47 Bathroom Remodel Ideas to Inspire Your Next Renovation
Looking for ideas for your own bathroom remodel? (Of course you are, that’s why you’re probably here!) Whether you’re making small upgrades, going for a full overhaul, or just daydreaming from your desk, a bathroom renovation can make a big difference in the feel of your home (and your skin care routine). So it’s no wonder that along with the kitchen, this practical space often takes top priority when it comes time to remodel. But choosing a brand-new look isn’t always easy, so we’ve gathered an array of bathroom design ideas from the hallowed pages of Architectural Digest, and the equally hallowed digital pages of Clever—each filled with inspiring ideas for your own renovation—including relaxing tubs, glamorous vanities, and sleek showers. From crisp and approachable to luxurious and extra, see stylish spaces that mid-afternoon daydreams are made of.
Photo: Amy Bartlam1/47Center on a fireplace
Perhaps not the lowest lift when it comes to bathroom remodel ideas, adding a fireplace to your primary bathroom is sure to radically shift the vibe toward relaxation. Inside actor Sam Page’s home, designed by Allie Boesch, the bathroom is pure California cool thanks to a coat of crisp white paint, but a fireplace can also lend itself to a rustic or traditional-leaning bathroom.
Photo: David Krause2/47Switch your laundry and bathroom
If you’re unhappy with the location of a bathroom in your home, consider whether you’d be better off swapping it with your laundry room location. While it might not always improve the flow of your space, it may work—and it’s a lot easier than knocking down walls or eating into a different room’s footprint. This is exactly what homeowners David Krause and Ayan Chatterjee did with their bathroom remodel in upstate New York, resulting in a much happier space compared to the windowless bathroom that became the laundry room.
Photo: Marili Forastieri3/47Think creatively about natural light
If you’re working on a full remodel, you needn’t stick too close to typical design convention. Design to your specific wants and needs in creative ways—especially when it comes to natural lighting. At fashion designer Derek Lam’s Fire Island home, designed with Neal Beckstedt, the primary bathroom walls are constructed with translucent corrugated sheets of polycarbonate plastic to let natural light in without totally ceding privacy.
Photo: Nicolas Mathéus4/47Slim down the sink
If the bath remodel you’re working on isn’t a powder room or guest bathroom, considering going for a sink that’s on the slimmer side and skipping the full bathroom vanity. When you’ll never use that space for loads of toiletries, it’ll just go to waste and is better put to use for other bathroom elements, or simply for more breathing room in the space. Extra points if you go for a built in sink, like in in this Jacques Grange–designed space.
Photo: Paul Raeside5/47Combine two rooms
When interior designer Scarlett Gowing approached this Victorian home, she took strides to respect and enliven its historical elements. But since it had been redesigned many times over, with many purposes other than that of a family home, she also needed to see through some more dramatic interventions. One of those interventions was for this bathroom, for which two tiny rooms got combined into one.
Photo: Christian Harder6/47Transform a small bathroom into a big shower
If you’re blessed with extra space, turn your tiny bathroom into a massive walk-in shower. Of course this would require you to build out an adjoining additional bathroom space with a toilet, sink, and the like, but if you have the space to spare, it’s just about the most transformative change you can make. Designer Mike Moser did just this at a Greenwich, Connecticut, home, lining the walls and floor with Arabescato marble.
Photo: Matthieu Salvaing7/47Thoughtfully divide your space
While you needn’t go as creative as the circular mirror that stands as a partition in this Beirut bathroom by David/Nicolas, you have the opportunity to be intentional about how your bathroom is divided during the remodeling process. Whether that means blocking off the toilet from the rest of the room or creating a distinct zone for you and your partner respectively, consider how your bathroom layout effects your everyday habits.
Photo: Bruce Damonte8/47Skip the double vanity
If you’re always running out of room for toiletries, foregoing a double vanity for extra countertop space might be the move. We love the look of the primary bathroom vanity in this San Francisco home by Mork-Ulnes Architects. The sink is on the right side rather than being dead center, leaving plenty of room for makeup and skin care products to spread out.
