Modern Bathroom Tour with Video

Turn your dated bathroom into a chic, refreshed space with these modern bathroom ideas that add charm and function. Get the details on this bathroom wallpaper and more in this striking bath update photo tour!

One of the many reasons I love having the lake cottage is that it offers an opportunity to share a slightly different design style. 

You may think of my style as traditional – and it is in so many ways, but I’m loving that I can design our lake cottage to feel a little more modern. Given where we first began, it can be hard to imagine this space feeling so light, bright and modern… but we are getting there!

Before remodeling or redecorating any space, I create a quick layout of the space with fixtures, furnishings and accessories to see how it will work collectively, and tweak from there.

This process helps keep me focused and able to envision the end result. You can learn more about the process in my post of how to design a room when you’re not an interior designer.

Modern Bathroom

Don’t miss the video tour of this small, charming modern bathroom, located towards the bottom of this post!

The first project we focused on in this home was the guest bath. We planned a light remodel, retaining the existing footprint, tub/shower, and tile {for now}. In the future, we will likely do wood floors which will extend into this space.

Over the years, we’ve created a spa bath for guests, a charming guest bath, this Budget Half Bath, this nautical bathroom makeover, and a powder room with brick flooring.  Designing bathrooms is challenging, fun, and oh-so-rewarding!

If you love this bathroom, don’t skip my post about the Coastal Modern home decor style that I love, including our Coastal Modern Living Room!

Guest Bath Before

The lake cottage guest bath is small, but mighty. It’s a full bath just off the hallway seen by anyone who enters the home. This space serves as both a powder room for our living space, and as part of a guest suite.

Originally this bathroom had a basic tan wallpaper, and while it wasn’t bad at all, it didn’t fit the modern aesthetic I’d love for our lake cottage to have.

The pedestal sink was charming, but again, I wanted cleaner, more modern lines. So, we implemented phase one of this bathroom refresh.

Modern Bathroom Wallpaper

What initially began as a light bathroom makeover that was meant to create a quick upgrade has turned into quite an undertaking! Yes, we’ve changed this space again!

Our original plan for this space included bathroom wallpaper – this beautiful grass cloth. It was everything I had hoped it would be! In fact, it was stunning – in the photos. (see our original design concept below)

Unfortunately, the installer struggled with the lines, cuts and texture of this paper. In person, it was a mess! It was not what we expected and unfortunately, it could not be salvaged.

Thus, even though we would have preferred not, we began phase two of this little bathroom makeover! Luckily, we love it even more than the first try.

*If you’d like to see more of the phase one details of this bathroom renovation, I’ve saved them at the bottom of this post for reference. Photos, budget details, etc are all included there!

Modern Bathroom Ideas

I love a good bathroom makeover. There’s just something about taking a dark, dated space (often with very little natural light) and turning it into something clean, bright and updated.

This particular modern bathroom renovation started out of a need – the original toilet no longer came clean after years of hard water ate the porcelain finish off.

I’m so thankful it did because otherwise I may not have taken the leap into transforming this little guest bath into a modern bath and I absolutely love it!

You can find the full list of our modern bathroom sources at the bottom of this post.

Modern Bath Finishes

For this small modern bath, it was important to maximum both light and space. It’s tucked into the hallway of the open floor plan, so it’s visible from the entryway, kitchen and living room.

Fortunately, it’s so easy to design your spaces with the ability to shop and order online. In fact, many stores offering beautiful modern fixtures that are very accessible. Our lake home is nestled in a quiet area of Southwest Missouri down a narrow curvy road, so delivery can be a challenge!

I hope some of these modern bathroom ideas are helpful to you! I’m so thrilled with our bathroom wallpaper and the entire look, I could hardly wait to share!

The Details

• I opted to use a pedestal sink just as the original bath had. However, I chose one with clean lines to give the appearance of more space.
• A tall mirror gives the illusion of more height and the thin gold trim gives it a clean, modern vibe.
• For this round of updating, we went with a bold, graphic wallpaper. The navy and white offer hints of nautical style without screaming! I like a little playful nautical nod for our lake home! However, I think this wallpaper would work in almost any style of home – it’s graphic and timeless. Read more about why we love our Serena and Lily Wallpaper.
• I chose this fun, modern light fixture to accent the navy of the wallpaper. I wanted it to stand out and it truly does!
• We replaced the old toilet with a Kohler toilet to coordinate with the sink. It really elevates the space – especially since you see both the sink and toilet in the reflection of the mirror.
• Of course, polished brass beveled switch plates completed the transformation – standard white switch plates detracted, while these enhanced the tiny space.
• The sleek modern faucet was my favorite purchase… coming in at just $110! If you’re not looking to renovate an entire bathroom, but want to make yours feel a little more modern, a new faucet is a quick and easy fix!
• Finally, a charming, whimsical and fresh shower curtain can be the least expensive way to dress up a modern bathroom!

Shop this Modern Bathroom

What do you think of these modern bathroom ideas? Have you been updating any rooms in your home of late? I’d love to hear!

You can shop this room and both our homes here!

The Original Modern Bath

*Below is all the information on our original lake cottage bathroom design plans from 2017.

This was a budget bathroom remodel, originally coming in at just $1,500! This was the original plan in phase one:

• a new sink – the same sink we used in our previous home and the mudroom bath.
• a coordinating toilet
• a new mirror
• a 3 vanity light {I really wanted to incorporate sconces, but it was going to result in a bit of electrical work}
• new faucet
• grasscloth wallpaper
• accessories