When designed thoughtfully, a bathroom can transform into a serene sanctuary. But when it's not, it can quickly drag down the mood of your entire home. Even the smallest design missteps—like rusted fixtures or a hodgepodge of mismatched towels—can not only detract from your space’s aesthetic but also hinder its functionality.

If you're ready to refresh your bathroom and turn it into a stylish retreat, we've identified seven common design mistakes that design professionals say give them the 'ick.'

Meet the Experts

Tennille Wood is the CEO and principal designer at Beautiful Habitat.
Doris Roberts is the owner and principal designer at Doris Roberts Interiors.

Is your vanity light caked in dust and smeared with eight different paint colors from two decades of DIY paint jobs? If so, it's time to give your lighting a lift.

Vanity lights are often overlooked because they're not always at eye level, making it easy to let one who's seen better days go unnoticed for years. Chances are, if your light is laden with dust, it's also casting an unflattering glow on your vanity mirror—and your face.

If your vanity light has seen better days, swap it out for an updated fixture, keeping in mind that a cooler 5000K bulb is best for vanity-forward activities like makeup application.

Mold-Prone Carpeting

The shiver-inducing powers of carpeting in the bath are real—especially for designers who see it as both an aesthetic misstep and a health hazard.

Bathrooms are naturally humid environments. Doris Roberts, the owner and principal designer at Doris Roberts Interiors, explains how excess moisture can be detrimental to carpeting, which absorbs it like a sponge. When the carpet doesn't dry properly, it creates a perfect breeding ground for mildew and mold—a surefire way to give both you and your guests the ick.

"If you can't resist the pull of something plush underfoot the second you step out of the bath or shower, try an oversized bath mat which can be thrown in the wash, if need be," Roberts says.

Vessel Sinks

Because vessel sinks sit on top of the countertop, they're prone to accumulating grime, water marks, and soap scum around the edges where the sink meets the surface, raising red flags for designers.

Compounding the issue is that vessel sinks' elevated design can lead to more splashing, making the surrounding countertop prone to even more water damage.

Rather than trying to navigate the pitfalls of vessel sinks, many designers prefer under-mount or drop-in sinks, which allow for easier cleaning and a more modern and seamless appearance.

Privacy-Lacking Barn Doors

Is there a time and place for barn doors? Yes. Is it the bathroom? Absolutely not, say most designers, who cite concerns about privacy, humidity, and sound.

"Honestly, barn doors are just not the right fit for a bathroom," Roberts explains. "If you're tight on space and a traditional swinging door won’t do, I’d lean toward a pocket door instead."

While they share some of the same challenges, a pocket door tends to address them more effectively, Roberts says, particularly when it comes to achieving a better seal and maintaining a cleaner, more polished look.

Rusted Shower Caddies

While shower caddies get points for function, you won't find many designers pledging allegiance to their aesthetic qualities.

Rickety and prone to rusting, shower caddies are occasionally a necessary evil, but if you're thinking about undertaking a renovation, you should absolutely think about additional ways to add storage via a shower niche.

If you're not ready to undertake demolition of your tub or shower surround just yet, keep an eye out for sleek, non-wire caddies in non-rustable finishes. Swapping out your shower products' original containers for uniform glass bottles can also help.

Chaotic Toiletries

It's not just disorganized shampoo and body wash bottles that give designers the chills. Hair products and medicine cabinet items left out on your vanity top are also major eyesores.

"Q-tips, cotton balls, and cotton pads all come in packaging that takes up space and makes the area feel cluttered," Tennille Wood, a CEO and principal designer at Beautiful Habitat, says.

To remedy this, Wood recommends glass containers for storage purposes. Not only will uniform bottles not only create a cleaner, more cohesive look, but they also take up less space on your countertops or inside your cabinets.

A Center-Stage Toilet

For many designers, being able to view the toilet through an open bathroom door is a definite turnoff.

While it's true that the bathroom door will (hopefully) be closed when the toilet is in use, a visible toilet can make a bathroom feel less inviting.

Shield the commode from the view of the hallway or adjacent room by placing the vanity in between. No matter how luxurious your toilet is, it can't compete with the elegance of a sleek vanity topped with a mirror that bounces light back into the main space.

A Towel Free-for-All

While there are many opportunities in a bathroom to put your knack for mixing and matching color schemes and textures on display, your bath towels aren't one of them.

When decorating a bathroom, it's best to keep towels uniform in both color and design, Roberts says. Even if they're from a big-box store, matching towels create a far more sophisticated, cohesive look than mismatched ones.