When (and How) to Upgrade Your Commercial Bathroom

Over time, wear and tear can decrease the appeal and usability of a public restroom. When that happens, it’s time to upgrade your commercial bathroom to improve its aesthetic and create a welcoming vibe. The facelift makes a positive impression and can show that you prioritize hygiene. 

But when exactly should you upgrade your commercial bathroom? What signs should you look for to know it’s time? 

1. Insufficient Lighting and an Unwelcoming Ambience

Even the cleanest, well-maintained bathroom can lose its charm when the lighting is inadequate. The resulting dullness makes the place appear gloomy and outdated. 

A poorly lit restroom hinders clear vision. People can easily stumble upon objects; even fixing your hair or makeup in front of the bathroom mirror becomes a struggle. This hurts people’s experience when using the restroom. 

The best fix for this issue is upgrading the lighting in your commercial bathroom. Here’s what you can do. 

Install New Bulbs and Add New Decor

Brighter bulbs are a quick fix to a poorly lit restroom. Consider LED bulbs, which typically consume less energy and produce more powerful light than traditional fluorescent bulbs of the same wattage. 

However, improving bathroom lighting is more than just installing brighter bulbs if you aim for a specific ambiance. Depending on the location of the restroom (for instance, in a hotel, office, bar, or other public spaces), you may want the lighting to be more inviting and stylish. 

In that case, you can implement clever bathroom lighting ideas. For instance, you can install LED lights around the bathroom mirror, also known as backlighting. This enhances lighting for tasks like grooming or applying makeup while adding an attractive element to the restroom. Another lighting idea is angling the mirror to distribute bulb light throughout the bathroom.

In addition to lighting, simple bathroom decor like an indoor plant or wall art can make your commercial bathroom more welcoming. 

2. Bad Color Combination

Color, just like lighting, can influence the mood and the overall feel of a restroom. For example, white is a classic bathroom color. But with the wrong shade that doesn’t match the lighting tone of the bulbs, your bathroom may appear gloomy. 

In this case, you need a restroom upgrade if the current colors don’t match or fit the bathroom’s general aesthetic. Here’s what you should do to create a vibrant atmosphere.

Update Your Commercial Bathroom with a More Appealing Color Scheme

To avoid the emptiness and monotony of bland bathroom colors, use a color scheme that creates a harmonious, visually pleasing effect. 

Consider a neutral color scheme, such as combining black and white. This makes a bathroom look simple but stylish. For instance, you can paint the walls white. Then, install black or grey toilet partitions coupled with a black slate tile floor (or another flooring of the same color). 

If you do not like black and white, you can combine other colors to make your commercial bathroom more appealing. Use the color wheel to understand what colors look good together.  

When choosing the right colors for your commercial bathroom, you need to consider the following:  

• Lighting: A color can look different in artificial and natural light. Test your preferred color before re-painting your bathroom to ensure it looks good in both. 
• Bathroom elements: The colors of the walls, ceiling, flooring, bathroom partitions, and any other element should have complementary undertones. Otherwise, a color clash will create visual chaos that may not always be aesthetically pleasing.  
• Restroom size: According to Forbes, bright colors can make a small bathroom appear bigger, while dark ones are well suited for large restrooms. 

3. The Bathroom Has Functional Issues: Nothing Seems to Work

A bathroom can be frustrating and sometimes unsanitary when nothing works properly. When you enter the toilet stalls, the doors stubbornly refuse to latch, so they may swing open at the slightest touch. And the toilet flushers? They are no better; some refuse to respond, while others require excessive force to function. 

You head towards the sinks, hoping to wash your hands, only to find that the soap dispensers are jammed and the faucets’ handles are too stiff or difficult to loosen. Meanwhile, the paper towel dispenser won’t let you pull a paper to dry your hands. 

As if that’s not annoying enough, the bathroom mirror has cracks, smeared with water droplets and grime, or installed in a dark area, making it nearly impossible to see your reflection clearly. 

