Redo Your Outdated Bathroom Style

Find inspiration to bring your bathroom into a new decade, with these makeovers of spaces from the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s.

Keep in mind: Price and stock could change after publish date, and we may make money from these affiliate links.

October 13, 2016

By: Lori Johnston

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Wake + Loom Design

Photo By: Terracotta Design Build

Photo By: Michelle Mentzer

Photo By: Michelle Mentzer Interiors

Photo By: William Lesch

Photo By: Eanes Foster Design

Photo By: William Lesch

Photo By: Her Cave Atlanta

Photo By: Beth Johnson, Bekel Home & Design

After: Modern Graphic Makeover

These Atlanta homeowners didn’t have room in their budget to replace the wall tiles, so Wake + Loom Design painted over the green and maroon tiles in their bathroom with white chalk paint. The designers then added a graphic black-and-white wallpaper and installed a chic cylinder light fixture to transform the 1960s bathroom into a sophisticated, modern space.

From: WAKE + LOOM

Before: Midcentury Mess

Before, this 1960s Atlanta bathroom was an eyesore. While the tiles that cover much of the walls were in good shape, their colors -- green and maroon -- showed the bathroom’s age. In addition, walls painted hunter green made the small room feel even smaller.

Before: Tile Nightmare

Before, dark tile on the walls visually cut the bathroom in half and makes the space look behind the times.

From: Terracotta Design Build

After: Clean and Modern

The monochromatic white palette shows you don’t need to add color to the walls, countertops or floors to make a bathroom stylish, says Ili Hidalgo-Nilsson, architect and designer with Terracotta Design Build. The Atlanta firm renovated the outdated bathroom, removing the heavy tilework from the walls and creating a clean, modern bathroom with open shelves. They also opted against extras such as crown molding.

From: Terracotta Design Build

Before: Disorganized and Drab

Before, this floral-themed bathroom in a Georgia farmhouse had no cohesive style. It screamed for a makeover.

After: French Country Charm

After a budget-friendly facelift, this Georgia farmhouse bathroom exudes French country charm with a jolt of color. Designer Michelle Mentzer painted the existing cabinet to save money, but added a new countertop with a high backsplash and curved detail on the sides. She replaced the carpet with limestone flooring and brightened the room with a vibrant red mirror, which is now flanked by shaded sconces. Instead of spending money on a linen cabinet., she placed an oversized basket on the floor to hold towels.

Before: Not So Pretty-in-Pink

Arizona designer Lori Carroll scrapped this dated his-and-her setup of pink sinks with gold fixtures in favor of back-to-back vanities and a more contemporary style.

After: Transitional Transformation

The sleek lines and alder wood cabinetry creates a transitional Southwest style for this bathroom update. Designer Lori Carroll created back-to-back his-and-her vanities to save space. Small, warm pendant lighting can be purchased new for as low as $40 at home improvement stores and online lighting retailers.

Before: Shower Eyesore

A pink tub and gold-framed, frosted glass shower ensured this bathroom’s style was stuck in the 1970s, before designer Lori Carroll gave it a much-needed makeover.

After: Southwestern and Stainless

In renovating this 1970s-style bathroom, Arizona designer Lori Carroll opted for a transitional modern look. She mixed stainless steel shelves with Southwestern tile, and replaced the dated pink tub with an oversized shower.

After: Metal Accents

Shower shelves provide decoration and storage in the shower. These stainless steel shelves are fit into a shower designed by Lori Carroll in Tucson, Arizona. They hold necessities like shampoo, conditioner and sponges on the inside of the shower and decor like candles on the outside.

Before: Cheerful but Lackluster

Before the makeover, this 1990s bathroom boasted yellow tile and a basic store-bought striped shower curtain. The rubber ducky yellow tile may have been perfect for a young child, but it wasn’t going to win any style awards.

After: Kiddie Cool

Now, the bathroom features classic white tile and modern grays, making it kid-friendly and contemporary. Balance out a bigger ticket item, such as installing new tile, by saving on your shower curtain. Instead of a fancy or custom curtain for this boys' bathroom makeover, Atlanta designer Jennifer Foster found one for less than $20 with a fun tire tread design.

After: Affordable Valance

When redoing a bathroom, don’t forget that valances and shades can be the finishing touch. In this kid-friendly bathroom renovation, Atlanta designer Jennifer Foster matched the window valance with the shower curtain for a designer look. She saved money by purchasing a second shower curtain for less than $20, and then mounting the material on a board to create the valance.

Before: Showing its Age

Despite interesting architectural features, this dated Southwestern-style bathroom was in desperate need of a makeover. Designer Lori Carroll gave it an update with classic and contemporary elements.

After: Southwestern Shower Update

By installing these tiles from Daltile in the shower, Arizona designer Lori Carroll was able to add color and style to this transitional Southwestern bathroom. By taking out the tub and adding a large shower, Carroll was also able to open up the space.

After: Tile in Transition

Daltile tiles, chosen by Arizona designer Lori Carroll for this transitional bathroom makeover, were in keeping with the Southwestern style of the house.

After: Vanity Refresh

In this bathroom renovation, Arizona designer Lori Carroll didn’t want to depart too drastically from the home’s overall style. She intentionally incorporated elements, like the tile from Daltile, that fit the home's Southwestern design, but provided a transitional modern update.

After: Reining It In

Designer Lori Carroll says the tile, counter and sink she chose for this Southwestern-style bathroom renovation creates a classic feel without being too trendy or contemporary.

Before: Brown Bore

Before renovations, this bathroom felt dark and dated. Large, terra-cotta tiles covered the floor, and an off-white built-in tub seemed small and lacked style.

After: Airy and Modern

Designer Jessica Murphy completely renovated the dated fixtures and dark tones in this bathroom, creating a light, airy space with updated features, colors and tiles. Ceramic tile made to look like wood works together with the standalone tub and walls painted in Sherwin-Williams Fleur de Sel to create a contemporary modern look. The centerpiece splurge is the chic Kardiel stand alone tub, which Murphy says gives the room a luxury feel.

Before: Big but Basic

The same terrace level bathroom with an outdated color palette also served as a laundry room in this Georgia lake home. It served multiple functions, but lacked style.

After: Tile Trick

To make the terrace level bath feel less like an '80s afterthought, Georgia designer Beth Johnson split the cavernous space into two smaller bathrooms for guests to use at the lake house. Because it is a second home for the family, she employed cost-saving steps, like installing ceramic tile that looks like Carrera marble, that didn’t sacrifice style. The result is a new transitional style that is more in line with today.

Before: Terrace-Level Throwback

Before, the large terrace level bathroom of this Georgia lake home had a spartan 1980s feel with big tiles and a foreboding tub/shower combination.

After: Ready for Guests

Having split the spacious basement level bathroom, Georgia designer Beth Johnson created two separate spaces, each with a modern transitional style that is both family-friendly and welcoming to visitors to this lake home. In both bathrooms, she chose more affordable and easy-to-maintain tile that looks like wood and gives the rooms a warm, rustic appearance. She moved the laundry area elsewhere in the basement.