Bathrooms are one of those crucial sections of your home where you spend significant time but in private. Hence, your expectations from this place can be unique. At the same time, you must analyze the situation before you can afford to go overboard with either aesthetics or utility. Although a perfect balance between the two elements can help you enjoy your time away from daily dins and other cacophonies of life, the ultimate motive should be to make it suit everyone’s needs. A successful remodeling endeavor in this area depends on the type of bathroom you intend to tackle. It will lead you to consider your lifestyle choices and eventually to imagine how the new room should look. Main options include a full bath, powder room/ half bath, kid’s bathroom, main bathroom, etc. Let’s explore two or three of them to figure out the planning process.
Full bath
If you don’t have a master bath, this will be your busy family bathroom. That means your focus should be on making it more purposeful or functional. An ideal approach towards its makeover will be to review your usage style and set goals based on it. Does it sound complicated? Let’s simplify it! Please make a list that answers a few critical questions, like the age of people using this room, how many will use it, etc. You can also decide if it needs a bathtub or not. You can skip it if the other bathroom in the house has one. Take a call about sinks, storage space, toilet privacy, electrical outlets for appliances, and more. It can be wise to have two under-mount sinks in a spacious full bath for couples and children.
Depending on the space and décor, you can create a versatile storage space with racks and shelves mounted under the bathroom sink.
Other considerations
If kids use this bathroom, it will be better to consider lowering the countertop height than making room for step stools so they can access the sink. Choose long-lasting materials, such as granite or quartz, for vanity tops. These can have a high price tag. In the economic range, you will get laminate. Designers advise avoiding frills in a functional theme bathroom like these. Likewise, hardware selection should be thoughtful. Opt for an easy-to-operate and maintain faucet than fancy something that requires pulling or yanking. For space-saving, you can try the conventional bathtub-shower combo.
Powder room/ half bath
These petite rooms are powerful, allowing you to increase their wow quotient through lighting, wall tile, finish, toilet, and mirror. You can make it a little more expensive than a full bath to give others a glimpse into your tastes. After all, this bathroom will be accessible to your guests. Before setting design and decoration goals for this part, you will want to consider a few quick things, such as the main users (guests, kids, etc.), the location of the bathroom (near the foyer or mudroom entry), the scope of natural light filtering inside, and the style expectations. Based on these, you can choose the right features.
Other considerations
With a large bathroom, the budget becomes a constraint. But you can be a little liberal with it because of the small square footage. So, consider fancy tiles, exotic materials, and others you want to add. You can choose from wide-ranging sink designs – vessel sinks to large under-mount options in various materials. Vibrant colors will also look fabulous in this space. To match the aura of the backdrop, you can hang a piece of wall art, pendant lights, or anything that is a statement maker. However, pay attention to the ventilation system to put the risks of bathroom odor at bay.
Main bathroom
It can be the sanctuary in your home, where you seek personal time for unwinding and relaxing without outside interference. You would want to create an ambiance infused with soft candlelight and music in this bathroom. As you come out of the tub after a hot soak, a warm surface should welcome your beautiful feet. The bath linens should be readily accessible. The appliances should have dedicated outlets. And add a shower that gives out water at pre-programmed temperature levels.
Do you already feel like indulging in this experience? While such touches can be a reality with a suitable budget, you must remember that it can also be a shared bathroom space for one more person. So, the design should be flexible. Some people add dressing rooms leading to the main bath. Nevertheless, the same exercise of asking questions will help you make a few quick and important decisions. Determine the number of adults who will use this bathroom at a time.
Do you like the idea of adding a dressing room? What is your preference – a shower, a bath, or a combo? You can have two sinks on a sprawling countertop. If you are unhappy about the total square footage of the existing bathroom, remodeling can be an opportunity to extend it a little. Review all the features and the new ones you will want to have. Are you satisfied with the current number of electrical outlets or do you need more of them? Consider storage, lighting, and color schemes as well.
Other considerations
A master bath deserves opulence. You can include a shower with body sprays, hand showers, seats, infinity drains, rain showerheads, and more. You can opt for a Roman-style step-in shower if your family has kids and older adults. The curbless shower designs are usually safe for everyone. You can also add a bathtub to enjoy hot baths. Tubs with air jets dispensing heated water can be a fabulous addition. For privacy, you can sectionalize toilets. A separate toilet room makes sense if one more person shares this space simultaneously. In a spacious bathroom layout, under-mounted sinks can be other perfect things.
Planning is the most vital part of the process, whether you plan to renovate the entire house or only the bathrooms. It helps you choose the best elements for every corner within a desired amount.
