Master Bathroom Makeover: 8 Ways to Transform Your Master Bath

We all have that one place in our home that we dream and dream of re-creating. That one space that just feels sour and is the cause of our stress. For our family, that one space has always been our master bathroom. Located directly next to our master bedroom, before walking into our master closet. Our standard, builder grade, master bathroom has been the sore of our home since the beginning. Maybe it’s because I never really loved the design or the set-up. But for so long, I struggled to feel like I could really relax, unwind, and truly take care of myself within our bathroom walls. Which is why our home was in need of a master bathroom makeover. uI am so excited to share with you all the details of our master bathroom transformation!

A Complete Master Bathroom Makeover

It’s funny, as soon as the pandemic hit, back in spring of 2020, when instantly both my husband and I were working fully remote (Which was unheard of for teachers and accountants at that time) Very quickly our entire home went into remodel mode. Our two dogs had done some major damage on our carpets, and we invested in brand new flooring for the entire house. While we were at it, we also made the decision to upgrade our master bathroom.

And I am so thankful that we did. I would definitely say it was ALL WORTH IT! As we now have the master bathroom of our dreams. I am so excited to share this with you, as I want to be very clear, that it is absolutely possible for you too, to have your dream master bathroom. And it’s not as difficult as you think!

Our Master Bathroom Prior to the Renovations

J and I custom-built our home at the ripe-young age of 22 and 23. We had been married for just about a year and no longer could manage living in a 700 sq. foot apartment. We found the perfect area, one where you can hear all the birds in the morning and the frogs and crickets at night. Surrounded by deer with the most beautiful views of sunrise, sunset and an encompassing blanket of stars at night. There were so many things we loved about new home, but while making decisions as first time home buyers at 22 and 23, we definitely went with the bare minimums for our master bathroom.

Living Life Through the Busy

Throughout the last several years, my heart has desired a major change within this space. Between a VERY busy schedule, multiple outfit changes per day thanks to the coaching/teaching schedule, and very little time actually spent at home (assuming a before Covid schedule that is). Our master bathroom felt chaotic and overwhelming. My heart desired a space where I could refresh and unwind in peace. A master bathroom that provided a great way to truly relax at the end of the day!

My soul, mind, and body craved a place where I could retreat, a place where a bathroom meets a spa. And that my friends, is what this master bathroom transformation is all about.  My hopes is that through this master bath transformation, you too will be inspired with master bathroom ideas for your own home makeover, no matter what kind of budget you may be on!

The Before Master Bathroom Makeover

I truly apologize for the raw and unedited photos you are about to see documenting the BEFORE of our Master Bathroom Transformation! Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures until the very last moment and that also happened to be when all of our stuff was in the bathroom – to be loaded into the storage above the garage, since we were getting brand new floors throughout our home during this same time! Secretly, I feel like the level of chaos and clutter in these frames to follow only go to show just how amazing our Master Bathroom transformation truly is! However, please note, viewer discretion advised!

The Need of a Master Bathroom Transformation

Phew! That is over with. Now, please don’t hold those images against me. But now, for the moment you have all been waiting for, the AFTER pictures of our master bathroom reveal. So, so excited to see what you think of how this space was transformed! Real quickly though, now is probably a really good time to share that the work of the demolition, shower and tub install were the handiwork of the amazing (and local) contractor we hired – Armando and his fantastic crew.

We seriously were absolutely blown away by his work and if you are local to the Woodstock, GA area I will gladly provide his information. Also, may I quickly add – this post is not sponsored, however there are affiliate links within this post, that if purchased from, I do receive a small commission. As always, I greatly appreciate your support here at gracefulandfree!

The After – Master Bathroom Makeover

My heart is SO happy with our master bathroom transformation. The entire project took about a week, from start to finish, and now we are left with a completely new bathroom that will serve our wellness and self-care routine well for a very long time.  And I want this post to be helpful and inspirational for YOU to help ensure that all your spa-worthy master bathroom dreams can come true! So below is a MUST-READ list of 8 Ways to Transform Your Master Bathroom.

Master Bathroom Renovation – 8 Ways to Transform Your Master Bathroom

Whether you are seeking an entire bathroom makeover or just changing up a few small details within your master bath, these 8 master bathroom remodel ideas can help make your dream bathroom a reality. And in order to make this master bath remodel as helpful as possible for you, all the links have been continuously updated to make your master bath remodel possible! Please be aware, links used throughout this master bathroom round-up are affiliate links, to which I do earn a tiny commission upon making a purchase. I appreciate your support so incredibly much!

Master Bathroom Transformation Tip #1. Fresh Paint

The very first thing to include in a easy master bathroom makeover is fresh paint. This is the simple and the easiest way to refresh your master bathroom space. Fresh paint is an absolute must. In order to reach the bathroom of our dreams, not only did we freshly paint the walls, but I also spent the weekend before the demolition, painting the cabinets. Our cabinets were an original dark oak and I updated the color theme with painting the cabinets Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl. This is the same paint color used for our kitchen cabinets as well! Our walls are painted Sherwin Williams Alpaca and the shiplap wall is Sherwin Williams Alabaster.

Now, painting cabinets, is not for the faint of heart, as it definitely requires attention to detail and patience. However, it was absolutely worth it and another easy way to make a solid upgrade to our master bathroom. Therefore, one sure way to create the bathroom of your dreams is with a fresh coat of paint. Take some time exploring different paint colors to choose the paint color that works best with your overall aesthetic. Prior to our bathroom remodel, I spent so many hours on Pinterest looking at different paint color palette ideas. I am so happy with the paint colors we went with, as well as our gray cabinets, for our master bathroom makeover!

Tip #2 Update the fixtures

Another simple way to transform your master bathroom as part of your master bathroom makeover is to update the fixtures. Replace the old light fixture, with something brand new. Adding in new light fixtures, helped absolutely transform our entire space, resulting in practically a brand new bathroom. Yes, I am talking plumbing, as well as lighting and even hardware. Since our original garden tub and shower insert were getting completely demolished – we took this time to update the fixtures for the bath and shower.

Furthermore, I thought it would be a sweet touch to match our sink faucets and vanity lights as well. Our builder grade designs were bronze and now, in our newly revamped, spa-like master bathroom our fixtures our matte black.

Shop the Bathroom Fixtures

Also – quick secret – all our lights and fixtures came from Amazon. (Crazy I know!) We found the most affordable options via Amazon and have absolutely loved how they have turned out. Plus, they work great!

Another quick little touch that is super easy is to change out the hardware on the cabinets. Since I painted the cabinets a lighter grey, I found super cute cabinet knobs from (YES!) Amazon and have been very happy with my selection. These finishing touches truly make our master bath makeover!

Master Bathroom Transformation Tip #3 Ditch the Mirror

The next easy way to transform your master bathroom is through upgrading your bathroom mirror. This is another really powerful way to complete a master bathroom makeover! As soon as J and I committed to the shower remodel (it started out as just upgrading our shower, but I can be very convincing and ended up with my dream master bathroom), I knew I had big plans for this space.

I had a very clear vision of exactly how I wanted this spa space to look and feel. To make that happen, a super easy master bathroom transformation includes ditching the obnoxious full-wall length mirror above our double vanity and replacing it with two matte black pharmacy mirrors that are absolutely perfect. Plus, they were very easy to install!

Shop the Mirror

Master Bathroom Makeover Tip #4 Add Subway Tile

The fourth tip for your master bathroom makeover is to incorporate white subway tile in order to upgrade your shower.  It’s funny. You know how you can be at a nice hotel or resort and you fall in love with the shower and think to yourself “If only this could be my shower back at home.” Well, that is now our shower. In fact, on our first trip together after the master bathroom remodel, we both were instantly underwhelmed at the bathroom of our Airbnb. So what do you need for a shower to completely blow you away, well white subway tile works wonders.

Not only did we select the 3 x 6 white subway tile from Home Depot (which is super cheap by the way) we also decided to create a statement shower floor using the abstract tile shown below. The shower fixtures are from Amazon and the shower door is a custom-build from a local shower door designer! We are completely in love with how this turned out. For the grout we decided to go with 3/8th thickness and used midnight black grout color. Bonus points to the rainfall shower head we ordered from Amazon that definitely sealed the deal on this spa-like bathroom experience. Therefore, our brand new shower is truly a dream come true, and the major feature of our entire bathroom remodel!

