paint your entire bathroom, paint the cabinets using chalk paint. A small jar from Michaels for $10 can go a long way, and no prep work needed.  

Fixture — Another simple to brighten up your sink is changing the faucet. From dull and rusty to new and shiny, it will spruce up you sink in no time.

Accessories and Hardware — If you painted the cabinet, you may as well change the cabinet hardware. New, fun or just updated styles will dress up your vanity with a new look. While you are at, how about a new towel bar, towel ring and toilet paper holder that will make your guest want to change that last roll? If your accessories are still usable but look outdated, consider spray-painting the hardware for a more economical hardware update.

Mirrors — If you love your bathroom, but it just needs that little extra something, adding mirrors or a new vanity mirror may be the trick. If you are trying to update your bathroom to something more modern, choose a frameless mirror for the vanity or go for fancy frame for a chic new look.

Accessorize — Whether you take out your favorite holiday hand towels or buy new towels to be used year-round during Black Friday, a fresh towel set along with matching or complimentary shower curtain can make one feel like they are walking into a new bathroom. Moreover, while changing out the towels and shower curtains, don’t forget to pick up matching bathroom rugs that complement and pull together the entire look. If you are having quite a few parties this season, buy two matching towel sets, so you always have a backup set while the other is in the wash.

Declutter — The most inexpensive upgrade is to declutter your bathroom counters. Remove and toss any makeup that is older than six months, then go shopping Black Friday for new makeup for yourself! If you have creams, lotions and bubble bath sets you have never opened, ’tis the season to regift. Have a bunch of unused or barely used hotel toiletries? Bag them up and drop them off at your local homeless shelter.

Deep Clean — You may wipe down your bathroom weekly, but go in and wipe down the walls and baseboards, wipe inside the base of the of the vanities and cabinets. Clean underneath the sink and don’t forget that hard-to-reach area behind the toilet. A quick cleaning tip: Hang a bag with a mix of water and vinegar around the shower head and leave it overnight. It will dissolve all mineral deposits and leave it shiny as new.

Have questions or comments? Share them! If you have implemented any of the ideas in the article, share them on AKG Design Studio’s Facebook page.