No-Reno Updates for a Warmer, More Personal Bathroom

The last room I decorated in my builder grade apartment was my bathroom. I put it off for so long because I felt helpless to change the things that really bothered me – the awful ridged grey tiles that catch every spec of dust, lack of natural light (and harsh overhead lighting), bland fixtures, lifeless black cabinet, I could go on.

One day I had an epiphany that I could transform the whole look and feel with just decor and styling. In essence, I followed the advice I’d give anyone else – if you don’t like something in your home, do something about it. In this case, I couldn’t rip out the bathroom with a big reno because I’m a renter, but I could enhance (or distract from) what’s already there – you can see the before/after here.

Following the advice of Rita Konig, my approach with bathrooms is to treat them like any other room. The right styling elements can soften the sterility of tile and ceramic and introduce warmth and personality, whether by embracing bold color and pattern or opting for a clean look. The details make the difference. The result is a place you actually want to spend time.

Here’s the simple styling formula you can follow to transform any bathroom, builder-grade, old and shabby, just not to your taste, or otherwise. See below for examples for each component and curated decor you can use to customize your own.

Statement textile
The single highest-impact update is a textile — something with enough visual real estate to shift the whole room’s feel on its own. In contrast to the cold sterility of typical bathrooms, textiles offer softness and warmth via pattern, color, or simply just texture.

• Shower curtain

• Window shades

• Area rug, like a proper decorative rug, separate from a bath mat

• Sink skirt

A great textile moment goes a long way on its own — but there are more layers to make the formula your own below.