5 Common Bathroom Design Mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Bathroom renovations are one of the most exciting updates you can make to your home… and also one of the easiest places to make expensive, annoying-to-live-with mistakes that are not easily remedied.

The last thing you want after spending tens of thousands of dollars on a bathroom is to have a space that is awkward, impractical, or just plain frustrating. There's definitely a lot of pressure to get it right the first time. So if you’re planning a bathroom renovation and feeling unsure about layout, fixture placement, or how everything will actually work day-to-day, you’re not alone.

There are certainly lots more, but the below are some of the most common bathroom design mistakes we see - and more importantly, how to avoid them.

1. Not Installing a Handheld Shower

Rain head showers look great. They feel luxurious. But relying on only a fixed rain head is one of the biggest functional mistakes in bathroom design.

Why it’s a problem:

It’s much harder to clean your shower without a handheld shower - you'll be bucketing water to slosh over walls and breaking your back to do so while you waste water.

Not everyone wants their hair wet every time they shower and with rain heads, height differences between users aren’t accommodated.

The fix:

Install a handheld or combination shower (a fixed rain head paired with a handheld on or off a rail). Then you get the aesthetic and the practicality. It’s a small decision early in the planning stage that makes a huge difference to how your bathroom functions long-term. This is one of those choices people often only realise they need after the bathroom is finished.

2. Incorrect Placement of the Shower Mixer

This is a big one, and it’s almost always a planning issue rather than a build issue.

Why it’s a problem:

If the shower mixer is installed directly under the shower head, you’re forced to step into the shower stream just to turn it on or adjust the temperature. That means getting blasted with cold water and splashing water everywhere - not ideal.

It also makes daily use awkward and can contribute to water escaping the shower area, especially in walk-in showers.

The fix:

The shower mixer should be positioned so you can reach it before stepping fully into the shower. Ideally, it’s located just inside the screen or near the entry point, allowing you to turn the water on and adjust the temperature without getting wet.

This detail doesn’t cost anything extra - it just needs to be thought through early.

3. Toilet Visible From High-Trafficked Areas of the Home

When you’re laying out a bathroom, it’s easy to focus on fitting everything in and forget about sight lines.

Why it’s a problem:

If the toilet is the first thing you see when walking past or into a bathroom - especially from areas like the entry, living or dining space - it can feel uncomfortable and poorly considered.

This is particularly common in ensuites and main bathrooms that open directly off hallways or shared spaces.

The fix: Where possible, position the toilet out of the direct line of sight. This might mean placing it behind a nib wall, a half-height wall, a vanity or offsetting it within the room.

Though not always sensible, especially when dealing with a concrete slab floor, even a small adjustment to the layout can dramatically improve how private and calm a bathroom feels.

4. Installing Wall Mixers Too High Above the Basin

Wall-mounted taps look great - but their height matters more than people realise. And, honestly, we cringe far too often when you see a beautiful bathroom renovation spoiled by a wall mixer installed too high!

Why it’s a problem:

If wall mixers are installed too high above the basin, they can look out of proportion, interfere with mirror placement, and cause excessive splashing. Water should never land directly on the basin plug.

The fix:

As a general guide, wall mixers should be installed around 100–150mm above the top of the basin, depending on the spout style. This allows for proper clearance, balanced proportions, and comfortable daily use.

This is a classic example of why knowing exact fixture dimensions before rough-in is so important. So make sure plumbers do not start their work until you have bought your fixtures.

5. Not Considering Towel Placement Early

Towel placement often becomes an afterthought - and it shows.

Why it’s a problem:

If towels aren’t within easy reach of the shower or bath, you end up dripping water across the bathroom and in shared bathrooms, too few towel rails can also cause clutter and frustration. If heated towel rails are your preference, it's important these are roughed in at the beginning as it can be costly or impossible to add later.

The fix:

Ideally, towels should be reachable from the shower without stepping fully out. If that isn’t possible, make sure they’re positioned comfortably somewhere logical within the room.

Think about how many people will be using the bathroom and allow enough space for everyone to hang towels comfortably. Heated rails, hooks, and vertical rails can all be great solutions when space is tight.

A Final Thought on Bathroom Planning

Most bathroom renovation regrets don’t come from the tiles, the tapware finish, or the colour palette. They come from layout decisions that weren’t fully thought through before the build started.

Bathroom design is all about how a space functions. How you move through it, how it feels first thing in the morning, and how it holds up to real life over many years.

If you’re currently planning a bathroom renovation and finding it overwhelming to think through clearances, heights, sight lines, and daily usability, that’s completely normal. These details are hard to visualise, the pressure to get it right is big and they’re exactly where experience makes the biggest difference.

At The Reno Life, we specialise in spatial planning and floor plan design that helps you make confident decisions before anything is built. Our $295 bathroom plans are designed to remove guesswork, prevent costly mistakes, and help you create a space that looks good and works beautifully. They even come with 3D renders so you can feel extra confident in the plan before spending a cent.

If you’d like support planning your bathroom layout, you can explore our bathroom planning service via our website - from anywhere in the world.