7 Tips to Make Your Bathroom Look More Expensive

Even with the most expensive materials, an interior can look cheap and unappealing. This works in reverse too: inexpensive solutions used skillfully will look stylish. We share design tips that make the bathroom interior visually more expensive. At the same time, these approaches do not compromise functionality and comfort.

Combine Different Types of Finish

If you tile all the walls, it will look boring and create a feeling of a "well". It's much more interesting to have variety in finishes and textures. Interestingly, this works even in small spaces. You can combine several types of tiles, mix them with wallpapers and paint. It looks great when wide-format tiles are combined with small-format ones, and matte tiles are complemented by glossy ones. Wallpapers are better suited for dry zones, but to be safe, you can coat them with lacquer. Various textures always make an interior look more expensive and also save monochromatic interiors from boredom and monotony.

Photo: Design project by Aigul Sultanova

Create Closed Storage

Too many small items create a sense of disorder and make the interior look worse. Therefore, the less visual noise, the better, especially in small spaces. All hygiene products, brushes, hairdryers, and other small items should be hidden behind cabinet doors or stored in a way that they don't catch the eye. Open shelves and modules can be left for attractive baskets, decor, and towel storage.

Photo: Design project by Svetlana Olenburg

Hide the Utility Block

It's best to organize the utility block outside the bathroom — this makes the space feel larger and creates a more relaxing atmosphere. If that's not possible, you can hide the utility block behind cabinet doors. For example, hide the washing machine under the countertop and organize storage for a vacuum cleaner and household chemicals in a tall cabinet. This way, the bathroom interior will look clean and free of visible appliances.

Photo: Design project by Anna Gromova

Plan Lighting Scenarios

There is no natural light in the bathroom, so it's especially important to plan good lighting. Neutral light in the range of 3,000–4,000 K is suitable. In addition to general lighting, local lighting in the sink area is essential. For this purpose, you can use a mirror with backlighting, wall sconces, or pendant lights. The key is that the light should fall evenly to see your reflection clearly without glare or shadows. LED backlighting for the bathtub or a pendant cabinet looks great and creates a relaxing atmosphere, highlighting key elements in the room.

Photo: Design project by Svetlana Khabeeva

Focus on Mirrors

A mirror is a must-have element in the bathroom, but it can also hide functionality and add plus to aesthetics. If you want to visually expand the space and make it brighter, choose large mirrors or even mirror panels. If there aren't enough accents, pick a mirror with an interesting shape or unusual frame.

Photo: Design project by Valeria Husnutdinova and Ekaterina Astafieva

Use One-Color Textile in Complex Tones

Textiles with patterns and prints can look stylish, but choosing them correctly is difficult — it requires a lot of experience and visual knowledge. To avoid mistakes, it's better to go for monochromatic textiles. Complex tones like terracotta, olive green, and dusty blue look beautiful and visually more expensive. If the base colors are red, yellow, or green, you can identify them at a glance, but complex tones might not be immediately recognizable.

Pay special attention to choosing a shower curtain. Although thin polyethylene variants do their job — protecting the floor from water — they ruin and cheapen the interior significantly. Dense curtains with linen or rough texture look much better and richer, and to make them functional, choose options with water-repellent coating.

Photo: Design project by Arcus Design Studio

Use Decorative Elements

The less a bathroom resembles a utility room, the more expensive it looks. To create a sense of a room, wallpapers, beautiful light fixtures and chandeliers, and decor help. Vases, trays, paintings, candlesticks — all of these work to create a cozy atmosphere and help set focal points in the interior. Most importantly, they can be removed or replaced at any time.