The Nester’s guest posts last week inspired me to look up even more ways to update rooms in my house, so today we’re talking about tips to update the kitchen and bathroom.  Some of these tips are as easy as scrubbing tiles and some get more involved.  All of the tips can make your home feel fresh this spring when you’re craving an expensive renovation.  Do some of these tips and it’ll keep your wallet happy

Bathroom Updates:

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1.  Bold Walls

Bathrooms are a small space, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add a little interest.  Paint it a bold color or put up a fun wallpaper or stencil.  Bathrooms are small, so just make sure the color isn’t too dark or the wallpaper isn’t too overwhelming.  Not feeling up to doing the whole bathroom?  Just accent one of the walls.

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2.  Make a Sink Skirt

Put a simple sink skirt in your bathroom to hide storage, training potties, hide plumbing, or for some added interest. Attach it with some velcro and you’re good to go.

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3.  New Shower Curtain

A crisp, new shower curtain can make a world of difference in a bathroom.  Can’t find a shower curtain you like?  Grab some fabric or a regular curtain and make your own.  Make sure you use a water-proof curtain behind your pretty one to keep the water in its place.

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4.  Add Trim to the Mirror

A lot of us have bathroom mirrors that are just a slab of mirror with no frame.  Add trim around the mirror to frame it out and make it look more planned.

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5.  Add Storage

There’s a lot of wasted vertical space in bathrooms.  I suggest making shelves to store your towels, containers, and all of the other odds and ends.  Put your things in mason jars for practical storage that looks pretty on open shelves.  If you have space on the floor, find another storage solution.  You’d be amazed at how good some new storage makes a bathroom feel.

Kitchen Updates:

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1.  Indoor Herb Garden

Find a window in your kitchen and plant an indoor herb garden.  Herb gardens look pretty, provide easy access to fresh herbs for your meal and can help keep your air cleaner.  You can get as simple or complicated with your garden.  No matter what containers the herbs are in, the kitchen will look so much happier with a bit of live greens hanging around.

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2.  Deep Clean Tiles

This one isn’t the most fun update, but before you go to rip out your back splash because you want something new and fresh, try giving it a good scrub first.  Since this is in your kitchen and around your food, skip the harsh chemicals and make your own tile cleaning recipe.  If the grout still isn’t coming clean, use grout renew from Home Depot to essentially paint the grout a new color.

Grout Renew is seriously amazing.  Clean the grout, let it dry and paint the Grout Renew on top of the old grout for an instant face lift.

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3.  Update Hardware

This can be a bit of investment if you have a number of cabinets, but can make a huge difference!  Update the hardware to something modern to make your kitchen feel a more updated with very little time spent.  If you only have a few cabinets, it’s a cheap overhaul that can be totally worth it.

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4.  Create Open Shelving

Open shelving is a popular trend right now.  Me, I like to shove everything in the cabinets out of everyone’s gaze.  If you can keep things neat and tidy, you may want to jump on this bandwagon.  For a cheap and easy way to keep your toes wet, take your cabinet doors off and store them away.  If you hate the feel, you can easily put them back on.  But this gives you the illusion of open shelves without demolishing what you already have.

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5.  Keep Fresh Fruit

I love how bright a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter makes a kitchen feel.  If it takes you a while to eat fruit, keeping it out of the fridge isn’t very economical.  If your family eats a ton of fruit a day, the bowl of fruit is pretty and easy access for your busy family.

Kitchen & Baths Updates

When I was mapping out ideas for updates, a lot of the kitchen and bath updates crossed over.  So use these ideas for inspiration for both rooms!

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1.  Hang Art

Don’t forget to hang art in your bathroom.  It’s one of the quickest and cheapest ways to add some life to the room.  If you don’t see any art you like, frame a piece of pretty scrapbook paper or fabric or even paint a canvas with your favorite color.

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 2.  Paint the Floors

Even linoleum floors can get some TLC.  You aren’t stuck with them and you don’t have to rip them up.  Make the linoleum floors cute by painting them for a frugal solution.

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3.  Add Fresh Flowers

There’s something about adding fresh flowers in the bathroom that makes me happy.  It’s unexpected and it’s one of the first things that I see in the day.  Decorate with fresh flowers in the corners of your kitchen, too.  Even if it’s a single flower from your garden, it is something bright and cheery.

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4.  Pretty Soap Dispensers

Whether you’ve been eyeing a soap dispenser from Target or you want to make your own, pretty soap dispensers are an incredibly easy way to freshen up your kitchen or bathroom.

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5.  Add a Window Treatment

Add a curtain or a roman shade.  Even if you have blinds, adding a curtain over them makes a room feel more put together.  If you’re putting a window treatment behind your sink, remember to use a pattern or a dark color so it won’t show splatter from the sink.

Want some more inspiration?  See The Nester’s guests posts and enter her book giveaway!

Nester’s Tips to Update Your Kitchen

Nester’s Tips to Update Your Laundry Room

Nester’s Tips to Update Your Bedroom