Photo: Jenna Peffley9/47Add a shower ledge or niche
Shower caddies regularly disappoint and can quickly bring the sophistication level of a bathroom down, so naturally one of the sleekest bathroom remodel ideas will leave your space without a need for a caddy. Adding a shower ledge or niche, especially with the bathroom tile you’re using in the rest of the space, makes for a low-key yet still impressive space—just take a gander at this Jamie Haller–designed bathroom in Pasadena.
Photo: Kyle Knodell; Styling: Jamie Perez Herrera10/47Replace the tub with a better shower
If you don’t ever use a bathtub and it’s taking up tons of your bathroom’s square footage, swap out that tub for a shower to get some of that footprint back. That’s exactly what architect Brett Masterson did in this apartment’s bathroom remodeling project, immediately upgrading the space from builder grade to bespoke with a custom marble sink and brass faucets.
Photo: Shade Degges11/47Install an extra cabinet
Be realistic with yourself—will your bathroom vanity drawers or shelves be enough for all of the lotions, hair products, and other toiletries you keep on hand in the bathroom? If not, work out a space in your bathroom for extra storage, and choose something that matches the color scheme of the rest of the bathroom so that the piece doesn’t look like an afterthought. Designer Huma Sulaiman decided on a green tone for the vanity and wall cabinet in this primary bathroom to bring out the greens in the J’adore quartzite of the countertops.
Photo: Max Burkhalter12/47Unexpected black & white tile
There’s a method to the madness of the black-and-white tile in Ellen Van Dusen’s bathroom. She found inspiration in the artist François Morellet, who “made these red-and-blue checker paintings where he went through the phone book and assigned a color to even numbers and a color to odd numbers to create a totally randomized pattern. I decided to do that with my bathroom using the phone numbers of my friends and family.” The black shower head disappears into the tiling, while the overall wall and floor tile cohesion provides a sense of immersion.
Photo: Tash McCammon13/47Moody blues
Among the best of the best bathroom inspiration, Matiya Marovich carried the Art Deco vibes all the way into this stunner of a space. He carried through the same blue tile used in the kitchen and dining rooms, and the curved mirror picks up a shape found throughout the home.
Photo: Oberto Gili14/47A grand affair
The high-end primary bath of a Minneapolis home designed by Michael S. Smith shimmers with antique-mirror panels and a ceiling silver-leafed by artisan Maureen Lyttle; the chandelier is a circa-1930 design by Elsa Schiaparelli for Baguès, and the tub fittings are by P. E. Guerin.
Photo: Kyle Knodell15/47Pattern aplenty
Nikki Cannon’s tiny bathroom remodel proves that you don’t need tons of space to add personality to a less-than-palatial bathroom. Her before and after is basically an ode to finding the right wallpaper, in her case Rifle Paper Co.’s gold pineapple print, and making it sing. If you’re going to go for subway tile as Nikki did, be sure to use black grout for the classic dimensional look.
16/47Marble masterpiece
The primary bath of a New Jersey estate renovated by architect Annabelle Selldorf and designer Matthew Frederick contains a Mies van der Rohe chair by Knoll and a tub filler by Boffi.
Photo: François Dischinger17/47Fireside bathtub
A vintage T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Klismos chair and footstool sit in the Calacatta-marble-clad primary bath of Thomas O’Brien and Dan Fink’s Long Island home. The lighting is by Thomas O’Brien for Visual Comfort, and the tub and fittings are by Waterworks.
18/47Water views
The primary bath of a Southampton, New York, retreat by interior designer David Netto and architect David Hottenroth is pure luxury. We are so ready to soak in the tub while listening to the waves.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna19/47Long Island lavatory
At a Long Island home reimagined by architect Kevin Lindores and designer Daniel Sachs, the walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath the rug is there to soften to the blow when one is forced to leave that beautiful tub.
20/47Parisian powder room
The primary bath of this home outside Paris designed by architect Charles Zana is a marble wonderland! If you’re going to do something, why not commit?
