The most prevalent bathroom trend is simple enough bigger and better. Bathroom remodels remain one of the most common home improvement projects, and there’s no end in sight. These remodels can include knocking out walls to create more space. New home construction is continually upping the ante for bathroom size. Similarly, bathroom design is about maximizing the use of that space. If your bathroom hasn’t been updated in a while, you may be surprised to find there’s a whole new array of choices. Today’s bathrooms are no longer utilitarian, but a showroom of their own.
Many bathroom trends get their introduction in upscale public restrooms, especially restaurants. Nowhere is this truer than trends in bathroom sinks. The vessel sink can trace its popularity into the residential bathroom from restaurants. The vessel sink sits above the bathroom countertop, can be made from almost any material, and offer unique decorating possibilities prohibited by traditional sink design.
Electronic faucets are also making their way into the residential bathrooms. Almost everybody has seen and used one of these. For cleanliness, convenience, and efficient water usage, the electronic faucet is becoming the faucet of choice. These advantages make the faucet more than just a fad; it has definitive, practical benefits.
Double Showers and Vertical Spas
Various luxury shower installations are as various as they are popular. Everybody has their own preferences and needs, but everybody wants to have a quality shower experience every time. Double shower heads can maximize space and give you a total shower experience that won’t leave half your body still freezing when you enter the shower. Two-person showers and separate shower and tub installations are also becoming increasingly popular for large bathrooms.
Whirlpools provide the ultimate therapeutic massage, but the vertical spa is a way of achieving close to a full-body massage in your shower stall. Water jets are aligned vertically along your shower wall. High-end vertical spas will come with a number of adjustable settings and can be customized to any set of specifications.
The best way to maximize is sometimes simply to de-clutter. Remove excess furnishings and/or build cabinets on walls to enhance the floor and walking space. Reorganizing a small bathroom can enable you to install a small shower stall in an otherwise half bath. For larger bathrooms, this reorganizing can make the difference in being able to install the separate shower and bathtub you’ve always wanted. On the other hand, if you’re a furniture person, bureaus provide a unique vanity for any bathroom. Consider retrofitting an antique or purchase a vanity designed to mimic this look.
5 Simple Steps to a Dream Bathroom
Bathroom remodeling ranks with kitchen remodeling as one of Canada’s most popular major home improvements, perhaps because the return on investment when you sell your home is so high.
Bathroom remodeling can cost you as much or as little as you choose to put into it. While a simple spruce-up involving a new vanity top, light fixture and accessories can be done for well under $1000, many people are choosing to yank everything out and start from scratch again. A completely new upgraded bathroom can cost $10,000 or more.
Start your project right with the following bathroom remodeling tips:
1. Determine your exact bathroom needs.
Do you want to enlarge your bathroom? Do you need another sink? Would you like to add windows? Does the bathroom tile need to be replaced? Think about what your ideal bathroom will look like and then prioritize your needs before your wants.
2. Gather bathroom design ideas.
A set of architectural plans will really help you and your remodeling professionals visualize the finished project, but any design preparations can be helpful.
Consult with a designer for ideas or check out magazines and cut out ideas, designs or photos that approximate what you want. It can also be helpful to a designer if you can make a sketch on graph paper of what your plans are. Any of these things will be help you to express to your bathroom remodeling professionals.
3. Establish a realistic bathroom remodeling budget.
At this time you will also need to determine how you will finance your bathroom remodel. Do you have a savings that you can dip into or will you need get a loan? The answer to this will be a factor in determining your budget. Will this be a larger remodel or are you making minor changes? When establishing your budget keep in mind the design ideas you would like and whether they fall on the pricier side. Also, it will always be less expensive if you don’t need to relocate plumbing fixtures, such as toilets or sinks, so if you are on a smaller budget it is more economical to incorporate your current bathroom layout into the new design.
4. Don’t forget building permits.
Before beginning the remodeling process be sure to secure a building permit from your local city or county government. Failure to do so could ultimately make your bathroom remodel much more costly.
5. Consider popular bathroom design trends.
Second sinks have become very popular in bathroom remodels as they allow two people to use the bathroom at the same time.
Another popular trend in bathroom design is separating the toilet from the rest of the bathroom.
If you only have a shower, consider replacing this with a bathtub which can serve double duty as both a bath and a shower. Whirlpool bathtubs have also become very popular in today’s bathrooms.
Nearly everyone elects to include a bathroom exhaust fan, often incorporating a heater on a timer, as well.