How to Upgrade Your Bathroom on a Budget

With all of the "quality time" I spent at home this past year, I decided that it was time to tackle our master bathroom update. We had talked about it for a year or so, but decided, "What the heck?" We had already spent a large chunk of money renovating the main level last fall (thank you cash-out refinance funds) so had dwindling funds left to complete the master bath. Below, I've listed the 3 top areas where I scrimped to save $$$. Hopefully this inspires you to tackle your own bathroom update!

1. Paint out existing cabinetry

If your base cabinets are in as good of shape as ours were (and ESPECIALLY if they're a custom size, AKA: built on site), defintely consider this option. Our painter used Sherwin Williams Emerald (Interior Acrylic Latex ) collection to make sure that the paint stands the test of time (and hairspray, makeup spills, etc). I popped on some new hardware from Home Depot (about $3 per knob/handle) and voila!

2. Spend Here, Save There...

When you head into your local tile supplier, it can be easy to spend over $5 per square foot on your floor or shower tiles. My advice: pick the area that stands out most to you and spend the extra on that, scrimp a bit more on the areas that won't be as noticeable. For me, I choose to upgrade my floor tile, choosing the Italian porcelain, while skimping on a more basic white subway tile in the shower.

3. Faucets.

There is NOTHING WRONG with spending under $100 on your bathroom faucets, people. I am not ashamed to say, I have bought American Standard at Home Depot or Delta, etc in each of our homes and have had no issues. I can't believe how many brands out there try to charge over $100 for a 4 inch center...and it's just not necessary, I promise. One of my new brands I've been using is Kingston Brass-their products are nice and heavy (eh, brass!) and cheap! I have their black faucet in our kitchen and also used their chrome faucets for our master bath. LOVE! Below is a photo of the kitchen faucet-perfection!