Everybody loves a fabulous bathroom. A luxurious soaking tub, stainless steel fixtures, designer tile—how great would that be? Unfortunately, major bathroom renovations are expensive, and in a declining housing market, putting lots of money into your bathroom probably isn’t the most cost effective investment. And unless you’re an adept do-it-yourselfer, a major bathroom renovation isn’t the greatest project to tackle on your own, since you have to deal with plumbing and wiring.

Fortunately, there are lots of simple, easy, and inexpensive ways you can improve the décor of your bathroom without spending thousands of dollars—and that you don’t need to be a plumber to accomplish. Here are some tips for making do with the bathroom you have with simple decorating.

Matching Bathroom Accessories

One of the easiest and most foolproof ways you can decorate a bathroom is by purchasing a set of matching bathroom coordinates. Walk into any home store and department store and you’ll find aisles full of cute matching products for your bathroom. Some of these sets are very complete and contain matching versions of almost everything you could dream of putting in your bath—toothpaste holders, trashcans, soap dishes, bath mats, shower curtains, towels, and even wall decorations.

With a little searching on the internet and in stores, you can find bathroom coordinate sets of all kinds. Some people prefer a more traditional look, with floral patterns or stripes or something that seems “bathroomy.” You can also find accessories for a more sleek, urban look with simple, neutral colors and stylish shapes. Or you can find funky novelty bathroom accessories that feature everything from animals to cartoon characters to maps.

So are these bathroom accessory sets expensive? Well, yes, if you don’t shop around. The matching look is cute, and when it comes to home décor, cute costs money! Look for clearance sales on bathroom sets, and check out eBay and other auction sites for bargains. Or, if you have some skills with crafts, buy some simple items and design your own. It doesn’t take too much too much skill to be able to paint a soap dish or sew a simple design into a bath rug.

Bathroom Vanities

One of the simpler updates you can make to a bathroom is to purchase and install a new bathroom vanity. This is an easy way to update your 1970s style bathroom, or to give your room a whole new look. Bathroom vanity makeovers are useful because they increase space. If you choose a bigger vanity, then you can add lots of storage space to your bathroom. And if you choose a smaller one, then there’s lots more space to maneuver around.

If you don’t want the expense of purchasing and installing a new vanity, there’s a simple solution—decorate the one you have! A coat of paint and some new handles can make a big difference for little money.

Update Your Fixtures

You can spend quite a bit of money on brand new bathroom hardware. But a simpler and less expense way to give your bathroom a quick facelift is to update the fixtures. Leave the big stuff alone for when you have more money, but treat yourself to some stylish faucets on your tub and sink—and voila, you have a shiny new look for less. Updating your fixtures is a good investment ideas as well, as they do need to be replaced eventually, so spending a little extra for quality fixtures may be smart.

Update Your Lighting

Lighting can make a big difference in a room, and if you don’t overdo it, small lighting upgrades can pay off as an investment. Recessed lighting, or lighting that can be controlled with a dimmer, is all the rage. It’s very handy because you can control the brightness, so you can make the room bright for shaving or putting on makeup, and dimmer when you want a bath.

For a more modern look, consider replacing big round vanity lights with lighting strips and other more modern touches. You can spend a fortune on replacement vanity lighting, but you can also find quite reasonable options at home improvement stores and discount stores.

More simple lighting touches can improve your bathroom as well. A good old-fashioned lamp in the corner can make the room brighter for little expense. Another inexpensive choice is a wall sconce that contains a lamp. If you don’t want to mess with the wiring, look for wireless wall sconces, which can be a little pricey but very practical.

Life would be fabulous if we could all lay around in our spa tubs with the $5000 lights dimmed, sipping champagne as we watch our plasma TVs. However, for those of us who live in the real world, a few simple changes in the bathroom can make the room more inviting and stylish.

Naomi Rockler-Gladen is a featured writer for Xomba.com. Read the rest of her work here .