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Pretty Up Your Powder Room for Pennies

Design tips to revamp the most important room in the house -- the bathroom

By Wendy Wollenberg

| Wednesday, Jul 29, 2009 | Updated 8:47 AM CDT

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Courtesy of Michelle's Interiors

Michelle Rohrer-Lauer teaches us how to spruce up our bathrooms, one small change at a time.

If you're looking to do a major overhaul of a bathroom, say a new tub or vanity, that's probably going to set you back a few bucks. But, if you just want to spruce things up a bit, you can make some relatively inexpensive and easy changes that will give your lavatory a new lease on life (and we're not talking about installing a stripper pole in there a la Kate Hudson). Interior designer Michelle Rohrer-Lauer of Grayslake-based Michelle's Interiors offers some quick tips on prettying up your powder room without emptying your bank account.

By focusing on decor and accessories, you can really change the look and feel of an out-of-date space. A fresh new paint color on the walls or even on the vanity alone can create a whole new environment. Start there and choose accent pieces based on your new shade.

Purchase a new shower curtain, bath mat, towels and accessories in dramatically different hues than you had before that pop against your new wall color. Buy extra towels to display in a decorative basket.

Changing light fixtures, cabinet knobs and even shower hooks can modernize your bathroom and create visual interest without spending a lot of time or money.

Add shelving space to your washroom with plain metal shelves painted in your choice of color to house toiletries and attractive accents like scented candles.