Turn Your Bathroom into a Spa

Your bathroom is your sanctuary. It’s a place where you can relax, unwind and indulge as you rejuvenate after a long day. You spend a fair amount of time in there so why not heighten the experience and transform the space into a spa?

Here are a few tips on how to turn your bathroom into a spa…

How to Turn Your Bathroom into a Spa

Take inspiration from spas. A spa bathroom is a space that includes the amenities, aesthetics and design features you’d find in day spas, destination spas and hotel/resort spas. Your initial impressions of what makes a spa a spa are probably based on luxury experiences –  elegant design features, high-quality fixtures and amenities like steam showers, soaking tubs, etc..

From a business standpoint, a spa is an establishment that offers relaxation, beauty treatments and various wellness-focused therapeutic services. To be successful, a spa must operate in an environment that promotes relaxation and enjoyment. Self-care is synonymous with notions of well-being, contentment and even opulence.

So, it’s no surprise that bathroom design trends are taking cues from spas. Spas help us feel relaxed, rejuvenated, pampered and clean. Why not work spa-like amenities into your daily routines and feel refreshed every single day? These rituals can help balance your emotions, reduce stress and improve your mood.

Keep in mind that a spa-worthy atmosphere isn’t limited to your home’s primary bathroom. Any hall bathroom or powder room can cross into spa territory with the right design intentions. Transform your bathrooms into spa-like spaces by focusing on three areas: décor, storage and actual design.

Décor Ideas to Turn Your Bathroom into a Spa

Let’s start with the little things you can do. The right décor can help set a spa vibe. By taking inspiration from some of the world’s top facilities, you can elevate a bathroom from just another room in your house to a mini spa retreat.

Interior design elements can go a long way in the creation of a home spa experience. Choose decor that feels calming and luxurious while establishing a zen-like space.

Here are a few décor ideas to turn your bathroom into your personal oasis:

Define your ideal aesthetic or mood. The first step in creating a spa bathroom is choosing your ideal vibe. This cohesive aesthetic or mood will also guide your remodeling decisions. Do you prefer a minimalistic or an ornate look? Do you gravitate toward color palettes of earth tones, aquamarine schemes, or would you like a darker theme? Would you like your fixtures to accentuate or contrast nicely with your color direction? Sit down with a designer to dial in your preferred aesthetic – this involves colors, textures, patterns and overarching design styles. From here, you can move forward with décor that plays a specific role in a larger design vision.

Create a relaxing atmosphere with artwork. Artwork can make a spa bathroom feel classy and elevated. Many bathrooms include dull white tiles that can feel overly repetitive and even boring. By investing in the right art pieces, you can transform this space while adding visual harmony or a key point of interest. Any artwork can work well for a bathroom, but we recommend professionally framed photographs and prints that mesh with your chosen aesthetic. You can also select stylish sculpture pieces for an even more refined look.

 Use natural materials for décor. Plastic and metallic decorations are not aesthetically ideal for a spa bathroom. We recommend using natural materials like wood, marble, and stone instead. These materials are not only easier to clean, they can last longer than their manmade counterparts. Plus, these materials come in a wide range of hues.

Invest in luxury accessories. A few key amenities can elevate your bathroom from a normal space to a luxurious one. Invest in items like soft, plush towels or a towel warmer. Little accessories can make a major difference when you’re enjoying your spa bathroom.

Add small touches to fill out the space. Add your favorite succulents and philodendrons to create a natural, zen-like atmosphere. A scented candle can offer a soft, relaxing lighting option. Attractive rugs and curtains can further elevate the space and transform your bathroom from boring to beautiful. Interior designers can help you select the right pieces for your space.

Upgrade your toiletries. If you are investing in a home spa, your toiletries should resonate with a luxury experience. Incorporate fine soaps, essential oil diffusors and personal care products made with high-quality ingredients into your bathroom rituals. Adding bath bombs and luxury bath salts to your inventory can take a bathroom experience to the next level.

Storage Ideas to Turn Your Bathroom into a Spa

All spas have one thing in common – a concerted effort to minimize clutter. The right storage can elevate your master bath remodel. By investing in attractive storage options, you can reduce clutter and designate the proper location for each of your items, even if you are working with limited space.

Below are a few ideas to transform your bathroom storage situation:

Reduce visual clutter with ample storage. When you’re expecting a luxury experience, nothing can make you feel more stressed than clutter and disorganization. Reduce visual clutter by keeping as many items off your counters as possible. During your bathroom remodel, make sure to incorporate cabinets, drawers, baskets, mount hooks, and shelves to ensure you have enough storage space. Some furniture can even double as storage.

Get rid of the old stuff. If you have old containers in your bathroom, dispose of them. You want a fresh, luxurious start to your spa experience. For a true, spa-like feel, you’ll need to remove old items or at least edit (pare down) categories of items to make room for your new storage options.

Add a bath caddy. Be careful to avoid throwing functionality out the window in your quest for design serenity. When taking a bath or shower, your wash products should be easily accessible and within reach. Invest in a really nice bath caddy – it’ll help with two elements of the spa experience. First, it’ll get you in the routine of putting away bath products and accessories that perhaps don’t need to be out all the time, especially if your me-time soak involves a lot items but happens infrequently. Second, the act of preparing your bath caddy can be an enjoyable part of the process. Those decisions about bubbles vs. bombs, salts vs. oils, and merlot vs. zinfandel… take your time and relish the preparation process! Also, an elegant bath caddy – tidied up nicely for inbetween-use display – can be a pleasant visual element to add to your spa bathroom’s overall look. Shower caddies are another story – often bland and somehow clutter-prone. We recommend building a shelf or niche into your shower. (More on that below) 

Keep your essentials at the ready. Nothing takes you out of the spa experience like having to dig through cabinets to find your toothpaste. When planning your storage design, make sure to keep your daily essentials in easily accessible features. You can even use certain items as decor pieces rather than keeping them in storage, such as your skincare products.