21/47Stunning Manhattan primary bath
At a Manhattan town house renovated by Sawyer | Berson, the primary bath, clad in cipollino marble, is equipped with a circa-1940 hanging light and makes us feel about 10 times more glamorous just looking at it.
22/47Golden Aspen bathroom
The centerpiece of the primary bath at an Aspen, Colorado, home by designer Shawn Henderson and architect Scott Lindenau is a custom-made Japanese soaking tub with Dornbracht fittings. The walls are paneled in Yangtze River limestone.
23/47So crisp, so clean
At a Maine compound by designer Suzanne Kasler and architect Les Cole, the primary bath boasts custom-made mosaic tile by Waterworks and light fixtures from Circa Lighting.
24/47Bold bathroom design
A mix of Ann Sacks surfaces, including a pebble wall covering, brings a warm feel to a guest bath of an Aspen, Colorado, home which was renovated by Stonefox Architects. The tub is perfect for an après ski soak, or thinking about skiing while soaking.
Photo: Thomas Loof25/47Bright and airy
At a Hudson Valley compound by architect Toshiko Mori, the abundant light accentuates all of the gorgeous fittings and fixtures of the bathroom.
26/47Apply a vintage touch
The primary bath of a Hamptons home designed by Steven Gambrel boasts pendant lights by Rejuvenation, a Ralph Lauren Home sconce, and a pair of vintage French chairs from Aero; the sink fittings are by Waterworks. It’s all very Hamptons, isn’t it?
Photo: William Waldron27/47Bathtub with a view
Another one of our favorite bathroom design ideas, this open air washroom boasts a jaw-dropping view of mountains in Aspen, Colorado. Created by architects Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and Shelton, Mindel & Assoc., we’re so jealous we’ve run out of things to say.
Photo: Björn Wallander28/47Tiled simplicity
At a Martha’s Vineyard home designed by Ashe + Leandro, the primary bath’s subway tile, tub, and fittings makes us look at subway tile anew.
Photo: Oberto Gili29/47Martha’s Vineyard primary bath
In one of the primary baths at the Martha’s Vineyard summer home of Lynn Forester de Rothschild and her husband, Sir Evelyn, the tub is equipped with Waterworks fittings; the aluminum Windsor-style chair is a John Vesey design from the Window. The house was renovated by architect Hugh Weisman and decorator Mark Cunningham. Here, the medicine cabinets, tile, and linens all support the room’s all-white look.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn30/47Nashville washroom
At the Nashville home of designer Ray Booth and television executive John Shea, the side table by Eero Saarinen for Knoll will go down as a truly great bathroom flex.
Photo: Björn Wallander31/47London lavatory
An Henri Cartier-Bresson photograph overlooks the primary bath’s Water Monopoly tub at a London penthouse designed by Veere Grenney.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn32/47Classic charm
Paintings of Long Island are grouped in a bath at a Hamptons home decorated by Carrier and Co. creating the sweetest little space.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn33/47Hamptons haven
Moroccan mirrors from Downtown flank a Waterworks tub in the primary bath of a Hamptons home conceived by architect Peter Pennoyer and designer Matthew Patrick Smyth; the tub fittings and towels are also by Waterworks, the side table is by Paul Mathieu for Stephanie Odegard Collection, and the towel stand is by RH.
Photo: Richard Powers34/47Brooklyn bathroom
An abstract mural by Surface & Architecture Workshop distinguishes the primary bath of jewelry designer Ippolita Rostagno’s Brooklyn brownstone.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn35/47Monochrome primary bath
Monochromatic bathroom design ideas are usually stunning, just like this gray one. A Swedish Empire secretary and chair stand in the primary bath of an upstate New York retreat devised by architecture firm Shope Reno Wharton and designer Thom Filicia; the beadboard walls are painted in a Benjamin Moore gray (as are the Feiss ceiling fixtures), and we could probably move into this bathroom right now.
