Five bathroom updates that will help your space stand the test of time

Stuck at home for months on end, many homeowners are looking for ways to spruce up the appearance or improve functionality of their surroundings. Small but achievable updates in bathrooms, such as tile, hardware or paint, are among the more popular projects.

If you want your design choices to stand up over time, the first step is determining what styles will be timeless for you specifically.

“People tend to fall into one or two camps,” says interior designer Michael Winn of Winn Design & Build in Northern Virginia. “They want a very classic-looking bathroom, or they want something contemporary and spa-like, like the Four Seasons.”

Translation: For many people, the bathroom might not be the place to get splashy with trends.

For those who want to do it right and be done, Winn, designer Katy Harbin of North Carolina, and Boston-based interior designer Erin Gates, author of Elements of Family Style, agreed on five truly timeless updates.

“White doesn’t go out of style,” Winn says. Think white paint, tile, countertops, vanities, and textiles.

If you find yourself craving color, you can add it with window treatments and towels, Gates suggests, or wallpaper and art. “Just be wary of installing wallpaper in an often-used bathroom with a shower, as the steam can sometimes cause the paper to peel.”

Harbin likes white towels with a contrast trim “in a perky color.”

Choosing the right paint color can be tricky, Harbin says, so it’s important to order larger color samples from paint stores rather than relying on paint cards. If you can’t find larger samples, get a sample pot and paint a poster board to see how everything looks under your bathroom’s lighting. Put the paint next to tile and countertop samples to be certain they all work together.

Blending two types of metals in the space can stand up better than going with one trendy finish throughout the room. In terms of particular metals, “polished nickel is timeless,” Winn says. Gates, too, prefers polished nickel. In her bathroom, she pairs it with a gold mirror.

When using two different metals (and no more than two), Harbin says to “repeat them enough and it will look good.” Try using gold on knobs and a mirror, and nickel on faucets and hardware, and perhaps your lighting, for example.

Investing in higher-quality metal hardware will also help with longevity. A faucet with brass fittings and water-efficient technology “may be pricier in the beginning, but you’ll be grateful later,” Harbin says.

“Marble, or a faux marble, like quartz with a marble appearance, will never go out of style,” Winn says. Gates agrees, with a vote for Carrara marble.

The soft, porous stone requires some semiannual resealing to maintain its appearance, Winn says. Newer generations of countertops in sturdier materials provide that marble look without the maintenance. “These countertops are excellent in heavy-use bathrooms, such as those used by children,” he explains. Solid-slab marble is typically $100 to $200 a square foot; “marble-like material” is about $45 to $75 a square foot, Winn says.

White subway tile in a shower or bath will never age, Winn says. For floors, penny tile — white, or black and white — is still found in homes built in the 1950s and ’60s, Winn says, but clients are also asking for it in new bathrooms. Other classics include hexagonal and basket-weave patterns.

Choosing these tiles in white “will age a bit better,” Winn says, than tiles in bold colors or patterns. (If you love pattern and color, instead of a super-bold tile pattern, try a rug that can be easily changed out.)

Winn suggests white grout with white tile for a classic look. For a more modern feel, try a charcoal or black grout with white tile.

As for size, larger floor tiles, such as 8-by-8 inches or 12-by-24 inches, can make a room seem bigger, “since the grout lines are less visible,” Winn says. Small tiles — 1-by-1 inch or 2.25-by-2.25 inches — are good for powder rooms “to create a full, repetitious look.” They can also be beneficial in a shower, because more grout lines help prevent slipping, Gates says.

Winn recommends a “free-standing, furniture-grade vanity,” which will “make the bathroom seem less utilitarian,” he says.

Gates likes free-standing vanities with Shaker doors and undermount sinks — a style she has in her bath. The Shaker style is simple, she says, without ornate details, and it’s rooted in history. Gates recommends a custom vanity, if the budget allows.

White, gray and limed oak wood are all safe bets for a classic look that won’t age, she says. In a powder room, Gates recommends a simple pedestal sink and free-standing cabinets or baskets to hold toilet paper and extra hand towels.