10 design tips for your bathroom

10 design tips for your bathroom

The bathroom is usually the first thing people are looking to remodel. It’s usually smallest space in the house, but bathroom is the place where can you tell that house need updating. If you are planning to sell or increase the value of the house, the bathroom is the place to start.

The bathroom is one of the most difficult places to design; you need to choose plumbing fixtures, lighting, mirrors, towel holders, a heated floor or not, towel racks, exhaust fans, and so on. Choosing it right makes a difference. You have to find a good contractor that guides you through the process and helps you choose what is best for your place and location.

#1: Lighting, lighting, lighting. Good lighting enhances everything.

During my years of estimating, I noticed that some people knew what tiles they wanted, sometimes they knew what fixtures they wanted, and sometimes they had a layout in mind, but when you asked about lighting, I could always tell that they had never thought about it. While lighting seems unimportant, good lighting will make the room look bigger and enhance all the details. Poor lighting can make a beautiful bathroom look bland and unimpressive. If you can get natural lighting, it’s even better. A couple of can lights can do the job, and a beautiful chandelier above the free-standing tub can become the focal point of the room.

#2 Fixtures makes a difference choose wisely 

Now fixtures might seem not so important as right tiles, right light fixtures mirrors or shower glass doors, vanity or other. Now, everything is important, but when you enter the bathroom, your eyes are drawn to the plumbing fixtures. When you bathe or take a shower, you touch and look at fixtures. When you wash your hands, you touch and look at fixtures. Choosing them right is very important. I have seen beautiful bathrooms with cheap-looking fixtures that just shout, “They tried saving money.” Think about what happens when your fixture breaks and needs to be replaced. You have to rip the tiles out to replace the valve. It does not have to be expensive; it just has to look right and be reliable.

#3: Choose three colors. “Three Musketeers Rule.”

Don’t be afraid of colors; mixing in a bright yellow, green, or blue will give character to the bathroom.
If the room is small, choose bright colors; they will make the room bigger.

For colors, I have the rule I call three musketeers. So what that means, choose three colors 2 light and accent color and try to use them at least three times. It can be anything from walls to towels, soap dispensers, or trim.
Last but not least, try to mix colors from your home; it will complete the room.

#4 At least one bathtub

Now, I am always for getting rid of bathtubs and building showers instead, but don’t forget that for resell value, at least one bathtub needs to be in the home. If you have one, a huge shower with two shower heads and valves can make a medium-sized master bathroom look huge. A free-standing bathtub always looks good and can be a good investment for resale value.
 

#5: No humidity, no problems. A good exhaust fan setup will keep your bathroom dry.

Another thing that is overlooked is the exhaust fan and its systems. When you choose an exhaust fan, there is a CFM rating. Rule of thumb is you need cfm rating same of bigger then your room size. Also important specification is sone, it is how loud fan is everything below 1 is ok. The lower value is the less noise it will make. 
Another thing is that some people want to leave Fan 1 when they are done and come back after a while. No one. Ok, you can say, “Just install a timer.” Yes, it would work, but kids will always forget to do that, or how would you know if it was dry? There is an inexpensive switch with a humidity sensor that turns on the fan when humidity rises and turns it off when humidity drops.
If you keep your bathroom dry, the paint and fixtures will last longer.

 

#6 Sometimes nice to have is a must

Heated floors, heated towel rack, mirror with a light and heat and other gadgets regular bathroom can change to a favorite room in a house. Now, before you start your remodeling job, all these details have to be decided beforehand. While it’s easy to change a vanity, fixtures, or wall color, installing heated floors or a heated mirror can be a pretty involved job. You have to open the wall and route new electric lines. It even costs more if you want heated floors. Well, if I had to choose one from this list, I would do heated mirrors with a light. I hate wiping mirrors after showers. If you are planning to go with a modern style, I think it’s a must; it can be the focal point of the room.

#7 Tiles might not be as expensive as you think.

A tile job sounds expensive, but that is not always the case. Probably you have seen those ready in shower systems. It seems like a good way to save money for a basement shower or a guest bathroom, right? Well, it is not as good as it sounds. While the installation will definitely be cheaper, the systems are usually not that cheap. If you choose 2×4 big ceramic tiles, you will save on materials, and the tile job will not be that expensive. But it will look 10 times better than that system. Also after couple years when it start to yellow you will be looking to redo it and the the cost will catch you up.

#8: Add a Shampoo and Shave Box

Shampoo boxes are not very useful but also add character to your shower if you tile the shower base. You can install those tiles in the back of the shampoo box or even mix in one of the colors from the Three Musketeers Rule. Also if order custom granite or quartz countertop for your vanity ask the supplier to make shower curb and shower box ledge your stone supplier. 

#9: Please, no shower curtains. Get a glass panel.

If you are on a tight budget no shower glass and just a curtain might seem like a good idea, but there is nothing worse then dirty shower curtain or if you forget to tuck it in and you have water all over the place. If you are on a budget, just get a shower glass; it’s going to be functional and will look modern. If you have some budget left, go with custom shower doors; they will last you longer and will be made with your shower measurements.

#10: Do your research, get some ideas, and find a good contractor.

This tip might seem obvious, but a lot of people overlook this step, and then they are stuck with a bad contractor. Check their reviews, see if they are knowledgeable, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and see if you like their character; if not, you will be stuck with them for at least a couple weeks in your home.
Check out their completed work, and if you like something, go with it. Contractors will be familiar with that style. If you don’t like anything, show what you would like from websites like Pinterest or just Google images. He or she might steer you away from bad ideas.