Treat Yourself to the Ultimate Spa Style Bath Design

March 29, 2023

If a trip to the spa is your perfect day, why not make every day an opportunity for a spa retreat in your own home? There are many ways to bring elements of your favorite spa into your own master bathroom design, whether you are embarking on a full bath remodel or just looking to update your existing bathroom. 

Decluttering, changing bathroom light fixtures, and upgrading your towels and storage containers are small changes that can have a big impact on your relaxing bathroom experience. If you are planning a brand-new bathroom design, then this is the ideal opportunity to include a wide range of changes that allow you to recreate the spa experience at home. With a soothing color scheme, natural materials, and ample storage, plus upgrading your shower and bathtub, you can bring the rejuvenating feel of a luxury spa to your master bath.

Just like the real deal, your spa-style bathroom should work with all your senses to create a relaxing retreat. Here are our top 10 ideas for the ultimate spa-style bathroom design.

A Soothing Shower

For many of us, the ultimate way to unwind in the evening, get inspired in the morning, or to soothe tired muscles after a workout is by taking a long shower. In a relaxing bath design, upgrading your shower can take it from purely functional to a spa experience.

Start by choosing tile that sets the tone, in shades that fit your bath design vibe, and materials that activate all the senses. Consider a pebble tile floor to bring a natural feel to your bathroom or add wave tiles to your walls that make you feel like you are at the beach. 

Look at which style of shower you prefer, which could range from an open shower to an enclosed steam shower. The latter is growing in popularity for its therapeutic health benefits ranging from reducing stress to relieving allergy symptoms, cleansing skin, enhancing sleep, loosening muscles, and improving circulation. 

Then add showerheads that improve your showering experience. Rainfall models are a popular option as they deliver water overhead from a wide showerhead. The water distribution falls in a soothing manner that mimics rainfall. Alternatively, go for a massaging shower panel that delivers targeted water from multiple small showerheads positioned on the wall. 

Freestanding Tub as a Focal Point

Nothing beats a relaxing soak in the bathtub for easing tired muscles and reducing stress. In today’s spa-style bathroom designs, a freestanding tub is a perfect option, as it is both a practical and beautiful feature that becomes a clear focal point in the bath design. Go for a contemporary model with clean lines paired with a dramatic floor-mounted tub filler or a wall-mounted tub faucet, depending on the position of your bathtub. Better yet, choose a slipper tub where one end is higher to promote a more relaxing bath time experience since you can lean back and rest your head.

Think about where you will place your bathtub. If you have a relaxing view, place the tub near a window so you can soak up some natural light and connect to the outdoors. Or consider placing the tub in a nook separated by a half wall to create a private bathing oasis. Pair your tub with a bath caddy in a material that enhances your design, ranging from wood to metal or lucite, and offers space to rest a drink and a book while you soak away the stress.

Declutter to Create a Calm Environment

A clean, clutter-free environment promotes relaxation, and this is especially important in a spa-style bathroom design. Start by decluttering your room and get rid of anything you can’t use or no longer need. Dispose of those out-of-date medications, old makeup, and almost empty shampoo bottles. If you are starting a remodel you will need to do this anyway, but even if you are not, it’s important to do a full clear-out and take a fresh look at your storage.

Move anything you don’t need in the bathroom to another location, like a hall closet or utility room. Next, consider the best ways to keep everything you do need neat and organized. The foundation of bathroom storage is the vanity cabinet, which provides essential closed storage for items that don’t need to be visible in the room. 

In a full bath remodel, you can create your ideal storage, with a vanity outfitted with custom accessories. Include roll-out shelves for toiletries, pull-outs for styling tools, and drawers for hair accessories and makeup. Add built-in electrical outlets so you can plug in and use hairdryers and other electrical items from their storage location. In another drawer, include outlets so your phone or tablet can charge safely away from the wet countertop. If you have the space, you could even include extras, like a laundry hamper pull-out. 

Maintain this clutter-free environment by establishing a cleaning routine for your new bath design. Regular, daily maintenance and weekly cleaning will ensure your new bathroom stays looking good as new and avoid having to deal with a big mess in the future!

Curated Open Storage

While clean lines and clear surfaces are essential to a spa-style bathroom design, there is some scope to include open storage too.  Floating shelves are an ideal opportunity to position carefully curated items. Place a few things that bring joy to your space like a framed photograph or memento from a favorite vacation. You can also use open storage to keep essential things like cotton buds or makeup easily accessible, but make sure you put these items in storage containers that fit your design vibe. Glass, ceramic, and metal are all options, as are baskets or wooden crates, depending on your aesthetic. 

Niche storage is another ideal solution, especially for a shower where it provides space to keep essential toiletries without interfering with your shower’s physical space. Use your niche as an opportunity to enhance your room’s style by including an accent tile with a color or texture that offsets your main shower tile.

