What makes a high-end bathroom feel so luxurious? Is it a chunk of expensive marble and a deep soaking tub? Partly yes. But more often than not, luxury bathrooms also benefit from thoughtful details that can make a space feel inviting, even spa-like.
So, if you don’t want to remove and replace expensive items like bathtubs, vanities, or floors, take inspiration from high-end bathrooms and see your fixtures and fittings as an opportunity to add a touch of luxury. Try one or more of these nine strategies to bring a luxurious makeover to your bathroom without spending too much money.
1. Choose personalized lighting. Whether it’s a sparkling chandelier or a wall-mounted wall lamp, try swapping your regular lighting for a stylish fixture. Hanging a chandelier in the center of a room or above a soaking tub can create a stunning and luxurious effect, as seen in this all-white bathroom. A crystal chandelier with a dark iron base gives the room an expensive glow without compromising the clean white color palette.
You don’t have to use chandeliers to express the light. A dazzling chandelier or wall light above the sink can give your average bathroom a jewel-box-like vibe, and they can cost $200 or more. Look for products that look unique and artistic to complement the rest of your bathroom’s hardware. Here, reflective glass wall lamps are coordinated with chrome hardware, giving a more refined atmosphere to this rather simple bathroom.
2. Make your mirror sparkle. If you have a regular bathroom mirror with a standard rectangular or square shape, look for an alternative with more stylish details. Here’s a good example: its elegant flower shape gives the room a more designed look.
Choosing a mirror with a shiny finish, such as gold, or jewel-like faceted edges can really transform your dresser wall. Decorative wall mirrors can cost as little as $150, depending on their size. For a stylish look, pair a glamorous mirror with a stylish wall lamp.
3. Choose a palatial paint color. Dark wall colors can instantly add a luxurious look to the bathroom. Eye-catching paint options like charcoal or navy blue contrast with common bathroom finishes like white, giving the space a brighter, newer look.
Dark colors can also give a modern look to old wood veneers on cabinets, window frames, or baseboards. The dark tones blend perfectly with the mirrors and metal fittings, making them sparkle and become the stars of the room. This means a more stylish and luxurious look.
4. Upgrade your cabinet hardware. Instead of spending too much budget on a new dresser, spend money on upgrading cabinet hardware for an existing one. For a more luxurious look, look for designs that have some shiny effects, such as more polished, sparkling, or dramatic shapes. The high-style hardware is crafted from polished chrome, brushed brass, and even crystal and agate. These knobs and handles cost $10 or more per piece.
To create a uniform look, coordinate the handle or handle with at least one other element in your bathroom, such as a beautiful new wall lamp or mirror. Here, brass cabinet handles and wall sconces are perfectly matched, adding elegance to an otherwise ordinary dresser.
5. Buy perfume and soap in bulk. Have you ever indulged in soap in the bathroom of a luxury hotel or restaurant? Spending a small amount of money on a luxurious hand sanitizer can be one of the easiest ways to add a touch of luxury to your bathroom. For just $15, a bottle of Dream Oil Hand Sanitizer is a spa-like touch. Look to big-box stores, discount stores, and online vendors for cost-saving options.
To truly bring aromatherapy comfort, spend money on a high-end reed diffuser, a candle, and if you’re ready to change it weekly, a vase of flowers to satisfy your vanity. Fresh, enticing scents can make the bathroom feel like a spa.
6. Fold the towel. The luxury spa and high-end bathrooms offer plenty of soft and comfortable towels. With an investment of $12 to $20 per plush towel, you can create this amenity in your own home.
Place piles of towels neatly on shelves, roll them into baskets or place them on benches. Choose towels of the same color and style to make everything look sophisticated. You’ll want enough, so even if you take one out of the stack, there’s still a decadent number left.
7. Finishing with a pharmacy jar. Bathrooms are rooms with practical functions, and most of us have countless personal belongings hidden in our bathrooms. Store essentials such as cotton balls, cotton swabs, and bath salts in classic glass potions to organize these everyday items in a more elegant way.
A jar filled with multiple identical items can serve a decorative role, like a pile of fluffy towels, and can add a spa-like feel to the bathroom. Glass potion jars can be found in the home décor section of most retail and online vendors, and they cost just $15 per jar.
8. Show art. You may not think of the bathroom as an obvious space to display artwork, but doing so can elevate the feel of the room. In fact, multimillion-dollar homes often display large works of art and collectibles in their bathrooms. Please note that moisture (and sunlight) can damage some pieces, so you should display the artwork in a non-vapor area of the room or choose a more durable or less valuable piece.
You probably wouldn’t be dealing with a lot of square footage or wall space in a typical bathroom, and that’s okay – it can even be an advantage, as a small room can make art a star. Creating a gallery-like feel can also help fade out worn or stale parts of the space.
9. Keep it clean. It may sound simple, but a luxurious bathroom should be clean and tidy. Therefore, deep clean the tub and shower and, if necessary, replace any broken or discolored grout. You may even want to re-glaze a worn bathtub to give it a new look. Also, one should not underestimate how much new life a new paint can add to a room. Finally, remove all unnecessary content. If you have open shelves, store your essentials in neutral containers, like the baskets seen here.
To maintain a high-end, luxurious look, make the counters and ledges as clear as possible. If you can, put your toothbrush and toothpaste in your medicine cabinet. If certain items must be left on the counter, place them in a luxurious glass – perhaps a mirrored glass or a glass made of artificial marble. These small changes to everyday items will help create a stylish and luxurious bathroom.
