Create Your Home Oasis with a Spa-Style Bathroom

Stepping into a spa is like stepping into another world. You can drop your worries at the door and leave feeling restored and ready to face another day. 

Below, you’ll find my professional tips for creating a spa-style bathroom in your own home.

Step 1: Organize

If you want your bathroom to be a place where you can truly unwind, you’ll need to make it a clean and minimalist environment. 

Look for expired products or items you haven’t used in a long time, then discard them. 

Then, decant your lotions, liquid soaps, shampoos, etc., into matching dispensers for a cohesive look. Store as many items as you can out of sight; counter space should be reserved for items you use daily.

Step 2: Tone down your color scheme

Color can affect our psychological state, so it’s no surprise that spas tend to have calming, nature-inspired color schemes.

A spa-like bathroom could feature shades of white, light blue, seafoam green, muted pink, soft gray, or beige. Stay away from bold colors, high-contrast color combinations, or busy patterns.

Step 3: Adjust lighting

Spas typically have subdued, warm lighting. 

If your lighting is too bright and “cold,” it promotes a feeling of alertness and makes it harder to relax. 

Of course, there are times when you want to be able to see clearly, too. Dimmable lights help you control the brightness levels, giving you the best of both worlds.

Step 4: Set the mood 

By using a portable speaker, you can fill the room with your own spa playlist. Spas often play instrumental music at a low volume. Appropriate genres include soft classical music, lounge music, and ambient music.

Scents can also have a profound impact on our state of mind. To recreate that “spa smell,” try diffusing essential oils, lighting scented candles, or using scented bath products such as bath salts, shower oils, and scented soaps. Rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint are all scents that promote relaxation.

Designing a spa-like bathroom can be a complex undertaking, but even simple changes like decluttering or updating your color scheme make a big difference. 

The results are worth it. After all, when you have a spa-style bathroom in your own home, any day can be a spa day.

Margaret Chambers, a registered interior designer (RID) and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) member, leads Chambers Interiors and Associates. Her colleague Caitlin Crowley helped edit this column. Visit chambersinteriors.com/blog for more design advice. 

Author

Margaret Chambers

Margaret Chambers, ASID, RID is the lead designer of Chambers Interiors & Associates, Inc. Her work has been published in more than 20 industry magazines, including Southern Home, Traditional Home, D Home, Better Homes & Gardens, and Luxe. She has also been named a “Best Designer in Dallas” by D Home for 21 years and running. Margaret’s projects span a wide variety of styles, from contemporary to timeless traditional. She enjoys adding an element of surprise in her projects and believes any room can benefit from a few well-chosen antiques.