Thumbing through the home decor magazines, you can't help but feel inspired by all those beautiful modern bathroom designs. Unfortunately, your bathroom looks like it is stuck in the 1970s and your bank account holds what resembles a week's wages from the same decade. The average bathroom remodel could set you back over $9,000, according to HomeAdvisor.

Thankfully, the bathroom is one of the easiest rooms to transform without a lot of money because it is smaller than most rooms in the house, so little changes mean a lot. With a little creative thinking and an eye for great design features, you can give your old bathroom a new look in spite of your slim budget. 

Install new light fixtures on the ceiling or over the sink. 

Light fixtures are easily one of the cheapest things you can replace in your bathroom remodel if you watch what you are doing, and a new light fixture can give the room a completely different personality. Get rid of those old dingy over-the-sink lights and go for a couple of small sconce-style light fixtures or a multi-bulb bar fixture over the mirror. If you have an outdated flush-mounted light on the ceiling, consider trading that in for a pretty pendulum light that will cast luminescence in the room in a new way.  

Change up the bathroom trim. 

You may not have the money to install a new floor or completely tile the walls, but what you can do to highlight these areas and give them a new look is install new trim. A little crown molding around the ceiling, a decorative baseboard trim along the floor, and even new trim pieces around things like the tub or door will make a huge difference in the overall look of the room. The greatest thing is, trim is probably one of the cheapest things you can buy at the home improvement store. 

Paint your bathroom fixtures with new colors. 

Did you know that most bathroom fixtures can be painted? From the faucet and faucet handles to the toilet, you can find a paint that will work for these fixtures, and most paints are in a spray can form, so they are easy to use. Imagine what a difference it would make in your bathroom if you painted your old and yellowed bathtub in a cool shade of black or painted your outdated faucets and cabinetry handles a lovely brass hue.