Update your bathroom decor on the cheap with these easy DIY ideas.

According to real estate agents, updating the bathroom adds the least amount of value to your home. Pretty much anyone with a bathroom in need of a little TLC will tell you; that doesn’t matter, though. While updating your bathroom decor or remodeling the bathroom aren’t as sexy as making improvements in the kitchen or living room, no one wants to go in a sad and dingy space–and I do mean that literally.

Whether you are trying to sell your house, or you don’t have the budget to do a substantial remodel, there are plenty of bathroom decor updates you can do yourself to make your bathroom a more inviting and decorous space. From minor bathroom decor improvements, like swapping out an old mirror, to more labor intensive wallpaper or flooring projects, it is possible to add more character and design to the one room in the house that everyone uses. And it is completely possible to do it on the cheap.

DIY Bathroom Decor Ideas on the Cheap

1. Mason Jar Organizer – One easy way to improve your bathroom is to add organization. If your space is small, or there’s not a lot of available counter space, one easy project idea to add hanging mason jars to hold cotton balls, bobby pins, and more. Here is one easy tutorial to follow.
2. Upcycled Dresser Vanity – While it may take a little more know-how than the previous idea, one clever and cheap trick to updating a dated vanity is to turn an old dresser into a vintage inspired vanity.
3. Create an Accent Wall – Turn drab into fab by adding an accent wall to your bathroom. Paint one wall a bold or dark color like a dark navy, add floor to ceiling wainscotting, or some other clever idea to create a cheap but eye-catching effect.
4. Painted Floor – By the same token, if your bathroom has a less than perfect floor, but you it’s not in the budget to replace it, paint it instead. While it’s not suitable for all flooring types, this project for a painted chevron floor turns a worn floor into wow!
5. Pallet Mirror Frame – Pallets are quite useful for all kinds of DIY projects, including in the bathroom. Use pallet slats to create a frame for a bathroom mirror to give your boring bathroom some style.
6. Bold Ceiling – If all else fails, try doing something bold with the ceiling. Paint it black, add glow in the dark paint, plank it, add wall stencils, or some other clever and easy idea.
7. DIY Shower Curtain – One super easy way to add some style to the bathroom is with a bold and colorful shower curtain. Do it on the cheap and DIY one up yourself like this makeover project for a striped shower curtain.

Related on EcoSalon

Easy, Eco-Friendly Bathroom Cleaning
11 Super Easy Instant Updates to Create Luxe Decor
12 Bathroom Design Ideas You Can Complete in a Day!

Vintage Bathroom Image Via Shutterstock

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Warm weather is just around the corner, so why not gear up for the change in seasons with a few bathroom design ideas that will have your space looking pristine. We’ve gathered twelve of our most practical and effective mini DIY projects that will help you get a jumpstart on spring.

1. Update Your Faucet

An updated faucet can create a shiny new focal point and a much needed modern touch to an otherwise dingy or outdated fixture. Choose one that is efficient and water-saving for double the benefits – and be sure it coordinates well with the rest of the finishes in the space. This is a fairly simple fix that can be done by following the instructions included in the box, just remember to properly utilize those two water shut off valves beneath your sink before getting started.

2. Statement Hardware

One of the simplest bathroom design ideas, yet one of the most effective, is switching out your vanity’s hardware. If your cabinets are already updated (if not, see idea #7) then sometimes all you need to change up the look is some new hardware. It’s not a bad idea to splurge in this area since smaller bathrooms usually don’t require a lot of pieces. Choose recycled glass knobs, crystal studded handles, or some really regal looking pulls for a fun and easy update.

3. Pop it with Paint

Another quick and simple revamp for your bathroom is a basic paint job using low or zero VOC brands. Whether it’s time to take that old wallpaper down, or cover up that questionable shade of orange that just didn’t turn out according to the swatch, repainting is always an option. Unless you’re bold at heart, we recommend choosing from the tried and true spa colors, a nice crisp white, or even a gray, beige, or greige. While you’re at it, recaulk any damaged or discolored areas before painting – it will help to brighten up the entire space.

4. Accentuate with Art

Bathrooms shouldn’t be devoid of art! And even if you can’t afford a Jackson Pollock of your own, you can certainly turn this endeavor into a fun DIY project. Whether you choose to paint a canvas, or you scour old books for some bold images that can be framed, add a personal touch to your bathroom’s walls with pieces that reflect you and your space.

