Fresh New Looks for a Bathroom

The master bathroom of this sprawling midcentury house in Las Vegas had elegant bones, but decades of wear and tear and drab renovations had taken their toll. In an effort to modernize the space while paying homage to its original architecture, designer Gina De Pasquale embarked on a dramatic overhaul, fleshing out the room with a deft mix of color, materials, and a carefully chosen array of high- and low-priced fixtures and accessories. “It’s important to invest in things that make up the guts and roots of your home—structural stuff like the tile, the plumbing, and the flooring,” she says. “Save on the things you can swap out more easily.” Design: Gina De Pasquale Design (ginadepasqualedesign.com or 310/210-3390).

The first thing you see as you enter the room, the blue Heath tiles ($77 per square foot; heathceramics.com) made up, accordingly, a hefty chunk of the budget.

Wanting a whimsical accent to balance out the clean lines of the space, Gina went online to find the spiky, dandelion-inspired pendant light ($150; lampsplus.com).

To avoid adding more overhead lights, and having to drill into the original redwood, Gina chose Robern cabinets with ultra-bright fluorescents ($2,707; robern.com).

Don’t overlook remnants when shopping for a countertop. The quartz CaesarStone came from a leftover slab sourced on the cheap.

Though the wardrobe’s cherry-veneer doors were custom, Gina used Ikea laminate boxes and shelving on the interiors: “It made more sense to spend on what’s visible.”

Who’d have guessed? Simple brushed metal toilet-paper holders from Lowe’s double here as rods for hand towels.

To make the tiles shimmer, Gina lined the ceiling with energy-efficient LED rope lights from Ohm Lighting (ohmlighting.com).

Can’t swing a full-on renovation? No worries––here are some quick ways to spruce up your space.

Light it up

Think beyond the same old inset canisters: Adding an offbeat fixture can help redefine a space, as seen here in furniture designer Susan Hornbeak-Ortiz’s San Juan Capistrano, California, bathroom. “The rest of the room is so modern and clean, it needed an exclamation point,” she says. Lush potted orchids (the plants thrive in moist, well-lit quarters) next to the sink add a dynamic finishing touch.

One of the simplest, low-cost-but-high-impact upgrades you can do is replace your showerhead. The options for eco-conscious water-saving models are better-looking than ever—like this oversize, rain-can style, which features clean lines and a wide, satisfyingly powerful spray. Best yet, it can be screwed on in just seconds (no tools required!) and rings in at less than $30. Opella by DeNovo Rain 6-in. Chrome Showerhead, $27; overstock.com

For this L.A.-area master bath, designer Melissa Warner of Massucco Warner Miller Interior Design brought in a massive abstract photograph, mounting it in acrylic plastic to protect the image from splashing water. Still, steam might get in, so don’t use anything irreplaceable. “And if space permits, go big; it’ll make the bathroom feel like more of a destination,” advises Melissa.