Mirrors enhance light
and expand space.

If your bathroom has an outdated medicine cabinet, consider replacing it with a simple, wood-frame mirror. It's amazing how this little change will dress up the room. You might even carry the wood theme further to a small freestanding storage unit or accent table. Light wood finishes such as maple are the most popular for today's bathrooms.

Painting is always a simple project for the weekend, and new mold- and mildewproof primers and paints are certainly worth trying. What colors are hot? Try watery blues and greens -- anything that suggests a spa look. If you hesitate to go beyond white, update the stark mood with tone-on-tone neutrals. Mix colors with names like ecru, oyster, almond, and biscuit to add depth. There really isn't just one white, anyway, so a perfect match is almost impossible. Add colorful touches with towels, soaps, and candles you can replace as styles change.

Changing the faucet is an easy way to make a big improvement -- one you'll enjoy every day. Sleek shapes, arched spouts, and interchangeable handles are just the beginning. Satin chrome, black nickel, and copper are among the latest finishes.

You may also want to consider switching your shower controls and other hardware to create a suite look. Installing new towel bars, soap holders, and robe hooks takes just a few hours; replacing the cabinet knobs or pulls even less time. It's fine if you prefer to put this off: Mixing metals is now accepted as an eclectic look, and many faucets feature combination finishes (matte with shiny chrome, white with brass, etc.) as a design statement.

 

Consider a new faucet
or counter.

If your vanity is in good condition, it can still benefit from a new countertop. Formed laminate countertop and backsplash units install quickly, and their one-piece design eliminates a seam where dirt and moisture can collect. Other countertop units made from cultured marble or solid-surfacing material flow directly into an attached lavatory basin.

In just a few hours you can change the whole look of your bath with new flooring. Resilient flooring, most often just called vinyl, comes in 6- or 12-foot-wide sheets and 12x12-inch tiles. It may be easier for a do-it-yourselfer to install the tile, because installing larger sheets requires cutting around complicated shapes such as the toilet and the vanity. Blue, greens, and off-whites are popular color schemes. Vinyl is easy to keep clean, but you might consider buying vinyl flooring that is treated to be mold-resistant or antibacterial.