Ever find yourself in a hotel bathroom in the middle of the night — say 2 AM, while you’re brushing your teeth in your pajamas — and wonder how on earth everything looks so luxurious? Last spring, I experienced that feeling after staying in a boutique hotel in Bath. The walls were charcoal, they had a rainfall showerhead that actually worked correctly, and even the towels were hung better than in my house.
Fast forward a few months. I’m scrolling through photos of my builder-grade master bath — complete with beige walls, beige cabinets, and fluorescent lighting — when I had an epiphany: I could have that bathroom-feels-like-a-lofty hotel vibe without refinancing my house. Let’s be clear: Luxury doesn’t have to mean thousand-dollar marble countertops (though that is nice).
But rather, cherishing the little things that allow you to feel pampered each day you step into your bathroom. It took me six months, some serious DIY’ing, late-night shopping excursions, and a few bouts of “what the heck was I thinking?” moments to achieve the bathroom of my dreams.
Now when I walk into my bathroom each morning, I can’t help but smile!
Let’s start with the big splurges, because these will set the tone for your bathroom reno. First up: shower hardware. I dropped £280 on a rainfall shower head with adjustable pressure.
I know… outrageous spending for something you’ll use twice a day! Hear me out. My previous shower head barely trickled water, so taking showers — particularly washing my hair — felt like a punishment.
But since installing my new rainfall shower head, stepping into the shower each morning feels like a spa treatment. Which sets the tone for my entire day. The second area I splurged on was lighting.
This is where most people go wrong. Instead of having one overhead fixture, opt for two wall-mounted sconces on each side of your mirror, plus a small pendant light next to your shower. My lighting upgrade cost me £320, but holy smokes does it make a difference.
Say goodbye to harsh fluorescent lighting that makes you and your family look like extras from a zombie apocalypse film. And say hello to gorgeous, flattering light each morning. Paint was one of the best ways I found to mimic that luxe hotel bathroom look.
I painted my accent wall behind the vanity Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe, which is a gorgeous charcoal color. The paint itself retails for £45 a tin… which stings. But!
I only needed two tins to paint that one accent wall. The other walls in my bathroom are painted a warm white I found at Homebase for £18 a tin. Trust me when I say no one guesses you didn’t paint the entire room that expensive shade.
OK, now for the money-saving tricks that don’t make your bathroom look cheap. Out went my builder-grade vanity. Instead of spending £800 on a new vanity, I painted my old one to match the charcoal accent wall.
Then, I swapped out the old hardware for brushed brass pulls I found at my local trade store. That swap cost me £65 versus hundreds for a new vanity. My mother- in-law even asked me where I bought my “beautiful new cabinet.” Mirrors are another game-changing bathroom hack.
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Of course, you can buy one large mirror to cover your space. But I found two small round mirrors with thin brass frames at my local vintage shop for £35 each. Hang them side by side for a more customized look than your typical rectangular mirror.
Don’t feel like you have to invest in a brand-new flooring to recreate that hotel vibe. I wanted to use large-format tiles, but those can cost upwards of £60 a square meter. Instead, I found ceramic tiles that mimic Carrara marble for £22 a square meter.
The tip? Have them laid with very little grout lines in between and use a grout color that’s almost see-through. Trust me, no one will know unless they’re kneeling on the ground next to your toilet with a magnifying glass.
I love open shelves in bathrooms to keep that clutter-free, luxe hotel look. But you don’t have to break the bank replacing your cabinets with fancy ones either! Use hidden brackets to hang floating shelves (£45 for three shelves) and store all your lotions and potions in cute glass containers from IKEA that only cost me £3 each.
Suddenly your stash of seemingly random bottles and tubes looks curated and spa-worthy versus chaotic and cluttered. If your towels don’t feel luxurious, spend the extra money on two fabulous bath sheets in a pretty shade — I chose sage green and spent £35 on each — and fill your linen closet with more affordable hand towels that match. OK, now for my confession.
I originally planned to buy an expensive fiddle leaf fig plant and place it in a cute corner of my bathroom. However, I learned the hard way that fiddle leaf figs don’t do well in extra humid environments. So instead, pick a house plant that loves bathrooms like a ZZ plant (my favorite), found here for £18.
Throw it in a basic ceramic planter and voila. Mine was not. The good news is, after failing miserably and spending three weeks trying to install the tile myself (YouTube University did not have answers that applied to me), I hired a professional who did it in two days.
Learning on your own will cost you about £0 but hiring a professional to regrout your shower tiles will run you about £400. Believe me, it’s worth the money to have it done correctly the first time. If you have the extra funds, I highly recommend installing a lighting timer.
It was one of my favorite updates that cost me almost nothing yet feels incredibly luxurious.
For £25, I had an electrician come install a smart switch that slowly turns on the lights each morning and vice versa in the evening. It may sound like complete nonsense, but I promise you’ll notice the difference!
Impressively, I haven’t spent a single penny backtracking on any of these purchases. My total bathroom overhaul was right around £1,400. And I literally DREAM about taking showers each morning because my bathroom now feels tranquil and downright luxurious.
Sure, we could have stopped at a total spend of £800…but then we wouldn’t be talking about my rainfall shower head and lighting would we? My advice? Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Splurge on the changes that will impact how you feel each morning when you walk into your bathroom. For me, that meant investing in a few high-impact details that elevate my entire space. You don’t need a massive budget to achieve your dream bathroom.
But budgeting wisely and spending money on what matters to YOU is key!
