RULE number one: your bathroom is a workspace. We love the trend towards well-designed and highly styed bathrooms, but the primary consideration should be making it a practical space, one in which you can bathe, shave, brush your teeth and use all the facilities with comfort and ease.
The good news is you don't need to spend a fortune on marble tiles, imported tapware and expensive porcelain to give your bathroom a new look: a lick of paint, some new fixtures and some subtle adjustments can work wonders.
Another tip: if you're thinking of selling your property or renting it out to tenants, renovating the bathroom is money well spent.
Bathrooms are a popular room to redecorate, but it's important to keep the new look consistent with the rest of the dwelling.
One relatively inexpensive job you can do is to have your existing tiles re-finished and re-grouted. You can even choose a coloured grout to give the space an immediate lift.
Or you might consider replacing a few of your tiles - just one wall, or even one part of one wall - to create some visual interest.
If tiles aren't your thing, vinyl wallpaper might be a practical solution to add some colour to the dry areas in your bathroom (that is, you can't use it on the walls inside your shower recess) for a lower price than new tiles.
Two of the biggest selling points for bathrooms are good lighting and ventilation. Potential buyers and tenants will often choose a property with a good bathroom rather than a place with other rooms that shine.
Just as in kitchens, the position of lighting is crucial. Again, think of it as a workroom. It's important to have good light around the vanity, so make sure you have a good light fixture. Natural light isn't a good solution here - after all, we need to fix our faces and hair after dark as well as during the day. If this means installing extra lights, then it's money very well spent.
Many bathrooms suffer from a lack of storage, especially in older houses or units. A decorating project can provide the perfect opportunity to address any shortfalls in your bathroom.
Blank wall space can have simple shelves added, or you might want to replace a flat mirror with a slim mirrored cabinet.
A quick trip to your local hardware store will reveal a wide range of bathroom storage products, from bins and boxes to railings, cupboards and racks. Such additions can make a big difference.
For DIYers and renters, the range of products from Everloc are a great idea. Everloc’s patented dual-action suction technology requires no tools, no drilling and no screw-driving to install, leaving no damage on bathroom surfaces. All products are made from rust-resistant Stainless Steel, and can be used in the shower or in the bathroom itself as extra shelving space.
For your chance to win one of 10 Everloc Xpressions Double Corner Baskets valued at $64.95 each simply tell us in 25 words or less why you want a new shower basket from Everloc?
Email entries to: yourhomecomp@fairfaxmedia.com.au or mail to Alicia Sylvester, Editor, Your Home, 1/Unit 1 Elyard Street, Narellan, 2567. Include the word 'shower' and your contact details, including address. Competition starts April 1 at 12.01am and ends April 8 2015 at 11.59pm.
*Prizes not transferable or for resale.
