Best Bathroom Remodeling & Design Books
This post contains affiliate links; if you buy something we get a small commission at no extra cost to youThe bathroom is perhaps the most pragmatic room in any house. It’s also one of the toughest rooms to remodel and get it done right.
If you’re new to remodeling you might like our collection of books on home renovation. But if you’re specifically looking to renovate your bathroom(or even build a new one) then you’ll find better information in the books below.
I’ve curated a good mix of technical remodeling advice books, plus a bunch of bathroom design books for creative ideas. These idea books work well if you’re hiring a contractor and want to show them photos as references.
Either way these books are perfect for anyone remodeling their bathroom and there’s a lot to learn in the whole process.
New Bathroom Idea Book
Whether you’re gutting a bathroom or adding an extension, there’s a lot of design and pre-planning involved at every stage. The New Bathroom Idea Book by Jamie Gold offers a bunch of cool ideas to help you plan your dream room.
It’s packed with 320+ full-color photographs and 15 illustrations explaining different bathroom features.
You’ll find advice for every design choice from fixtures to tiling, finish details to bathroom vanities.
Later chapters even discuss energy conservation and designing a green bathroom with conservation in mind. It’s much more of an idea book than anything else but this is a wonderful companion during a bathroom redesign.
Bathrooms: A Sunset Design Guide
I always like the Sunset guides because they offer so much variety. And this holds true for their 220-page resource Bathrooms: A Sunset Design Guide.
Tons of photos and beautiful ideas you can implement with any sized bathroom. Granted some do feel more luxurious but a typical homeowner will find a lot of practical ideas too.
You can also find detailed descriptions for materials written by experts in the field.
This is a huge resource for bathroom design projects and this is one of the clearest guides out there.
Not to mention you can pick this up on a budget so it’s a nice place to start if you’re even thinking of renovating your bathroom.
Affordable Bathroom Upgrades
Everyone wants a gorgeous bathroom and wants to build it on a budget. Affordable Bathroom Upgrades shares practical advice for homeowners who don’t want to break the bank for a new b-room.
Granted everyone has a different definition of “affordable” so I can’t say these ideas will work for you. It’d be good to have at least low-four figures available for any type of major home work.
But even just making small changes to the sink or adding a nice towel rack can make a huge difference.
Or if you’re crafty try building your own cabinets from scratch. If you do it right you’ll save a ton on labor costs.
Overall a really nice book full of some great ideas. Just make sure you have a small fund available because even an affordable bathroom reno is gonna be costly.
The Complete Guide to Bathrooms
Want to learn absolutely everything about your bathroom?
Then you need a copy of Black & Decker’s The Complete Guide to Bathrooms.
This covers literally every topic under the sun related to bathroom structure and design. Ventilation, flooring, cabinetry, toiletry, plumbing, it’s all here in great detail with tips for DIYers who might attempt renovating on their own.
But homeowners who choose to hire contractors should still know about this information. It’s your house and your structure so it helps to know exactly what’s going on.
This comprehensive 256-page guide takes you through every step of a theoretical remodel. Any question you may have is in this book so it’s a great overview for anyone skeptical about remodeling.
Small Bath Solutions
Not every home can fit a luxurious spacious bathroom onto the property. That’s why so many bathrooms are designed smaller than other rooms, and with Small Bath Solutions you’ll find plenty of ideas for working with one of these smaller spaces.
This book showcases a bunch of unique bathrooms with before & after photos. You’ll learn a ton about bathroom design plans and following through with a full renovation.
There’s even advice from professional interior designers who share how to create a consistent theme in your bathroom. The photos really help you get a sense of these themes and how to find one for yourself.
I’m blown away at the quality of these photos.
You’re sure to find a ton of ideas you can replicate in this 190-page design book.
Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies
If you’ve got a worker’s thumb there’s good reason to attempt renovating yourself. It’s not easy but it is very rewarding and can save a ton of money in the process.
