5 ‘Dream Bathroom’ Upgrades That Homeowners Tend to Regret

JULIANNE KELLY did a hard stop when clients requested square toilets they thought would modernize their house. “They were three times the price of a normal toilet and uncomfortable,” said the principal of Carrier Design Co. in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. “Everyone has a budget cap, and square toilets are not a place to surpass it.”

The quest for luxe, even absurdly “unique” bathrooms has surely been stoked by celebrities’ tendencies to open their own intimate sanctums to public view. Watching Goop tycoon Gwyneth Paltrow deliver “wellness” advice from her California home’s massive spa, complete with a plunge pool, can make you crave a larger shower. What is coveted, however, can prove impractical, as the following homeowners and even design pros can attest after succumbing to gotta-have-it trends they lived to regret.