Bathroom Design
Remodeling Guides
10 Bathroom Projects That Deliver Big Results
Discover targeted medium-size projects that will transform your space without a full renovation
More than a refresh but not a complete overhaul, a midsize bathroom project focuses on delivering dramatic improvements where it counts. Here are 10 projects to inspire your next update. Once you’ve found a favorite (or two), work with a designer or a remodeling pro — many of whom can be found on Houzz — to bring your ideas to life.
If you’re not changing your sink, the easiest approach is choosing a faucet with the same handle spread and configuration (single-hole, center-set or widespread) as your current one. But you can go from a two-handle set to single if you buy a model with a wide enough base plate to cover the extra holes.
Adding a ceiling-mount rain shower head or a separate handheld shower head are upgrades that will likely require professional plumbing and possibly tile work. If that’s not in the budget, there are many stylish and relatively inexpensive rain shower heads, pull-down shower heads and dual wall-mount and fixed shower heads on the market that can be attached to an existing shower arm by following simple instructions.
Your Guide to Buying a Bathroom Faucet
Adding a ceiling-mount rain shower head or a separate handheld shower head are upgrades that will likely require professional plumbing and possibly tile work. If that’s not in the budget, there are many stylish and relatively inexpensive rain shower heads, pull-down shower heads and dual wall-mount and fixed shower heads on the market that can be attached to an existing shower arm by following simple instructions.
Your Guide to Buying a Bathroom Faucet
2. Replace Your Countertop and Sink
Decades-old cultured marble sinks, laminate countertops and the like can have retro charm. But many older designs and materials date a bathroom while making cleaning a challenge.
If your sink and countertop are damaged or out of style — or if they just aren’t your style — you can have just those elements replaced, as long as your vanity is in good condition. If the vanity size and plumbing layout are standard, you can shop for a budget-friendly ready-made quartz, natural stone or solid-surface countertop with an integrated or undermount sink. Be sure to take careful measurements of your existing vanity top, backsplash and sink cutout to ensure that your chosen replacement fits.
Decades-old cultured marble sinks, laminate countertops and the like can have retro charm. But many older designs and materials date a bathroom while making cleaning a challenge.
If your sink and countertop are damaged or out of style — or if they just aren’t your style — you can have just those elements replaced, as long as your vanity is in good condition. If the vanity size and plumbing layout are standard, you can shop for a budget-friendly ready-made quartz, natural stone or solid-surface countertop with an integrated or undermount sink. Be sure to take careful measurements of your existing vanity top, backsplash and sink cutout to ensure that your chosen replacement fits.
If your layout or design is more complex, you’ll likely need a custom countertop and the expertise of a pro, especially to prevent costly mistakes. On the upside, a custom design also gives you a chance to make the countertop a standout feature with options like bold stone, decorative edge profiles and a shapely matching backsplash.
Why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
Why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
3. Replace Your Vanity
A new countertop, or even a professional-looking paint job, can do wonders for an old vanity. But neither can improve its storage space, fix warping from water damage, turn particle board into wood or take it from a single sink to two.
Like countertops, prefab vanities are widely available at a wide range of prices. They can also be purchased with or without a countertop and sink. If you currently have a freestanding vanity, replacing it with another of the same size is usually an easy project for a pro as long as the plumbing configuration remains the same.
What to Consider When Choosing a Bathroom Vanity
A new countertop, or even a professional-looking paint job, can do wonders for an old vanity. But neither can improve its storage space, fix warping from water damage, turn particle board into wood or take it from a single sink to two.
Like countertops, prefab vanities are widely available at a wide range of prices. They can also be purchased with or without a countertop and sink. If you currently have a freestanding vanity, replacing it with another of the same size is usually an easy project for a pro as long as the plumbing configuration remains the same.
What to Consider When Choosing a Bathroom Vanity
To maximize your space, a custom vanity may be the way to go. A designer can help you choose materials, layout and styles to harmonize with the rest of your room and personalize your storage, including adding pullouts and outlets just where you want them.