Bathroom Remodeling For Dummies is perhaps the best place to start because it’s written simplistically. You don’t need to know much about construction to get started, although you will need to be willing to learn.
This book talks about everything from appraising to selecting the right tools, materials, fixtures, and even decorations/paint for your walls.
Over a massive 368 pages you’ll find guides for everything like removing the toilet, the sink, or even demolishing walls to expand or restructure the room.
A great resource for DIYers who have never gotten into a home remodeling project before.
The bathroom is a whole different ballgame so this guide will prove invaluable no matter what type of renovations you’re doing.
Bathroom Remodeling
The complete roadmap of a renovation project is long and winding. There’s so much to learn if you’ve never done work on a bathroom.
Before hiring anyone consider grabbing a copy of Bathroom Remodeling. It’s written with advice from some of the best home renovators in the industry with quality tips for homeowners.
It talks about expanding your bathroom’s features while also keeping budget in mind.
There’s nothing worse than going over budget and having a half-completed bathroom.
Other topics include proper faucet installation and plumbing information that’s crucial to understand. Even just getting a new toilet is a big project and this book has you covered with advice every step of the way.
Remodel: Without Going Bonkers or Broke
I mentioned this book in my list of home renovation guides and I think it belongs here too.
Remodel Without Going Bonkers or Broke looks at home remodeling from a pragmatic perspective. Most homeowners need to live in their house while it’s being renovated so there’s no easy way to get through this.
But author Jim Molinelli has 25+ years experience working as a residential architect doing all kinds of remodeling projects. He knows what goes into it and shares plenty of advice that homeowners would be wise to consider.
You’ll learn about the many different types of remodeling professionals and how to interview subcontractors for the work. This includes negotiating prices and working with cost-saving materials that don’t break apart.
While this doesn’t strictly focus on bathrooms I’d still say it’s worth a gander. At the very least it’ll prepare you for any type of renovation in the future.
Bathroom Upgrades
Expanding and upgrading a bathroom requires a lot of planning. You need to know exactly what you want and how the room should look when it’s completed.
Bathroom Upgrades spans 220+ pages full of advice on remodeling your bathroom and bringing it to new heights. There are lots of little things people don’t consider like sink accessibility or bathroom storage space.
The great thing about this book is how it combines DIY workflows along with design ideas and decorating tips. It’s like a full project guide along with advice for every step of the process.
If you’re having trouble planning your new bathroom then I highly recommend a copy of this book.
The various diagrams and color photos are sure to set your mind on the right track.
Bathrooms: The Smart Approach to Design
People often overlook the little details of a new room design. These minor details can cause problems down the line when you have a doorway that’s too small or a linen cabinet that’s too close to the shower.
Bathrooms: The Smart Approach to Design touches upon every single aspect of bathroom design work. You’ll learn about the minor details like door frames and tile spacing, along with how these details affect the final room design.
Some designs in this book aren’t that great, or just feel too niche to work in every home. But there are some really cool designs here too so it’s a varied creative idea book.
But the true value is the advice nestled into each chapter. It’s a very practical guide that forces you to think beyond the renovation to include space, usability, and furniture design choices.
The Perfect Bath
The name of this book promises a lot and I’d say it delivers.
The Perfect Bath by Barbara Sallick is one of the newest books in this list and it’s one of the best for gathering ideas. With 270 pages of full color photographs you’ll find dozens of unique bathrooms created by renowned designers.
There’s plenty of practical advice but it’s littered between pages of dazzling photographs. I’d consider this book a decorating/designing resource rather than a full renovation guide.
But no bathroom is complete without the final touches and that’s exactly where this book can help.
If you’re not sure how to start decorating you’ll find tons of ideas in these pages. Not to mention it’s a great resource for planning your dream bathroom with ideas from world-class designers.
In truth all of these books are fantastic and you can’t go wrong either way. Some lean towards DIY/renovating while others focus on room designs and aesthetics.
Both topics are crucial to a successful bathroom remodel so there’s bound to be something here for every homeowner.