9 Ways Paint Can Modernize an Outdated Bathroom

At the mercy of tile trends and ever-changing hardware styles, bathrooms that aren’t updated often (who can afford a yearly renovation?) can look outdated very quickly. One of the most affordable ways to help this room race against the clock without outpacing your budget is to let inexpensive paint lead the way. Some color on a vintage tub or a swipe of paint on an old vanity will give an older bathroom its sparkle back.

Above: Painting your tub is an unexpected move, but if the results look anything like this beautiful vintage tub spotted on Homes to Love, the effect is well-worth the work. Read on to learn more about our experiments with tub-painting and to read our full tutorial.

Before contributor Ashley Poskin gave this clawfoot tub a fresh coat of black paint, it was a light pink mess. Check out how the rest of the room looked before the makeover.

To give her drab bathroom a contemporary look, Meghan painted the wooden floor with a funky diamond pattern. For the cost of just one can of paint (a whopping $10), the entire room was transformed.

A coat of vivid green paint on both the cabinets and mirror frames gives this bathroom from HGTV a bold look.

When Carmel from Our Fifth House revamped her powder room, painting the previously blue vanity pink and adding sleek hardware saved her from having to splurge on a brand-new vanity.

If you’re tired of looking at the boring white tile in your bathroom—but don’t quite have the funds to spend on these show-stoppers—borrow a trick from Redbook and stencil them with epoxy paint.

After discovering that it’s possible to paint over tile, Kelly from the blog Domestic Blonde decided to give it a go on the outdated tiles in her bathroom. The end result is a transportive Moroccan masterpiece, at a much cheaper price than imported tile.

Some paint and tape is a small investment to make for a door that looks this good. See how East Coast Creative used small geometric details (including that incredible hexagonal flooring) to update this entire bathroom.

When Capree Kimball renovated this bathroom featured on Poppytalk, one of the most eye-catching elements cost the least: The black ceiling. In contrast to the white tiled walls, the dark ceiling ups the drama, while also making the room feel cozier.

We’ve long been fans of painted vintage tubs and sinks, and Studio McGee‘s black wall-mounted sink above is an A+ example. Black looks clean and modern, but you could introduce a brighter hue for an unexpected accent.