Bathroom renovation is a great way to transform or add value to your home. The bathroom is one of the rooms in the house that gets a lot of traffic every day whether it’s from family members or guests. So it makes sense to make it as functional, comfortable and beautiful as possible.
What do you want?
It’s essential to have an idea of what you want your bathroom to look like before you start remodeling it. If you just gut it apart and handle things as you go, you may end up with something horrible. Hence, the first step of your bathroom renovation journey is to look at bathroom remodeling workbooks for ideas and make a blueprint or plan of what you want.
You should also do your research on the best contractor around to help you with your bathroom renovation project. Make sure it’s a certified professional with a good reputation and a lot of excellent references from people living in your area. In fact, if possible, ask to see some of his work in person.
Lastly, get all the permits you need to do the bathroom remodeling from your local authority. You will be surprised how many laws there are that may affect the renovation of your home. Since you don’t want to get fined heavily for ignoring these rules, make sure you get a go-ahead from your local authorities before you start your project.
Now that we got the basics out of the way it’s time to look at the major things to consider when renovating the bathroom. These are the critical things that will form the backbone of your design. The high notes you want to hit so that the room looks beautiful and yet remains functional.
There are many ways to use light in the bathroom. For example, you can use it to change the mood, highlight a particular area to showcase an exciting piece of décor or just brighten the room. There are different light fixtures to help you achieve these points. So make sure you plan which light goes where and consider using energy saving fixtures in your remodeling project.
You need to use attractive flooring material that blends in with the overall look of your bathroom. However, what’s most important about tiles in the bathroom is that they are easy to clean and safe to walk on when wet. Bathrooms are one of the places in the home that people have dangerous falls. One of the major contributing factors to bathroom accidents is slippery floors so consider using well-textured tiles for your bathroom floor for safety purposes.
Storage space is essential in any bathroom. It’s the place you stash extra toiletries, towels, and bathroom cleaning supplies. You should not have to walk out of the bathroom to get an extra towel after a bath. It should be stored somewhere in the bathroom, and the same applies to toilet paper. However, space may be limited, and you don’t want people bumping into open cabinet doors. A good option is to use sliding doors on your bathroom cabinets or build overhead storage cabinets, so you don’t have to deal with doors sticking out at knee level.
Some people can't decide between having a shower or tub in their bathroom area. It’s especially confusing when you don’t have enough space to have both. If you really must have a shower and a bath in a small place, you can install a tub with a shower head above so that you can stand in it when you want to take a shower and have a bath when you want to.
Otherwise, just stick to a shower and add bathroom panels instead that will make it a unique place to have a bath. You have shower panels you can install that come in a variety of nice finishes such as antibacterial coating and have great features such as massage shower jets, thermostatic controls and even steam jets.
Shower panels allow you to have a spa experience in your bathroom. So if you don’t have enough space for a tub, install a shower panel with any special features of your choice to make bath time special. The great thing about this is that they are likely to increase the value of your home far more than a simple tub.
When you remodel your bathroom, consider installing taps and electricity features that save energy. Use energy saving light fixtures, and if the budget is not a problem, you can even install a recycling system for the shower water and use it for projects around the home such as gardening.
Also, your toilet can have two buttons for flushing; one to flush away trivial stuff and the other for number two's so that you save water. You can also install solar panels to heat up your water if you live in a predominantly hot area. The list of ways you can build an eco-friendly and energy saving bathroom are endless.
You can put in all the great bathroom features you like, but if you have lousy plumbing, it’s all for nothing. The first thing your contractor should look at is the state of your drainage and water pipes. You would be surprised how old and damaged some of the plumbing is in our homes. Find out if you can unclog or replace your plumbing with something more up to date at an affordable price.
It makes sense to redo your plumbing when renovating your bathroom so that you don’t have to worry about it in the future. After all, it is the core of the bathroom, and a bathing area is nothing without proper plumbing. Also, consider fortifying it for harsh weather conditions such as winter and also against wear and tear such as rust. If you do this, you can be sure that it will last for many days to come.
There are lots of little things you can do to improve the functionality of your bathroom that many people ignore. Some good examples are;
You can put in a shower bench with a handheld showerhead beside it in the shower stall. It works as a great option if you don’t have a bathtub. It’s a convenient place to rest when you are too exhausted to stand when showering. Also, it’s a nice place if you are a woman, where you can perch your legs when shaving. If you have a steam shower or a panel with steam jets, you can sit there and have a sauna experience. A shower bench is a simple addition you can make to your bathroom that will add lots of value to it.
Niches are another great addition to think about for your bathroom renovation. They sink into the wall and provide handy surfaces to place your scented candles, shaving razors, shower gels, and scrubs. It’s better than having storage spaces that poke out of the wall, and they don’t cost much to make either.
A fog-free mirror in the shower stall is a great option especially for men because you don’t have to leave the cubicle to shave at the sink. You can just stand in the shower and shave in front of the mirror. If you install one, make sure there is proper lighting above it as well as in the shower stall for clear visibility.
Install a vanity with double or triple sinks and storage space underneath during your bathroom renovation. It’s a great way to hit three birds with one stone as it acts as counter space, provides storage underneath and has mirrors.
It’s always a good idea to put more than one sink in a bathroom if you have space. It’s because you can have two people using the sink area instead of having one wait for the other to finish. Twin sinks come in handy on a busy morning when one person wants to brush while another is busy washing the face or shaving. So don’t be stuck with one sink when you can have two or three depending on the size of your bathroom.
Also, make sure that the counter space is broad enough to place your toothbrushes and other items such as aftershave that you need easy access to after a shower. Above it, have fog-free mirrors so that you can do your make up there, dry your hair and anything else that needs access to a mirror. A beautiful vanity area should be the center space of your bathroom. If you create ample storage underneath you may not have to include extra storage space in any other area in the bathroom.
After installation of features and facilities is complete, you will have a blank canvas on which to paint your favorite colors and add extra touches. Here you should think of things like adding some plants, scented candles, colorful and sumptuous floor mats and even exciting wall art to the bathroom. You can also place some reading material and a comfy chair in there if you have a huge bathroom. The idea is to give the bathroom an extra touch to make it as cozy as possible for all the people that will use it.
These are just a few ideas to consider when renovating the bathroom. People don’t often remodel their bathrooms so when you do, make sure you can get as much done as possible. Re-doing any part of your home should help you add value to it by making it more functional and aesthetically pleasing. These ideas will give you a good start and help you to recreate the modern bathroom of your dreams.
Rachel Minahan is a full-time mother. She also writes on her spare time about interior designs. She also loves to visit different places where she could get ideas about interior designs. Writing and traveling has always been her passion asides from being a full-time mother.