You want your bathroom to be attractive; after all, this is a room that visitors in your home often frequent, not to mention the members of your family.  This is also where you take a relaxing soak in the tub after a long hard day!  Making your bathroom relaxing and beautiful without spending more than your budget can spare is a challenge, but it can be accomplished.

Here are a few tips that will help you transform your bath for just a few hundred dollars.

Renew the walls

Are your bathroom walls a bland off-white or cream color?  Consider using bold, vibrant tones or softer pastels.  Peach, burnt orange and soft blue are great for the bath; butter yellow and sea foam green are other great colors that will give the room a fresh new appeal.

You can paint the walls of your bathroom for practically nothing – just the cost of a can of paint, a roller and a paint brush!  You may also want to consider some of the techniques that add rich texture to the walls such as sponging, feather dusting and rag-rolling.

Give your vanity a new look

If the front of your vanity is wood, consider giving it an entirely different look with – again – paint!  Sand off the finish if it is stained and sealed, and then apply paint in a cloud blue, cream or butter yellow shade.  You might also consider stenciling the cabinet doors with a complementary pattern in order to add a unique touch.

Have a somewhat boring mirror over your vanity?  Liven it up a bit by adding vanity lighting down both sides, or place a wallpaper border around the entire perimeter (you can also paint a border around the edges.)

Time for new accessories

You would be surprised at just how much of a difference changing out your accessories can make!  Consider a new shower curtain, bath rug and toilet lid.  Today, you can find toilet lids in a wide array of colors, and they are easy to change yourself.

A shower curtain patterned with birds, flowers or a seascape adds fresh color to the room.  Add bath and hand towels that complement or contrast with the colors in your decor; also consider displaying some of your nicest towels in a wicker basket.

Accents

Some bathrooms are simply too small for many accents, but you can decorate the walls with prints that blend with the rest of your decor.  If you do have some room to spare, consider placing a wrought iron or wicker plant stand in one corner filled with casually flowing greenery.  If space allows, include a relaxing candle in scents such as lavender or tranquility.

If you are willing to do it yourself, you can even re-floor your bathroom for very little money.  Today, you can find linoleum and tiles that are easy to install, and give your bathroom an entirely new look!

Put some of the tips above to use, and you will find that your bathroom takes on an entirely different personality without spending much at all.

Many people decide that decorating in neutral tones is a good idea; the concept is that since you can add different colors any time you like, you don’t have to spend a ton of money when you want to update the look.  Are neutral tones boring?  Far from it!  While they can look lackluster and dull, your rooms can be more beautiful than ever if done right.

Here are a few tips to help you create rooms that are comfortable and appealing.

Start with larges areas

The walls and floor should be the foundation of the room.  Neutral colors include taupe, sand, soft tones of blue, gray and any color that doesn’t have a warm or cool overtone.  For the walls, you might want to consider a taupe shade finished out with white baseboards and trim.  The white gives a crisp, clean look to the room and brightens things up a bit.

Floors, whether tile, carpet or wood, can be anything from cream or gray to brown tones, such as you often find in pine or oak flooring.  For the ceiling, consider bright white if you want the room to appear taller and more open; a dark sand or taupe makes height diminish, and is perfect for those rooms with tall ceilings.

Furnishings

When updating the look of a living room, it’s best to keep furnishings in neutral tones as well.  Soft blue, sand and rich brown are stunning when combined in patterns such as plaids or stripes; add a punch of color with burnt orange throw pillows!  Your sofa, recliner or love seat can also be in a solid color; you will then want to use throw pillows that have striped, checked or abstract patterns to contrast.

Natural wicker also works well when decorating with a neutral color scheme.  Use cushions and throws for additional color and texture.

For the most appeal, use three colors

In any decorating scheme, whether neutral, cool or warm colors are used, it’s best to stick with three predominant colors.  One color should dominate the other two, and additional tones can be added sparingly to give the room an added punch of color.  You may want to use a color such as sand as the dominant hue, then mix in country blue and rich chocolate brown.

To add a bit of excitement to this trio, add a splash of color here and there through vases, wall hangings and an area rug.  A vibrant peach tone would work well with these colors as well, and adds a bright, cheery appeal to the room.  Large plants add further appeal and an element of nature to the surroundings.

Neutral colors don’t have to be boring!  Through the use of various patterns and textures, you can create rooms with depth, beauty and comfort.  Everyone loves a room that looks inviting and relaxing; this is exactly what you will get when you use neutral shades over all, and add brighter color sparingly through the use of small accents.

You can get many exciting ideas on using neutral tones by searching online and looking through magazines – mix in a little of your own personality and creative ideas, and your home will have a unique look that all your neighbors will envy.

