We just finished up a small, okay VERY small, bathroom renovation recently. And could you imagine, this is the only bathroom in the entire house. Yes, it is just one person living there, but still!
We gutted the entire thing and she was so understanding about not having a shower for a few days and no toilet for a day. It’s clients like this one that makes me love my job; Understanding of the process and so trusting with my recommendations (claps).
There were a few things we ran into during this project that I want to bring to light for anyone remodeling their bathroom or thinking about remodeling- please give me a call first 🙂
I’m breaking down the top 5 things to avoid and consider when turning your bathroom from drab to fab!
1| Condition of the floor
The condition of the subfloor is paramount in many renovations, however the bathroom is particullarly important due to possible water damage and mold- gross.
If your home is older, or just not done properly, 9 times out of 10 your subfloor will be uneven. With older homes, its natural for the foundation of your home to shift over time, this is typically expected and not a huge issue, however… unveiling water damage is a completely different story. I honeslty don’t know much about how to reconcile water damage, but just know it ain’t pretty and can get costly!
Another thing to consider is the size of your tiles. These large plank tiles required a perfectly leveled floor, or else they would crack when walked on. Sometimes with smaller tiles you can get away with a little uneven flooring, but of course I chose the material that made the job a little more tricky!
2| Size of the space
With a bathroom as small as this one, I opted for large, long tiles. Of course being the designer I am, everything and every material selection has a reason or a purpose behind it. Yes, I love pretty things, but lets be honest, a pretty space doesn’t mean much if it doesnt function well.
Would I have loved to do some fun small designer tiles on the floor? You bet! However, this space being as small as it is called for large light colored tiles to make it feel brighter and larger. If small patterned tiles were used instead, this bathroom would appear even smaller than it already is. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothinggg wrong with using small patterned tiles in a small bathroom or even a powder room if the look you are going for is cozy, ecelectic and intimate. With this particular space, the goal was to make it feel bigger than it is, hence large light colored floor tiles!
3| Lighting
Bathroom lighting, and lighting in any well done designed space, is important because the light changes how colors interact within a space.
I just had a color consult the other day where the client was getting new lighting and I strongly recommended we wait to choose a paint color until the new lights were installed.. and boy am I glad we did! The color looked completely different under the cooler toned lights in one space verses another where the light was warmer.
Bathrooms need good lighting because this is where most people do their hair and makeup. With poor lighting your makeup may look good in the bathroom, but hit the streets and you may look like a clown.
I love sconces in bathrooms, however this space was so tight that we didn’t have room so instead opted for a vanity light above the mirorr PLUS a light/fan combo for additional overhead lighting.
4| Safty
My client was concerned about this bathroom being safe for her elderly mother. There are a few ways we made sure the bathroom was as slip resistant as possible!
When sourcing a tub, we made sure to source on with a textured bottom. The texture of the tub aids in being slip resilient instead of having a not so pretty looking tub pad that grows mold if not removed, dried, and cleaned every week. Low maintenance and stylish!
We also installed a grab bar on the side for exiting and entering the shower. There are a few ways to install grab bars, as I quickly learned from this project. When decisind how ot install the bar, consider wether it is needed more so for entering/exiting the shower, getting up and down from taking a bath, or for an emergency grab if one were to slip. Each of these incidances requires diffrnt placement. Alternativly, you can install more than 1 grab bar for extra caution.
5| Finishes
I could write an entire blog post about finishes. There are so many things to consider here, such as
– Should the faucet match the shower head?
– If using silver colored finishes, can you mix nickel and chrome?
– If using brushed nickel, can you also use glossy nickel?
– Does a gold finish pair well with brass?
– Does everything need to be one or the other or can you mix and match?
I could go on and on and on and on…
The rule I obide by is maintaining consistancy and not mixing the same sheen.
If you have a polished gold in the space, don’t also mix polished nickel. Polished gold and brushed nickel are fine though! This can get tricky as gold finishes come in many different tones. One polished gold for the shower head may look completely different than another polished gold for the faucet. BE CAREFUL HERE! This is why hiring a designer to make sure these finishes match is paramount.
