Bathroom Decor Ideas: How to Upgrade Your Bathroom from Basic to “Boutique Hotel”

Using minimal spend to get maximum impact is the north star of home DIY — and swapping out nicked, rusty, or boring hardware is a great way to make your bathroom feel custom on a budget. Matte black finishes are a very of-the-moment way to bring a contemporary edge to your space, while antique brass offers a more timeless feel.

The collective shift away from all-white-everything has given way to moodier hues throughout the home — including the bathroom. Perhaps it’s opting for some water-resistant wallpaper, or reserving pops of color for towels and accessories. In my case, it was an accent wall to compliment the pale blue tile lining our shower, which did wonders in making the entire space feel more cohesive and intentional.

Take advantage of open wall space for additional storage — and aesthetics. A well-placed floating shelf can serve as the perfect perch for towels or anything that might be cluttering your countertop: cotton swabs, bath accessories, candles, you name it. One of the best things we did in our bathroom was add a few (shallow) glass shelves to the dead space above our toilet.

All those q-tips, cotton pads, and assorted skincare items? Hiding them from view is a surefire way to elevate your space. I like to mix in a few vintage catch-alls and found objects with my more modern storage solutions—an antique apothecary jar alongside a bamboo box, for example.

The reasons to do so abound. The right water filtration system will protect your hair and skin, you’ll get better water pressure, and you might even get a few bonus features thrown in while you're at it. I recently swapped out our generic showerhead for a Hai, which has been a game changer. It’s Bluetooth-connected to an app on my phone, which tells me how much water I’m using (and saving) over time. There’s even a handy light on the shower handle that tells me when the temperature is right to step in, and when it’s time to wrap up. (Not to mention the spa mist feature.)

It’s one of the easiest ways to add some color and character to a room that’s built around functionality. I’ve had Cold Picnic’s one-of-a-kind designs on rotation for years — as a true child of ‘80s and ‘90s aesthetic, they never disappoint.

Aiming for something a little more low-key? This hinoki wood bathmat from Tosaryu naturally repels water, resists rot, and even releases a subtle citrusy scent when wet.

The right indoor plants thrive in this humid environment, especially if it’s relatively well-lit: think ferns, spider plants, or a pet-friendly calathea. If you have limited access to natural light in your space, you might consider a pretty vase of the cut flowers of your choice. Prefer to go functional? I love wrapping eucalyptus around my shower head and setting it to “mist”—the steam picks up the soothing scent, which turns my little bathroom to into my very own sauna-spa.

During my prior life as a beauty editor, I once met with a perfumer whose role was to select signature fragrances and candles for some of the world’s finest boutique hotels — a conversation that left me questioning my entire career path. But I’ll settle for recreating the magic at home, with a well-placed luxury candle on my bathroom counter. Pro tip: Choose a light floral, green, or coastal scent to compliment the humidity of the space. (In my experience, spicy scents can feel heavy and musty.)