With a little creativity and a few basic tools, you can give your bath an attractive facelift for as little as $500 in a single weekend.

Even homeowners who are all thumbs when it comes to do-it-yourself projects can tackle a makeover with nothing more than a screwdriver, a paintbrush or an eye for furniture.

That's right — furniture!

One of the hottest trends in makeovers involves outfitting your master bathroom with furniture ranging from an upholstered easy chair and stand-alone armoire to a towel rack or an old-fashioned apothecary cabinet.

According to Sharon O'Keefe, author of "The New Decorating Book," furniture can help break up a large bathroom into "comfort zones" for bathing, grooming, dressing and exercising.

Wall-mounted towel warmers can be installed in less than 30 minutes by most do-it-yourselfers. Suite Shoppe

"Adding a shapely chair or chaise (if you have the room) makes a big bath feel more like a cozy sitting room," O'Keefe explains.

"It also provides a comfortable place to relax with a cup of coffee or your favorite novel."

Vintage-style apothecary cabinets are definitely in vogue. With clear or frosted glass doors, they provide functional storage areas for artful displays of colorful bath soaps, rolled washcloths, Island "treasures" or a collection of sea shells.

Ready-made "cottage cabinets" with glass doors and triple-tiered shelves often cost less than $100, and are readily available at Home Depot and Kmart.

Wood screws and support brackets are generally part of the hardware package, allowing someone with even minimal skills to securely fasten a cabinet to their bathroom wall in under 20 minutes.

To complete the effect, do-it-yourselfers can go a step further and accent their walls with miterless wainscoting or crown molding. And as O'Keefe points out, a well-placed piece of furniture or wall accent is an inexpensive way of giving nearly any bathroom a graceful makeover.

Watt you need

A growing number of Island homeowners are turning to "plugged-in" bathrooms that feature the latest in electronic gadgets that go well beyond handheld blow dryers and cordless shavers.

Slim-bodied televisions with 13-inch screens can be mounted to bathroom walls, allowing you to keep in touch with the latest in news, sports and movies. Or for morning traffic updates, take a waterproof radio with you into the shower.

Sharper Image carries battery-operated radios the size of a postcard that provide good quality sound. Some models adhere directly to marble or ceramic tile walls, thanks to suction-cup type backing. Others can hang from your shower caddy or a built-in soap dish.

Also making their way into the bathroom are two-cup coffee makers, digital clocks and bathroom scales that monitor your weight and body fat. But for sheer pampering, treat yourself to heated towels every time you bathe.

"While electric towel warmers are generally associated with cold weather climates and mountain ski lodges, they're emerging as one of Hawaii's indulgences of choice," says bathroom designer Nicole Puakea, manager of Suite Shoppe at Gentry Design Center.

"Towel warmers have a dual purpose," says Puakea. "They offer comforting warmth when our weather turns wet and blustery, and they help damp towels dry out more quickly. The result is a year-round safeguard against mold and musty smells that can develop overnight."

The Suite Shoppe carries Myson towel warmers, which, Puakea points out are a good choice for do-it-yourselfers who want to upgrade their bathrooms. "These easy-to-install towel warmers plug into any standard electrical socket and can be attached to a bathroom wall with the turn of a few screws. No behind-the-wall hardwiring or help from an electrician is required," she says.

Tower warmers are welcome additions in guest bathrooms and come in chrome, nickel, satin brass, gold plate and powdercoat white finishes.

Finally, if the countertop in your bathroom is large enough, use a shaded lamp to create a mood-enhancing glow. Size, of course, does matter. So select a lamp height that suits your bathroom dÚcor without overpowering it.

Designer's touch

Jean Wall, an Oahu designer for the past 30 years and owner of Innerspaces, offers another perspective on giving your bathroom a weekend facelift. "A top-to-bottom makeover doesn't have to be time consuming or complicated," she says. "It can be as simple as replacing your shower curtains, adding decorative mirrors or removing clutter."

"One of the biggest miscues that many of us are guilty of is having way too much stuff," Wall notes. "If you want your bathroom to look bigger, brighter and more attractive, either throw out what you don't need or store bottles, jars, lotions and hair dryers in a cabinet where they'll will be out of sight."

By keeping counter space free of "stuff," your bathroom will appear more inviting when guests drop by.

