NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Homeware update: How to update your bathroom without breaking the bank

By Tracey Strange
Canvas·
15 Jun, 2018 11:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Matte black makes a fashionable addition to your bathroom. Photo / Meir.com.au

Matte black makes a fashionable addition to your bathroom. Photo / Meir.com.au

Considering their size compared with other rooms in the house, bathroom renovations require a huge amount of planning and resources. And mistakes are costly. But there are simple, affordable ways to restyle your bathroom — no tradies required.

Make art work. Bathroom art must be able to withstand a moist and humid environment. Professionally framed prints and photographs will generally be able to cope, especially if the room is well ventilated. Wall hangings, glass or ceramic plates or decals are also good choices. So are hanging baskets or vintage signs. Unless sealed by glass, acrylic or oil paintings should be avoided.

In terms of subject matter, water scenes are obvious, as are nudes and botanical prints. And how about a world map or two upon which the eye can linger?

Texture wrap. Materials traditionally found in bathrooms such as porcelain, stone and marble can look cold as well as feel cold. Adding a feature rug might seem strange but it will soften the room in the same way as cushions do a couch. Materials like sisal, jute or small animal hides work well.

Outdoor in. Plants that love humidity or low light thrive in bathrooms. Orchids, peace lilies, bromeliads, spider plants and some hardier types of ferns are great, as are snake plants and philodendron. Hang them from walls, place them on shelves or position them on the edge of the bathtub.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tap swap. If the fittings are the same, swapping out one tap for another is a job within the skills of a home handyperson. Matte-black tapware is stylish, hugely popular, goes extremely well with traditional bathroom materials such as marble, copper and wood and is easy to keep free of fingerprints and watermarks — as long as you avoid harsh or abrasive chemicals.

Window dressing. Privacy is usually the main aim of bathroom window furnishings, with blinds or shades being the most practical. Shutters are a stylish solution, especially in bathrooms with good natural light, ditto window film, which has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive. But, if you take ventilation into consideration, there's absolutely no reason why full-length curtains, replete with pelmets or voluptuous swags, can't be used to add drama to a room that's usually considered the least glamorous in a house.

Make it shine. Statement mirrors are often used in living areas to create visual interest, not to mention bounce light around. But despite the fact that mirrors are a necessity in bathrooms, their impact is often overlooked. Antique, wood and brightly coloured frames add style and crisp glamour to any bathroom, especially when the walls are plain white. But if you want to double the wow factor, hang two identical statement mirrors side by side to add symmetry and balance.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Luxe it up. Never underestimate the luxe factor when it comes to bathrooms. Beautifully packaged soaps and lotions, plush towels and stylish canisters for toothbrushes, etc aren't just nice-to-haves, they are the essentials of a modern bathroom.

Stylish storage. Hooks that look like "dots" on the wall; ladders with towels carefully arranged over their rungs; metal and wicker baskets; over-the-door hangers; wall baskets and pretty open shelving … these are all the things a stylish — and functional – bathroom makes.

Top tip: Currently hugely fashionable, matte black tapware such as this freestanding bath mixer by Meir, is stylish enough to stand the test of time.

Discover more

New Zealand

8 fabulous homeware stores to visit right now

03 Apr 07:28 PM
Lifestyle

How to really tell if your food is off

10 May 11:31 PM
Lifestyle

Are feature walls still on trend?

08 Jun 11:00 PM
Lifestyle

How to arrange your furniture like an interior designer

06 Jul 09:00 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Bindi Irwin rushed to hospital in emergency

11 May 10:20 PM
New Zealand

Crusading broadcaster unmasks alleged driver in car incident

11 May 07:12 PM
Lifestyle

Which NZ winery came out on top in 2025's best of the year awards?

11 May 05:00 PM

Sponsored: How much is too much?

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Bindi Irwin rushed to hospital in emergency

Bindi Irwin rushed to hospital in emergency

11 May 10:20 PM

Mum Terri Irwin also missed the event to be by her side.

Crusading broadcaster unmasks alleged driver in car incident

Crusading broadcaster unmasks alleged driver in car incident

11 May 07:12 PM
Which NZ winery came out on top in 2025's best of the year awards?

Which NZ winery came out on top in 2025's best of the year awards?

11 May 05:00 PM
'You're the best': Jacinda Ardern, NZ leaders celebrate Mother's Day with tributes

'You're the best': Jacinda Ardern, NZ leaders celebrate Mother's Day with tributes

11 May 08:09 AM
Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year
sponsored

Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP