Renovating your bathroom is a big task. The bathroom is one of the only places in your home that makes you feel rejuvenated when you leave it, be it a shower or a simple night time routine before you head off to bed. Before you go ahead and renovate your bathroom, there are a few important tips you should consider first.
The bathroom, as well as the kitchen is a great place for adding value to your property. Do you ever go to a hotel or restaurants and remember it for its bathrooms? Properly planned designs can make your bathroom look larger and more lush. When you find yourself in a beautiful bathroom, it is easy to feel relaxed, calm and even happy.
10 Tips for Renovating Your Bathroom
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It’s no secret that a bathroom renovation is one of the most effective options for home improvement. The options available for bathroom remodeling might make you feel overwhelmed. If you are worried you might have overlooked something in your bathroom renovation plan, you should read the following tips to ensure you have all the best bathroom ideas.
Choose a Focal Point
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When designing your bathroom, you should always choose a focal point. Focal points in your bathroom can be standalone bathtubs, mirrors and even windows. Many contemporary bathrooms, influenced by TV renovation shows, come a long way from their cast iron days and feature the freestanding bath as a statement item. With a range of shapes, sizes and colours available, take the time to carefully choose the right bath to match your room layout and overall feeling.
Framed or frameless? Single or multiple? Round or hexagonal? Mirrors are making a big comeback in bathroom renovations and are even becoming the star attraction rather than just something that’s just an essential component.
Most bathrooms are usually small and don’t have a lot of natural light. Having a window to take advantage of the natural light can really make your bathroom eye-catching. Window with a view? Even better!
One effective focal point is to add decorative tiles. You can opt for a variety of colours, or choose decorative shapes such as hexagonal tiles. Even the placement or pattern of your tiling can be used to your advantage to add a unique appearance to your bathroom – herringbone tiling is currently a stunning trend!
Don’t make the mistake of making the toilet the focal point! If you don’t want your bathroom fixtures or fittings to be the first thing your guests notice as they enter the room, consider drawing the eye to the walls with a painting or artwork that perfectly matches the room’s decor. Choose colours in the artwork that complement the tiles or paint, or even match the towels and bath mats! This is a foolproof bathroom decorating tip that can really improve the appearance of the room and is one of the best budget-friendly renovation secrets.
Proper Lighting
The bathroom is a place where we voluntarily lock ourselves, treating the space as our luxury haven. Proper bathroom lighting is usually forgotten in the overall scheme of a bathroom renovation; making the most of the sanctuary demands proper lighting.
Introduce several layers of ambient, accent and decorative lights. One of the top recommendations is to use a pair of sconces mounted at eye level to provide shadowless lighting for shaving, tooth care and makeup application. Backlights are also very popular, and add depth to the bathroom. Avoid adding a light above the mirror as it casts deep shadows. Proper bathroom lighting will make you feel better about yourself and boost your confidence during the day.
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There is a large variety of unique statement lighting ideas, so you can select an option that perfectly complements the rest of your bathroom accessories, tiling and bathroom decor. One of the pros of LED lighting is that it can help you live a more sustainable lifestyle with less of an environmental impact.
Shower or bathtub?
Everyone loves to take bubble baths. It is calm, fun and gives a feeling of luxury. Using a bathtub has several health benefits. But, showers can help water conservation efforts. We recommend a combination of a shower/bath as it offers more versatility.
Most individuals choose to remove the bathtub altogether when renovating, due to space constraints. If you’re planning to sell your home in the near future, we would advise against this. The reason being is many young couples need the bathtub to wash their little ones.
The determining factor in choosing a shower or bath will be the space available. The last thing you want to do is make the bathroom feel cramped and lacking space. A shower is a good investment if you are looking to age-in-place. If you plan to start a family make sure you have at least one bathtub.
If you want the accessibility of a shower, we recommend opting for a bath/shower combo. The careful selection of your shower screen will ensure you choose one that is suitable in terms of function and appearance in your bathroom - these shower screens will leave you breathless!
