People want bathrooms for photos now. I've seen it happen more times than I can count in my four decades of bathroom renovations. Homeowners walk in with their phones, showing perfect images from social media. Beautiful spaces with floating vanities, waterfall showers, and lighting that looks like it belongs in a magazine shoot.

But here's what those photos never show: someone actually using the bathroom.

Don't get me wrong. I understand the appeal of a stunning bathroom. Who doesn't want their home to look impressive? The problem starts when design choices prioritize looking good in pictures over functioning well in daily life.

When Cameras Come First

I recently met with a client who wanted a bathroom "just like the one on Instagram" with a freestanding tub positioned in the center of the room. Beautiful? Absolutely. Practical for their small bathroom and family of four? Not even close.

Social media has created a strange disconnect between how we showcase our homes and how we live in them. The bathroom especially suffers from this tension. It's simultaneously our most private space and, increasingly, a public showpiece.

The camera-first bathroom typically features:

Open shelving filled with perfectly arranged products that nobody actually uses. Minimal counter space that looks clean in photos but offers nowhere to place your actual toiletries. Lighting designed to create ambiance rather than help you see yourself accurately. Fixtures chosen for their photogenic qualities rather than durability or function.

Living With Your Choices

What matters most isn't how your bathroom photographs during that one perfect moment after completion. What matters is how it serves you every single day for years to come.

The occupant-first bathroom prioritizes:

Adequate storage that keeps necessities accessible but not necessarily visible. Proper lighting for different needs throughout the day. Fixtures and materials that stand up to daily use, cleaning products, and moisture. Layout that accommodates your actual routines and habits.

At Roeland Home Improvers, we always ask clients how they actually use their bathrooms. Do they need space for two people to get ready simultaneously? Do they have specific accessibility concerns? What frustrates them about their current setup? These questions reveal more about what someone needs than any collection of inspiration photos.

Finding The Balance

You can have a bathroom that looks great AND works well. The key is honesty about priorities. If you're remodeling primarily to increase home value or impress guests, admit that. If functionality matters most, be clear about that too.

The best bathrooms I've created over the past 43 years find harmony between visual appeal and practical function. They photograph beautifully because they're thoughtfully designed, not because they sacrifice usability for aesthetics.

Remember that you'll be the one living with your bathroom long after the likes on your renovation reveal post have stopped coming in. Make sure it serves you well when nobody's watching.

Our mantra at Roeland has always been "doing the right thing is the most important factor of our job." Sometimes the right thing means gently steering clients away from impractical choices, even when those choices would make for better social media content.

Your bathroom should be your sanctuary, not your photography studio. Unless, of course, you're actually a bathroom photographer. In which case, I have some questions about your career choices.