Photo: Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing36/47Midwest-inspired primary bathroom
“I was striving for a sense of place, the spirit of a Midwestern farm,” says architect Margaret McCurry of the Michigan getaway she designed for a Chicago couple. The primary bath, paneled in wood, was inspired by the property’s tree-lined setting, which is showcased through dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows. Situated next to an indoor pool and a glass-block steam room, the space doubles as a shower and changing area for the family and their frequent guests.
Photo: Durston Saylor37/47English meets American
Ralph and Ricky Lauren’s country house in Bedford, New York, celebrates classic English style with an American point of view. The couple’s stately primary bathroom features a fireplace with an 18th-century mantelpiece, and a freestanding marble bathtub. Of course this is what Ralph Lauren’s bathroom looks like.
Photo: Michael Moran38/47Ultra modern primary bath
When designing an extension for a late-19th-century Greenwich home, architect Allan Greenberg and interior decorator Victoria Hagan wanted to create a space that was at once ultramodern and livable. The primary bathroom is just that—a sleek yet inviting, marble-lined retreat. The design team created a sun-splashed room featuring walls painted a soft green and mirrored surfaces that reflect both light and views.
Photo: Robert McLeod39/47Zen bathroom
For a client in Japan, architect Kengo Kuma created a guest bath clad in wooden slats and with a striking window wall that lends the feeling of a tree house. The rectangular tub and basin are made of hiba wood and are offset by a sculptural stool. If you're looking for zen bathroom design ideas, this is definitely something to bookmark.
Photo: Robert Reck40/47Mountain facing primary bathroom
Architect Antoine Predock emphasized crisp lines and angles in the bathroom of a Colorado mountain home. Overlooking a grove of aspens, Predock’s design, composed of teak casework and a maple ceiling, is a rustic oasis with a modern sensibility. The contemporary space celebrates luxe wood surfaces with exquisite dovetail construction, sleek fixtures and fittings, and a blissful forest view.
Photo: Scott Frances41/47Heavenly Nantucket primary bath
“So much of design is knowing when to add and when to take away,” designer Victoria Hagan says. “The fun of it is to find the right balance.” Utilizing clean lines and the symmetry of matching sinks, mirrors, and sconces, Hagan’s bright-white design for a primary bathroom in Nantucket, Massachusetts, is in perfect harmony.
Photo: Zio and Sons Creative42/47A super soaking tub
Ahh. Even just looking at this freestanding tub is relaxing. The slate-tiled shower and black ceiling bring a hefty amount of drama to Michael Bolognino and Nick Spain’s renovated bathroom, while the bathtub serves as a gorgeous focal point. Something for everyone in this bathroom!
Photo: Sean Fennessy43/47Pretty in pink
This modern bathroom in Melbourne, Australia, blends bright white walls with delicious pink accents and drool-worthy tile to create a funky space that doesn’t skimp on storage. The curved cabinet and rounded corners give the bathroom a cool, fluid vibe that surprises and delights.
Photo: Studio Snng44/47A small space saver
This old studio bathroom was dark, cramped, and cavelike. Luckily, architect Aaron Korntreger was on hand to make the most of the small space by opting for white stone and removing the shower door entirely. Post-makeover, the space is bright and inviting and looks about a million times bigger (okay, maybe not a million, but you get it).
Photo: Michelle Young Photography45/47A tile and terrazzo tango
The sink area in this London penthouse mixes affordable terrazzo with more expensive handmade tiles to create tons of texture. But that’s not all! In order to maximize space, the sinks are actually tucked into a wardrobe opposite the rest of the bathroom, creating a totally unique bathroom situation.
46/47Working that wet room
In order to make the most of the space in Dina Hoffer’s prewar bathroom, architect Kevin Greenberg redesigned the room to include a wet room and tub behind steel and glass doors that still let plenty of light flood the space.
Photo: Echo and Earl47/47A perfectly balanced bathroom
The bathroom in Caroline Lee’s getaway in Palm Springs, California, is a lesson in balance. The glass door, white tile, and textured accents play off of the dark tub.
