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The Ultimate DIY Guide to Turning Your Bathroom Into a Spa Retreat
Spa Bathroom Makeover Tips
The spa bathroom can feel like the unicorn of makeovers, only attainable if you have a huge remodeling budget and a lot of square footage to work with. Huge, sprawling spaces filled with shiny white tile with a tub surrounded by candles in the middle. Steam showers and self-cleaning toilets. My current favorite spa bathroom is pictured below. Unless I win the lottery (which would be more likely if I played the lottery) I really don’t see this bathroom in my future. But a spa bathroom makeover doesn’t have to be pricey or require knocking out walls. A few simple changes can turn a busy bathroom into a spa-like retreat, and I’ve got all the tricks for the DIY-er to turn your bathroom into a spa retreat.
Great Spa Bathroom Ideas Using What you Already Have
I’ve put my bathrooms through some serious makeovers, like our tub to walk-in shower conversion where we tore out the bathroom to the studs, but I’ve also pulled off some beautiful makeovers in just a couple of weekends like my daughter’s bathroom pictured below. Her bathroom was waaay easier than the “demo to the studs” bathroom makeover because we decided to work with the basic design of the bathroom, and make upgrades to the finishes.
LeBaron Home: Take the Home Tour
The Easy Tub-Shower Upgrade
Most bathrooms (aside from a designated master bath) have a tub-shower combo that is costly to replace–so don’t replace it. Give it a cosmetic makeover by covering the side of the tub with tile. We chose to re-tile the bathroom floor, extending the tile up the side of the tub but you could easily tile the side of the tub with a coordinating tile. There are so many tile choices, that there’s something for everyone’s style. If you love the modern farmhouse look, opt for a wood-look tile. If you have a Tuscan or mission style home, look for a patterned Mosaic tile.
Make your bathroom look taller by tiling the wall above the tub enclosure. Believe it or not, the ceilings in my daughter’s bathroom were only 8 feet tall, but they look much taller. The tile extends your eye upward, making the shower enclosure look larger. Plus, it makes for easier cleaning and you don’t have to worry about drywall rot from steamy showers in small bathrooms.
The final step is to hang your shower curtain just 3-4 inches below the ceiling. This draws the eye upward, like tiling the wall behind the tub, and it makes your bathroom look elegant (if you choose an elegant curtain). A spa bath is no place for a plastic cat curtain! Since most shower curtains are too short, and longer shower curtains can be expensive, you can lengthen regular curtains (check out the easy way to Lengthen Your Curtains with One Seam) and then buy a longer shower curtain liner.
Upgrade Your Mirrors
Another easy, inexpensive bathroom update is to replace the standard cut mirror with a framed one. You can purchase a framed mirror, or your can do the farmhouse style mirror upgrade like the one from our master bathroom. We replaced the existing mirror with a tall mirror that extends from the back-splash to the ceiling. Then we framed the mirror with refinished wood and changed out the above mirror light fixtures for sconces. Whether you choose to frame your existing mirror or purchase framed mirrors, it gives your bathroom a designer look.
White – or Maybe Not
White is so calming that it’s natural to choose lots of white for your new spa bathroom, but too much white can make your bathroom look flat. Be sure to layer your whites using different textures. For example, a shiny subway tile back-splash paired with matte white tiled floor and thick white towels will give the room dimension. You also don’t have to be matchy matchy with the whites. Pair white with shades of cream for an interesting, yet still very calming color pallet.
Your bathroom doesn’t need to be white to be calming and spa-like. Color can warmth, and patterns add dimension to the room. If your spa bath is looking a little bland, a dose of color should warm it right back up. If it’s visible from your bedroom, complementary colors in both rooms will add an element of elegance. Make sure you check out How to
Turn Your Bedroom Into A Suite.Add a Chandelier
Nothing exudes elegance like soft lighting. Good lighting is an absolute must in a spa bathroom. There’s no better place than the bathroom for flattering lighting that makes you feel good about yourself. Change out your light bulbs for soft-white, or check out the Home Depot light bulb section for colored light bulbs that will make you look photo ready. If you’re up to the challenge of changing out a light fixture, adding a chandelier will instantly transform your bathroom. It can be an elegant crystal chandelier above a free-standing tub, or a shabby chic chandelier hanging in the middle of the room. For ideas on how to mix metal finishes (your knobs, and light fixtures, and faucets), check out our
Ultimate DIY Guide to Mixed Metals.
Also, Candles, Plants & Fluffy TowelsThe final step to making your bathroom into a spa is to add air cleansing plants and candles. Both of these inexpensive and simple additions will make your bathroom feel special as opposed to functional–a key goal for turning a bathroom into a spa retreat. One of my favorite ways to add candles to a bathroom is to place one on top of a book sitting on the back of the toilet. Add a pretty matchbook and you’ve created a beautiful, functional display for your bathroom. And candles surrounding the tub invite you to take a soak. Choose subtle scented candles that add to the relaxing atmosphere.
Bathroom plants should be displayed from the ceiling in plant hangers, or on wall shelves. Most bathrooms have high windows and this keeps your plants in full view of the nourishing light. I don’t like keeping plants on the floor simply because I want to keep the floor open for easy cleaning.
Fluffy towels are a luxury that we often take for granted. My mother remembers having to wrap up in scratchy towels that had dried into a stiff board from hanging on the laundry line. Today, thick oversize bath sheets are affordable and can be found in a huge number of colors. There’s really no reason to hang onto old, worn out towels that barely cover. Invest in a few quality towels each year and you won’t regret it.
A few simple changes can make a big impact on a bathroom. Creating your spa retreat doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money. Working with what you already have can ease the financial burden of decorating and lets you focus your budget on one or two changes that will make a big impact. Good luck on your spa retreat–I know you deserve a relaxing bathroom.
I’d love to hear your ideas for turning a functional bathroom into a spa retreat. Be sure to check out our
Houzz ideabook for spa bathrooms. And don’t forget to
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