Shop the Tile

Tip #5 Fresh Linens

The fifth must-have for your master bathroom makeover is to update your linens! One of the things I was looking forward to the most with our new master bathroom was ditching our old, have been used for 7 years, bathroom towels for brand new Pottery Barn Classic towels.

I had actually done a google search on what were the best bathroom linens and an article ranked Pottery Barn pretty high. So I thought, what defines your late-twenties more than finally upgrading to Pottery Barn linens. My goodness gracious they are absolutely amazing. So so soft and cozy! And so fresh, and so clean!

Master Bathroom Transformation Tip #6 Shiplap Wall

You might have caught earlier how this entire master bathroom transformation started out as a simple shower upgrade. Well, you can read on below for how I master-minded this stand-alone tub! Another cornerstone of my vision for this master bath space included an accent wall by the tub! J and I installed our own shiplap downstairs in our dining room several years ago and love the texture and charm it brings.

Sure enough, adding shiplap to this soaking tub space is quite charming. For materials, we went to Home Depot and used the outdoor siding material, politely asked for the employee to cut the siding in half. Then Armando installed it for us himself – and did a great job! As mentioned earlier, the shiplap is painted Sherwin William’s Alabaster. Now, let’s get to my most favorite part of the entire room. The tub!

The Shiplap Wall

Master Bathroom Makeover Tip #7 – Free standing tub

One of the best things to include in your master bathroom makeover is a freestanding tub. A freestanding tub has the ability to completely elevate your entire look and feel of your master bathroom. As I have alluded to throughout this entire post, the master bathroom transformation began just as a shower remodel. Well, knowing secretly that my dream bathroom had to include a free-standing tub, I proposed to J that it only made since for the garden tub to be demoed at the same time our shower was demoed.

And when I brought my vision to Armando, he absolutely supported my decision, reminding J that a happy wife means a happy life! Of course, knowing that we were completely replacing the floors, that also made the decision more simple for us. Soon after, I very quickly found a free-standing tub from Wayfair (that really wasn’t crazy expensive, perfect for our tight budget) and ordered it the same day.

Quick note about Wayfair – they were wonderful and their customer service was superb. The tub actually arrived a few days later than it was scheduled for, and Wayfair automatically issued a credit for the inconvenience. Now, the most expensive part was definitely the plumbing. We hired a plumber to set everything up for us. In the end it has absolutely been worth it as this is my favorite corner of our home!

Shop the Free-Standing Tub Essentials

Tip #8 Statement Florals

Finally, the eighth way to transform your master bathroom into a spa-like retreat, incorporate statement florals. Florals for the wall and florals for the shelves. My favorite floral wall art can be found through this adorable Etsy shop. And the stunning floating frames a great deal from Target. Additionally, the hanging button plant on the floating shelves (From Afloral!) is a sweet find inspired by Pretty in the Pines, whose home is absolute inspiration. The sweet fern on the counter top was another Target find that I feel just adds the best touches to the space. When in doubt – add florals.

Shop the Master Bathroom Transformation

Creating the Master Bath of Your Dreams

It is absolutely possible to have the master bath remodel of your dreams. And it doesn’t have to break the bank! Truly, through these 8 master bathroom remodel ideas, our bathroom was completely transformed from the place I avoided, to the perfect place to unwind at the end of the day!

Quick little recap for you of the eight ways to completely transform your master bathroom:

1. Fresh Paint
2. Update the fixtures
3. Ditch the mirror
4. Create a new shower & bring on the white subway tile
5. Fresh linens
6. Statement shiplap wall
7. Add a free-standing tub
8. Incorporate statement florals

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through and look at the Master Bathroom Reveal and our full renovation of our master bathroom. If you have any questions or comments about anything – please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Stay tuned for the reveal of how we transformed our guest bathroom, a super small space, all while 7 months pregnant! If you loved what you read and want to check out more – I am sure you would love this read on the Essentials for Your Home Office! Have the best day!