28 Ways to Refresh Your Bath on a Budget

Reviving a tired washroom needn't require a total overhaul. In the following gallery, see how updated fixtures, painted floors, smart storage solutions, and creative wall, window, and mirror treatments can add character and style at an affordable price.

Give your bath a designer touch with matching accessories. Here, the medicine cabinet's silvery frame is echoed by the decorative metal outlet covers.

Similar to shown: Kohler 20-inch Recessed Medicine Cabinet, about $178, and Betsy Fields Design Brushed Satin Pewter standard wall plates, about $7 each;

An alternative to a stone slab, a tiled counter resists water but costs a lot less and is easy for DIYers to install. This terra-cotta top has white-painted wood edging to go with the vanity below. A bead of clear caulk keeps water away from the wood.

Similar to shown: Merola Tile Augusta 4-inch tile, about $8 per square foot;

Rather than replace an old cast-iron claw-foot tub and sink, save a bundle by reglazing them instead.

A pair of fixtures can cost upward of $2,000, compared with about $800 for having both reglazed by a professional. Find a pro at .

Give worn wood floors new life by brushing boards with glossy porch paint tinted to match your bath's color scheme.

To get the look shown here, add Benjamin Moore's Sunbeam tint to its white Latex Floor & Patio Enamel, about $49 per gallon;

Hang towels within reach on a $30 flea-market coatrack. Just be sure to seal its aged finish under clear polyurethane.

Make your own graphic wall covering out of pages from a vintage book. Brush the page backs with wallpaper paste and adhere to the wall. Then seal the surface with a clear top coat.

Zinsser SureGrip Kitchen and Bath Wallcovering Adhesive, about $23 per gallon, and Minwax Satin Polycrylic Protective Finish, about $16 per quart;

When space doesn't allow for a traditional hinged door, install a sliding one. This salvaged schoolhouse door glides on a wall-mount track patterned after barn-door hardware. Glass in the door's top panel ushers light from the hallway into the windowless bath.

Expect to pay about $300 for a similar door at .

Craft a rustic and rustproof surround for your drop-in bathtub out of corrugated, galvanized-steel roof paneling.

A 12-by-12-foot sheet, enough for one side of a tub (as shown), is about $18 at .

Refresh a vintage tiled floor, such as this unglazed Art Deco–era yellow-and-black porcelain mosaic, with an eco- and homeowner-friendly acid etcher that removes ground-in dirt from the surface and grout lines.

Green Envy Muriatic Acid Replacement, about $7 per gallon;

Create a striking monochromatic effect by painting walls to match your floors, as was done in this sunny space.

Similar to shown: Mildew-resistant Bath Paint Semi-Gloss Finish in Lemon Twist, about $43 per gallon;

Thriftier than most wall tile and less maintenance than wood, beadboard paneling made from cellular PVC stands up to sloshing and never needs to be painted. Eight-inch-wide panels come in white or blue.

About $15 for a 3 foot-high piece;

Frame mirror glass with fluted door casing; about $36 for a trim kit at .

See the step-by-step at How to Build a Mirror From Case Molding

Dress up a plain mirror that's adhered to the wall by overlaying a wood frame. Here, three mirrors were created from one by fastening a 1×8 to the wall at the top and gluing vertical 1×6 stiles and a 1×4 bottom rail to the mirror with clear adhesive caulk. A 1×2 ledge crowns the assembly.

Expect to pay about $45 total for poplar at lumberyards.

Edge an existing mirror with mix-and-match glass tiles of the same size and thickness. This multicolor frame also ties in to a tiled wall border.

Similar to shown: Glass squares starting at about $1.20 each;

Repurpose a Victorian-era cast-iron surround from a fireplace summer front as a frame for mirror glass that's been cut to fit inside its center opening.

Find summer-front surrounds like this arched one starting at $150 at salvage yards.

Turn the ceiling into a focal point by installing a medallion and handsome hanging fixture, such as this bronze-toned light with crystal teardrops. If installed over a tub, as seen here, be sure there's at least 8 feet of clearance from the tub rim to the bottom of the pendant to comply with electrical code.

Similar to shown: Fypon Florentine 16-inch medallion, about $17.50; . Petite Claire Chandelier, about $179;

Install louvered interior shutters to provide privacy and direct streams of sunlight for subtle illumination. Vinyl ones are mold- and warp-resistant, and require little upkeep.

Similar to shown: Allen + Roth Colonial White Faux Wood Shutters starting at about $36 per pair;

Make an all-white bath with lofty ceilings like this one feel cozy by painting a soothing color under a chair rail.

Similar to shown: C2 Paint's LoVo Interior Latex Semi-Gloss in Raindrop, about $57 per gallon;

Use battery-powered LED wax pillars to create a candlelight effect with-out the fire hazard.

About $7 each;

Dress up unadorned bathroom windows with fabric Roman shades in an eye-catching pattern, such as this yellow floral.

Semicustom window shades in dozens of lively prints, about $99 to $155 each;

Cap wainscot wall paneling with a ledge on which to prop decorative accents. Here, a windowsill does double duty as a landing spot for toiletries and a mirror.

Similar to shown: ½-inch-thick plate-rail trim with a 2½-inch projection, about $1.75 per linear foot; at lumberyards

Vinyl composition tile offers a durable and inexpensive alternative to a two-toned ceramic-tile floor. To get the look of these small squares, use a vinyl tile cutter to slice 12-inch tiles into 4-inch ones.

Armstrong Standard Excelon Imperial Texture tiles in Dutch Delft and Butter Cream Yellow, about $45 for a carton of 45; . Roberts 30002 Vinyl Tile Cutter, about $50;

Make a wood holder by cutting a 2×4 into five 12-inch sections and nailing each to a mounting strip cut from the same board. Brush on a wood stain and fasten the assemblies to the wall, leaving space in between for rolled hand towels.

Douglas fir board, about $4 for 10 feet, and Minwax stain in Golden Pecan, about $4.60 per half pint;

Repurpose a mirrored dresser as a sink cabinet by making a cutout in the top for a drop-in lav.

Find dressers with a distressed painted finish like this for as little as $50 at garage sales and flea markets.

Conceal toiletries in a sleek hanging cabinet that doesn't eat up any floor space.

Similar to shown: Björken wall cabinet in birch, about $40;

Make a stylish metal shelving unit out of plumbing pipe and fittings. Use shatterproof acrylic, rather than glass, for the shelves.

Pay less than $100 for the materials at home centers.

Store grooming aids in a vintage metal cabinet.

Find salvaged medical, lab, and apothecary cabinets starting at about $70 on .

Carve out a cubby. Frame the recess, line it with beadboard, and trim it with molding.

About $50 for a beadboard panel, shelf board, and molding; at lumberyards