Such persistent functional issues are the most obvious indicator that you need a serious commercial bathroom upgrade. That means one thing: 

Make Modern Commercial Bathroom Upgrades to Improve Style and Hygiene

With modern commercial upgrades, you replace old, malfunctioning bathroom fixtures and give your commercial restroom a new look and feel. Here are some commercial restroom upgrade ideas for a modern style:  

• New commercial bathroom partitions like those from One Point Partitions can replace worn-out toilet stalls to improve functionality and privacy while enriching its appearance. They are available in different materials, including powder-coated steel, plastic laminate, and stainless steel. Check out the complete color guide to choose the partitions that suit you best.  
• Touchless or sensor-activated faucets improve hygiene by eliminating the need to touch handles. Plus, they can be more water-efficient than traditional taps. 
• Modern sinks that come with a sleek, contemporary design can elevate the overall look and feel of the bathroom. However, ensure the faucet style complements the sink’s design. For instance, if your sink is sleek or polished, consider faucets with clean lines and a similar finish.  
• Automatic soap dispensers dispense the right amount of soap without the need to be pressed or touched, maintaining hygiene standards.
• Smart toilets come with automatic flushing, heated seats, and deodorizers. Others allow you to customize settings for a more luxurious and user-friendly experience. 
• Automatic hand dryers can be a sustainable way to dry hands quickly and effectively while reducing the need for paper towels. 
• New bathroom mirrors should blend in with other bathroom elements (and be installed in a well-lit area). For instance, a rustic mirror with wood accents can be a great commercial restaurant bathroom upgrade if you want a farmhouse-style hotel restroom.

4. Poor Bathroom Layout 

The bathroom layout can make or break the efficiency of your commercial restrooms. With a poor layout, the bathroom space is too minimal, and there’s no logical flow since bathroom fixtures are awkwardly placed. 

Think of a toilet located directly in front of the restroom door, a sink behind the entry door, or insufficient space between fixtures that causes congestion and hinders people from moving around freely (without bumping into each other). 

If you find yourself stumbling over objects when moving about the room or squeezing past the sink to get to the next bathroom fixture, your restroom layout definitely needs an update. Here’s what you can do: 

Update Your Commercial Bathroom Plans for Easy Navigation and Seamless Traffic Flow in the Restroom

Examine your bathroom layout to identify issues such as awkward fixture placement, congestion points, and accessibility concerns. Then, create a logical layout that maximizes functionality and minimizes inconveniences. 

For instance, place the bathroom entry door away from direct sightlines of toilet stalls to prevent weird encounters between users leaving and those entering the restroom. Also, keep the entrance clear and unobstructed for people to enter and exit easily. 

Additionally, place the sinks near the exit or a fair distance from the stall entrances. That way, people can wash their hands without blocking access to toilet stalls or interfering with other users’ paths within the commercial bathroom. 

Furthermore, place mirrors strategically (preferably where the sinks are and where lighting is good) so people can groom themselves while washing their hands without moving to a separate area. This can optimize the flow of movement in the restroom. 

To avoid congestion in a specific restroom area, provide enough space between bathroom fixtures, stalls, and other elements. 

Let us Help You Design Your Commercial Bathroom Layouts the Right Way

Want a stylish look in your restroom? Ensure your chosen colors blend perfectly and bathroom fixtures work properly; even a small commercial bathroom upgrade — like installing brighter bulbs — can make a difference.

If you want a massive transformation, updating the bathroom layout assures fixtures are installed exactly where they should be for easy navigation. People should be able to move from one area to another without confusion or stumbling into elements.  

Need help developing the best bathroom layouts? With One Point Partitions, designing a custom restroom layout that fits your space perfectly is easy. Our handy online layout tool lets you develop your restroom layout from scratch. 

If you are busy and don’t have enough time to design the layout yourself, our design experts can help you create commercial bathroom designs that optimize your bathroom space using efficient fixtures. Don’t wait to design the perfect layout. Contact us today to start updating your commercial bathroom floor plans the right way.