3 quick and easy bathroom upgrades, for anyone ðŸ›
When our last tenants bought a house and moved out, Jack took this rental bathroom down to the studs; it was overdue, but a gut renovation isn’t always practical (or necessary).
If you need a less invasive upgrade, there are three inexpensive bathroom improvements absolutely anyone—even renters!—can do that will save headaches and household discord and feel just a little more luxe.
1. Soft close toilet seat: I’ll never go back. Skip the cheap plastic seat and lid, and upgrade to enameled wood with a soft close feature. Just like soft close cabinets, it makes shutting things behind you exceedingly easy and quiet. Bonus: no risk of slamming on kids’ or pets’ appendages unexpectedly.
(Renters: if you need to pitch your landlord on this, make the case for noise reduction for other tenants. We started installing these in rental units after a tenant complained about slamming toilet lid noise above them, and it’s worth it to preserve the peace!)
2. Single post toilet paper holder: There is no person on earth who enjoys changing a roll of toilet paper on those spring loaded cylinders. Switch to an open bar style and never again consider leaving an empty roll for the next user - easy off, easy on.
3. Open hook shower curtain rings: unclipping all those finicky clasps overhead to remove your shower curtain liner for laundering is a pain, and always gets put off. Switch to open hooks that make it easier! Worth every penny.
Feeling a little more ambitious? We keep a list of our favorite fixer-upper staples at Home Depot. Match your caulk to your grout, don’t forget to seal natural stone tiles, and watch your shower corners where tile meets drywall! Absolutely clean your bathroom vent fans periodically, and for the love of your house, USE them.
Happy home improvement,
Kate
P.S. The joints where shower tile meets another surface at 90° (such as the vertical corners, and the wall at the tub) should be caulked, NOT grouted! Caulking has the flexibility to hold up in that joint, where grout tends to break down more quickly. Most brands offer a sanded silicone caulk for exactly this purpose, in the same colors as their grouts to make for an easy match.