Not sure where to start on your home project? Learn the basics
Not sure where to start on your home project? Learn the basics
4. Add a Wall Treatment
Repainting a neutral bathroom with a bold color is a relatively easy and low-budget way to refresh its style, whether you do it yourself or hire a painter. But for the greatest visual impact, consider having a wall treatment installed, such as paneling, tile, wallpaper or a combination of the three.
Wainscoting, for example, both protects the lower portion of your walls and adds architectural character. Panels are available in a range of styles, including beadboard and raised panel, and many options come in water-resistant materials, making them especially well suited to bathrooms. Tile can also be used for wainscoting, offering a durable, water-resistant finish with endless design options.
The wall area above the wainscoting can be painted or finished with wallpaper for extra pattern and depth. Near a tub or shower, opt for durable vinyl or vinyl-coated wallpaper, make sure the room has good ventilation and keep the paper out of the splash zone.
Repainting a neutral bathroom with a bold color is a relatively easy and low-budget way to refresh its style, whether you do it yourself or hire a painter. But for the greatest visual impact, consider having a wall treatment installed, such as paneling, tile, wallpaper or a combination of the three.
Wainscoting, for example, both protects the lower portion of your walls and adds architectural character. Panels are available in a range of styles, including beadboard and raised panel, and many options come in water-resistant materials, making them especially well suited to bathrooms. Tile can also be used for wainscoting, offering a durable, water-resistant finish with endless design options.
The wall area above the wainscoting can be painted or finished with wallpaper for extra pattern and depth. Near a tub or shower, opt for durable vinyl or vinyl-coated wallpaper, make sure the room has good ventilation and keep the paper out of the splash zone.
Of course, paneling doesn’t have to stop at chair-rail height. It can also be applied above contrasting wainscoting, from floor to ceiling, behind a vanity or on an accent wall to add texture and architectural interest.
10 Easy Ways to Refresh Your Bathroom
10 Easy Ways to Refresh Your Bathroom
5. Install a New Glass Enclosure
Switching from a shower curtain to glass, or from a framed to a frameless enclosure, instantly makes your bathroom feel more sleek, open and modern. If you have problems with water escaping the shower, a glass enclosure will better protect your flooring and vanity from water damage.
Options abound, including framed, frameless, bypass, pivot and hinged doors in clear, fluted and frosted glass. Textured glass offers privacy, whereas clear glass makes your bathroom look larger and lets you see more of your wall tile. Whichever you choose, consider upgrading the glass with a factory finish that repels soap scum and water.
While it’s possible to install an enclosure by yourself if you’re handy, it can also be done easily and quickly by a pro installer.
Shower Curtain or Shower Door?
Switching from a shower curtain to glass, or from a framed to a frameless enclosure, instantly makes your bathroom feel more sleek, open and modern. If you have problems with water escaping the shower, a glass enclosure will better protect your flooring and vanity from water damage.
Options abound, including framed, frameless, bypass, pivot and hinged doors in clear, fluted and frosted glass. Textured glass offers privacy, whereas clear glass makes your bathroom look larger and lets you see more of your wall tile. Whichever you choose, consider upgrading the glass with a factory finish that repels soap scum and water.
While it’s possible to install an enclosure by yourself if you’re handy, it can also be done easily and quickly by a pro installer.
Shower Curtain or Shower Door?
6. Add Custom Storage
Whether a bathroom is compact or sprawling, poorly planned or insufficient storage often leads to cluttered countertops and makeshift solutions that are both inefficient and unattractive. Customized storage, however, can elevate both the room’s appearance and its functionality.
Working with a bathroom designer, you can incorporate storage that complements or blends seamlessly with your existing finishes and layout while making smarter use of space. Ceiling-height cabinets maximize vertical space, awkward niches can be fitted with clever built-ins, under-sink “black holes” become accessible with pullouts, and even the spaces between studs can be reclaimed for niches or inset medicine cabinets.
