Skip to content

Top Navigation

Better Homes & Gardens
Better Homes & Gardens
  • Gardening
  • Home Improvement Ideas
  • Cleaning and Organizing
  • Recipes and Cooking
  • Decorating
  • Holidays
  • Rooms
  • Shopping
  • News

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin

Explore Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes & Gardens
Better Homes & Gardens
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Only Weed Identification Guide You'll Ever Need: 33 Common Weedy Plants to Watch For

      The Only Weed Identification Guide You'll Ever Need: 33 Common Weedy Plants to Watch For

      Don't let these pesky plants crash your garden party! The first step is to know your enemy. Then you'll know the best way to deal with your weed problem. Read More
    • 6 Small Steps You Can Take Today to Get Organized for Good

      6 Small Steps You Can Take Today to Get Organized for Good

      A professional organizer offers advice on how to tidy up your home without feeling overwhelmed. Read More
    • 5 Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients to Add to Your Smoothie for a Healthy Boost

      5 Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients to Add to Your Smoothie for a Healthy Boost

      Anti-inflammatory smoothies do exist! Instead of blending in boatloads of sugar and artificial ingredients, try these smoothies for inflammation that are stoked with ingredients that may help lower your risk for chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, depression, and more. Read More
  • Gardening

    Gardening

    See All Gardening
    4 DIY Seed-Starting Pots You Can Make With Items You Already Have

    4 DIY Seed-Starting Pots You Can Make With Items You Already Have

    Upcycle old newspapers, junk mail, and other waste paper to make these easy, eco-friendly containers you can use to sprout new plants for your garden.
    • Flowers
    • Houseplants
    • Plant Encyclopedia
    • Garden Pests
    • Trees, Shrubs & Vines
    • Caring for Your Yard
    • Edible Gardening
    • Garden Design
    • Gardening By Region
    • Landscaping
  • Home Improvement Ideas

    Home Improvement Ideas

    See All Home Improvement Ideas
    What Style Is Your House? The 10 Most Popular House Styles Explained

    What Style Is Your House? The 10 Most Popular House Styles Explained

    With so many types of house styles, narrowing the list down to your favorite can be overwhelming. We'll show you the top 10 most popular house styles, including Cape Cod, country French, Colonial, Victorian, Tudor, Craftsman, cottage, Mediterranean, ranch, and contemporary. Here's how to tell the differences between each architectural style.
    • Home Exteriors
    • DIY Home Electrical Tips & Guides
    • Outdoor Structures
    • Home Remodeling
    • Plumbing Installations & Repairs
    • Remodeling Advice & Planning
    • Flooring
    • Lighting
    • Decks
    • Porches
  • Cleaning and Organizing

    Cleaning and Organizing

    See All Cleaning and Organizing
    A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To

    A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To

    Cleaning your home doesn't have to be a daunting, time-consuming chore. The key to managing household duties quickly and efficiently is to design an easy-to-follow routine that includes all the most important tasks. Follow these step-by-step instructions for creating a customized whole-home cleaning schedule.
    • House Cleaning
    • Laundry & Linens
    • Cleaning Tips
    • Closet Organization
    • Organization Tips
    • Kitchen Storage Organization
  • Recipes and Cooking

    Recipes and Cooking

    See All Recipes and Cooking
    21 Essential Baking Tools Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 That Are Nice to Have)

    21 Essential Baking Tools Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 That Are Nice to Have)

    If you're a beginner baker who's just starting out (or a master chef looking to declutter), start with this list of baking tool must-haves. We'll help you set up a baking essentials kit for beginners with 21 pastry tools. For those who already own these handy tools, this list may finally provide the motivation you need to toss that never-been-used soufflé dish. Building your essential baking tools and equipment inventory starts here.
    • How to Cook
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Fish Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch
    • Dinner Recipes & Meal Ideas
    • Ethnic Food
  • Decorating

    Decorating

    See All Decorating
    7 Interior Design Trends Everyone Will Be Trying in 2021, According to Experts

    7 Interior Design Trends Everyone Will Be Trying in 2021, According to Experts

    Designers weigh in on the most popular decorating styles, colors, and materials you can look forward to in the coming year.
    • Choosing Color
    • Expert Decorating Advice
    • Fireplace Design Ideas
    • Do It Yourself Magazine
    • Window Treatments
    • Styles & Decor
    • Interior Painting
    • Home Makeovers
    • Small-Space Decorating
    • Traditional Home
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    International Women's Day: The Powerful Story Behind This 111-Year-Old Tradition

