Twelve Unfussy Bathroom Decor Approaches to Freshen Up Your Space

What follows is the part worth saving when a room has to function on a weekday. The finishing touches are what make a space stand out. Even when we're talking about bathrooms! Adding a few stylish bathroom decor pieces can truly make all the difference in the look and feel of your space.

After having remodeled two of the three bathrooms in our current home and all of the bathrooms in our two previous homes, I have a lot of bathroom decor approaches to share! Whether you're planning a complete bathroom redo or just looking to make a few easy changes, you'll definitely find an idea or two to help you make your own space special! (post includes commissionable links; for more information, see my full disclosure statement {here})

One. Corral Countertop Accessories With a Tray

Bathroom countertops can quickly become a cluttered mess. One of the preferred ways to keep them looking neat (and add style too!) is to corral countertop accessories with a tray. In the bathroom redo from our previous home, I used a round woven tray similar to {this tray} to corral a potted plant, a glass jar of Q-pointers, and {these stacked marble pinch pots} for hairbands and clips:

Other Sources:Mirrors (gold) | Vanity | Faucets (similar)

In our recent Jack and Jill bathroom redo, I used {this scalloped tray} to corral {this mini faux succulent}, a glass soap pump, and {this mini vase} to hold toothbrushes:

Other Sources:Wallpaper | Medicine cabinet mirrors | Vanity

Two. Add Life With Greenery

I include greenery in all of our bathrooms since it adds so much life to a room that's dominated by hard surfaces. Look for stylish or quirky planters, such as {this llama planter} to make your space more interesting:

It's nice to use real plants when you can, but touches of faux greenery can be pretty too in bathrooms that don't get any natural light. The household has also had success using hardy plants like snake plants in no-light bathrooms by occasionally putting them in a sunny spot.

This snake plant has survived for over two years in our powder room that gets no natural light just by putting him in the kitchen every now and then to soak up some sun:

Three. Ditch the Plastic Soap Pumps

If the soap pumps in your bathroom are the plastic pump bottles that you bought your soap in at Target, it's time to ditch them! Replace them with a decorative soap pump, such as a pretty rattan, marble, or glass pump. You don't have to spend a lot of money either! {This rattan soap pump} in our powder room is just $10:

In our primary bathroom, we have one of {these soap and lotion sink sets} at each sink that includes a soap pump, lotion pump, and ceramic tray:

When they run out, they can be refilled with less expensive soaps and lotion (unless, of course, you get addicted to the Thymes scents like I have!).

These are some other stylish bathroom decor pieces to consider, including tissue box covers, toothbrush holders, glass canisters, and more….

1. Soap & lotion tray set | 2. Rattan tissue box cover | 3. Glass bath canisters | 4. Marble & brass soap pump | 5. Rattan wrapped soap pump | 6. Rattan tray | 7. Monogrammable Tissue Box Cover  | 8. White Cotton Ball Jar  | 9. Marble tumbler | 10. Rattan towel holder | 11. Wood lid bathroom jars | 12. Scalloped white tray | 13. Small faux succulent

Also consider decorating with apothecary jars since they can be both stylish and practical in bathrooms, holding things such as bath salts, soaps, cotton balls, and Q-pointers.

Four. Add Storage and Style With Open Shelving

One of the preferred things about the primary bathroom in our previous home was the group of floating wood shelves that we added next to our shower:

Not only did they look pretty, but they were well suited to storing our towels and other bath essentials.

We also used a brass open shelving unit similar to {this one} above our toilet:

Five. Create Hidden Storage with Baskets and Bins

With all of the hard surfaces in bathrooms, adding texture with pretty baskets and bins is the perfect way to create extra storage space. For example, a woven belly basket similar to {this one} on our open bathroom shelves to store our wash cloths:

And {this white woven basket} sat on the top shelf of our floating shelves, holding rolls of TP:

Six. Don't Forget the Top of the Toilet Tank

The top of the toilet tank is the perfect spot for adding an extra roll of TP plus some greenery or other decorative elements:

See my post on toilet tank decor approaches for more approaches for adding both style and function to this often forgotten space.

