There’s funny thing about the bathroom: it’s probably the only place in your home where guests spend a significant amount of time alone.  The mark of a good host is keeping your guests company, but of course there’s one area where this maxim doesn’t apply.  Because of this fact, the bathroom in your home affects your guests’ impressions in a major way.  If your sink, tub or tiles have seen better days, a bathroom renovation is certainly in order.  Pick your battles from these three big areas.

Tiling

Maybe the single biggest impression you can make in the bathroom is with the tiles.  If your main bathroom fixtures are in order, superior tiling will make the design an overwhelming success.  With plenty of natural light, choose a gleaming white so the sun can reflect majestically off your tiles.  Make tiling a big priority in your bathroom renovation if the other main pieces are relatively new.

The Sink and Toilet

The bathroom sink is an area where many mistakes are made.  Everyone has been there, washing your hands in a sink made for a king — in a bathroom more suited for a knave.  You can score big with the sink and neighboring towel rack, but don’t overwhelm the rest of your bathroom.

The toilet is also an interesting piece, as most people don’t pay it much attention, except for obvious reasons.  As long as your toilet is in relatively sound condition, it can wait on your list of bathroom renovation priorities.

The Tub

The largest object by far in your bathroom, the tub can send a variety of messages: sophisticated elegance, rustic fortitude or unabashed functionality among the biggest.  Your style along with your budget will probably supply the answer for which approach to take.  Remember that in the case of antique “claw-foot” tubs, if your home and bathroom have progressed beyond that charming era of history, maybe your tub had better catch up along with it.