Design Features to Turn Your Bathroom into a Spa

Finally, the big stuff goes a long way – the right design can help you turn your bathroom into a genuine luxurious spa. Spa facilities vary in terms of size and aesthetics, but they follow similar design strategies. Specifically, they focus on creating calm, rejuvenating spaces.

Consider how a bathroom design refresh in your home can yield a luxurious spa experience every day:

Calming design choices. One of the essential principles of spa design is to use calming colors, patterns, materials, accents and textures. When designing your bathroom, keep calm and design for calm! Choose soft colors, neutrals, or white over bright colors and wild patterns. In its 2023 Design Trends Report, the National Kitchen and Bath Association notes that spa-like baths continue to grow in popularity, with designers reporting an increased use of blues (42 percent) and greens (37 percent) to infuse a sense of calmness and serenity. For the drama and glamor element, spa-minded baths often  include metallics with little to no shine. Matte or brushed finishes are most common.

 You might be surprised how the right simple tile, tile pattern or motif involving simple and intricate tile can evoke the kind of luxury atmosphere you want. Find a gorgeous quartzite, some other natural stone, or an exquisite manufactured stone in the right colors with just the right amount of gradient or movement and let that inspire your entire remodel. Spa-worthy bathrooms often use quality stone for more than just countertops. They also look great and evoke the right feel when used as floors, back splashes, tub decks, shower walls, shower shelves and more. If you want a bold, exciting color or pattern, consider implementing an accent wall versus using it as the main bathroom design. Feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought of navigating so many materials, options and materials providers? Don’t worry – our designers are ready to help!

 Upgrade your shower. Your shower can be your own personal oasis inside a spa bathroom. Luxury-minded shower features include spa-type showerheads (gentle aeration, waterfall, massage, extra-wide, multi-function, etc.) and rainfall systems (with or without LED lights). There are also home steam shower systems that rival anything you’ll find at retreat spa. Now imagine having all of this in an integrated smart system. That’s right – you can program your shower temperature, pressure and start time settings in advance or operate everything from your phone. Who doesn’t want to fire up from their spa shower from the bed and then saunter in there without having to adjust a single thing? 

Put a bench in the shower. Let’s be honest, not being able to sit down in your shower keeps your shower from being a better shower. Benches provide a welcome place to sit back and relax. Imagine being able to enjoy the process of shaving your legs. Benches make showering easier, less stressful and even safer. Plus, some benches include heating elements and can warm you up when it’s cold. We recently won an award with a spa-worthy bathroom design that included a floating shower bench.

Upgrade your tub. Maybe the elegant simplicity of a freestanding tub is perfect for your desired design aesthetic and bathing/relaxation experience. Or maybe a drop-in tub with a spacious deck is what will take your primary bath to the next level. Tubs comes in all manner of sizes with many options in terms of shape, material and jets. In terms of tub faucets, consider how a sleek gooseneck faucet or a waterfall design can complement the look and experience you have in mind. Many of our customer opt for a freestanding faucet design and sometimes prefer features like an accompanying handshower or a high-flow valve system.

Upgrade your mirror. There are many options available, including mirrors with frames, anti-fog technology, and built-in lights. Backlit designs seem to be particularly popular right now

Install creative towel storage. There are many options for storing your towels in an attractive, stylish way. In fact, the right towel storage can turn your linens into attractive visual décor. You can break free from the traditional towel rack with a mounted shelf by installing a niche or other types of displays.

Install strategic shelving. The right shelving can make a major difference in the bathroom. If you are working with a small bathrom, strategic shelving can help you create a stylish, organized space. You can take advantage of nooks and crannies to open up new storage options. Many of our customers want us to create built-in niches that are ideal for décor or daily-use items. Niches are also handy in showers – they create tidy shelf space for soap dishes and personal care products. They can be discreet, too – toilet paper niches are quite popular. Our most talked-about luxury bath niche as of late is what we’ve heard many people refer to as a “stroke of genius” – it houses an espresso machine. What a way to start the day! 

Choose the right lighting. Instead of relying on harsh fluorescents, implement softer and more delicate lighting fixtures in your bathroom. There are many lighting options for spa bathrooms, from hanging lamps to vanity lights. You can also install a lighting system that dims and stores various mood settings.

Craft a relaxing sonic experience. –Build speakers into the room so you can listen to calming music while you indulge in your favorite bathroom rituals.

Time to Turn Your Bathroom into a Spa

Designing a spa bathroom and reaping the many benefits they offer is something you deserve. Our customers tell us that, once installed and woven into their daily routines, they wish they had done it sooner. Everyone deserves to feel pampered – why not bring the spa to your own home?

Ready to get started on your bathroom design? Request a design consultation today to learn how our client-focused design team can help you achieve your own bathroom spa.

About Drury Design Kitchen and Bath Studio

Founded by Gail Drury, CMKBD in 1987, Drury Design’s Client-Focused Design™ approach integrates design recommendations, materials selection, and construction management into one seamless customer design, project management, and build experience. For kitchen, bath, and home remodeling ideas view Drury Design’s design portfolio or stop by the studio at 512 N. Main Street in downtown Glen Ellyn, Illinois.