If you searching for ways to improve the value of your home, or you simply need to make some updates and repairs for your own satisfaction, there is little else that adds value to your home besides doing work on your bathroom. Bathroom decorating can be done on shoestring, or can become extravagant remodels. Either way, you need to plan accordingly.

The first rule of thumb is to have a budget and plan to stick to it. Figure out what you want to replace and upgrade and portion that off accordingly. For instance, spending most of your money on fancy imported tile and then skimping on the sinks and vanities will take away from the overall value.

Bathrooms get old fast. They get worn out and moldy and can devalue an entire house faster than anything else. But sometimes it's too costly to redo everything, so plan accordingly. What really needs upgrading and replacing?

If you plan on putting down a new floor, make certain beforehand whether you plan on replacing the toilet. Don't lay down new tile or even hardwood, only to think a few months later that a new European style toilet would look great with all the other upgrades. Removing a toilet will do severe damage to the floor, no matter how careful you are. And since all toilets have different size bases with different shapes, you'll probably need to readjust the flooring all around.

Also make sure you understand style. Mixing modern with traditional, or mixing obviously cheap with visually high end can ruin the entire look of the bathroom, and devalue the entire room – and your investment. This is why you need to finalize a budget up front. You don't want to blow it all on a hardwood floor and then buy low grade vanities and sinks, etc., to finish the job. No one will be impressed with a $10,000 floor and a $39 sink.

Learn how to read color charts – there's an entire science behind why they are designed in the color blocks like they are. Each space/placement defines a hue. So, if you want to choose coordinating colors, your best choices are to choose colors in the same placement (row) on each card. A blue in the third space will look perfect with a yellow in the third space.

When you look at the entire display, choose groups of colors from one row going side to side. For instance, if you choose a yellow which is second from the bottom, and you want to coordinate a blue, you should choose a blue shade which is second from the bottom.

Bathroom looking old and tired? Why not bring it back to life with some creative bathroom design ideas that will help bring that room back to life.