    International Women's Day: The Powerful Story Behind This 111-Year-Old Tradition

    What began as a small movement, has grown into a global holiday dedicated to celebrating the strong women in our communities.
    • Valentine's Day
    • Mother's Day
    • Easter
    • Father's Day
    • Fourth of July/Memorial Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year's
    • Juneteenth
    • Hanukkah
  • Rooms

    Rooms

    See All Rooms
    Living Room Furniture Arrangement Ideas

    Living Room Furniture Arrangement Ideas

    Get tips for arranging living room furniture in a way that creates a comfortable and welcoming environment and makes the most of your space.
    • Bedroom Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Bathroom Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Kitchen Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Living Room Decorating and Design
    • Dining Room
    • Home Office
    • Kid's Rooms
    • Baby Nursery
  • Shopping
  • News

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. BHG.com
  2. Home Improvement Ideas
  3. Home Remodeling
  4. Bathroom Planning
  5. Tips for Designing Your Dream Bathroom

Tips for Designing Your Dream Bathroom

Caitlin Sole headshot
By Caitlin Sole
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin FB
Shower and window treatment

Keep these design tips and ideas in mind as you plan your dream bathroom. Discover the best layouts, the spa-like features to add, and the color palette that will soothe you after a long day.

Start Slideshow

1 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Plan an Efficient Layout

Bathroom Window Treatment

Even the dreamiest bathroom has to deal with plumbing drains, water lines, and vent stacks. Bathroom floor plans generally fall into one-, two- or three-wet-wall layouts. A one-wall layout lines up the sink, toilet, and shower along one wall as in this bathroom. It's the most cost-effective design, but it's also the most limiting.

  • Get tips from the pros in the FREE Bathroom Planning Guide.

1 of 17

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Layouts to Try

Small Bathroom Decorating

A two-wall layout gives you more flexibility. The sink and toilet can be plumbed on one wall and the tub and shower on the other. The three-wall layout is the most versatile and also the most complicated and expensive. Working with a certified bathroom designer or architect can help you avoid costly mistakes and make the best use of space.

2 of 17

3 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Consider the Sink

Smart Style

Integral bathroom sinks (one piece with the vanity counter) and undermount bathroom sinks make it easy to wipe messes from the counter into the sink. Self-rimming bathroom sinks, on the other hand, are the most economical and the easiest to install, but the perimeter lip can collect grime.

  • Have a stress-free bathroom remodel with this guide.

3 of 17

Advertisement

4 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Design a Bathroom Lighting Plan

Bathroom Lighting

The most critical area for bathroom lighting is the mirror. Ideally you should have wall-mount lights at each side of the mirror at about eye level, with a third light above the mirror. This arrangement illuminates your face from both sides and above, eliminating shadows.

4 of 17

5 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

General Lighting Tips

Bathroom Lighting

For general bathroom lighting, use ceiling-mounted fixtures or add style and mood with chandeliers or pendant lights. Enclosed showers and tubs usually require enclosed vapor-proof downlights. Accent lights can spotlight a collection or an architectural feature and contribute sparkle and mood.

5 of 17

6 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Make a Statement with the Tub

bathroom

Bathtubs are the natural focal point of a bathroom and have a powerful impact on the decorating style. Freestanding bathtubs may rest on claw-and-ball feet or a pedestal base (like this one) or they may be streamlined and straight-sided like a piece of sculpture.

6 of 17

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

More Bathtub Tips

tile

A platform bathtub has an unfinished exterior and drops into a supporting boxlike structure. The top or decking is usually a waterproof material such as tile, marble, or limestone, and the sides may be paneled in wood or covered in tile or stone to match the decking. Whichever type you choose, you can opt for a soaking tub or a whirlpool tub to maximize your relaxation the bath.

7 of 17

8 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Design a Spa Shower

bathroom

Luxury showers replicate the spa-resort experience in a dream bathroom. Plan on a variety of spray heads. Ceiling-mounted rain shower showerheads soak you from above, while body sprays (vertical rows of showerheads) create a crisscross pattern for a water massage. Handheld showerheads allow you to direct the spray for washing your hair, rinsing off, or even cleaning out the shower stall. For a custom-made stall, choose your favorite waterproof material to cover walls, floors, and ceiling. Frameless glass doors showcase stunning tilework, like the marble shower shown here.

