You don’t need to be wealthy to experience luxury. In fact, sometimes even small upgrades can make a massive difference in how you feel about various areas of your house. With just a few hundred dollars – or even less – you, too, can make your bathroom feel like a portal into a fancy spa.
Get the Right Bidet
First, consider getting a bidet if you haven’t gotten one already. Bidets are devices that use a stream of water to clean your underside after using the bathroom. This is objectively preferable to toilet paper for a variety of reasons. For starters, it’s more hygienic and is capable of getting you cleaner. It’s also a smoother and more pleasant experience, since the roughness of toilet paper can lead to irritation and the development of hemorrhoids. On top of that, bidets are better for the environment and most people find them subjectively more comfortable.
That said, there are many different types of bidets available like the ones found here. Some are easier to install than others. Some are cheaper than others. Some include a wide range of features, including precise controls for temperature, pressure, and other settings. Shop around to find the best fit for your needs.
Install a Heated Toilet Seat
We’ve all had the experience of sitting down on a cold toilet seat in the depths of winter, and it’s not a pleasant one. Fortunately, there’s a simple fix: the heated toilet seat. Heated toilet seats include heating elements that closely match your body temperature, so that initial sit is much more comfortable and conducive to the ideal bathroom experience.
Mount New Storage Options
If your bathroom feels too cramped, without ample space to house all your belongings, you could improve the apparent luxury of your bathroom by mounting new storage options. For $100 or less, you may be able to find shelves, drawers, medicine cabinets, or other additions that increase your available storage space without encroaching on the available space of your bathroom.
Paint
Painting a room can instantly make it feel brighter, newer, cleaner, and more inviting. If you’re doing the work yourself, you can repaint a room for $200 or less. Choose a color that truly captures your personality, or fits with the aesthetics of the rest of your house. You can also choose an accent color that perfectly complements it for an extra splash of fun personality. If you want to take things a step further, consider using stencils to improve the design.
Splurge on the Little Things
There are many little things in and around your bathroom that you can splurge on affordably. Spending a bit more on luxury items in these categories can entitle you to a much more lavish experience.
· Toilet paper. Even if you have a bidet in place, you’ll still need at least some toilet paper on hand to pat dry. As you likely already know, there’s a huge difference between the cheapest toilet paper and the most expensive toilet paper, so don’t be afraid to pay a little extra.
· Towels and washcloths. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive towels is similarly large. Low-end towels are usually rough, small, and inefficient at drying, while high-end towels are miraculously soft, large, and efficient at drying.
· Rugs and mats. Stepping onto a warm rug or mat after a shower can be an amazing experience, if you’re willing to invest in that material. Shop around to find the best fit for your preferences.
· Soap dispensers, toothbrush holders, etc. Coordinating the design of little things like soap dispensers, toothbrush holders, and other counter elements can make your bathroom feel more cohesive.
· Soap, lotion, and other products. You can also invest in higher-quality versions of your favorite soaps, lotions, and other bathroom products.
Double Down on Atmosphere
You can also invest in the overall atmosphere of your bathroom:
· Lighting. Did you know that lighting has a significant impact on your mood? Even small changes to your bathroom lighting can dramatically change your overall experience in it. Bright, cold tinted lighting might be ideal for getting ready, but dimmer, warmer tinted lighting might be better for late night visits. Dimmer switches and color controls can allow you to customize your experience.
· Sound. Waterproof speakers designed for the bathroom can make all your bathroom experiences much more immersive and comfortable.
· Scents. You can also control odors and perfect the atmosphere by introducing scents like lavender, peppermint, or citrus. There are many options here, including oil diffusers, candles, and incense.
With these upgrades and a few other little touches, you can make your bathroom feel like it belongs in a mansion. You, your family members, and your guests we’ll all be grateful for the changes.