Adding a touch of glam to your bathroom doesn’t necessarily require a floor-to-ceiling makeover.
Consider some of these aesthetic touches for a more luxurious looking bathroom, offering maximum effect for minimal effort.
1. Update your tapware
While you will need a plumber, updating your tapware is an easy and highly effective way to add a touch of glam to your bathroom.
To get the right look, consider starting with a moodboard or Pinterest page. You can then decide which style of tapware suits best.
Update your tapware to something with a bit more style. Picture: ABI
“While a small detail, the style of your tapware is a building block to help express your style scheme,” ABI Interiors co-founder and product designer, Luli Farrell explains.
“We generally recommend geometrically shaped mixers for more contemporary bathrooms, i.e. the circular shape of our Milani mixer range. For something more soft but still elegant, our Barre and Elysian mixers would work well.”
Luli also encourages measuring up your space and thinking about size to avoid taps that don’t fit or look out of place.
“Think about the size of your bathroom,” she adds. “Can the dimensions of the products fit? For example, a compact bathroom or powder room may feel disproportionate when using regular sized spouts.”
2. Invest in your towels
If it’s been a while since you’ve replaced your towels (we include hand towels and bath mats under this umbrella), you’ll be surprised at how they can change your space.
For a good quality set – that is good looking and good feeling – you’re looking at around $40-$60 per bath towel, (more if you want the larger, more luxurious ‘bath sheet’).
However, there are plenty of inexpensive alternatives on the market that have enough to offer in terms of comfort, eco-friendliness and style.
3. Think about your storage
Clutter is the enemy of a luxe look. So, if your floor, vanity or shelves are littered with items, start thinking of clever ways to organise and store them.
Do you need some organising trays for your drawers, or can you fit a shelving unit somewhere in the space?
Get creative with storage solutions if you’re limited on space. Picture: Pexels
Small bathrooms can be at a disadvantage here. So, think vertically. Instead of squishing all your towels on a towel rack, pop some towel hooks up high.
Hanging hooks can even be used to store toilet paper! Just invest in a cute basket or bag and hang some rolls on your wall.
4. Get a heated towel rack
Not only do heated towel rails offer ultimate comfort and a hotel-like experience in your own bathroom, but they have other practical features.
“It’s an incomparable luxury to have fresh, warm towels available at your leisure,” Luli finds.
“They are a gatekeeper of hygiene by mitigating the chance for mould to spread in a damp environment. It’s also a great idea to have two or three of these above each other for ultimate practicality.”
5. Paint it up
If your bathroom has some un-tiled areas, it could be time for a paint job. Experiment with a new colour scheme and co-ordinate some new towels and accessories to match.
Just remember, if you’re doing it yourself, don’t forget to go through the proper processes of waterproofing and selecting the right paint for moisture resistance.
6. Enjoy luxurious showers
Everyone wants a five star hotel-worthy bathroom — the key to this is a rain shower head.
A rain shower with a hand-shower combo is the height of luxury. Picture: Brock Beazley
“For a rain shower to truly encapsulate the feeling of rain, the shower head should sit directly above the user,” Luli suggests.
“Get a shower arm that emulates that position or use a ceiling-mounted shower dropper. If you do opt for a shower dropper, just make sure there is enough ceiling clearance to accommodate it.”
Meanwhile, if you don’t want to, or can’t run plumbing through your ceiling, you can still wall-mount a rainfall shower – you just need a long enough arm.
“We suggest the Finley Shower Rail Set, as it can accomodate both the rain shower head and a hand shower fixture, if the user wants more options,” Luli says.
ABI offers a sleek 250mm round waterfall shower head as part of their shower head range, available in eight finishes from matte black and brushed brass to chrome.
7. Update light fixtures
“Whether it’s wall sconces or pendant lights, choosing new light fixtures are a simple change to enhance an overall feeling of luxury,” Luli notes.
Whether you want to add a luxe pendant light or some LED mirrors, a new light plan can glam-up your space. Picture: ABI
Another option is to install a mirror with LED back-lighting. “It’s practical and offers an opulent Hollywood feel to a bathroom,” she adds.
8. Add greenery
If indoor plants aren’t taking over your home, what have you been doing for the past five years?
Indoor plants aren’t only good for air purifying, but they will jazz up any old, lifeless space.
The best varieties for your bathroom include those that love humidity and don’t need direct sunlight. That includes ferns, orchids, pothos and many, many more. Ask your local plant nursery if you’re unsure.
9. Add sophisticated decor
Plenty of your basic bathroom decor could use a sophisticated flourish. Perhaps a ceramic soap dispenser, a nice woven toilet paper basket or bamboo bath caddy could suit your space. Even ultra-functional items, like your toilet brush, no longer need to be dowdy and unsightly.
Add a bit of decor – including some greenery – for a luxe look. Picture: ABI
Luli notes that scent can be a powerful decorating tool when it comes to luxury.
“It’s a sense that we tend to forget about in the interior design process, but incorporating one of your favourite aromas into the bathroom can uplift the space to new heights.”
10. Give it a scrub
The best way to enhance the luxury of your bathroom is to give it a well-earned spring clean.
Clear out those cupboards, dust those light fittings and gumption that grout!
Even a basic aesthetic clean – Windex-ing the shower screens, giving it a thorough mop and cleaning the grime and soap scum from wet areas – can have a huge impact.