High-end bathrooms are usually not in the average homeowner's budget. The $20,000 spa bathrooms of yesterday just don't seem all that practical anymore.

Luckily, however, there are many ways to achieve a luxury bathroom while on a budget. Many manufacturers and retailers are listening to the needs of their customers and are offering great materials and fixtures at great prices.

In addition, many consumers are getting smart -and creative, in the process - about their bathroom makeovers. Homeowners of today may be accounting for every penny, but they are also not sacrificing quality materials and great design.

Your Luxury Bathroom - on a Budget

• Find a Signature Piece you Love and Design Around it - Pour over design catalogs and showrooms and find a statement piece that best describes your style. Then, plan your design around that piece using less expensive, basic materials. For example, if you found a spectacular, claw bathtub, go for it and spend the money, as this will be your room's showpiece. Then, it is quite easy to decorate around it using basic colors and materials as to not overshadow your statement piece.


• Remember the Details - Your basic bathroom can become quite luxurious with the addition of dazzling detail items, such as glass tile borders, lighting fixtures and cabinet hardware. For example, use costly tiles for just the border of your floor or walls, or consider basic tiles with a few, decorative tiles for added interest.


• Is it Real, or isn't it? - Luxury doesn't have to be real; it just has to be pretty! Forgo the granite sink countertop for a solid surface one instead; try faux painting treatments over costly wall coverings; and choose a polished chrome faucet and lighting fixture instead of more costly alternatives.


• Choose Quality for Sinks, Bathtubs - Larger pieces, such as a bath tub, toilet and sink, should be chosen carefully, as these items will likely remain in your St. Augustine property's bathroom for some time. Don't cut corners in your budget when it comes to these performance items; choose to save money elsewhere.