Our downstairs bathroom before
This post contains a review in partnership with Waterpik.
We have a long list of projects inside and outside the house, but bathrooms haven’t been at the top of the list—until recently. The lower-level bathroom is the newer of the two and feels like a straightforward, affordable update. I like projects that can be tackled a little at a time over a weekend so you see progress without a big investment of time or money.
Below are the before photos of this bathroom and a few ideas I have for updating it. I’d love to hear your suggestions, too. I’ll also share a very simple shower-head upgrade we recently completed with Waterpik.
Our downstairs bathroom before
The space is a basic neutral canvas, which gives us a good starting point. Since this is the bathroom my son uses, I want to keep the vibe somewhat masculine while still making it welcoming for guests.
We may paint the walls eventually, but the current neutral tone is easy to work with for now. The vanity is dark, glossy wood with a granite top; it could be refreshed by painting the cabinet or replacing it entirely. I’ve included an inspiration photo below to show the effect a painted vanity can have.
Inspiration photo
I’m picturing a navy-blue vanity to brighten the room and add personality, similar to the image above. I’ll likely skip wallpaper—even a cute pattern seems risky with a teen boy sharing the space.
The floor and shower tile are neutral-toned marble, so we plan to keep those for now. A few well-chosen accessories and a warm rug will add color and character without a major renovation. Updating mirrors and light fixtures will also shift the style significantly.
Earlier I completed a small cosmetic update on one side of the bathroom. By adding artwork, a new mirror and a small cart, the space gained personality with minimal effort and cost.
One of the advantages of this bathroom is that the basic plumbing—double sinks, shower and tub—is already in place. That makes cosmetic updates like faucets or fixtures relatively affordable. Major plumbing changes are more complex and costly, so I prefer improvements that make a noticeable difference without heavy construction.
Recently Waterpik sent us a new shower head to try. Within minutes we felt like our shower had been transformed. The old fixture lacked a functioning adjustable sprayer and had weak water pressure, so the upgrade was immediate and welcome.
The model we installed is the Waterpik Torrent PowerSpray+. It’s widely available in several finishes and configurations, including handheld options. I’m not a DIY expert, but this was an easy swap that took only a few moments and no special tools—an ideal quick update for any bathroom.
We made a short video showing the simple installation and demonstrating the shower-head features.
After testing the shower head for a week, here’s our review:
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Innovation — 5/5
The shower head offers nine spray settings and claims up to twice the pressure of similar models while still saving water (approximately 0.5 gallons per minute). That combination of performance and efficiency is a smart choice for both comfort and utility.
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Performance — 4/5
Multiple spray options make it adaptable for different users. A couple of settings felt gentler than my personal preference, but overall it delivers a much better experience than our previous fixture.
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Massaging Power — 4/5
The PowerPulse Massage™ setting is one of my favorites. It isn’t the most intense massage mode I’ve tried, but given the water-saving design, it performs impressively and is a notable improvement over what we had before.
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Style and Design — 4/5
The larger 4.5″ diameter head and clean styling with dark accents feel modern and upgrade the look of the shower without being overstated.
Have you updated a bathroom in your home? What recent weekend makeovers have you completed?
Happy weekend, friends!