10 Bathroom Upgrades to Increase Your Home Value
When you remodel your bathroom, the most important question to ask is: How do you want this space to work for you? A beautifully designed bathroom sets the tone for your day and offers a quiet retreat at night. It’s a space where luxury meets intention, where every detail reflects your personal taste and supports the way you want to live now—and well into the future.
Whether you’re soaking in the tub after hosting a dinner party or stepping into a warm, light-filled space to start your morning, the right upgrades can create a bathroom that feels restorative, refined, and entirely your own. Warm tones, artisanal tile work, and frameless glass showers bring sophistication and timelessness, while features like double vanities and layered lighting elevate the experience with comfort and ease.
This isn’t just about keeping up with trends or resale stats. It’s about crafting a space that enhances your lifestyle—one that brings joy, ease, and a sense of pride in your home. And the beauty is, these same elements naturally appeal to future buyers if the time comes to move on.
Let’s explore 10 bathroom features that can transform your space into something truly exceptional—so you can love where you live every day.
Frameless Glass Showers
There’s something unmistakably refined about a bathroom that feels open, airy, and effortless—and a frameless glass shower sets that tone instantly. By removing bulky frames and visual clutter, you create a sleek, uninterrupted flow that brings in light and enhances the sense of space. It’s the kind of feature that transforms your bathroom from simply functional to quietly luxurious.
A frameless glass shower is more than a modern upgrade—it’s a design statement. It lets the materials around it shine, from handcrafted tile to custom fixtures, and it helps the room feel more spacious and serene. Whether you’re getting ready for a full day or winding down in the evening, it turns routine into ritual.
This is a feature that feels as good as it looks—inviting, elevated, and timeless. And while it may also impress future buyers, its true value is in how it supports the lifestyle you want to live right now.
Double Vanities
A double vanity does more than add convenience—it creates a sense of balance and rhythm in your primary bathroom. With dedicated space for each person, it allows for smooth, unhurried mornings and serene evenings. But more than that, it reflects a lifestyle centered around comfort, intention, and the kind of everyday luxury that makes a home feel truly lived in and loved.
This feature brings symmetry and elegance to the space, allowing you to personalize each side while maintaining a cohesive design. Think: matching mirrors, custom finishes, and storage that supports the way you actually use your bathroom—whether you’re prepping for the day or getting ready to host guests for a weekend stay.
For homeowners who value quality of life and thoughtful design, a double vanity offers more than function—it offers peace of mind and an elevated experience every single day. And should you choose to sell, it’s the kind of timeless upgrade that quietly reinforces the overall quality of your home.
Freestanding Soaking Tubs
Few features say this is your retreat like a freestanding soaking tub. Sculptural and serene, it becomes the centerpiece of a space designed not just for function, but for slowing down. Whether it’s your evening escape after a long day or a quiet weekend ritual, a soaking tub invites a different pace—one rooted in comfort and quiet luxury.
More than just a fixture, a freestanding tub adds presence. It communicates that this space was designed for relaxation and restoration. Paired with warm lighting, curated materials, and thoughtful placement, it creates an atmosphere that feels more like a boutique spa than a traditional bathroom.
If you have the space, this is a feature that gives back daily. When it comes to resale value, a freestanding tub can hold a lot of perceived value and elevate a bathroom overall. But, at the end of the day, it’s carving out a moment for yourself in the home you love.
High-Quality Tile Work
Beautiful tile doesn’t just finish a space—it defines it. The texture underfoot, the quiet depth of a matte glaze, the artistry in each pattern—all of it contributes to a bathroom that feels elevated, intentional, and deeply personal. High-quality tile work signals care, craftsmanship, and an investment in making your home feel as good as it looks.
Whether you gravitate toward clean, large-format pieces or hand-laid mosaics, tile choices shape the mood of your bathroom. They bring in warmth, texture, and permanence—elements that turn everyday routines into meaningful moments. This is the kind of detail that reflects pride of ownership and creates a setting worthy of the life you’ve built.
While buyers may admire it down the line, the real return comes in how you experience it every day: a space that feels grounded, polished, and designed with purpose.
Heated Floors
There’s a kind of undeniable luxury that comes from stepping onto a warm floor on a cold morning—an experience that feels both subtle and deeply satisfying. Radiant heat beneath your feet might not be something guests immediately notice, but it’s a detail you’ll appreciate every single day. It brings warmth not just to the room, but to the rhythm of your life at home.
This is an upgrade rooted in care—for comfort, for quality, and for the kind of daily rituals that make a house feel like a haven. Heated floors offer more than just practical value—they create an atmosphere of calm that wraps around you as you begin and end each day.
For homeowners who want their space to feel tailored and intentionally designed, radiant heat is a small gesture with lasting impact. It’s not just a feature—it’s a feeling.
Custom Cabinetry
Custom cabinetry does more than elevate your bathroom’s style—it transforms how you live in the space. Thoughtfully designed vanities, tailored storage, and high-quality finishes make your routines easier and your space more enjoyable. Whether it’s a drawer that keeps your essentials perfectly organized or integrated outlets that simplify your mornings, these small details add up to a bathroom that feels designed just for you.
It’s not just about looks—it’s about intention. With soft-close drawers, pull-out organizers, and tailored dimensions, custom cabinetry helps you stay organized without sacrificing beauty. You’re not just filling a space; you’re shaping it to better fit your habits, your preferences, and your everyday flow.
While homebuyers would likely appreciate the craftsmanship and built-in functionality, the real return on investment comes from how well it works for you now. Custom cabinetry makes your bathroom feel calm, curated, and truly personal—one of those upgrades that makes you wonder how you ever lived without it.
Energy-Efficient Fixtures
Energy-efficient upgrades aren’t just about saving money—they’re about creating a bathroom that aligns with how you want to live. It’s the kind of invisible luxury that feels purposeful and forward-thinking. Whether you want to purposefully be eco-conscious or just want to save money, swapping in water-saving toilets, low-flow showerheads, and LED lighting is a simple way to make your space feel more thoughtful and in line with your values.
These features don’t call attention to themselves, but they make a noticeable difference in your everyday routine. You’ll use less water and energy without sacrificing comfort or performance. And knowing that your bathroom is both beautiful and efficient can give you peace of mind every time you flip a switch or turn on the tap.
While these updates are also appreciated by eco-conscious buyers—especially in places like Corvallis, Albany, and surrounding areas—their real strength is how they quietly improve your quality of life. It’s a small investment in sustainability that pays off in how your home supports you day in and day out.
Layered Lighting
Layered lighting combines ambient, task, and accent lighting to create a bathroom that feels balanced and thoughtfully designed for how you move through your day.
In the morning, task lighting makes it easier to get ready. In the evening, ambient lighting softens the room and invites you to slow down. Accent lighting adds that finishing touch, highlighting your tile, cabinetry, or favorite design features in a way that feels elevated. Together, these layers create a space that works with your rhythm and enhances every part of your routine.
While layered lighting can also add polish and perceived value for future buyers, it changes the way you experience it personally. Choosing exactly how you want your lighting laid out means that it works for your lifestyle, and chances are high that it will also serve future homeowners well.
Warm, Inviting Color Palettes
If you want your bathroom to feel more like a sanctuary, consider leaning into warm tones that speak to your design style. Soft taupes, warm greys, creamy whites, and earthy finishes can make the space feel grounded and cozy. These palettes bring a sense of calm that supports how you want to feel every time you step into the space—especially at the start and end of your day.
While cooler tones might be more commonly found in resale-driven renovations, warm tones create a more livable, comforting environment that draws people in and offers strong buyer appeal if you ever do decide to sell. They help your bathroom feel move-in ready, but more importantly, they help it feel like home.
Smart Features
Smart features bring a touch of modern convenience to your bathroom. Whether it’s a mirror that adjusts lighting and shows the weather, a touchless faucet that keeps things cleaner, or Bluetooth speaker integration, these upgrades are all about making your routines smoother and more enjoyable.
These aren’t just flashy add-ons—they’re tools that can simplify and add a bit of luxury to your life. And while not every smart feature is essential (touchless faucets, for instance, might not be ideal if you have curious cats!), the right choices can quietly enhance how your space functions without taking away from its warmth or character.
For some buyers, these upgrades will absolutely stand out—smart features can be a fun and functional way to set your listing apart and attract future-minded buyers.
The Right Design Features Make All the Difference
When it comes to remodeling your bathroom, the most important upgrades are the ones that improve how you live every day. From frameless glass showers and double vanities to heated floors, custom cabinetry, and energy-efficient fixtures, each choice is an opportunity to create a space that feels more comfortable, more functional, and more you. The right updates can transform your bathroom into a place you truly enjoy spending time, as well as add monetary and perceived value if you ever decide to list your home.
If you’re ready to reimagine your bathroom and invest in a space that supports your lifestyle now and into the future, we’re here to help. At Thayer Design Build, we create beautifully designed, high-quality bathroom remodels tailored to your life. Whether you’re in Corvallis, Albany, Philomath, or the surrounding areas, our team is ready to bring your vision to life.
Let’s work together to help you love your home again—and add lasting value for the future.
