Bathroom Styles

Like any room in your house, your bathroom has a distinct style. If you are planning to change the appearance of a bathroom, you want to consider what style best suits you and blends with the rest of your home. When deciding on a bathroom style, you may also want to consider the primary user: a child's bathroom will be different than a master, which will differ from a guest bathroom. The size of the bathroom may also limit style options, as certain styles do not lend themselves to a small bathroom.

5 popular bathroom styles

1. Contemporary/modern: Incorporates clean geometric shapes and unusual wash basins; white or solid color bathroom cabinets; tile or marble floors and countertops; plenty of glass and chrome.
2. Country/cottage: Vintage fixtures, wainscoting, hardwood floors, traditional cabinets and vintage accessories. Claw-foot tubs are popular with these styles.
3. Traditional: A formal look with classical details using dark wood finishes, classic wallpaper patterns, vintage fixtures, natural stone floors and countertops.
4. Vintage: Ornate fixtures, claw-foot tubs, old-fashioned cabinets, window coverings and wallpaper. Other antique touches include lighting and furniture. This style may evoke any era from the 1920s to the 1980s.
5. Eclectic: Various bathroom styles blended to suit your taste. Elements might be drawn from European, traditional, country, vintage or modern design.

In addition to these popular design styles, there are also some that could be called sub-categories: Tuscan, Georgian, Victorian, Southwest, Western, Craftsman and French Provincial, for example. Bathroom renovation done right, considers how architecture and design complement one another.

You can find bathroom cabinets, countertops, lighting fixtures, faucets, tubs and mirrors at major home improvement stores, boutique kitchen and bathroom showrooms, and on the Internet.

Your bathroom renovation project

Once you have determined a style for your bathroom, it is time to execute your bathroom remodel. Depending on your budget and ambition, your bathroom's facelift might include new paint or wallpaper, refaced cabinets or accent lighting--maybe even all four. Or you can gut the bathroom to the walls and create a brand-new space.

Paint, wallpaper, even refacing cabinets, you can probably accomplish on your own. Replumbing, rewiring or remodeling a bathroom may require a contractor with specialties in those areas. You can get an estimate from a local contractor by filling out the form on this page.