12 Custom Storage Solutions for a Clutter-Free Bathroom
Whether a bathroom is compact or sprawling, poorly planned or insufficient storage often leads to cluttered countertops and makeshift solutions that are both inefficient and unattractive. Customized storage, however, can elevate both the room’s appearance and its functionality.
Working with a bathroom designer, you can incorporate storage that complements or blends seamlessly with your existing finishes and layout while making smarter use of space. Ceiling-height cabinets maximize vertical space, awkward niches can be fitted with clever built-ins, under-sink “black holes” become accessible with pullouts, and even the spaces between studs can be reclaimed for niches or inset medicine cabinets.
12 Custom Storage Solutions for a Clutter-Free Bathroom
7. Improve Accessibility
Even when starting from scratch, there’s no single way to design a bathroom that works for everyone, because everybody — or, more precisely, every body — has different needs. But an existing bathroom can be retrofitted to improve safety and usability for people with a wide range of abilities.
A simple first step is replacing knob-style faucet or door handles, which require a grasping and twisting motion that can be difficult for many people, with easy-to-use lever handles. Similarly uncomplicated-but-impactful upgrades include installing a raised washlet or bidet toilet seat, swapping in a handheld shower head on a sliding bar and adding a nonslip shower stool, improving ambient and floor-level lighting (including night lights), and lowering storage for easier access.
Even when starting from scratch, there’s no single way to design a bathroom that works for everyone, because everybody — or, more precisely, every body — has different needs. But an existing bathroom can be retrofitted to improve safety and usability for people with a wide range of abilities.
A simple first step is replacing knob-style faucet or door handles, which require a grasping and twisting motion that can be difficult for many people, with easy-to-use lever handles. Similarly uncomplicated-but-impactful upgrades include installing a raised washlet or bidet toilet seat, swapping in a handheld shower head on a sliding bar and adding a nonslip shower stool, improving ambient and floor-level lighting (including night lights), and lowering storage for easier access.
Installing grab bars near the tub, shower and toilet can be a more involved project, since it often requires adding blocking inside the walls. Still, it’s a worthwhile investment, providing stability in a slippery environment — especially for those with limited balance or mobility. Similarly, replacing a standard tub with a walk-in model or a low- or no-curb shower can enhance safety for everyone while helping some people maintain independence at home longer.
11 Ways to Age-Proof Your Bathroom
11 Ways to Age-Proof Your Bathroom
8. Remove or Upgrade Your Tub
Replacing bathtubs with showers is a popular midsize remodel project, and not just to improve accessibility. A walk-in shower occupying the same footprint as a standard alcove bathtub often feels and looks twice as spacious and luxurious, especially with a glass surround and continuous flooring.
This high-impact project can be relatively straightforward for a remodeling pro if the room’s footprint and plumbing layout remain unchanged. However, local building codes sometimes require larger drain pipes for showers than for tubs, which can complicate the process and increase costs. Altering the layout, retiling the entire space for a cohesive look or installing a curbless shower, which requires reworking the subfloor, will also add to the cost and complexity. It’s best to work with an experienced professional to ensure that you follow local code and get the job done right.
9 New Bathrooms With Stylish Low-Curb Showers
Replacing bathtubs with showers is a popular midsize remodel project, and not just to improve accessibility. A walk-in shower occupying the same footprint as a standard alcove bathtub often feels and looks twice as spacious and luxurious, especially with a glass surround and continuous flooring.
This high-impact project can be relatively straightforward for a remodeling pro if the room’s footprint and plumbing layout remain unchanged. However, local building codes sometimes require larger drain pipes for showers than for tubs, which can complicate the process and increase costs. Altering the layout, retiling the entire space for a cohesive look or installing a curbless shower, which requires reworking the subfloor, will also add to the cost and complexity. It’s best to work with an experienced professional to ensure that you follow local code and get the job done right.
9 New Bathrooms With Stylish Low-Curb Showers
Replacing a standard 14-inch-deep alcove tub with a deeper or wider soaking tub can significantly elevate the luxury of a bathroom. Surprisingly, though, it can require even more work than a shower swap — especially if the subfloor, walls or plumbing need to be adjusted to fit the new size.
