Budget bathroom makeovers
Bathroom or guest loo in desperate need of a makeover? Here are some inspiring bathrooms that show how affordable and easy it is to give a bathroom a new look without spending a fortune.
Mosaic tiles offer an endless selection of colours to spruce up a boring bathroom or guest loo and these colourful tiles allow for personal style and creativity. From eye-catching columns on a bathroom or front entrance wall, to a striking block of colour in the lounge or dining room, the only limit is your imagination.
Your local Builders Warehouse or Tile Warehouse stocks a wide selection of mosaic tiles. These are extremely easy to apply to boring walls for a splash or colour, texture and style. Use shades of brown for a natural touch, blues for a cool, refreshing room, or bright colours to add some excitement to a boring space.
Tiling with mosaic tile sheets
Before you start tiling, plan the project. Mosaic tiles are more forgiving of walls that are not straight at the top and bottom - or sides - as is the case in many homes today, and you can start applying the mosaic from anywhere. I prefer to start at the most visible area first, such as above the hand basin, and work out from there.
Use a spirit level and straightedge or steel rule to draw vertical and horizontal lines that you can follow as you apply the mosaic tiles to the walls. Work in small areas at a time - approximately 1 metre square - and apply adhesive to the walls with a notched trowel. Peel off any backing paper on the mosaic tile sheets (if there is any) and firmly push into the applied adhesive, ensuring that the tile sheet is equally set into the adhesive.
DIY Tip
Mosaic tile sheets are flexible and do not necessarily keep the tiles within perfectly square. After you embed the mosaic tile sheet in the adhesive you need to make sure that the tiles within the sheet are properly lined up.
Where the family shares a bathroom, it's nice to be able to section off a space for "time out".
Get creative with fabric
A chrome rod mounted over the side of the bathtub and fitted with curtain rings, allows you to drape fabric panels to close off the bath and enjoy a long, relaxing soak without worrying about who needs to use the loo!
Buy a chrome or pine curtain rod from your local Builders Warehouse - and mount brackets onto the walls to slot in the rod.
Use your imagination with paint
Paint offers you many endless possibilities for dressing up a drab bathroom or guest toilet.
Don't be afraid to experiment.
Plain walls can be decorated in a variety of styles, from plain colours, bold stripes, or a colourful mural. Even tiles can be painted in a variety of finishes to give a guest loo a new look. Do make sure that walls and tiles are completely clean before applying paint to extend the life of the project.
Discover how to do-it-yourself
There are hundreds of projects where you can save money by doing-it-yourself. If you don't know how, join a group of like-minded ladies for a fun day of DIY the DIY Divas way. Learn how you can easily make your own small furniture and decor accessories for the bathroom.
A decent sized bathroom cabinet can easily cost in the region of R900, but you can make it for half the price. Purchase your board at Builders Warehouse and let them cut everything to size so that all you have to do is assemble and finish off in your desired style.
Smallest touches make a big difference
Dress up walls with some of your favourite treasures. The trick is to keep it simple. Three Delft plates on a white wall have more impact than a whole wall full of plates, plus it helps to keep the room balanced without appearing cluttered.
