Whenever I design a home remodel, the bathroom is always my favorite part. With house flipping, I typically have a lot of freedom in my bathroom designs (because my husband, Tarek, and I are rehabbing to sell to new homebuyers), but I know what it’s like to work with a tight budget and under a lot of constraints. That’s why I thought I’d share a few of my favorite bathroom hacks that can work for almost any rental apartment or house.
Before we get started, though, I encourage you to talk with your property manager about any remodeling or improvements you want to make to your bathroom. A lot of apartment communities won’t let you paint. And most of them have other rules about what you can and can’t do. That doesn’t mean you can’t personalize your space, though. Just get permission and then get started creating a bathroom you’ll love.
Upgrade Your Showerhead
You can find a lot of really great showerheads at your local home improvement store or online. You might be surprised at just how inexpensive a waterfall showerhead can be, or you might opt for one with a detachable head. Choose a showerhead with a standard screw-on fitting and installation will be a piece of cake. For most of the ones you’ll find in stores and online, you won’t even need any tools to install them.
I can’t tell you how much a new showerhead can improve your bathroom. It’ll literally make taking a shower feel like a trip to the spa, which will go a long way toward making your bathroom your favorite room in the house.
[tweetthis]Changing your showerhead makes your shower feel like a spa & goes far when updating your rental.[/tweetthis]
Get a Curved Shower Rod for More Space in the Tub
You can instantly make your bathtub feel more spacious and make showering more relaxing and luxurious when you upgrade to a curved shower rod. You can get these in a number of finishes and materials, including stainless steel, black and bronze. Find one that matches your bathroom fixtures and you’ll get even more of that spa feeling you started with your new showerhead. These two details combined make such a huge difference for any bathroom, and neither one is permanent, so you can take them both with you to your next place, too.
Maximize Hidden Storage Spaces
If you want to create the feeling of a more spacious bathroom and further enhance that spa atmosphere, you need to get rid of bathroom clutter. You can do this pretty easily by maximizing your hidden storage space. Invest in a couple of drawer organizers for your vanity and you’ll notice you have a lot more storage space than you thought. You can also grab a couple of small over-the-door organizers that’ll fit on the backs of the cabinet doors on your vanity.
Invest in Space-Saving Storage Units
Of course, you might still need a little bit more storage space for extra toilet paper and keeping all your toiletries organized. There are actually a lot of really cool ways to add more storage space to your bathroom without taking up a lot of floor space.
My favorites are vertical shelves and storage units that are attractive and take up very little space. You can get one that will fit over your toilet or between your toilet and your vanity, basically creating usable storage space out of thin air. Most of these units are freestanding, so you won’t have to worry about whether or not you’re allowed to put holes in the walls to make them work.
Add Your Own Style and Flair
Now that you’ve added a couple of cool spa-like details and maximized your space, we can get to the really fun part: making your bathroom reflect your style and personality. Want your shower curtain to look really luxurious and unique? Try one of my favorite decorator’s tricks and sew a strip of complementary fabric to the hem of the curtain. Then take some of the same fabric and create a unique window shade or embellishment. You can add to this look by going shopping for matching or complementary towels and washcloths.
If you aren’t in love with the wall color and you’re not allowed to paint, you can buy removable wallpaper or tile stickers in a color and pattern you love. When it’s time to move out, you can just peel them off and leave behind the original wall color. Don’t like the floor? Cover it with an oversized bath rug or go with a bamboo mat for a cool and contemporary look that won’t leave your toes frozen when you walk into the bathroom on cold mornings.
With these tips, you can enjoy a bathroom that’s totally “you” without doing any major remodeling or work that might not be allowed in a rental. Plus, you can take almost all of it with you! It’s always best to start with a clean slate. For more storage ideas and tips on getting your bathroom squeaky clean, check out bathroom cleaning hacks on the ForRent blog.