10 ways to upgrade your rental bathroom

Considering how much time we spend in there, the bathroom is one room that shouldn't feel like a downer — even if it's a rental. That's especially true because making it over can actually be quite easy, no demolition required. In fact, explains Ontario interior designer Jane Lockhart, there are plenty of ways to simply disguise the features you don't like: "If you really hate your bathroom tile, just cover it up!"

Read on for a variety of tips and tricks — almost all of which you can DIY — to make your rental bathroom feel like a place you want to hang out.

When freelance writer and editor Caroline Mullen moved into her previous apartment in Astoria, Queens, she was aghast at the color scheme of the bathroom tile. Making matters worse, it covered both the floor and the ceiling. "It was these different shades of brown, yellow and white. I immediately knew I wanted to cover it up," she says.

She sourced faux marble peel-and-stick vinyl tile from Home Depot to disguise the floors. Before cutting it down to size, she first created paper templates of the floor, taking care to outline the room's nooks and crannies. She then traced the templates atop the vinyl to ensure the new flooring would fit seamlessly. (To cut vinyl, you need a strong pair of scissors or a utility knife.)

To turn the ceiling a simple, consistent white, Mullen opted to cover it with squares of adhesive contact paper more typically used for shelving. She admits she chose the material simply because it was what the store had in stock. But to her surprise, it held up "fantastically," with just one piece peeling off and needing to be replaced in three years. (However, she says, she always made sure to crack a window when showering to minimize humidity.)

There may be nothing worse in a rental than an old toilet that never looks clean, no matter how hard you scrub. Your landlord should be open to paying for a new one, if it's truly in poor shape. But even if the building won't pick up the tab, this is one expense that might be worth covering on your own. (Think of it in terms of the dollar-per-use rule. What a value!)

At big-box stores such as Home Depot and Lowe's, toilets start at around $100. You’ll want to enlist a reputable plumber to make the swap. According to Paul Abrams, public relations director at Roto-Rooter, a typical toilet installation ranges between $329 and $749, depending on where you live.

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A coat of paint, especially in a compact space like a bathroom, can make the whole room feel new. You’ll have to get permission from your landlord first, and be prepared to paint the walls back to their original color before you move out.

In her current apartment in Jersey City, Mullen painted the bathroom walls and ceiling a matching aubergine. "At first, I only painted the ceiling by accident. It was a mistake while I was doing the walls," she says. "But after it was done, it had a cohesive effect that really made the space feel like an upscale restaurant."

In damp spaces, use paint with a semi-gloss finish, which is easier to wipe down and will hold up against steam and moisture.

If you’re happy with the wall color but still want to add visual interest, Lockhart suggests putting up a peel-and-stick wall decal.

In a rental, she says, she prefers decals over temporary wallpaper, because they’re easier to install and remove. "For [one client's bathroom], we added decals of pink bubbles that started down near the bathroom vanity and spread out as they got higher. It absolutely transformed the room," Lockhart says.

If a messy countertop is bringing down your bathroom, "consider installing some floating shelves," Lockhart says. Corral toiletries into uniform containers, and display them on the shelves to free up your vanity.

If you have the room, Lockhart also suggests incorporating a wicker hamper that can serve as decor and storage. She prefers the ones with multiple compartments for sorting dirty and clean towels.

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Once you’ve dealt with the clutter, it's okay to add items back to the space. Art, for instance, isn't just for bedrooms and living rooms. Hanging a vintage oil painting or a framed print you found on vacation is a quick way to inject personality into your loo.

Another small touch that makes an impact, according to Food52 editor and decor enthusiast Madison Trapkin, is the addition of candles and decorative matchbooks. "I like to grab matchbooks from restaurants I love whenever I can, and sometimes I’ll pick up a bunch of vintage ones from an antique store," she says.

Trapkin's candle of choice for her bathroom is the "You" scent by Glossier. The fire-engine-red container looks nice, but maybe more importantly, the peppery scent brings a bit of luxury to the space.

Have you ever stayed in a hotel where the bathroom lighting was way better than your own at home? It probably used LED lightbulbs, which tend to emit a brighter light than incandescent ones.

When shopping for LED bulbs, Lockhart says, pay attention to the color quality of the light, which is measured in Kelvin (K). Bulbs that have a lower Kelvin have a warmer tone and are amber in color, while LED lights with a higher Kelvin emit a cooler, clearer blue. It all depends on your preference for the space; if you’d like a cozier feel, pick a warmer bulb.

If you can't stand the actual light fixture, you can change that, too. According to Home Depot's contractor referral service, the typical cost of having a professional swap a fixture ranges from $75 to $125 per light. Make sure you save the old light, so you can reinstall it before moving out.

If your bathroom came with one of those builder-grade (and personality-free) frameless mirrors, give it an upgrade by adding trim, Lockhart suggests. Home Depot sells a variety of mirror-framing kits, including one from MirrEdge that can be removed using a flat putty knife.

"If you DIY it well enough, your landlord might not want you to take it down," she says.

Or replace the mirror entirely. Vanity mirrors come in practically every style and price point, so you’ll surely be able to find one that brings you more joy than what's there.

Switching out the bathroom hardware, including towel bars, hooks and drawer pulls, is an easy way to add your own touch to a bathroom. Trapkin suggests scouring Etsy or Anthropologie for hardware replacements, especially if you’re going for a more eclectic design.

Given its sheer size, your shower curtain is an inevitable focal point. Changing it to a pattern or color you love will instantly upgrade your space.

In Mullen's former bathroom, hanging a shower curtain that matched the color of her newly white ceilings and marble floors tied the room together. And in that case, she used the new curtain to disguise an unsightly old glass door — not as a replacement for another curtain. She installed a black tension rod in a position that allowed the fabric to hang in front of the glass: "The white color of the curtain brightened things up a lot more than the beaten-up sliding doors."

The Home You Own is here to help you make sense of the home you live in.

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