Most new homes have bathrooms that look the same. That bathroom has white cultured marble countertops with cheap chrome faucets.
The shower and/or tub is surrounded by basic shiny white square tiles.
On the floor is basic ceramic tile or sheet vinyl.
The vanity light fixtures are chrome rectangles with exposed light bulbs.
The towel bars are shiny chrome and look quite flimsy.
The mirror is glued to the wall and does not have any frame.
The cabinets are painted a bright white and look generic and cheap.
There is no cabinet hardware.
The walls are light beige or light gray.
Does your bathroom look like that?
Do you really want a boring bathroom that looks exactly like all of your neighbors' bathrooms?
Here are some designer tips & tricks to give your bathroom a custom look and show your personality.
photo courtesy of Brent Eckley flickr.com/photos/96831183@N08/24543609055Paint
Painting is the cheapest way to make a huge improvement to your boring bathroom.
Paint your bathroom walls any color than beige or gray to get a custom look. If color scares you, you can paint it a darker beige, white, or darker gray, but not the same light beige or gray color as all the other bathrooms in your neighborhood.
Since most of your bathroom is covered in tile, mirrors, and plumbing fixtures, there are not many places where you can paint, so consider using a bold color to offset all of the white.
Use an eggshell, satin, or semi gloss paint in the bathroom since those sheens are more cleanable than flat paint. If you really want to use flat paint in your bathroom, make sure to buy the highest quality paint that you can afford for the highest performance.
If your vanity is plain white, consider painting it a rich color, such as chocolate brown, black, navy, olive green, or charcoal gray.
You can also replace your vanity with something more unique in a style to match your decorating style in the rest of your home.
Mirror
Before painting your bathroom, consider replacing your boring sheet mirror with a framed mirror for a custom look.
Large framed mirrors can cost $50 to $150 or more, however they can make a great impact in the design of your bathroom.
Get the largest framed mirror that will fit in the space for the biggest impact. Make sure the mirror is centered over the sink and will fit between the bottom of the vanity light fixture and the top of the faucet.
Make sure to take extra precaution not to hurt yourself removing your sheet mirror since it is most likely glued to the wall. Consider completely covering the mirror with floor protector, which is like a very wide piece of tape, to keep the mirror from breaking into many tiny pieces.
Knobs and Pulls
Add knobs and pulls to give your bathroom cabinets a custom look.
Knobs and pulls protect your cabinets from abrasion when opening and closing the door.
They also add beauty and are like jewelry for your bathroom.
Get knobs and pulls to coordinate with the other metal in your bathroom and show off your personality.
Many hardware stores and big box stores sell cabinet knobs and pulls, however you can shop online for a more diverse selection to make your bathroom more unique and custom looking. Avoid the knobs and pulls that come in a package of multiples because those are most often used by contractors and are typically sold more frequently so there is a higher chance that your neighbors might have the exact same ones.
Countertops
If you have plain generic white cultured marble countertops, consider getting new custom countertops for your bathroom that are a color other than solid white.
You can select an interesting granite, a beautiful marble, a sleek glass, or practically any surface that is not affected by water.
Consider going to a stone yard and look at their remnant section of partial stone slabs instead of full stone slabs. The stone remnants are often sold at a great discount to entire slabs, so replacing your countertop might be more affordable than you think.
Stone countertops instantly make your home feel more expensive and custom.
Sinks
If you get a new stone countertop, you will also need a new sink.
Vessel sinks are very popular, however are not as functional for keeping the countertop clean. They also require a specialty faucet that tends to be more expensive.
Undermount sinks are very popular for their ease of cleaning.
Tub
If you take a bath daily, consider upgrading your tub to add luxury to your bathroom.
Jetted tubs are quite popular.
You can get a traditional jetted tub that pushes water through tubes or you can get an air jet tub that pushes air instead. Many people prefer the air jet tub since it does not have stagnant dirty water sitting in tubes that require cleaning.
For added design, you can get a clawfoot tub or a freestanding tub for your bathroom.
If you have tile on the tub deck, tub apron, or around your tub, consider upgrading it for a custom look.
Shower Curtain or Shower Glass
If you do not have a separate shower, consider using a traditional curtain as your shower curtain that is hung towards the ceiling to get a custom drapery look.
If you have a separate shower stall, replace your framed glass shower surround with a frameless glass shower surround to instantly make your bathroom look more expensive and custom.
Lighting
Good lighting is a necessity in the bathroom, but it can also be a decorative focal point that will give your bathroom a custom look.
Upgrade your boring overhead lighting with recessed cans and perhaps a chandelier.
Replace your basic exposed bulb vanity lighting with fixtures that are more interesting and show off your style. Keep in mind the maximum wattage of bulbs that the new fixture takes as well that the direction of the light (up or down) and whether the shades are clear or translucent when deciding if the light fixture will give off enough light in your bathroom.
Check with local building codes concerning the distance required between a light fixture and a water source - not all codes allow a chandelier over a bathtub.
For added luxury, you can replace your light switches with dimmer switches. Be aware that most fluorescent lights are unable to be dimmed and LED lights are dimmable as long as you buy a special dimmable bulb.
Flooring
Upgrade the flooring in your bathroom to give it a custom look, especially if you have carpet.
Natural stone, high quality porcelain tiles, or anything that is not too slippery or affected by water are good choices.
Wood flooring or wood-look laminate flooring is NOT suggested for bathroom flooring since they can warp and buckle if water gets between the planks.
If you install tile on your shower floor, select tile that is 4" x 4" or less to make it less slippery and form to the shape of the sloping drain.
Storage
Most everyone could use more storage in their bathroom.
You can use the storage cabinets that you already have and maximize their effectiveness by using drawer organizers and adding a specialized storage solution in the awkward cabinet under your sink.
A custom storage solution is to add a unique piece of furniture to your bathroom. You can add a vintage armoire or a modern china cabinet to hold towels and other bathroom items.
Accessories
If remodeling is not in your budget, accessories can go a long way towards making your home feel custom.
Add artwork to your bathroom to set the tone for the space and be the jumping off point for the overall design.
Select towels, a soap dispenser, and other accessories using colors from the piece of art.
If you add a rug, select an attractive rug that can be used in a living room or bedroom over a boring rug that is specifically made for a bathroom in order to get a designer look.
Do not use contour toilet rugs or fuzzy toilet seat covers that look cheap and tacky.
