£500 Bathroom DIY - What would you do? (Pic included)

[bathroomadviceneeded]

I have £500 to give my bathroom a facelift. What would you do with this budget? No tradesmen: DIY only. It's the main bathroom used by 3 young DC, DH and me.

Everything is beige and brown. The walls are covered in fake 'tile' wallpaper painted in pastel blue. The only real tile is on the floor.

the light airy curtains don't work with the heavy black/grey/beige
if you need more cupboard space (i see a container of cleaner by the register) i would focus on increasing the height on the cabinet (mind you a wicker basket would do)
i'd paint, and change the countertop, go back to a lighter shade, modernize the window treatment.

Get an electrician to change the light between the mirror (is it even permitred by current standards?).

Contact paper to change the colour of the whole unit and side of the bath.

Paint walls or change wall paper.

Lose the curtains.

Get rid of the blue wallpaper, curtains, shower curtain and mirrors.

I'd lean into the beige, beige walls and maybe a nice patterned mural (Google fromental for inspiration but find a cheaper alternative).

Natural colour marble effect contact paper on the black areas, replace taps with brass ones, replace drawer/cupboard handles with brass cup handles.

Reeded glass shower screen, if you need privacy reeded film on the window and a nice roman blind, prettier mirrors above sinks and nicer wall light. Nice hand soap/lotion and a plant for some greenery/texture.

This kind of thing.

ummm very impressive @Survivingnotthriving24

Wow, great suggestions everyone. Thank you @Survivingnotthriving24 for the picture inspiration!

I've never vinyl wrapped furniture before. I watched some Youtube videos last night on how to do it. It seems fiddly. Has anyone tried to do it themselves? I was thinking that painting the cabinets would be easier, although it's laminate/plastic which would be tricky to paint without seeing the brush lines etc.

And @ButtSurgery , I'm also sceptical that the light between the cabinets is regulation by today's standards. The house was built in 1952, but I think the bathroom was redone in the early 90's.

£500 won't go.far - may be take away the curtains and that odd box at the top (what is thar? Something hiding the curtain rail?) and replace with a blind. Then repaint the walls as that greyish blue doesn't do much for the rest of the room. That is probably your £500 gone.

If there is anything left as others have said maybe sort the light over the basins.

Honestly, I don't want to be negative here but keep saving..... £500 goes nowhere nowadays, even 1 tin of bathroom paint is pushing £50 before you start.

Eh? £14 for 2.5l bathroom paint at B£&Q unless you are mucking about with Farrow and Ball.

Actually to be fair, it was going onto bare plaster and what the decorator requested as the best for the job, for a tart up any cheap paint from B&Q would be plenty sufficient. Apologies. 😊

My first thought when I saw your picture before I read the text was "ooh I really like that its so nice and airy" 😳
I probably just have really outdated taste.

I do know you can paint laminate type surfaces if you sand them down first and then put on the right sort of primer. But it is a massive faff and very time consuming. By comparison I would say DIY tiling is actually easier.

Get rid of the grey it looks awful with the beige. I would paint the walls an emerald green, go with the dark rather than trying to make it lighter. Replace curtains and the boxed in curtain rail with a slatted blind. Replace the bin as it's got a really sterile feel. Add a few plants. Add a glass shower screen or replace the shower curtain with something to match the new paint colour.

Something like this is what I have in mind, think it would contrast well with the black and beige fitted furniture

I'm with @Whatifthis

Farrow and Ball Green Smoke (colour matched if necessary). Plants, blind and new hardware

I used Rustoleum bathroom cabinet paint to update my bathroom cabinets including sink unit and I'm stunned at how hard wearing it is. I gave a very light sand, no primer and 2 coats of paint - 1 with a brush and 1 with a small roller. Complete update immediately.

I love the brown and beige. I think it’s charmingly retro. But the wall colour doesn’t work, nor does the curtain or shower curtain. I’d paint the walls off-white. Replace the curtain with a blind and swap the shower curtain for a glass screen.

You can get rolls of Fablon on Amazon for about £6-10 a roll, I’d use that to cover the beige / cream cupboards and worktop bits. Then replace the handles with something more modern. Lick of paint on the walls - if you can get to a Range or b and m you can pick up Johnstones bathroom paint for about £10 a tin.

I'm loving all the advice, thank you so much everyone. I think, as suggested, I'll lean more into the already existing 'dark' aesthetic, and focus on changing the wall colour and curtains. I'm realising that my white, minimalist, coastal style won't work for this bathroom...

I managed to give my kitchen a facelift (painting walls, floor tile stickers, changing the cabinet pulls etc.) for around £400, so I think I'll be able to keep this project within budget. It's going to take me a few months (I can only work on it in the evenings when the DC are sleeping) but I'll post an 'after' picture for those who are interested!

Lose the curtains and by stick on frosting (unless you are 100 per cent not overlooked).

Paint the cabinets or cover the fronts with wood effect

and possibly put new handles on.

use the height above the unit for stylish storage solutions.

Oh, and ditch the shower curtain for a nice glass screen

I wouldn't paint the furniture - it rarely looks good after a few months, and that counter top will be a hard working area. But you could Fablon/wrap the units quite cheaply.

I'd do the floor and walls. Screed over the tiles and put some Karndean down. It's warmer underfoot. A mid-grey floor. And a fresh coat of paint on the walls, in a warmer colour than the blue.

I think the floor tiles and the radiator are the only thing I'd keep! Do you mean a DIY decor job or would you try fitting a new bath and vanity unit? If a refit rather than painting I'd look on eBay for suitable fittings either secondhand or surplus or returns (that aren't damaged) - Ikea do good vanity units. The tall storage cupboard could probably be kept and painted.

On a £500 budget? Working only in the evenings after kids have gone to bed?

In your photo I find the contrast of the white window frame and curtain quite jarring against all the cream, so I would try changing the window dressing and tone down the whiteness.

As PPs have suggested, I would emphasise the retro look and maybe add some colourful accessories such as Orla Kiely. I would try mustard yellow and apple green. But then I'm partial to Orla Kiely patterns - I appreciate that not everyone is!

Completely depends on your skills and resourcefulness at sourcing and up cycling things.