8 Easy Ways to DIY Your Bathroom Remodel

Remodeling any part of your home can feel like a difficult task, especially if you’re doing it yourself. Even if you’ve DIY’d other areas of your home, the bathroom is an especially unique — and challenging — space to remodel on your own. But, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world! Here are some easy ways you can DIY your bathroom remodel without needing to bring in the big guys.

1. Shut off the water and electricity to your bathroom. This one is pretty easy for you to do yourself. After learning how to read your main electric panel, locate the switches that are relevant to your bathroom. Shut them off so that you don’t accidentally trip wires, start a fire or hurt yourself while DIY-ing! Behind the toilet and under the sink are valves you can twist or flip to turn off the water supply to those appliances. When you take that necessary step, you don’t ruin your floors or existing hardware. Just make sure to wait to turn everything back on until after you’ve installed your new bathroom cabinets and appliances! Otherwise, you could ruin anything new you’ve added, costing you more money in the long run.
2. Put on a new coat of paint. A fresh coat of paint on your walls in your bathroom can really make the space feel brand new. By simply changing out the color, you can transform the space in less than a day. Even if you keep the vintage tiles, a coat of neutral paint can have your space feeling like you just finished remodeling the entire thing. It’s the perfect task that is great to do between other tasks, such as retiling the bathroom floor. You’ll want to stick to shades that keep your space feeling calm and tranquil, such as neutrals and light pastels. Even though the odd shades of the ’70s are making a comeback, there’s something to be said for avoiding an avocado green bathroom with black tile. If bringing the vintage flair to your space is essential to your design style, consider adding the elements in accent pieces, such as vanity lights or even door knobs.
3. Install a new cabinet set yourself. There are lots of RTA cabinets out there that are easy to install and won’t take the whole day. Many companies will offer you assistance after ordering, too! Finding the right cabinets for your bathroom space is an essential part of DIY-ing your renovation. This is especially if your prior setup included a bathroom sink that didn’t feature any storage solutions. The right cabinet setup will include a variety of storage solutions for all your bathroom essentials — towels, medicines, cleaning supplies, hair and makeup tools, etc. The more storage, the better!
4.  some floating shelves. Floating shelves are great for small spaces. Not every bathroom was built with luxury in mind, especially in apartments and townhomes. These spaces are meant to be more functional and space-saving than the other way around. That doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a bathroom sanctuary! Floating shelves are great because they add both style and function to your space. You can display photos and plants or even store towels and other bathroom supplies on them. They usually mount easily on the wall, and some even come with invisible mounting hardware that won’t leave holes when you remove them. Adding floating shelves is just one easy way you can DIY a part of your bathroom remodel!
5. Switch out the hardware. A simple yet effective way to DIY your bathroom remodel is to switch out the hardware! Faucets, light switches and even your general bathroom lighting are all hardware pieces that you can switch out and upgrade to make your space feel refreshed. Change your bathtub faucet, too, while you’re at it. Copper and gunmetal are two popular finishes these days, but brushed gold and even antique white ceramic are both still great options. Many homeowners don’t think about how they can use hardware to their advantage when it comes to bathroom design. Choosing quality hardware can really complete a design. While you might not think so now, once you choose and install new hardware into your bathroom, you’ll see how much of a difference it can make.
6. Nix the sliding glass door. For many years, bathrooms had sliding glass doors for their bathtub/shower combo. And, while they might seem functional, they can actually make your bathroom feel clunky and… well, old. Remove the sliding glass door for the shower and instead install a brushed nickel or matte black shower curtain rod. Then, pair it with a neutral or lightly patterned shower curtain to add something extra to the space. This small shift will make a big difference in your overall bathroom aesthetic. Shower curtains can carry so much of the total bathroom design in them, and if you’ve currently got a frosted glass door on your bathtub/shower combo, then you could probably benefit from removing the glass door and installing a sleek curtain rod instead.
7. Touch up the tub, don’t replace it. Tubs are expensive. Instead of replacing the entire thing, why not touch it up? You’ll save hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars and can instead use that money towards other parts of your remodel, or put it towards other projects in your home. As long as your current tub doesn’t have huge cracks or other issues, touching it up with caulking or porcelain repair solution is a great solution and easy way to DIY your bathroom remodel. With just a steady squeeze of a tube, you can have a bathtub that looks brand new! No one will even be able to tell the difference.
8. Don’t rewire the entire system. While you might have huge dreams of laying out your bathroom in an entirely new way, resist the urge to do so when DIY-ing. Moving major plumbing means expertise, and that means bringing a professional in. Not really the goal of DIY, right? Work with what you’ve already got. It’ll still be a beautiful space.