Updating your bathroom may sound like an expensive, time-consuming idea, but it doesn't have to be. a daunting task. Redecoration doesn't require big bucks, especially if you only find a few things wrong with what you have now. Little tweaks here and there may go a long way.

Work around the small, outdated aspects of your bathroom instead of replacing everything. "In remodels, people will try to use their existing vanities [and] repaint," says Cathy Nason, owner of Bay Area-based Spirit Interior Design. Sometimes, it's easier to keep the big things in your bathroom - showers, doors, vanities - the way they are to avoid spending more on replacements.

"You can get away with not changing out a lot of stuff," says Evalyn Ashmore, designer and owner of Design Era, Inc., located outside Chicago. She advises you to accept those things you can't change.

"People want ideas to make it look nice," Ashmore says. Those who can afford to build around more expensive themes like home spas or Jacuzzis can do that easily. But people with modest bathroom fixtures can make dramatic improvements, too.

It's the little touches that can make the biggest difference. So, don't throw in the towel the next time you see your mundane bathroom -- unless you plan to use it to spruce things up