  • Get ideas for a two-person shower.

8 of 17

9 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Express Your Style with Cabinetry

bathroom

The modest single-sink vanity cabinet has given way to a host of options, from double-sink vanities to custom storage hutches and wall-mounted cabinets. Bathroom cabinetry merges form and function and carries the style statement you want to make, whether it's contemporary, traditional, vintage, or Old World.

9 of 17

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cabinetry Buying Tips

bathroom

As with kitchen cabinets, you can purchase bathroom cabinets in stock units or with semicustom options, or you can have them custom-designed and built. Stock cabinets are typically least expensive and custom the most expensive, with price ranges for each depending on the material, construction, finish, and accessories.

  • Get the FREE Planning Guide.

10 of 17

11 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Select Flooring

bathroom

Bathroom floors need to be hardworking, impervious to water, and slip-resistant--but they also need to be attractive. The most luxurious choices are stone tiles and ceramic tiles, but highly polished stone is slippery when wet. Choose a honed flooring finish for better traction.

  • Discover the best flooring for you. Take this quiz!

11 of 17

12 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Easy to Care For Floors

bathroom

Ceramic tiles rated "impervious" are the most waterproof and are ideal for bathroom use. Tiles designed for floors are extremely durable; they resist water, stains, and wear, and are easy to care for. Select tiles with a slip-resistant finish and seal all grout, because otherwise it's difficult to clean.

12 of 17

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pamper Yourself with Amenities

Bathroom

To make your dream bathroom an in-home retreat, include features that take it from utilitarian to pampering.

* A gas-insert fireplace communicates that this is a place to linger.

* In-floor radiant heating takes the chill off of stone or tile floors.

* Television, sound systems, and a beverage center will make your primary bathroom so comfortable, you may never want to leave.

13 of 17

14 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Create Mood with Color

bathroom

Color has the power to energize and to soothe, to wake you up and calm you down. Consider the mood you want to evoke before selecting your palette of materials. As you develop your bathroom color scheme, remember that color comes from more than wall paint and fabric. The hues in the cabinetry wood and in the stone or tile you choose for floors and walls play a major role in creating an overall color personality. Even the sink and tub contribute to the bathroom color scheme, whether they're made of white porcelain, dyed concrete, or stone.

14 of 17

15 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Add Softness with Window Treatments

Bathroom Window Treatment

Bathrooms are mostly hard surfaces, so dressing the windows with fabric allows an opportunity to add softness and absorb sound. The treatments also let you introduce color and pattern. Bathroom window treatments should resist moisture and humidity, and they usually need to provide privacy and light control. That's why simple shades, blinds, and shutters are the most popular bathroom window treatments.

15 of 17

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Window Treatment to Try

Shower and window treatment

Valances, balloon shades, and modified Roman shades also work. Depending on the layout of your bathroom, even draperies can provide a frame for your windows. Consider using the new all-weather acrylic fabrics to make bathroom window treatments. Designed for outdoor use, they're moisture and mildew-resistant and come in an expanding range of interior-quality patterns and colors.

16 of 17

17 of 17

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bonus: Tips from Designers

Discover the luxurious ideas from designers to help you create your dream bathroom.

17 of 17

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Caitlin Sole

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 17 Plan an Efficient Layout
    2 of 17 Layouts to Try
    3 of 17 Consider the Sink
    4 of 17 Design a Bathroom Lighting Plan
    5 of 17 General Lighting Tips
    6 of 17 Make a Statement with the Tub
    7 of 17 More Bathtub Tips
    8 of 17 Design a Spa Shower
    9 of 17 Express Your Style with Cabinetry
    10 of 17 Cabinetry Buying Tips
    11 of 17 Select Flooring
    12 of 17 Easy to Care For Floors
    13 of 17 Pamper Yourself with Amenities
    14 of 17 Create Mood with Color
    15 of 17 Add Softness with Window Treatments
    16 of 17 Window Treatment to Try
    17 of 17 Bonus: Tips from Designers

    Share & More

    Tweet Email Send Text Message
    • Better Homes & Gardens BHG Logo Products at Walmart
    • Better Homes & Gardens BHG Real Estate Real Estate Services
    Better Homes & Gardens

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Better Homes & Gardens
    • Help
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithBH&G is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Better Homes & Gardens. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.bhg.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Tips for Designing Your Dream Bathroom
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.