Some Good Wisdom on Bathrooms.
A bathroom remodel can be one of the most rewarding improvements you make to your home—but it’s also surprisingly easy to spend money in the wrong places.
When I meet with homeowners, I often find that the conversation begins with finishes: What color stone? What style of vanity? Brushed nickel or matte black?
Those decisions matter, but they shouldn’t come first.
A well-designed bathroom starts with something more fundamental:
Where will your investment make the biggest difference?
Start With the Shower
In most bathrooms I remodel today, the shower is the centerpiece of the project.
If you’re deciding where to allocate your budget, this is where I would start. A larger shower, quality wall surfaces, good lighting, proper ventilation, comfortable controls and thoughtful storage will affect your experience every single day.
We’re also seeing more homeowners eliminate large tubs they rarely use and dedicate that square footage to a better shower. It’s a practical change that can completely transform the room.
Spend Money on What You Touch
Some upgrades photograph beautifully but have very little impact on how a bathroom actually feels.
Others are the opposite.
Cabinet hardware, faucets, shower controls, glass doors and drawers are things you physically interact with every day. Quality is noticeable.
A well-built vanity with good storage, for example, isn’t as exciting as an exotic piece of stone—but you’ll appreciate it every morning when everything has a place.
Think About Maintenance Now
One question homeowners don’t ask often enough is: How difficult will this bathroom be to maintain?
Beautiful materials aren’t particularly beautiful when they become a maintenance headache.
That’s one reason large-format and slab-style shower surfaces have become increasingly popular. Reducing grout lines can create a cleaner appearance while simplifying long-term maintenance.
Good remodeling isn’t just about installation day. It’s about how the bathroom performs years later.
Plan for the Future—Without Designing an “Old Person’s Bathroom”
This is especially important for homeowners who expect to remain in their homes long-term.
A shower bench, handheld showerhead, wider entry, strategically located grab bars and a low-threshold shower can be incorporated beautifully into a modern bathroom.
You don’t have to sacrifice design for accessibility. When it’s planned correctly, accessibility is simply good design.
The Most Expensive Bathroom Isn’t Always the Best Bathroom
I’ve seen homeowners spend heavily on decorative materials while overlooking layout, storage and functionality.
I would rather see a homeowner invest intelligently than simply spend more.
Before you select a single finish, determine what isn’t working in your current bathroom. Then design the new space around solving those problems.
That’s the difference between updating a bathroom and actually improving one.
Joshua Pepper is the owner of Dream Bath of California and the Bathroom & Kitchen Remodeling Expert for Brentwood Magazine.
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