Over the years, I have remodeled dozens of bathrooms. And the more I remodel, the more I see some important guidelines repeated over and over again: the general rules of thumb for keeping costs down and getting the most bang for your buck. Now, if money isn’t an issue, just hire the best bathroom designer you can find and write him a blank check. For the rest of us, I offer the following advice.
Whenever possible, leave accessories in their existing locations. Moving the pipes in a bathtub, shower, toilet or sink can be expensive and complicated. A better solution is to update these accessories for a new look or a new function.
When selecting new bathroom fixtures, stick with white, off-white, off-white, or bisque. Lighter colored accessories do a thing or two for you. First, white means clean. So white accessories look cleaner than colored accessories. Second, white accessories have less of an impact on the overall look of the room. As a general rule, they tend to make a small bathroom seem larger. Colored fixtures, especially black ones, tend to make a bathroom look smaller.
Light colors are also better for walls and floors, especially in small bathrooms, as they tend to make the room look larger. Dark colors give the appearance of a smaller bathroom. Leave the ceiling white. Period.
If you want to add a splash of color to a bathroom, do it modestly with a wallpaper border, accent tiles, etc. Better yet, color your bathroom with accessories like rugs, towels, soap dispensers, and paintings. This way, if you get tired of the accent color, it’s just a matter of changing up your accessories.
Do you plan to replace your sink? Do you like the look of a pedestal sink? If you do, there are a couple important things to know about these popular sink upgrades. For starters, you’ll lose all the storage space you had with a vanity sink. And in a small bathroom, this can be a big problem. Second, most homeowners don’t realize that the pedestal portion of the sink is primarily decorative; the sink itself is mounted on the wall. For a secure mounting, this means removing the existing wall covering, installing a support strip and repairing the wall. A pedestal sink also often requires modifying/moving the supply and drain lines to the sink, usually to very tight tolerances.
If a new toilet is in your future, consider upgrading to a toilet that has an elongated bowl or a raised height. Both can add convenience to your daily routine. However, it is important to note that in small bathrooms, an elongated toilet can cause clearance issues. Check with the toilet manufacturer for recommended clearance before purchasing one of these. It’s amazing what a difference a couple of inches can make in the height of the toilet. That’s all the height difference there is between a standard toilet and a raised height one. Those few inches make a significant difference in how easy it is to sit on or get up from a toilet. High-height toilets have become so popular that many fixture manufacturers offer most of their styles at this height.
When you’ve had enough of that old tub or shower, you’ll be amazed at all the options available. Lightweight materials (such as fiberglass) make it easy to install a new unit. You should know that there are two broad categories of new tubs and showers: remodeling and new construction. One-piece tub/shower units are designed for new construction only; they are designed to be installed before the drywall is installed. If you buy one of these for a remodeling project, two things are likely to happen: you won’t be able to fit it into your home, or if you can, the unit won’t fit in your bathroom without removing the drywall and all the hardware. Stick to the units. remodeling of several pieces. They are made to get into tight spaces and are easy to install.
Bathrooms are constantly exposed to water, so when selecting a floor, choose a material that can resist moisture. My best options are sheet vinyl and ceramic tile. Avoid materials that swell and warp when exposed to water, such as laminate flooring and wood planks or strips.
Finally, invest in quality products, especially faucets for sinks and tub/showers, as they are used every day. Buy from a quality manufacturer and consider choosing a faucet repair kit when you purchase your faucet. Even the best-made faucets will require maintenance down the road.
By following these proven guidelines, you’ll save money and have a beautiful new bathroom in no time.
