If you feel like your bathroom is old and outdated, now may be the time to consider changing it up a bit. There are many simple ways to modernize your bathroom from installing a floating vanity to doing simple a simple shower remodel like updating your tiles or showerhead. All you need is a little legwork and imagination. To help you get started, we reached out to remodeling and design experts from Kelowna, BC to Washington, DC, to get their best tips. Keep reading to see how you can spruce up your bathroom and take it to the next level. 

1. Keep your bathroom simple 

Modern bathrooms are all about keeping it simple. Porcelain slabs instead of small tiles make a bold statement. Floating vanities with integrated towel bars keep fussy details to a minimum. A fantastic free-standing tub or wall-hung toilet will seal the deal. – Amazing Spaces LLC 

2. Color seal your grout lines

Color sealing grout lines is a fast and cost-effective way to make grout look new. This process will re-color the grout while sealing it, making it stain, water, mold, and mildew resistant, with the potential of giving the room a completely different, fresh, renovated look. – Sir Grout of Boston

3. Install subway tiles vertically 

Installing a classic subway tile vertically rather than horizontally is a great way to make your bathroom feel modern. You can also play with the proportions of the tile. A longer, skinnier shape, like a 3×9 tile, will look more modern than a traditional size, like a 3×6. – J & M Tile, Granite, & Marble 

4. Update your countertop 

Instead of replacing your vanity, save it by elevating its style with a new countertop. A simple way to modernize your bathroom is by installing a brand new countertop for cheap by using remnant pieces, all while saving money per square foot on your counter. – Pinske Edge

5. Install a floating vanity 

Install a green floating vanity to bring balance and harmony to your bathroom. This type of vanity can hide pipes from showing and doesn’t touch the ground, giving the appearance of more space. Not to mention, the color green is relaxing. – TONA

Wall-mounted or “floating” vanities add a sense of modern luxury to a bathroom. Whether in a powder room or a large master suite, they “float” above the floor, helping to create the illusion of more space in a bathroom. Some vanities even have a clean and minimalistic contemporary design that offers deep storage drawers that are ideal for organizing all of your bath necessities. – Strasser Wood 

6. Consider a wall-mounted toilet 

To modernize a small bathroom, consider a wall-mounted toilet. This will allow the floor material to extend wall to wall and the room will appear much larger. As a bonus, it will be easier to clean as well. – Studio Stratton

7. Go bold in the powder room and neutral in the main bathroom

My advice for homeowners looking to renovate a bathroom is to go bold in a powder room by adding fun wallpaper and statement light fixtures. However, when renovating a larger space like the primary bathroom, keep things classic and neutral in terms of tile and paint and have fun bringing color and personality into the space with art and textiles. That way you can switch up more decorative items over the years and the classic tile and fixtures will always feel fresh. – Tara Ryan Designs

8. Install a toe-kick drawer

One of our favorite ways to make use of space that is usually wasted is to incorporate a toe kick drawer into the vanity design, which can turn that usually empty space under the vanity into an additional storage space for a backup (and easily accessible) stash of paper rolls, or for less commonly used items. As a bonus, this can double as a step stool for your little ones, eliminating the need to store an unsightly one in your bathroom. – ROAM Architecture 

9. Be conscious about material choices 

Material choice is a key element to consider when you are seeking to create a modern feel for your new bathroom. There is a broad range of materials that fit many design styles – though high gloss and matte finished acrylics really push the envelope on supporting a modern space. Combine these with a floating vanity to create a sleek, modern look. If a solid color doesn’t fit your personal style and you still want a modern feel, then wood slab grain such as walnut, rich oak, and quarter-sawn mahogany, matched products in either vertical or horizontal grain play well in big or small bathrooms. – The Cabinet Face

10. Put legs on your vanity 

Consider putting your vanity on legs, instead of having it on the floor.  This adds visual appeal as well as gives the small space of the bathroom a more open and airy feel. – North Coast Modern

11. Use a grid pattern in your shower

A simple way to make your bathroom look modern, especially if you’re using neutral or white tile, is to have the tile installed in a grid pattern rather than a traditional brick offset. I wouldn’t recommend doing both the floor and walls in a grid — just the floor or the shower walls. Steer clear of the 6” horizontal feature strips in the shower that were popular about 15 years ago. – B Interiors

12. Double your medicine cabinet as a vanity mirror 

Ditch the dinky mirrored medicine cabinets on the sidewalls and instead install them above your sink to use as your vanity mirror. This look not only allows for that modern face-lift but has the potential to increase your medicine cabinet storage and improve your morning routine. Visualize the ease of charging your electric toothbrush or razor or having a hidden magnifying mirror on the interior of your medicine chest. – M Studio Interior Design

13. Restore your bathroom through basic improvements

Instead of spending a fortune gutting your bathroom, restore it instead. You could regrout and recaulk your shower, clean and color seal the grout on your floor, or put in a new vanity and toilet. Then all you have to do is add paint and you have a brand new bathroom at a fraction of the cost of ripping the whole thing out. – The Groutman

14. Refresh your paint colors 

Adding unique wall mirrors and modernized lighting will give a bathroom the perfect pick me up. Refreshing the paint color is also a great budget-friendly way to enhance and modernize a bathroom. – Glass House Interior