Resolution: Keep My Bathroom Modern

Your bathroom is a room where you spend a good part of each day. You start your routine there in the morning, you end it there in the evening, and during the day you spend significant time . . . doing some of your best thinking. Eventually, you get tired of looking at the same surroundings - this of course goes for any room in your home! - and you feel the need to change things up a bit. This is known as “modernizing” your bathroom, and there are a number of ways to do it on a relatively small budget.

Keeping your bathroom looking modern doesn’t require that you buy the most expensive technology, but some new additions will definitely be called for.

• Select a new bathtub or shower that won't bust your budget.
• Change the faucets and decorative fixtures on your sink or tub. Those are additions that will make an immediate visual difference.
• Look into a new floor which has a bright or sophisticated pattern.
• Check out various interior design magazines for suggestions on bathroom changes that have worked for others.

Many homeowners choose to modernize their bathroom after a change in circumstance, including after collecting on a buildings insurance policy for damages suffered in a fire or flood situation. This is a wonderful way to turn tragedy into triumph. Opportunities to upgrade don’t come along every day, and this is one you definitely don’t want to wish for - but it can give you the budget you need to accomplish the renovation that you want to accomplish.

Our list of modernization features goes on:

• Pick out a  funky new over-sink mirror.
• Get a new rug for in front of the sink and vanity.
• Hang some new pictures over a fresh coat of paint in a fresh color.
• Put up a window shade that makes the room a little brighter.
• Add a sink, vanity, bath, toilet, or new cabinets that will give you more storage space. 

These are all ways to modernize your bathroom, and some of them are fairly inexpensive. Shop carefully and you’ll be amazed at what you can do with limited funds.

One final note: modernization today also means becoming more energy efficient. The appliances you use and the fixtures you add to your new bathroom should use less water and consume less electricity or fossil fuels than older versions. If you’re going to make the bathroom more modern, you might as well save some money in the process.

• If you’re installing a new shower or bath, look into a tankless water heater. You can even get them solar powered now.
• If you’re replacing your toilet, look for one that uses less water and energy when flushing.