Mirrors make small bathrooms appear larger. For the do-it-yourselfer on a budget, purchase decorative picture frames and replace the glass with a mirror, suggests Wall.

A collection of small mirrors finished in decorative frames is another way to add glamour to your bathroom. Multiple mirrors reflect light, making tight spaces appear brighter and larger. For variation on an old theme, try using an odd number of small mirrors — one, three, five — in combination with artwork.

Wall recently redesigned an upscale bathroom in Kahala that featured a double vanity. Instead of using one large mirror, she hung a separate matching mirror over each sink. This variation delineated grooming areas for the husband and wife who shared the master bathroom on a daily basis while getting ready for work.

She also put the extra wall space to good use by installing a trio of decorative light sconces.

To create a fresh look, Wall recommends paying special attention to bathroom floors.

While the backbreaking job of retiling a floor should be left to experts, she insists that nearly anyone can cut and install a carpet remnant for wall-to-wall comfort.

According to Wall, "Remnants can cover most bathroom floors for less than $50, and they don't need to be tacked down or used with a carpet pad. Simply take the measurements of the room, make a stencil pattern around the toilet and trim the remnant with scissors."

Short pile or Berber carpeting made from nylon or polyester material works well in bathrooms, she says, and patterns or solids depend on your decorating preferences.

If your white-on-white bathroom needs an infusion of color, Wall suggests painting one of the walls in a tropical shade of green, deep burgundy or a honey brown using a satin-finish. "Afterward, accessorize with matching towels and a bath rug," she says. "You'll be surprised what an impact a little color can have."

Design appliquÚs are a practical alternative to painting and the messy cleanup that comes with it. A variety of colors and patterns are available and these mini tiles can be applied safely to ceramic surfaces, shower doors and mirrors, as well as plastic and fiberglass tub surrounds.

No special adhesive is required. Simply peel off the paper backing and press in place. They're "permanent" until you decide it's time for them to go. Then, simply heat each tile with a hairdryer for a few minutes and peel it off.

Attention to detail

Getty Images You can brighten a boring bathroom wall by applying your own creative designs with adhesive ceramic tiles.

Whether the style of your bathroom is ultra modern, traditional, casual/contemporary or Pacific Island retro, you can probably enhance its appeal by paying close attention to tiny details.

Emelyn Viloria, a manager with Bath Butler at Ward Warehouse, offers a number of intriguing suggestions that will help you create an inviting bathroom in a single weekend.

For example, you can "soften" the edges of marble or natural stone bathrooms by adding silk flowers, an array of scented candles, sachets and loofahs, or casually drape a bulky bath rope or towel across the tub.

To personalize a bathroom, mount framed artwork on the wall or install shelves where you can display your favorite collection of flea market finds, bath oil bottles or toys from your childhood.

You can even make a small bathroom appear larger by replacing window curtains or shutters with a simple valance.

Viloria notes that one of the easiest ways to update a bathroom is to design around a theme using an ensemble of matching tumblers, tissue boxes, waste cans, soap dishes, lotion dispensers and shower curtains.

These design elements range from whimsical yellow ducks and playful kittens to sleek imports from Germany featuring see-through cobalt accessories. Ocean themes include tropical fish, swaying palm trees and bright Island flowers.

Perhaps the easiest way to update your bathroom is to install a new shower curtain, which will set the tone in such a confined space.

"Shower curtains in vintage-era fabric are one of our most eye-catching items," says Viloria. "These bark cloth curtains recreate the tropical upholstery designs that were so prevalent in Hawaii during the 1940s and '50s. Once installed, you can select accessories to match, including wicker baskets, ocean sponges and framed wall prints.

If your shower curtain rod is worn, replace it with an adjustable tension rod made with a baked on enamel finish. Tension rods can be installed in a matter of minutes without drilling holes in your bathroom wall or wrestling with screwdrivers. Most can be adjusted by hand to fit either shower stalls or full-length baths.

While you're at it, give your bathroom vanity an update with decorative cabinet knobs and drawer pulls. Styles run the gamut from clean contemporary designs to hand-painted hula dancers wearing grass skirts. For local flavor, many Island bath stores also offer knobs and pulls in the shape of pineapples, sailboats, seashells and playful geckos. Installing new hardware is an easy do-it-yourself task that can be completed using the existing holes and a simple screwdriver.

As a final note, remember, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to giving your bathroom a weekend makeover.