Ripping out the old tub isn’t the only option, however. Some specialty companies design and install tub liners, which are custom acrylic or fiberglass shells that fit over an existing tub with minimal demolition. Professional refinishing, which typically costs less than $1,000, can also transform a worn or outdated tub into one that looks virtually new, particularly if paired with an upgraded faucet.
Ripping out the old tub isn’t the only option, however. Some specialty companies design and install tub liners, which are custom acrylic or fiberglass shells that fit over an existing tub with minimal demolition. Professional refinishing, which typically costs less than $1,000, can also transform a worn or outdated tub into one that looks virtually new, particularly if paired with an upgraded faucet.
9. Increase Natural Light
Bringing more natural light into a bathroom can transform the space, making it feel larger, brighter and more welcoming. Sunlight enhances the overall look of a room but also provides practical benefits: It reduces the need for artificial lighting during the day, creates a more flattering environment for makeup application or shaving and can even improve mood.
Bringing more natural light into a bathroom can transform the space, making it feel larger, brighter and more welcoming. Sunlight enhances the overall look of a room but also provides practical benefits: It reduces the need for artificial lighting during the day, creates a more flattering environment for makeup application or shaving and can even improve mood.
There are several ways to increase natural light in a bathroom that don’t require a full remodel. Adding new windows or enlarging existing ones brightens the space while offering views. Skylights bring sunlight in from above, perfect for bathrooms without exterior walls or for rooms that need every inch of wall space for storage. And for a high-impact upgrade with minimal disruption, consider solar tubes, which channel sunlight from the roof into small or interior bathrooms.
10. Retile the Walls and Floors
Hiring a remodeling pro to replace damaged, outdated or just plain boring tile on your walls, backsplash, floor or all three is one of the most impactful ways to refresh a bathroom without a full-scale remodel.
When choosing tiles, look for materials that balance durability and style. Nonslip porcelain or ceramic works well for floors, while moisture-resistant tiles are best for walls. Patterned or textured tiles and creative layouts can add visual interest, and large-format tiles can make a small bathroom feel more spacious while reducing the amount of grout to clean.
10 Ways to Put a Creative Twist on Tile
Hiring a remodeling pro to replace damaged, outdated or just plain boring tile on your walls, backsplash, floor or all three is one of the most impactful ways to refresh a bathroom without a full-scale remodel.
When choosing tiles, look for materials that balance durability and style. Nonslip porcelain or ceramic works well for floors, while moisture-resistant tiles are best for walls. Patterned or textured tiles and creative layouts can add visual interest, and large-format tiles can make a small bathroom feel more spacious while reducing the amount of grout to clean.
10 Ways to Put a Creative Twist on Tile
For the floor, consider upgrading to under-floor heating when replacing the tiles. This adds daily comfort, particularly in colder months, and elevates the bathroom’s sense of luxury without requiring major plumbing changes. Retiling also gives you a chance to address worn grout and waterproofing and uneven surfaces, improving the bathroom’s look as well as its longevity.
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More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos for ideas
Find a bathroom designer
Hard water and general wear and tear can take a toll on sink and shower fixtures — especially if they have plastic components. Old fixtures may look worn or discolored and also be prone to leaks and other problems. On the flip side, new faucets and shower heads can have innovations such as touchless sensors, built-in filtration, integrated lighting and water-efficiency features, whether they’re sleek and modern or designed to look vintage.
Having your old faucets and fixtures replaced is a relatively low-lift, low-expense project that can enhance your user experience, improve accessibility, prevent plumbing emergencies and bring new life to an outdated-looking sink or shower. When perusing the new models on the market, look for options with the same metal and finish as your other plumbing fixtures to maintain a cohesive look.
Before you begin: Building codes and permit requirements vary by location. Always confirm local regulations and work with licensed professionals for design and construction.
Find a bathroom remodeler on Houzz