5. Light Up Your Life

Replacing an outdated light fixture can go a long way when it comes to brightening up your bathroom, both literally and figuratively. Change out old bulbs with new halogens to increase your task lighting and save on electricity. And if you’re not confident when it comes to electrical work, then simply painting the ones you have (like covered that outdated gold finish with a matte black) would work, too. You can use regular low VOC latex paint on a small brush and not even have to remove the fixture – just mask off the area where it meets the wall.

6. Rug Roundup

Cover up a less than stellar looking floor with some strategically placed throw rugs. You can change them out as easily as you change your mood and completely transform the look of the bathroom at the same time. Black and white stripes are bold and modern, while a multicolored floral rug is more bohemian and whimsical – either would look great, but the choice is yours.

7. Vanity Complex

In a small to medium sized bathroom with a smaller number of cabinets, the bases can be painted in a day. Transform outdated or faded oak into a modern oasis with a coat of gray or white paint. Be sure to take the proper preparation steps, like sanding before applying the first coat, and then watch as the transformation takes place before your eyes. If you’re really into the unexpected, paint a two-door vanity with a fun color, like Kelly green, or pink. Both colors would look stellar with a white marble inspired countertop and a statement mirror.

8. Store More in Style

Who couldn’t use more storage, or at the very least another shelf or two to display your toiletries or favorite objects? Simply hanging a few new shelves above the toilet, especially in a crisp white or modern black, will add some nice clean lines to your space and offer more surface area.

9. Fix Up Your Fixtures

Bathroom fixtures, like the towel bar, hand towel ring, and toilet paper roll holder, can all be switched out with relative ease. This is a great way to create continuity with your faucet and other metals and infuse a modern element to an outdated bathroom. While you’re at it, include a couple of new robe and towel hooks for good measure.

10. Mirror, Mirror

Hanging a statement mirror is a wonderful way to add some serious style and an awesome focal point to an otherwise boring bathroom. Check out your local thrift store or flea market for an ornate wood framed mirror that can be painted to match your décor. Or, if you have one of the plain flat mirrors that are glued to the drywall, you can paint and glue precut trim to the perimeter to create a custom framed look.

11. Glam Up Your Décor

You know those pretty little glass containers and apothecary jars filled with Q-tips and cotton balls that you see in Pinterest photos? Well you can recreate that look for just a few dollars if you look for containers at your local thrift store. Glass items are a dime a dozen – maybe even literally – at second hand stores, so stock up and fill up for a pretty way to display your stuff. Aside from the obvious, colorful bath salts, bath bombs, and even fresh flowers would be great choices, too.

12. Curtain Call

Not to point out the obvious, but a nice new shower curtain can go a long way in when it comes to brightening up your bathroom. There are so many beautiful and trendy patterns out now that the most difficult part should be in picking just one. Don’t forget about the changing the liner – the inside of the shower should feel just as fresh as the rest of the room.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our easy and effective bathroom design ideas. Let us know your thoughts on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

Related On EcoSalon

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Image of Bathroom Accessories via Shutterstock

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Feel good package design that hooks consumers where it matters most: in the shower.

When you found your perfect shower gel, was it love at first sniff? Probably not. When it comes to shower products – be it for cleansing your body or eradicating mildew – packaging is everything. You’d think that social responsibility starts with a good scrub down, but the eco innards are almost secondary to a product’s efficient, streamlined, biodegradable, recyclable, reusable or otherwise feel-good skin.

Take, for example, the German brand Stop the Water While Using Me!, designed by award-winning agency KOREFE. The brief was: “develop a brand for a high-quality range of cosmetics that meet the increasing requirements of an ecologically aware society and set new standards in environmental protection.” The innovation being, “the message is the brand.”

Clean black and white packaging with a casual font (Ana Regular), plus clever copy about not wasting water equals one tempting purchase. Never mind that the product range does, in fact, require water for use and that the country of origin does not actually have a water issue. It’s an international branding exercise at the source – and the package is all that counts.

Two other eco, organic or otherwise “feel good” shower products that rely on a similarly sleek sell?

