Short answer: The skylight lets the daylight in, but the room under it is what spreads it around. This bathroom in Old Bridge, NJ pairs a skylight over the tub with light walls, a white floor, a freestanding tub, clear glass over the shower's half wall and big tiles in the shower.
We put a skylight over the tub in this bathroom. It's only half the reason it feels this bright.
Daylight needs something to bounce off, so everything under it was picked to carry it. Here's a look at each part of the room.
Light Colors That Bounce the Daylight
This was a full remodel, skylight included. Gray-green walls, white trim and a white veined floor carry the daylight across the room. A dark accent color would soak it up instead.
Paint makers put a number on this, called light reflectance value (LRV). In Sherwin-Williams' words:
"The scale ranges from 0-100 with zero reflecting no light and 100 reflecting all light."
The higher the number, the more of the skylight's daylight a wall passes along to the rest of the room.
A Freestanding Tub Under the Skylight
It's just the tub and a floor-mounted faucet, with no deck or surround. Open floor all around it makes the room feel bigger.
Two Sinks, Two Mirrors, Two Lights
A gray double vanity with a white quartz top and a stack of drawers in the middle. Each sink gets its own mirror and light, so two people can get ready at once.
Glass Instead of a Full Wall
A half wall holds the towel bar, and clear glass above it lets the light through to the shower. The shower stays private without closing off the room.
Big Tiles Mean Fewer Grout Lines
Inside the shower:
- Large veined tiles on the walls and floor.
- A rain head from the ceiling and a hand shower.
- A niche built into the wall for shampoo.
How big is the difference? On a 4-by-8-foot shower wall, 4-inch square tiles leave about 180 feet of grout lines. 12-by-24-inch tiles leave about 36 feet, one fifth as much. Less grout also means less to scrub.
Daylight From Above and the Side
The toilet sits in its own corner by the window. With the skylight overhead, daylight comes in from two directions.
A brighter bathroom doesn't always need more space. Sometimes it just needs more light.
Bright Bathroom Questions
What colors make a bathroom feel brighter? Light ones. Light walls, trim and floors reflect daylight around the room, while dark colors absorb it. Look for a paint with a high LRV (light reflectance value) on the back of the color chip. This bathroom uses gray-green walls, white trim and a white veined floor.
Is a half wall with glass private enough for a shower? The half wall covers the lower part of the shower, and the clear glass above it lets light in. In this bathroom, the half wall also holds the towel bar.
Why use large tiles in a shower? Large tiles mean fewer grout lines, so the walls look cleaner and there's less grout to scrub. On a 4-by-8-foot wall, 12-by-24-inch tiles leave about a fifth of the grout lines that 4-inch tiles do.
Do homeowners enjoy a bathroom remodel once it's done? Yes, more than most projects. In the National Association of Realtors' 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, homeowners gave bathroom renovations a Joy Score of 9.8 out of 10. The typical project scored 8.2. After remodeling, 64% said they have a greater desire to be in their home.
Planning a bathroom? See MG's bathroom remodeling service, our work in Old Bridge, or get a free estimate below.
Giovanni Merino
Owner & Founder, MG Builders LLC · 29+ Years Experience
Giovanni founded MG Builders in 1997 and leads the Edison-based remodeling company. NJ Home Improvement Contractor Business registration NJ #13VH08376600.
Read more about Giovanni →