Most of us are aware that the money we spend renovating our kitchen and bathrooms is the best investment we can make in our homes. The difficulty is in understanding how to create spaces that are worthy of our investment. What makes a great bathroom renovation versus a bad investment? What materials should be used and which should be avoided?
Since bathrooms are one of the smaller spaces in our home there’s a perception that it’s an easy DIY project. This is where homeowners can find themselves overwhelmed and unsure. Even a small project can lead to disastrous results if you don’t use caution and care.
What To Avoid and What to Embrace
As a full-time designer I’ve been part of many bathroom renovation projects. I’ve also worked on numerous homes that were poorly renovated and in need of corrective work to resolve the issues. These are the lessons I’ve learned about the best and worst decisions for your renovation.
AVOID
When renovating without a designer there are areas that tend to be overlooked. Even the handiest DIY’er can overlook some of the most important aspects of project planning and end up having regrets. Here are the top 5 things you should avoid:
1/ Lack of Planning
One of the things HGTV neglects to really show is just how much planning goes into a renovation. The planning phase is extensive and time consuming but it’s the difference between a successful project and a one with mediocre (or worse) results,
Just because this is a small space doesn’t mean you can skip the planning phase. When you rush to the construction phase without adequate planning you could potentially incur more costs and delays than anticipated. If you need some more information about project planning, read this post.
2/ Trends
Unless you love renovating, try to avoid using too many trends when selecting your fixed materials. If you love Pinterest you’re likely inundated with the trends. While it may be tempting to incorporate a lot of what we see we also need to be aware that trends go out of style quite quickly so what’s hot today is out tomorrow.
In particular, avoid trendy materials like tiles, countertops and flooring materials. Instead, stick to classic materials that are timeless and won’t date your bathroom in 5 years. Yes, we’ve all seen dozens, if not hundreds of bathrooms with subway tile but it’s a classic material that will never date. Consider the timeless materials to give your bathroom longevity.
3/ Working Without a Permit
Renovations require municipal permits and work that is done without can result in a shutdown of your job site. Even worse, it can result in you having to reverse course and remove all work that has been done while you submit your permit application.
Any contractor you hire should be willing to submit the applications and keep an eye on the process including advising you about timelines.
4/ Overlooking Ventilation
While we want our bathrooms to be aesthetically pleasing it’s also important that they function well. Without addressing ventilation you may be forced to deal with the effects of condensation in the future.
The most obvious effect of poor ventilation is that the moisture is not being removed from the room and can result in mold. The other issue is that ventilation can help reduce and eliminate odours which is a necessity in a bathroom for obvious reasons.
5/ Insufficient Lighting
If you’re renovating an older home there may only be an overhead light. If that’s the case you’ll want to update the electrical to include additional lighting above or beside your vanity mirror. Insufficient lighting will make your bathroom look dull, drab and potentially smaller than it is. Read more about incorporating lighting in your space in this post.
Poor lighting is also a hindrance when getting ready for your day. You ideally want to be illuminated from above and from the side for maximum lighting conditions to apply makeup and doing your hair.
EMBRACE
1/ Maximize Storage
Since bathrooms are so small we often don’t consider storage as a priority. We tend to stick with the bathroom’s original footprint and accept whatever storage layout already exists. I would encourage you to use this opportunity to explore all the options for adding additional storage. Nobody ever regrets adding more storage to their bathroom.
If you don’t have room for any additional standing storage pieces consider hanging some shelves. By adding decorative baskets or boxes it will give you a place to hide all the things piling up in your small vanity.
2/ Integrated Shower Storage
This is the most under utilized tip but it’s the one that you’ll value the most. When renovating a shower you should always incorporate a built in niche or a ledge to store hair and body products. This will allow you to ditch the shower caddy and will give you an upscale, designer look.
It doesn’t cost much to add this feature to your shower. It’s just important that you consider it ahead of time and let your contractor know you want this included. This is a minimal expense if planned ahead of time.
3/ Mosaic Tile for Flooring
Small mosaic tiles not only look great in a bathroom but they also have an added safety feature. Since the tile is so small there will be plenty of grout lines that will add traction to the floor. This is a great feature to help you avoid slipping and falling on a wet floor.
And as I mentioned above, classic materials give you the longest life. Mosaic tiles like penny and hexagon tiles are never going to go out of style so you’ll get a long life from your renovation.
4/ Ready-Made Vanity
Even if you want to create custom storage in your bathroom a ready-made vanity can be the perfect starting point. These are inexpensive and give you a blank slate to start. You can customize these by painting, adding additional millwork, switching the hardware and even upgrading the vanity top if you like.
Additionally, you can build additional storage on either side and cut down on the overall cost. And if your budget doesn’t allow for any additional storage just buy some organizational products that are designed for vanities to keep everything organized and clearly visible.
5/ Towel Warmers
For the ultimate luxury consider adding towel warmers to your bathroom. This is an added expense but one that will be appreciated every time you step out of the shower. You can use a freestanding floor option or have it hardwired into your wall.
MATERIALS TO AVOID AND EMBRACE
Here are the materials that I love as well as some that I would avoid in a bathroom renovation:
AVOID
1/ High Gloss Tile on the Floor
High gloss tiles are slippery and when water is added it can be an accident waiting to happen. The only exception to this rule is when using very small mosaic tiles because the grout lines will provide the necessary traction.
2/ Trendy Tiles
Stick with classic tiles like subway or mosaics because these are the elements you don’t want to update. If you want to incorporate some trends into your bathroom use materials like lighting or hardware that can be easily changed in time.
3/ Light Coloured Grout
I love the look of white grout but over time you’ll find it has stained and is impossible to clean. This will leave your bathroom looking dingy. Instead, go for a light gray (not too light), cream, taupe or sand coloured grout.
EMBRACE
1/ Mixed Metals
It’s sometimes hard to make a statement in your bathroom because it’s just so small. One way I like to add some visual interest is by incorporating mixed metals. If you want to add a touch of trend to your bathroom consider using gold or black for your vanity mirror and stick with brushed or polished nickel for the plumbing fixtures.
2/ Tile for Baseboard
One simple way to elevate your space is by incorporating a stone or tile baseboard. This gives an elevated appearance to your bathroom but it also allows you to run the waterproof membrane above the floor for additional protection against water intrusion.
3/ Heated Floors
This is an additional expense but one that you will never regret. And to be honest, it’s not as expensive as most people expect it to be. If your bathroom feels cold it will be a game changer to install heated floors.
If you are considering embarking on a bathroom renovation and feel overwhelmed, reach out to me. I would love to discuss ways I can help you. From full-service design to my Designer For A Day service, there’s a way I can help a little or a lot.
