Minnesota Mortgage Blog

While the bathroom sees a lot of use, it doesn't always see a lot of tender loving care. Who can blame us? Cleaning up the bathroom is an onerous chore to begin with, but after a while, a bathroom can start look a little drab and long in the tooth. 
 
Fortunately, there are some easy upgrades that can give your bathroom a fresh, new look. In a weekend, you can put together a pretty dramatic makeover with these six techniques:
 
1. Match your fixtures — You can create a seamless, designer look by installing matching towel bars, toilet paper hangers, robe hooks, light fixtures faucets, drawer handles or knobs and hinges. Most manufacturers of these products offers sets of all these items. See what's available at your local home store.
 
2. Caulk — Inspect all the caulking around your tub, inside your shower, around sinks for mildew creep, or dryness, cracking and peeling. Remove the bad caulking and replace with white or clear caulking. 
 
3. Tile and grout — While removing tile and replacing with a more up-to-date material, such as stone, is the optimal option, you can breathe new life into your bathroom with a good cleaning.  Spray the tiles with cleaner and scrub them down with a pad that won't scratch the surface, and use grout cleaner with a stiff brush to freshen up the grout. Make sure to seal the grout afterward.
 
4. Mirrors — If you have a large, unframed mirror above your bathroom sink, consider swapping that outgo for a framed mirror for a more modern look. Or, have your existing mirror framed. 
 
5. Designer shower heads — While rainfall showerheads mounted above are very hot right now, re-plumbing your shower can get expensive. Instead there are various options that can thread onto your existing shower pipe that approximate the effect.
 
6. The walls — Last but not least, don't forget that you can greatly change the look of your bathroom with a fresh lick of paint. Having trouble deciding on a color? Consider all the upgrades you have in the queue — fixtures, mirrors, etc. — and that should help you envision a complete picture. Also, consider wall paper or a unique wall paper trim to complete the look. Add some color-coordinate towels and you have a brand new room!

Jamie Larkin - Minnesota Home Loan Financing Specialist

4511 Allendale Drive~White Bear Lake, Minnesota