Your bathroom doesn’t need a sledgehammer and a six-figure reno to feel brand new. Sometimes, it’s the little tweaks that make the biggest splash. And summer is the perfect time to make those changes—when the light hits different and the grout starts judging you. Whether you’re riding high on a remodel budget or counting every cent, these five upgrades range from wildly affordable to aspirational, with options that work at every level.
1. Swap Your Cabinet Hardware: Tiny Detail, Big Personality Shift
Cabinet hardware is like jewelry for your bathroom. It's a detail so small, most people don’t notice it—until it’s amazing. Then it’s all they see.
Emtek and Top Knobs lead the pack when it comes to quality and design range. Emtek’s knurled pulls? Industrial-chic heaven. The satin brass finishes? Warm, without being gaudy. If you're feeling more classic, Top Knobs has collections like Aspen or Chareau that thread the needle between traditional and sleek.
Best part? Swapping hardware takes about the same effort as making toast. A screwdriver and 15 minutes, and you’ve got an instant aesthetic upgrade. Want to take it further? Mix finishes. Matte black knobs with polished nickel faucets create an intentional tension that design nerds live for. And no, your hardware doesn’t have to match your faucet. That rule died in 2017 (good riddance).
2. Lighted Mirrors: The Glow-Up Your Face (and Bathroom) Deserves
Natural light isn’t always an option. Some bathrooms are just dark. And ceiling cans? They’re not doing your under-eye circles any favors.
Enter Electric Mirror. This isn’t some gimmicky strip light glued to glass. These are legit illuminated mirrors that combine task lighting with tech. Their Integrity Lighted Mirror throws clean, 90+ CRI lighting that mimics daylight. No yellow haze, no surgical white glare. Just the kind of light that makes you look like you slept eight hours, even if your kid was teething until 3am.
They also offer models with built-in defoggers (life-changing), Bluetooth speakers (questionable but fun), and even Keen™ adaptive lighting tech that adjusts throughout the day. It’s not cheap—but the visual and functional payoff is massive. Plus, installation’s usually straightforward. You’ll need a power source behind the wall, but your electrician will thank you for picking something that doesn’t involve rewiring the block.
3. Upgrade Your Vanity Game with Robern: Organized, Elevated, Effortless
Robern vanities are the kind of thing you don’t realize you need until you have one. Then you wonder how you ever survived with that janky particleboard number from 2009.
We’re talking modular vanities with electric outlets inside the drawers (goodbye, tangled blow dryer cord), integrated lighting, slow-close everything, and drawer organizers so precise they feel like a flex. The Profiles Collection? Sleek, customizable, and surprisingly minimalist for something so feature-heavy. If you're looking for that ultra-modern, “I hired a European interior designer” look, go with the Cartesian series.
One of Robern’s low-key best features is their medicine cabinets—like the AiO Lighted Cabinet—which might sound boring, but wait until your mirror opens up to reveal a hidden, lit-up world where your skincare isn’t crammed next to an expired bottle of ibuprofen. It’s luxury disguised as logic.
These aren’t throwaway pieces. They’re investment furniture. But they’ll streamline your mornings, hide your mess, and make the whole space feel more grown-up.
4. Install a Touch or Hands-Free Faucet: Yes, They’re Actually That Good
Watermark Designs offers touchless faucet options that combine functionality with aesthetic appeal. Their automatic faucets provide high-end settings with the convenience of touchless control and are available in designs matching their 13 ranges.
While the Sense and Elan Vital collections are known for their distinctive designs, specific touchless models are available in other collections. For instance, the La Fleur collection offers an Automatic Deck Mount Spout and Sensor designed for premixed water.
Watermark's touchless faucets are designed to control temperature and are offered as touch or touchless, without utilizing distracting infrared sensors.
Swapping out your faucet for a touchless model can significantly enhance both the functionality and style of your bathroom. Installation is often straightforward, especially when replacing an existing deck-mount or wall-mount faucet with a similar configuration.
5. Add a Steam Shower System: Because Wellness Doesn’t Belong to Influencers
You don’t need to book a resort to have a spa moment. You just need a steam generator and a decent seal on your shower door.
Mr. Steam makes the process as painless as it gets. Their iSteamX system is Wi-Fi-connected, app-controlled, and sleek enough to blend in with high-end tile. It sits outside the shower (usually in a closet or under a bench) and feeds steam into the enclosure via a discreet valve. Yes, you’ll need an electrician and a plumber to get it going—but installation is surprisingly chill, assuming your shower’s already enclosed.
If your shower's open or only has a partial glass wall, you'll need to add a transom or full enclosure to trap the steam. A pro can usually retrofit this with glass panels, and you can even get steam-resistant materials if you’re rebuilding.
Why bother? Because the benefits stack fast. Steam helps with muscle recovery, congestion, dry skin, stress. It’s like wrapping yourself in a warm cloud of calm. And if you add AromaTherapy or ChromaTherapy, you're basically one essential oil away from enlightenment.
Bonus Thought: Layer These Together
What’s cool about these upgrades is that they don’t require each other. But when they do overlap? The whole room hits different. A lighted mirror plus a Robern vanity feels like luxury skincare meets spaceship cockpit. A Mr. Steam setup paired with a Watermark faucet is modern bathing at its peak.
Whether you’re swapping out $150 in knobs or dropping $5K on a smart vanity and steam, you’re dialing up the experience in a way that sticks. Not just for resale. Not just for the 'gram. But for the actual, everyday life that happens in that space—rushed mornings, quiet nights, and the moment when hot water hits your shoulders and resets your whole mood.
And in the heat of summer? That’s the kind of cool you can’t buy bottled.