Quality materials

One of the reasons you love going to the spa is that it allows you to step into a haven of relaxation and luxury. Recreate this feeling at home by selecting quality materials for your spa-style bathroom remodel. Wood cabinetry and shelves, particularly a quality wood surface in a light finish, brings a natural warmth to a relaxing bathroom. 

Tiles are highly visible in a custom bath design, so it pays to select top-quality tiles to cover your walls and floor. If you have a more limited budget, then consider choosing a more expensive option for your shower or another prominent spot that will impact your enjoyment of the space. Think about tile size, shape, color, pattern, and texture when looking for the best choice for your bathroom. 

Choose a Calming Color Scheme

Consider the last time you were at the spa and how you felt walking into that space. Spas are designed to impact all our senses to promote a relaxing, rejuvenating environment. The color scheme you select for your bath design is a key part of setting the tone for your room. Think about which color palette works best for your home’s design aesthetic and for your own relaxing vibe, as not everyone will find the same colors soothing.

Here are a few of the top options:

• An all-white bathroom design gives off a crisp, clean feeling that evokes the spa theme. Add some wood accents or plants to avoid it feeling too clinical. 
• Soft neutrals are another relaxing color scheme and can be layered in different shades of one color or with different textures to give your design depth.
• Wood brings an element of nature into any bathroom and helps your space to feel warmer and more welcoming. Stick to high-quality wood with simple lines like contemporary or Shaker-style cabinetry and sleek floating shelves.
• An alternative to this neutral simplicity is to go for soft blues or greens. These are both known to be calming colors and also give your bathroom a natural feel when you choose shades that remind you of water or a lush meadow.

Lighting to set the Mood 

While some task lighting is essential in a bathroom design, a spa-style room requires more finesse. Ambient light, which is the softer light source, allows you to set the mood for relaxation. This can be accomplished by installing a dimmer switch or, even better, smart lighting controls. Smart lighting can often be controlled from your device or go for voice-controlled lighting so you can change the tone or level of your lights from the comfort of your bubble bath. 

Add decorative light fixtures that accent your design and create a stylish focal point. Spotlights can be used to highlight specific design features or certain areas like the freestanding tub. Let natural light shine into your space through windows or skylights so you can soak up vitamin D while relaxing. Don’t forget to add candles to help you find your Zen in your spa-style bathroom. 

Mirrors are essential to all bathrooms and can range from a large mirror over the vanity to unique framed or unusually shaped mirrors.  Backlit mirrors are another option that provides light at the vanity without glare or shadows and gives your mirror a floating effect.

Add an Element of Nature 

Studies have shown that spending time in nature (and away from screens) helps to ease the stress of busy lives and is both physically and psychologically beneficial.  This makes sense, since natural elements help us to feel grounded, which has a calming effect. 

Why not recreate some of this in your relaxing spa bathroom? Bring elements of nature into your space by including natural materials such as live edge wood shelves, bamboo bathmats, and river rock shower floors. 

Let your view of the great outdoors through a large window frame your most relaxing spot, whether that is the shower or bathtub. Bring plants into your bathroom to improve air quality and boost your mood. You could even play nature sounds while you relax in a steam shower to feel more connected to the outdoors.

Scents & Sounds

A soothing space like a spa-style bathroom should work with all your senses to create a calming atmosphere. In addition to lighting and textured surfaces, think about what you will do for your sense of smell and hearing while you are relaxing in your soothing bath design. 

Candles are an obvious choice for giving your bathroom a pleasing odor and can be found in a range of scents that promote relaxation. Best of all, they do double duty and provide soft light that is ideal for your bubble bath. As an alternative, try a diffuser with soothing essential oils like lavender or ylang-ylang, or perhaps a citrus scent to boost energy levels. Don’t forget to include shower gel, bath salts, and lotions in your favorite scents.

Finally, connect your sound system so you can play music, nature sounds, or meditations while you take it easy. Today’s interconnected homes make it simple to have a zoned sound system, which means you can play whatever strikes your fancy while you get ready at the vanity, wind down in the shower, or just zone out in the tub.

Create Your Ideal Spa-Style Bathroom

Today’s bathroom design is more than a purely functional space where you brush your teeth and shower. Bathrooms have become an integral living space where you start and end your day. They are connected to the design aesthetic of the rest of the home with complementary color schemes, luxury materials, and essential storage. 

Take this one step further and re-create your favorite elements of a luxury spa to transform your bathroom into the ultimate relaxing retreat. Choose quality materials and create a clutter-free space with a soothing color palette, soft lighting, and a relaxing tub and shower. The only problem with your new spa bathroom is, you won’t want to leave!