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How do you make an old bathroom look new?
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How do you make an old bathroom look new?

Posted by Ruth Foster in Inspiration | 1 year ago 8 min read

Looking to give your tired, outdated bathroom a much-needed refresh? Check out my easy and affordable tips to make it look brand-new.

The bathroom is one of the most expensive rooms in the home to renovate, which is why we’ve put together this simple guide containing totally doable steps to revitalise your space. Whether it’s simply decluttering and getting more organised or investing in some of the most consistently on-trend products for a brand-new feel, read on to find out how you can make an old bathroom look new.


Get organised

Get organised with bathroom storage

Get organised with stylish bathroom storage

It’s a common scene that plays out in bathrooms up and down the country: Toiletries, face cloths, hand towels, toothbrushes and all manner of odds and ends covering every available inch of surface space. Does this sound familiar? If so, you may find that investing in some storage and organisation products will help to make your bathroom look a little more refined and put together.

Minimalism is a huge trend in contemporary interior design, so putting things away behind closed cabinet doors or arranging them in storage boxes is the first step in updating your space and making your old bathroom look new again.


Get grout gleaming again

How to clean tile grout

Clean grout between the tiles is the hallmark of a new bathroom

An unmistakeable sign of a brand-new bathroom is freshly laid tiling, with clean, unmarked grout lines. If your bathroom is a little old and tired, consider giving the grout between the tiles a thorough scrub, rather than the spray-and-wipe-over tactic. To do this, I suggest using an all-natural mixture that can be made with household items like baking soda, lemon juice and water. Mix the ingredients into a paste and apply to the grout. Leave for 15 minutes, before scrubbing the grout lines using a toothbrush (the lemon juice will act as a natural whitener). Finally, wipe away the mixture to reveal sparkling clean grout lines!

Find out more by reading our full step-by-step on how to clean tiles.




Focus in on the smaller details

Focus in on the smaller details

Heating, taps and mirrors are just some of the smaller details you should focus on

There’s no need to buy a brand-new suite for a new-looking bathroom. Simply upgrading the smaller elements can be incredibly effective and far less expensive. To do this, we suggest updating or buying a heated towel rail, as nowadays they are available in a range of contemporary, luxurious-looking materials and colours, including (but not limited to) copper, brass, matt white, rose gold and black.

Other items that can be updated for a fresher look are taps, lighting and mirrors. These products are also incredibly well-considered when it comes to design, so a quick and easy refresh of these items can turn an outdated space into one that’s both contemporary and rejuvenated.


Invest in refillable bottles

Soap dispensers save on space

Save on space with stylish soap dispensers

Not only are refillable dispenser bottles better for the environment, but they also make a space appear decluttered and put together. We have a range of beautiful, high quality dispenser bottles available with other matching accessories like toilet brush holders and toothbrush tumblers. These cohesive products, when used together, show a sense of consideration when it comes to your bathroom look, which will help to maintain a level of order and make it feel updated.


Bring the outdoors indoors

Bring the outdoors indoors with houseplants

Make your bathroom feel new again with carefully chosen houseplants

There’s nothing that will give life and make a space feel revitalised like bringing nature indoors. Choose from hanging plants, trailing foliage, large potted floor plants and wall hung planters to achieve this simple and easy look. Not only will plants make your bathroom look fresher, but they will also make it feel fresher. How? Well, if you paid attention in biology class, you’ll know they help to filter and purify the air. Psychologically, they also help us feel at one with nature and more at peace, meaning they benefit both physical and mental wellbeing.

You can find out more about plants in the bathroom and why not learn how to make your very own “living wall”?


Focus on current trends

Consider current bathroom trends when updating

Black accents are a top trend and will help make your old bathroom look new

One of my top tips to make your space look recently is to familiarise yourself with the most recent interior design trends. When it comes to the bathroom, a trend that has been consistently popular and continues to be so is black accents. Black accents make a space feel extremely contemporary and can be demonstrated in products such as the radiator or a heated towel rail, taps, a shower and accessories (e.g. your hand towel rail, toilet roll holder, toilet brush holder, etc.). Other up-and-coming bathroom trends that can be easily adopted to give your space a brand-new feel include brushed brass accents, botanical wallpaper and arched shapes. However, I’d recommend adding black accents in particular, as this is a long-term trend that I predict will continue to be popular in the years to come.

Find out more about the latest bathroom trends in my recent article.


Make it monochrome

Give your bathroom a monochrome update

Sometimes, making your old bathroom look new is a simple black and white matter

Black, whites and greys are contemporary, timeless and interchangeable; you can easily use them with other shades and design elements in the future, should you desire. If you have coloured tiles that you aren’t replacing right now, adding white will help to soften and counterbalance them. If you aren’t overly confident with your bathroom design skills, a monochromatic palette is a safe but effective route to take. However, if you are a little more confident, consider getting creative with different tile patterns like in the cloakroom pictured above.

Find out how to go max with your monochrome bathroom in our recent style guide.


Add an accent colour

Add an accent colour to your bathroom

Sometimes, making your old bathroom look new is a simple black and white matter

To update a tired, clinical-looking bathroom that’s “all-white” yet far from alright, add a bright accent colour for a pop of visual interest and for a higher level of coherent, considered design across the space. Here, we’ve added raspberry towels, bringing energy and vibrancy to what was an otherwise stark bathroom. This is the perfect floral, spring and summertime shade, and, when used sparingly, it can easily give your space that much needed lift.

Find out more about colour trends predicted by a variety of trend forecasters for the year ahead and discover our easy decorating ideas for white bathrooms.


Paint your furniture

Update your space with colourful bathroom furniture

Colourful bathroom furniture, like the Lea ocean blue floorstanding vanity unit pictures above, adds a fresh new dimension to an old bathroom

Bathroom furniture can, nowadays, be found in beautiful, modern styles, materials and colours, whether it’s a light, Scandinavian oak, chic marble or a glossy grey. Rather than buying new furniture, why not paint what you already have? I’d suggest going for a light, neutral tone to give a fresh and airy appearance, or a soft sage green, as this is a real on-trend bathroom shade, helping to bring nature indoors.

Alternatively, if you are looking to invest in new bathroom furniture, the Lea ranges from Orchard Bathrooms (exclusive to Victoria Plum) come in a variety of finishes including concrete grey, avola grey, marble, oak, soft black and ocean blue, and come with everything you’ll need, from back to wall toilet units to wall hung vanity units.


Update your shower screen

No need to splash the cash with a new shower screen

With an updated shower screen, there’s no need to splash the cash to make your old bathroom look new

Going back to black bathroom accents, black-framed shower screens are a wonderful addition to an out-dated space. They add a level of sophisticated style and give an old bathroom that contemporary, industrial edge that many love.

Interesting and unique metal finishes are a great way to experiment in the home, but matt black continues to be the most popular, closely followed by brass.

Find out more about updating your bathroom with black-framed shower screens.


How do you make an old bathroom look new? Further ideas and advice

If you’re interested in staying up-to-date with interior design trends so that your bathroom remains looking as new as possible, find out more about the biggest bathroom trend predictions for 2022 and beyond, or why not follow us on social media by clicking any of the buttons below? That way, you’ll be the first to see all our latest bathroom ideas.

Author, Ruth Foster

Posted by Ruth Foster in Inspiration | 1 year ago

As our resident Interior Designer, Ruth is passionate about home-related trends and loves light, airy interiors shaped by organic forms and colours. With a background in textiles for interiors, she is studying for a masters in interior design.

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