As an interior designer based in New York City, I’ve worked on countless bathroom renovations for clients, but nothing prepared me for the lessons I learned while redoing mine.
Redesigning my bathroom taught me that even with expert knowledge, practical considerations sometimes take a backseat to aesthetics.
I spent months planning and earned $13,000 to renovate my bathroom last spring, and while it’s beautiful, I have four regrets.
Here’s what I’d do differently next time and what you should know before spending five figures on your next bathroom remodel.
Built-in shower niche looks good but is not practical
Built-in shower niches can look elegant. Mina Lisanin
I was excited to incorporate a built-in shower niche into my bathroom. It looked incredibly stylish and added a modern touch to the shower area.
However, the reality of using this feature did not meet my expectations.
The niche, while aesthetically pleasing and minimalist, turned out to not be spacious enough to accommodate all of my toiletries and shower essentials.
Pinterest-worthy bathrooms and hotels fill these niches with cute refillable shampoo bottles to keep them aesthetically pleasing. But I quickly realized that my shower routine required a lot more products that weren’t as pretty, but I didn’t want my niche to look like a shelf at TJ Maxx. In hindsight, I should have considered larger or multiple niches to better suit my needs.
Another problem with the shower niche is maintenance. It needs to be cleaned after every shower to prevent mold buildup. This extra step adds to my cleaning routine, making it more complicated than I initially anticipated.
Not adding storage above the toilet was a missed opportunity
I wish my bathroom had more storage. Mina Lisanin
When designing my bathroom, I wanted a clean wall above the toilet to keep it looking clean and open. Although this decision was driven by aesthetics, it did not take practicality into account.
I opted for a two-drawer dresser from Ikea to meet all my storage needs, but it’s not enough. The limited storage space has forced me to leave some items out in the open, which contradicts my goal of having a minimalist and tidy bathroom.
Installing shelves or cabinets above the toilet could have provided much-needed additional storage without compromising the overall design.
Simple glass shower panel is beautiful but impractical
The glass panel can be annoying to clean. Mina Lisanin
The single glass shower panel was another option that appealed to my design sensibilities. It gave the bathroom a sleek, open feel and looked fantastic. However, it is not the most practical feature for everyday use.
Cleaning the individual glass pane is particularly difficult. To avoid water stains and soap residue, it is necessary to clean it regularly.
The biggest drawback, however, is that cleaning it often causes it to get wet again after a shower. A full cabinet or even a double panel might have been a more practical option, balancing form and function.
A deeper bathtub would have been a better investment.
I wish my tub wasn’t so shallow so it felt more luxurious. Mina Lisanin
A real estate agent once told me that having a tub in the bathroom could add more value to my home than a walk-in shower.
This advice, combined with my love for the occasional bubble bath, led me to include a bathtub in the remodel. However, I regret that I opted for a superficial one.
Although the tub is perfect for my once-a-year bubble bath, it is not deep enough to give me the luxurious bathing experience I had envisioned.
As someone who primarily showers, the shallow tub doesn’t have much use, and when it does, it feels inadequate. A deeper bathtub would have been a better investment, offering a more satisfying soak and potentially increasing the bathroom’s appeal to future buyers.
In general, consider more than just aesthetics when designing a space.
If you’re planning a bathroom renovation, do it with an interior design expert—think beyond appearance and prioritize how a space will function for you on a daily basis.
This way, you can avoid some of the mistakes I found and create a bathroom that is both beautiful and practical.