You may not think of turquoise and brown as colors you would use to decorate the bathroom, but you’d be surprised at the great looks you can achieve!  While turquoise is often bold and bright, brown is a neutral color that balances and soothes.  From modern to jazzy or classic, you can create many looks using shades of these two contrasting colors.

By the way, we’re not talking boring brown here; shades of sand, peachy brown and chocolate work to make your bath its most beautiful ever!

Start with the floor

By starting with the floor, you can create the basis of your decorating.  Linoleum or ceramic tile can be found with an interesting mix of turquoise and brown shades from light to dark.  Once installed, you can build the room around the shades in the floor.  Even if your tile or linoleum is light, you can add deeper shades in the room for depth and contrast.

Have a large bath?  Start with chocolate brown

If you have a large bathroom, you can afford to use darker colors for the walls.  Consider a chocolate brown, which adds a rich, soothing atmosphere to the room.  Porcelain sinks and chrome fixtures along with bright turquoise accessories add punch and pizzazz.

A shower curtain with bright punches of turquoise in a modern design brightens up the room.  Add wall art and a free-standing cabinet painted in turquoise, and you have a room that is bold, modern and yet relaxing.

Think of the beach

When you go to the beach, think of how the colors play off of each other.  Turquoise water, sand, stones and other elements of nature play together to create surroundings that are soothing and spa-like.  Use the colors of the beach in your decor if you want a lighter, calmer look.  Shades of sand, peachy-brown and turquoise make for a room that brings the beach to mind.

Add accents of wicker, a glass vase filled with twigs, artwork depicting the beach for the walls, and plenty of plush towels in sand and turquoise patterns, and you have a refreshing retreat!

Want more drama?

If you want to liven things up a bit to make your bath sparkle with drama, consider bringing shades of coral or red to the mix.  While brown can be the dominating color for walls and floors, a mix of coral and turquoise really makes the room come to life.  Consider sparse splashes of red or coral in floral arrangements, candles and artwork, while keeping turquoise as the main color for bath rugs, towels and the shower curtain.  The addition of some red brings in warmth and spark and makes the room dazzle!

It may be hard for you to imagine how a bathroom would look using these colors, but it is absolutely beautiful – especially for those who enjoy a more modern, chic look.  Browse through magazines and search online for photos of bathrooms decorated using these colors, and you will see that the look is extremely vibrant and appealing.

Remodeling a living room can cost a substantial amount of money; today, many people just don’t have the budget for a complete remodel.  If your living room needs a fresh new look but your financial situation prevents you from spending too much money, this article offers tips for giving the room an entirely appearance for $1000 or less.

Paint – A budget-friendly solution for many problems

Paint can cover a multitude of sins!  If your walls are paneled and look like they came right out of the 60′s, paint can work miracles.  You can paint directly over clean paneling, or remove it if you like.  Use trendy shades such as peach, burnt orange or toast to warm up the room.

You may want to paint baseboards and trim a contrasting or complementary color to add depth and interest.  Paint your ceiling a bright white to make the room look taller, or a darker shade to bring a tall ceiling down to size.

Paint can also be used to give your wood furniture a new look.  Sand off the old stain or paint, add a new color and gently sand the edges for an antiqued appearance.  Also consider giving your walls rich texture by using techniques such as rag-rolling and sponging.

A new floor doesn’t have to cost a fortune

Most people assume that putting a new floor covering in the living room will cost thousands of dollars, but that isn’t necessarily true.  Today, you can have carpet or laminate flooring installed for approximately $2 per square foot.  This means that if your living room is 300 square feet, you can have a brand new floor for about $600!

Laminate flooring is a project you can probably handle yourself, so you don’t pay for installation charges.  Carpet is a bit trickier, and it’s probably best to leave the installation of carpet to the pros.

Lighting

Another bright idea for updating your living room is to install a new light fixture especially if you have only one in the ceiling as the main source of light.  Replace it with a completely new light fixture, or consider placing a ceiling fan with lights to give the room a cozy, comfortable appeal.  You can replace a light fixture or add a ceiling fan for about $100.

Window treatments make a world of difference

Have a large window in your living room that is your main source of natural light?  If you have sheers, curtains or thick draperies hanging from the windows, consider a window treatment that is a bit more modern in appearance.  A fabric valance with tassels that hang just over the top edge of the window adds modern appeal, and lets natural light flood the room!

These are just a few ideas for giving your living room an entirely new appeal without spending more than your budget will allow.  Put these tips to work in your home, and your living room will look as though you’ve spent a fortune – only you will know the real truth!