Philosophy, “a brand that approaches personal care from a skin care point of view, while celebrating the beauty of the human spirit.” they also employ the use of lowercase letters, exclusively, to drive their point into your homes and bathrooms. the point being: there is no “i” in buy me.

And the Estée Lauder eco-brand Origins, founded in 1990 as a botanical treatment line designed for the environmentally conscious consumer who doesn’t mind spending $13 on a bar of bath soap. The company also owns Prescriptives and Clinique demonstrating that personal care relies not only on fabulous packaging, but on a really good name – and potential medical intervention, too.

That’s not to say that the shower and beauty products mentioned above aren’t what they portend to be, or that their core messages aren’t good for humanity. Simply consider their inclusion here as another branding exercise, one that proves eco is still a big sell and that altruism reigns when we’re at our most vulnerable: naked and dirty.

That being said, we really like this vegan, handmade, cold-pressed soap operation run out of Oregon – and their excellent packaging.

Perhaps it’s just a matter of time before Prunella gets picked up by eco-branding company extraordinaire Hain Celestial Group and marketed on the shelves of a Whole Foods near you.

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The Urbano will forgive you your forgetfulness. 

One should remember to tote along their reusable bag for each and every trip to the supermarket, but sometimes even the most thoughtful among us forget. We curse ourselves for carrying our produce home in plastic bags and then stuff them underneath our sinks for future poop scooping, even though we don’t even have a dog.

This clever trashcan, however, allows users to store and reuse those plastic bags in one neon or black bundle. The Urbano is made from recycled polypropylene and is also affordable at $18.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

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You finally hunkered down and started composting, you’re officially well versed on carbon-to-nitrogen ratios and you’ve even gotten your neighbors to seriously consider installing their own worm bins. But to fully become a composting master, you’ve got one final step to take: peeing outdoors.

Wait, what?

Outdoor peeing is no longer reserved for the backcountry; it might just be the next step in the composting revolution. Your compost bin might not come off as a Honey Bucket, but in England, the National Trust is actually promoting peeing outdoors in order to make the country greener.

At the National Trust’s Wimpole Hall, gardeners installed a three meter long pee bale, where male visitors are highly encouraged to relieve themselves. The action actually helps activate the composting process, producing a free supply of compost and reducing water supply. Less trips to the toilet means more water saves.

You might not be ready to add plein air peeing to your morning chore list, but for this National Trust estate, the male gardeners and workers taking part in the activity is having a positive effect.

“The pee bale is excellent matter to add to our compost heap to stimulate the composting process; and with over 400 acres of gardens and parkland to utilise compost, we need all the help we can get,” says Head Gardener Philip Whaites.

The only question is: what happens in the colder, winter months?

Image: mjmonty

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In addition to being a strong and versatile material for making everything from flooring to vases, bamboo just looks be-yoo-tiful. Take a minute to drool over these five bamboo products that we just love, love, love.

Daryl Hannah’s Worm Bin

Ecorazzi spied this gorgeous 3-quart kitchen compost bucket at Daryl Hannah’s eco-friendly home goods website. It’s only 40 bucks and looks good enough to leave in the corner of the kitchen instead of hidden under the sink.

Lexon Coffee Set for Two

This coffee set from Lexon comes with two coffee cups, two tiny spoons and a swanky bamboo tray that also includes two slide out coasters – so you don’t have to worry about leaving a ring on your table. This set would look awesome on a bistro table because it’s just too pretty to stash in a cupboard until you need it.

Gaiam Bath Ladder

Here’s a handmade bamboo ladder that’s sealed with a moisture-resistant finish so it’s perfect for the bathroom. Drape magazines or plush towels over the rungs, or just lean it against the wall and let it be pretty all on its own.

Bamboo Flatware

Perfect for your next picnic, this whimsical flatware is way more environmentally friendly than disposable plasticware, and looks a heck of a lot better, too. Crate & Barrel says it’s sturdier than hardwood so the serrated knife edge won’t get dull.

Staggered Bookshelf

This shelf would look spectacular in any room in your home. It’s offbeat enough to make it the focal point in your living room and versatile enough to hold everything from books to extra-tall vases.

The post 5 Bamboo Products We Love appeared first on EcoSalon.