Proper Ventilation
If you're thinking about skipping out on installing an exhaust fan, think again. Regular bathroom practices such as bathing and showering will add a large amount of moisture to the air supply in your home. Without sufficient ventilation in the bathroom, the extra airborne moisture can cause havoc in your home. It can promote the growth of mould and mildew, make the air feel too sticky and warm, put undue strain on the equipment and increase its energy use.
Proper ventilation will ensure a comfortable environment and will avoid health problems.
The Dimensions
Don’t start remodelling your bathroom without understanding its dimensions. Not all bathrooms are meant to be renovated in a specific way! For a successful remodel experience, you should understand the dimensions properly. Keep track of important measurements like the bathtub’s size, space required for the toilet and the amount of room you need for walking. Dimensions take advantage of the lighting available in the bathroom to strike a balance between the space and the design finishes of the vanity and the toilet.
If you have a tiny bathroom, don’t fear! There are plenty of ways to make your bathroom look bigger.
The Right Materials
Be careful with the materials you choose for your benchtops and vanities. Choose quality materials that require little maintenance and can handle constant temperature and humidity changes. Laminate is an affordable option with many choices of colours and finishes while being easy to install. Ceramic and porcelain tiles are another popular option for bathroom counters or vanities, with many styles also available, but with a downfall of the grout lines becoming easily stained.
Lastly, choosing the right materials depends on the following factors:
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- Durability
- Cost
- Ease of maintenance
- Vulnerability to heat and moisture
- Ease of installation
The bathroom can incorporate design elements from the rest of the house or can have their own independent designs. You may choose to paint, put up wallpaper or even rely on glass and mirrors to create the ideal ambience for your bathroom. Bathrooms offer much potential for design freedom, be it minimalistic or extravagant.
Natural stone and solid surface benchtops are attractive, luxurious-looking options for your bathroom renovation, and are also quite durable. For a statement piece and to really add something special to your bathroom, you can opt for a wooden benchtop for an inviting, earthy vibe, or concrete for a minimalist and modern aesthetic.
Storage Space
One of the ultimate tips for bathroom renovation is storage space! Even small bathrooms require a decent amount of storage space. When tackling your bathroom design, factor in the musts of your fixtures and fittings, whether it's heated towel rails, a walk in shower, or a vanity layout. You need ample storage to store toiletries, towels, a hair dryer, straighteners, and anything else required in the bathroom. It can make all the difference in controlling clutter! Keep your storage options open.
Utilise Natural Light
Wall scones and task lighting matter, but so does your use of natural light. You'll enjoy your new bathroom much more if you take note of this proper planning tip. The right paint colour and design will maximise the natural light your bathroom captures and make the bathroom space look bigger and brighter than it really is. The right colour palette will depend on how much light it gets and when! That's something to talk to a contractor about, but you can stick samples to the wall to get a better idea of how it will look throughout the day.
Mirrors are also key to using natural light to your advantage.
Finishing Touches
How you decorate and style your newly renovated bathroom can really transform the space from utility room to relaxing oasis. Tie in the material and colour pallete choices with matching decor such as towels, soap dispensers and artwork. Bringing nature into your bathroom can also help you feel calm and rejuvenated. Try potted plants which thrive on moisture such as peace lilies, palms and ferns to invite a spa-like atmosphere to your bathroom. Don’t forget that you can use larger plants as focal points or match the plant pots into your decor.
Creative Director
The ultimate in renovating bathroom tips is using a creative director to design your dream bathroom. An interior designer can help you save money, choose the right colour palette, choose materials, and ultimately, make the process as stress free as possible. A designer will take in the room, detail the space as it is now and advise you on how best to utilise it, whether your existing layout is sufficient or it's time for a total revamp. Whether you're looking to install underfloor heating or a rain shower head, an interior designer will recommend the right toilet, fixtures, plumbing, and budget.
Of course, if you want the top tips for renovating a bathroom, the most important one is choosing a reputable contractor to handle the work and put your tops for renovating a bathroom into action.
Considering these tips when renovating your bathroom will allow you to achieve your ultimate bathroom remodelling outcome! If you're looking for more bathroom renovation tips, reach out to a contractor who can provide bathroom reno tips, offer design guidance, and quote the work.
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