Simple Addition: Style Is in the Details

A budget of $500 is plenty for small changes that can make over a dated bathroom.

Paint is the instant freshener. Special effects will draw attention to the walls and away from old fixtures. Use painter's tape to mark horizontal bands or vertical pinstripes and combine colors. Or create a tone-on-tone effect using three finishes (flat, semigloss, high-gloss) of one color.

Get a new shower curtain. A polyester or cotton-polyester blend resists mold and mildew better than cotton. Or make one yourself, with 7 to 9 yards of a favorite fabric paired with a plastic liner. Use the same pattern for a window valance or Roman shade to tie the room together.

Pull out the old medicine cabinet or skimpy mirror and replace with a large framed mirror.

Update the sink and tub with new faucets, and change door pulls and other hardware.

Replace builder-grade strip lights with light sconces on either side of the mirror. Plenty of nice options can be found for $200 or less.

Consider a small chandelier. It will add fun and drama, especially in a powder room.

Buy new towels. Get two sets in one color and add two towels in another color. (Mini-splurge: Have the hand towels monogrammed.)

Update accessories, including waste cans, tissue holders, decorative containers and soap.

A wall-mounted shelf over the sink can be an attractive perch for a toothbrush, clock and bud vase.

Add framed art, such as a collection of similarly themed works -- botanicals, shells or magazine covers -- hung in a grid with matching frames.

Terri Sapienza