These are a few other kept bathroom storage and shelving options:

1. Large glass storage jar | 2. White storage caddy | 3. Woven belly basket | 4. Arched wall cabinet | 5. Woven toilet tank basket | 6. Rattan storage box | 7. Curved metal wall shelves | 8. Acrylic tote for makeup | 9. Rattan toilet paper roll cover | 10. White woven storage bin

Seven. Consider Hooks Instead of Bars

Instead of a towel bar, consider using robe/towel hooks. I prefer the look of hooks and love that you can fit them in smaller spaces than towel bars. In the primary bathroom of our previous home, I used three of {these robe/towel hooks} in the Golden Champagne finish:

In my daughters' bathroom, there wasn't a good spot for a towel bar or hooks on the wall, so I added {these similar towel hooks} to the back of their bathroom door:

We haven't had any issues with our towels staying put on these hooks, and we haven't had any issues with our towels not drying well either.

Eight. Place a Stool By Your Tub

A little stool next to the tub is the perfect spot for holding a drink while you soak. And it adds style too! In our primary bathroom, I used {this cute dip dyed stool}:

The top of the stool would be a great spot to add a potted plant too!

Nine. Mix Metal Finishes

Mixing different metal finishes can really elevate the look of your bathroom! A few simple pointers are to stick with just two different finishes and use both finishes in more than one spot. I tend to stick with brushed nickel finishes on bathroom faucets and shower hardware and brass finishes on other hardware such as robe hooks and toilet paper holders. {This simple toilet paper holder} is the preferred:

See my post on mixing metals in bathrooms for more pointers on pulling off this look!

Ten. Glam Up Your Shampoo and Conditioner Pumps

One of the simplest ways to elevate the look of your shower is to get rid of your plastic shampoo bottles. We have {these shampoo and conditioner pumps} (they're the 16oz white/gold option) that not only look great but also allow us to buy the huge refill sizes of shampoo and conditioner for refilling:

You could also consider mounting your shampoo and conditioner pumps on the wall like we did with {this bottle set} in our Jack and Jill bathroom redo:

Eleven. Use a Freestanding Bench in the Shower

I'm not a big fan of built-in shower benches. They add a lot of expense to shower redos, they're way too cold to sit on, and they're a breeding ground for mold if they aren't sloped well. Instead, consider a freestanding bench! I had {this small driftwood teak bench} in our previous home and loved it:

It's not as cold to sit on as tile, has a shelf near the base if you need extra storage, and I think it looks better than a built-in bench too!

These are some of my other kept tub and shower accessories:

Sources: 1. Scalloped towels | 2. Towel hooks | 3. Patterned bath mat | 4. Wire bathtub caddy | 5. Wall-mounted shower pumps | 6. Dip dyed wood stool | 7. Knurled towel hooks | 8. Teak shower bench | 9. Shampoo & conditioner pumps | 10. Natural sponge | 11. Black & white striped bath mat | 12. Blue tassel bath mat | 13. Lidded woven basket as hamper

Twelve. Use a Lidded Basket as a Hamper

Unless your hamper is hidden away in the closet, use a lidded basket as your hamper to add some extra style to your space. I have {this handled seagrass basket} in the large size (which is pretty awesomely big) in our primary bathroom:

and in the medium size in our Jack and Jill bathroom. It's not cheap, but after having gone through several inexpensive baskets that started losing their shape after a year or two and snagged our clothes, I found that the extra expense of a quality basket that will last for years is worth it. I rounded up all of my other kept baskets to use as hampers in my post on laundry hampers with lids.

It would help if you were able to find a few new bathroom decor approaches to dress up your own bathrooms! If you're planning a major bathroom redo, also be sure to look at my post with 10 master bathroom redo approaches.

Thanks for stopping by the blog, and be sure to subscribe {here} for my emails if you haven't already so you keep any new posts!

XO,