5 Ways to Refresh the Look of Your Bathroom

As first time homebuyers, we are getting ready to start furnishing our house…and going from a one bedroom apartment in NYC to a five bedroom home in the ‘burbs, we have a lot of work to do! We aren’t decorating the whole place immediately, and in the same spirit, I’ve been attacking decor inspiration room-by-room as well…I could not have more Pinterest boards going right now!

Bathrooms are spaces that can often make a big statement by refreshing a couple key components. Together with Joss & Main, I pulled together a few of my favorite pieces as inspiration for our guest bathroom design. Joss & Main has some amazing features on their site that allow you to plan a room or save ideas to a sortable inspo board! The “List” tool helped me visually see different pieces together so I could start to create a cohesive look for my space, try it out, it’s so helpful! I want a classic, sophisticated feel for our guest bath, and will be focusing on 5 key areas, check out my tips for refreshing your bathroom below!

Update & Match the Hardware

double vanity | faucet | toilet tissue holder | double towel bar | shower curtain hooks

If you can swing replacing an outdated vanity, it’s an item that has a huge impact. A bathroom generally isn’t a very large space, but the vanity can take up a good portion of it. A new vanity like this gorgeous double sink one really makes a statement, but has a classic look that won’t go out of style.

If replacing the vanity isn’t in the cards, you can always opt to refresh the vanity’s paint with a new shade or switch out the countertop. However, through some of the work we’ve been doing in our house, multiple contractors have told us it would probably be more cost effective to actually order and install a new vanity versus painting and changing the counter of an old one, so just make sure you do your homework!

Having a fresh faucet can really make a difference as well. Some vanities don’t actually come with the faucet pictured, so double check to see if you need to get a separate one as well. I’m really into the widespread vintage looking ones like this!

Changing out vanity hardware is so simple and can really change the look as well. This can be a super cost effective way to update the feel in your bathroom, and a quick DIY project! Check out some of these gorgeous pulls and knobs for inspiration!

Other hardware around your bathroom can probably use an update as well, I know ours sure can! There are so many beautiful designs out there and these items are usually easy enough for anyone to change on their own. I’ve been toying with the idea of all the “all gold” hardware look, because it’s so gorgeous, but for this bathroom refresh I think I’m going to stick with polished chrome in the hopes that it won’t go out of style as quickly. Think about the hardware around your bathroom that you’d need to replace, the toilet tissue holder (this UPRIGHT one is to die for!), any towel bars or rings, and perhaps some shower curtain hooks.

When picking out a faucet and hardware, be sure to either match the finish OR pick complimentary finishes. Also keep in mind any lighting or mirror finishes you might have as well! (See my next section!)

Install Lighting and Mirrors That Make a Difference

vanity light | gold leaf mirror

Another area that really elevates a bathroom’s look is its lighting and mirrors. When you or anyone else is in your bathroom they are DEFINITELY looking at that mirror, so make sure they like what they see with a pretty mirror and some flattering lighting!

A lot of our bathrooms have those wall-to-wall unframed mirrors that don’t do much for the overall appeal of the bathroom. One quick and cost-effective fix is to frame out the mirror with molding, however, I am really looking forward to taking out that one huge mirror and replacing it with two smaller mirrors, one over each faucet of the double vanity. I’m obsessed with this gold leaf mirror, and think two would look amazing side-by-side over a vanity!

I essentially want to replace ALL of the light fixtures in our new home, and the ones in bathroom are no exception. Having an attractive lighting solution makes the whole space. I’ve been debating between installing three sconces, two on the outsides of the mirrors and one in between them because I adore that look, but I think I’m going to go with these two three-bulb vanity lights instead just to make sure the lighting is good enough for someone to do their makeup!

Notice here, I matched the finish of the lighting to my faucet and hardware, but did NOT match the finish of the mirror. Since I didn’t choose a wood finish mirror, I wanted to add a little contrast to break up the metal between the faucet and the lighting, so I went with the gold leaf instead of the polished chrome like the faucet and light fixture.

Create a Statement Wall

vintage print | wallpaper

Even in a small bathroom, you can create interest by making a statement wall. I’m all about a clean, simple look so one way I would do this is to wallpaper just one wall. This could be the wall behind the mirror and vanity, or maybe behind the toilet, it depends on how your bathroom is set up. I chose a dark blue wallpaper with a slightly abstract pattern, so it’s not too busy, but still draws your eye in. Adding a fun bath-inspired vintage print can finish off that statement wall.

Get Fresh Linens

hand towel | bath rug | towel set | tassel shower curtain

Nothing says “old bathroom” like ratty towels. This is probably the quickest and easiest way to spruce up a bathroom…get new towels, bath rugs, and shower curtains. I love this Turkish hand towel with three simple stripes for a clean look. If you know me and my love for all white home decor, you know then that I pretty much only use white towels. I love being able to bleach things, and they won’t get permanently discolored from any makeups or face creams. This classic set is fresh and luxe. And I love this spa bath rug, it’s plush and extra long to fit the length of the bath. A shower curtain is where I like to add A LITTLE bit of detail, and nothing is more perfect for my space than this tassel one (it comes in so many colors too!)

Create a Cohesive Look with Accessories

Bathroom accessories are another easy and immediate change. I like to mix and match from different collections rather than buy all five pieces of one pattern or theme, but everyone has their own style! I’m obsessed with all things blue & white, and ginger jar inspired patterns are no exception! However, because this is a busy pattern, getting too many pieces from this collection might be overkill. So, I’m pairing a few items with that motif like this tray, and this wastebasket, and these jars, with a few complimentary pieces like this soap dispenser, this tissue box cover, and this laundry hamper.

I love having fresh flowers in my bathroom, especially in a guest bath. It’s my finishing touch to make sure a bathroom really feels reFRESHed. These jars could be used as apothecary jars OR they could double as vases for a gorgeous bouquet white of hydrangeas or peonies. Sometimes, fresh blooms aren’t always going to happen, so I also like to put a boxwood or two in a bathroom (I’m obsessed with having them all over my house) to give the space some life. Boxwoods are preserved topiaries that require NO upkeep…amazing! This double ball boxwood would be perfect for a bathroom countertop to finish off the space!

This post was made in collaboration with Joss & Main, the opinions and text are all mine.

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