Nothing goes together like a recession and a paint brush.

If you can’t afford to remodel (and who can?) and are stuck with a peeling, fiberglass clawfoot tub, tap into some ingenuity and resource non-toxic paints and supplies, pure shower curtains, an organic floor mat and go to town.

If you’re opting to go the DIY tub redux route you will want to bone up on stripping off the old finish first. You can visit many good how-to tutorials at sites like ehow. Or,  if you have the budget, hire a tub refinishing service, like Bay Area Coatings. Either way, you are salvaging an old treasure that adds oodles of character to the modern bath.

Here are a few cool designs to inspire:

Steal this teal kids’ bath design from Canadian House and Home.

Basking in blue is oh-so-country French. Eating a baguette in the bain is nice, too. From Apartment Therapy.

How succulent is this cool citrus desert palette from Decorology?

Some lemon aid to brighten the old friend from Country Living.

Basic black is tres chic and sleek, from Happy Living Design.

Stripes to center the mod energy of the citified clawfoot, from Apartment  Therapy.

Check out other DIY ideas at this cute site.

Main Image: Fixer Upper

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A few years ago, a dentist told me I’d need dentures by the time I was 50 – that’s how bad my teeth and gums were. Granted, they didn’t look bad – my teeth are strong, straight and pearly white – but my gums were already declining. I was brushing twice a day, but I wasn’t flossing and I was eating plenty of sweets.

After two root canals (and I’m only 30!), I take much better care. I still don’t floss as often as I should, but at least it’s more than I used to. I’d like to save my teeth, and save money too. Here are my natural dental care tips:

First and foremost, use a tongue cleaner. I know, it sounds icky, but the slimy stuff on your tongue when you wake up is plaque. It’s ickier to leave it on.
You have to floss. There’s no way around it. Do anything to make it fun! My husband and I have made a pact to remind each other to floss every morning. Do we always remember? No, but it’s a start!
Use ayurvedic toothpaste for the best blend of warming, astringent and detoxifying herbs. These herbs will promote gum circulation, tightening and cleansing.
Sprinkle baking soda on your toothpaste for extra cleansing and whitening.
Brush a few times a week with a paste made of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Rub this on your gums too.
Rinse with green tea for a natural fluoride wash.
If you get a toothache after all that, clove oil works wonders. Apply directly to the painful tooth with a Q-tip so you don’t get the burning oil on your gums. A paste of ginger and cayenne powder also works.
Check out Pristine Planet’s dental care page for a variety of natural products for teeth and gums.

May as well green up the routine, too! Use a Preserve toothbrush made from recycled plastic.

I often grumble about all the work and time it takes to care for my teeth, but I suppose it’s better to have teeth to take care of in the first place! Let us know your own dental care tips in the comments below.

Image: ninette_luz

The post Do You Know These 9 Natural Tooth Care Tips? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Here’s our final Mother’s Day giveaway: this organic and functional loofah luxe gift set. While you cleanse your body with a natural body brush and moisturizing vegetable-based soap, the decorative sponge they come in can be used to store your favorite beauty products. The sponge is sustainably harvested. A $98 value. Leave a comment to enter to win. Good luck!

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It’s ideal for that teeny-weeny hotel room in Tokyo or the mod green apartment that’s tight on space but big on water solutions. Yes, if you don’t mind straddling the bowl or facing a faucet sideways to wash up, you will love The Profile┞¢ Toilet Suite with an Integrated Hand Basin.

I’m flushed with inspiration just looking at this unique dual system from Australia, the first of its kind. It incorporates a unique integrated dual-flush push button and spout combination designed to lower total bathroom water usage. It looks pretty cool, too, I suppose because it offers the unexpected.

How does it go?

Number One: It lowers water consumption in the bathroom by allowing water to be used for two purposes. Fresh water is first used for hand washing (thank goodness) and then it flows into the cistern to flush the toilet.

Number Two: The ergonomic space saving design of the compact unit features a landing at the back to accommodate a liquid soap dispenser and at the same time is configured to ensure the lid and seat will remain upright when lifted. Hear that, husbands?

Worried about soapy water in the bowl? The company says tests have been conducted to guarantee this will have no adverse effect on the operation of the suite.

This combo is already catching on down under and will soon be available to North Americans.

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